Students with disabilities and children from low-income families across Pinellas County will keep receiving federally funded services after the school board approved more than $55 million in grant applications for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

The largest award is the $27.6 million in IDEA Part B special education funding for K-12 students. Another major grant is the $27.5 million in Title I money for schools with high concentrations of students from low-income families. The board voted 7-0 on both at its Tuesday, June 23, 2026 meeting, with Vice Chairperson Dawn M. Peters making the motion and board member Lisa N. Cane seconding.

The district enrolled 74,203 K-12 students during 2025-26, a decline of 3,651 from the prior year, according to district enrollment data presented at a July 9 community meeting. The diminishing headcount makes federal dollars all the more critical for maintaining services at Clearwater-area campuses and across the district.

The approvals also carry extra weight after a roughly $9 million in federal education grants were frozen on June 30, 2025, days before the fiscal year began, according to district records. The funds were released July 25, 2025, but the episode rattled planning.

"It is critical to plan ahead if funding is not received," Chairperson Caprice Edmond said at the June 23 meeting while discussing the grant applications.

Beyond IDEA and Title I, the board greenlit nine additional federal grants totaling roughly $12.3 million, including $3.7 million for teacher support (Title II), $3.2 million for the Javits gifted-and-talented program, $2.1 million for student support (Title IV), and $1.1 million for English-language learners (Title III).

2027-28 calendar set

At its Tuesday, July 14, 2026 meeting, the board unanimously approved the 2027-28 instructional calendar, according to the Tampa Bay Times. School starts Tuesday, August 10, 2027, and ends Thursday, May 25, 2028. The first semester runs 87 student days and the second runs 93.

Key Dates for Families

  • Winter break: Begins Dec. 18, 2027.
  • Thanksgiving break: Full week off.
  • Spring break: March 11-19, 2028.
  • Easter weekend: Four-day break.
  • Veterans Day: Remains a student day. Vice Chairperson Peters raised the issue at a June 23 workshop, but the board kept it as a school day, citing education and enrichment opportunities.

The approved calendar does not include designated hurricane makeup days.

What's ahead

Pinellas County students return to class for the 2026-27 school year on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. The next school board meeting is Tuesday, July 21. A budget public hearing follows on Tuesday, July 28, at 5 p.m.