Palm Harbor University High School and Dunedin High School are not among the seven Pinellas County schools named for closure or conversion in a plan projected to save $25 million a year.
Superintendent Kevin Hendrick released the "Planning for Progress" recommendations Sept. 10, proposing changes that could affect 28 schools districtwide. Both Palm Harbor University High and Dunedin High are among roughly two dozen district schools running at or above 80% capacity, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Hendrick has said he would not propose closing high schools.
Six Schools Face Closure, One Converts
Six schools face outright closure at the end of this school year: Tarpon Springs Fundamental, Kings Highway, Blanton, Bear Creek, Sexton and Lealman Innovation. A seventh, Azalea Elementary, will not close but will transition to a K-8 school and relocate to the Azalea Middle School campus in 2028-29, Bay News 9 reported.
The Pinellas County School Board is scheduled to vote on the plan Oct. 13.
Plan Aims to Cut Costs, Empty Seats
Hendrick said the changes would eliminate nearly 5,000 unused student seats and cut costs by consolidating staff and reducing utility expenses. Converting buildings for new uses would cost just under $7 million, the Times reported.
Declining Enrollment Drives the Overhaul
The numbers reflect a district that has been shrinking for years. Enrollment stood at 70,363 students as of the Aug. 24 count, down from 77,854 two years earlier. Close to 45,000 seats sit empty countywide. Hendrick noted that Pinellas County hospitals recorded fewer than 7,000 births last year, down from more than 10,000 in prior years.
"It's not a school closure plan," Hendrick said on Sept. 10. "It's how do we make better choices for families while continuing to balance the budget."
New Programs and Career Tracks Planned
The plan also calls for new K-8 options in Tarpon Springs and St. Petersburg, a K-5 fundamental school at Pinellas Park Elementary and a pilot early childhood program for 2-year-olds at certain schools. Boca Ciega High School would become a technical high school with six career tracks starting in 2028-29. Lealman Innovation Academy, which holds 1,000 students but currently serves 201, would be leased to Feeding Tampa Bay.
No Layoffs Expected, District Says
Hendrick said the district does not expect layoffs. Any reductions would come through attrition such as retirements or resignations. Families at affected schools will get first priority for magnet and fundamental programs.
Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association president Tracey McConnell said the scale of this round concerns her. The first round of Planning for Progress affected six schools and resulted in two closures, Cross Bayou Elementary and Disston Academy, at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
Feedback Period Precedes Board's Vote
The district developed its recommendations after an online survey and six community meetings that generated 791 pages of feedback. School Board Chair Caprice Edmond urged families to review the plan and submit questions through the district's Planning for Progress page.
The board will take public comment at its Sept. 22 meeting. A workshop is set for Oct. 6.
