Bear Creek Elementary's 189 students would be split between two other schools under a Pinellas County closure plan that also reshapes Azalea Elementary into a K-8 campus.

Superintendent Kevin Hendrick released the proposal Sept. 10, recommending closures or major restructuring at seven schools districtwide. The plan projects $25 million in annual savings and would eliminate nearly 5,000 unused student seats, Tampa Bay Beacons reported.

Bear Creek, described as small and aging, would close outright. About half its students would move to Gulfport Elementary and the rest to Fairmount Park Elementary. Both receiving schools are underused and carry A ratings.

Azalea Elementary shifts to a K-8 model

Azalea Elementary would not shut down but would leave its current building. By 2028, the school would relocate to the existing Azalea Middle School campus, which would become a new K-8 school. Sixth- through eighth-graders could choose the neighborhood K-8 or a career-tech-focused middle school.

Azalea Middle School itself would move to a three-story building on the Boca Ciega High School campus in south Pinellas, where students would have access to career-technical programs while operating separately from the high school.

Full list of seven schools targeted

The seven schools on the list are Tarpon Springs Fundamental, Kings Highway, Blanton, Azalea, Bear Creek and Sexton elementary schools, and Lealman Innovation Academy. Kings Highway Elementary, with about 168 students, would become an early learning center for children ages 2 to 4. Its students would transfer to Sandy Lane Elementary, an arts magnet across the street, or to Skycrest Elementary.

The plan could also open seats at Clearwater Fundamental Middle, which is nearly 90% full. A new fundamental K-8 in Tarpon Springs would draw students who currently travel to Clearwater for that program.

Converting buildings for new uses would cost just under $7 million.

Superintendent says no jobs will be lost

Hendrick said no employees would lose their jobs. "We already know of five of six retirements that are coming forward and a couple of other things that will happen," he said as he presented the recommendations, according to WFTS. No principal, assistant principal or teacher has lost a job through the process so far, he said.

Second round follows February closures

The closures mark a second round of changes. The board approved the first round in February, shutting Cross Bayou Elementary and Disston Academy and converting five other schools. After Cross Bayou closed this fall, 199 of its 209 students stayed enrolled in the district.

Declining births are driving the consolidation

Declining birth rates are driving the consolidation. Pinellas County hospitals recorded fewer than 7,000 births last year, down from more than 10,000 historically, Hendrick said, according to Wild 94.1. The district has roughly 45,000 open seats, and only 68% of children born in the county in 2020 enrolled in Pinellas schools.

Families push back at Sexton meeting

At a Sept. 15 community meeting at Sexton Elementary in St. Petersburg, Hendrick told families he wanted them "to feel like they were heard," according to Spectrum Bay News 9. Parents at that meeting spoke against the closures.

Public meetings and board vote ahead

Community meetings at affected schools wrap up by Sept. 22, the same day the board holds a public comment session in Largo. A board workshop to review feedback follows Oct. 6. The school board votes Oct. 13.

Families can check whether they are affected using an address lookup tool on the district's Planning for Progress page.