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School Openings Trigger Talk Of New Boundaries

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 19, 2007

CITRUS PARK - A middle school scheduled to open in August could trigger boundary changes at several other schools and influence where some of those children attend high school.

The Hillsborough County School District and a committee of parents, educators and community members are looking at options to relieve crowded schools, fill new ones and deal with extra space in other buildings.

The school capacity advisory council met during the past school year and reconvened last week to discuss enrollment projections, new schools and possible boundary changes. District officials also hope to meet this month with principals and parent groups at schools that could be affected when new schools open.

No decisions have been made. The district plans to hold community meetings in October or November to gather feedback on which neighborhoods might change schools, said Bill Person, general director of pupil placement and support. The superintendent will have to sign off on any plan before it goes to the school board for a vote.

Person said he hopes to bring boundary adjustments to the board no later than January. The new middle school will sit behind Citrus Park Elementary and is expected to open in August. The high school is coming to Lutz-Lake Fern Road and is scheduled to open the following school year.

Already, however, parents are talking about whether the high school will affect where their children go. Some brought up concerns at a town hall meeting with Superintendent MaryEllen Elia last week.

'Will I at least have a say?' Paul Grimminger asked.

'You will,' Elia said.

Grimminger's daughter is a freshman at Alonso. He had heard his Bay Crest neighborhood might get reassigned to Leto because Leto has space and Alonso is crowded. His daughter is not sure whether she wants to pursue the military or veterinary school when she graduates, and Alonso gives her several options.

'Alonso is where she has all her what-ifs covered,' Grimminger said.

Changes at Alonso are on the table because of the high school and middle school opening. The middle school could draw directly from Farnell, Walker, Davidsen and Martinez, and the high school would relieve Sickles and Gaither. But it could also create a domino effect - the district might move students from other schools into ones it just relieved.

An enrollment count coming out this week will show which schools are crowded and help the district decide what changes to make.

'We've got a lot less kids moving in, so we may have to move less kids,' Person said.

One scenario, Person said, includes sending some Farnell Middle School children to Webb Middle, in Town 'N Country. That would prompt a new feeder pattern for high school, and those students would go from Webb to Leto instead of Farnell to Alonso.

Another possibility would be to bump students from Farnell to Davidsen Middle, in Westchase, and later move families along Alonso's northern border into Sickles, Person said. That would leave enough room at Alonso to avoid transfers into Leto.

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (813) 865-1503 or cpastor@tampatrib.com.

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