Kings Highway Elementary in Clearwater will close at the end of the 2026-27 school year after the Pinellas County School Board voted 6-1 on Oct. 13 to approve a sweeping restructuring plan affecting several under-enrolled campuses.

The Clearwater magnet school, which enrolls about 277 students, was among six elementary and middle school campuses targeted for closure or consolidation under the district's Planning for Progress initiative, according to Beacon Media.

The changes also affect Blanton Elementary, Bear Creek Elementary, Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary, Lealman Innovation Academy and Azalea Elementary.

Azalea will not simply eliminate its educational program. The district plans to relocate its elementary students to the Azalea Middle School campus, creating a K-8 school beginning in the 2028-29 school year, according to St. Pete Catalyst.

Kings Highway will remain open through the current school year before its campus is repurposed for 2027-28, according to the district's Planning for Progress initiative.

Sunset Hills changes draw opposition

While Kings Highway's closure drew no speakers in opposition at the Oct. 13 meeting, the most contentious debate centered on Sunset Hills Elementary in Tarpon Springs.

Sunset Hills was not included in Superintendent Kevin Hendrick's original restructuring proposal. The school was added roughly a week before the vote following concerns that the initial plan would leave Tarpon Springs without a neighborhood middle school, Beacon Media reported.

Under the approved changes, Sunset Hills Elementary will relocate to the Tarpon Springs Middle School campus, which will become a traditional K-8 school.

The vacated Sunset Hills campus will house an expanded fundamental K-8 program, replacing the existing Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary campus.

More than 60 community members spoke during more than three hours of public comment, according to WUSF. Dozens of Sunset Hills parents and teachers objected to the late addition.

"We just got kicked out of our school," parent Irene Romero said as she left the boardroom.

Board member Lisa Cane, who cast the lone dissenting vote, moved to postpone the decision until Oct. 27. Her motion failed for lack of a second.

Some Sunset Hills supporters walked out of the meeting following the vote.

Board member Eileen Long, who participated remotely, said the district had spent two years studying the restructuring and needed to act before its financial challenges worsened.

Declining enrollment drives restructuring

The closures and consolidations are expected to eliminate nearly 4,500 of the district's approximately 45,000 unused student seats.

District officials have reported that 45 schools operate below 60% capacity and 41 elementary schools enroll fewer than 300 students.

Hendrick has described the excess capacity as financially unsustainable.

The district estimates that its consolidation efforts could eventually save approximately $25 million annually, according to WFLA.

Jennifer Dull, the district's chief operations officer, said employees would not lose their jobs as a result of the restructuring, WFLA reported. However, staff assignments and school locations may change.

Sexton Elementary in St. Petersburg, initially considered for closure, was removed from the Oct. 13 vote while district planners review options along the 16th Street North corridor.

Hendrick said Sunset Hills families would receive priority for available seats in the expanded Tarpon Springs fundamental program.

School Board Vice Chair Dawn Peters cautioned that the approved changes would not fully resolve the district's enrollment challenges and that additional closures could be considered in future years.

As previously reported by the Clearwater Sentinel, Kings Highway families had addressed board members before the Oct. 13 decision.

Kings Highway will remain open through the 2026-27 school year, with its closure taking effect for 2027-28. Other changes will be implemented on separate schedules.

Families can find school-specific timelines and updates on the district's Planning for Progress website.