The Hernando County School District is considering rezoning the district for the 2016-2017 school year due to severe overcrowding at various schools.
Community members will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 30, at Central High School for a public forum to discuss the creation of new boundaries for local schools. Proposals include closing Spring Hill Elementary and moving International Baccalaureate and magnet programs.
During the previous school year, there was a disparity in the amount of students concentrated between county schools, said Eric Williams, deputy superintendent of schools.
According to a work plan produced by the Hernando County School District, Nature Coast Technical High School held 104 percent of its capacity last school year, making it the most crowded school in the district. In contrast, Central High School held only 54 percent of its capacity.
“The involvement across the county is uneven, and perhaps some rezoning will even out the enrollment,” said Lucy Tucker, secretary of the Hernando County Teachers Association.
A committee formed earlier this year by the Hernando County School Board met Monday, July 20, to create several different zoning options.
Each board member appointed two people from their districts to the committee, according to Patrick Keough, spokesman for the Hernando County School District. It is comprised of school district personnel, county government personnel and community members.
“The issue really stems from the building of the two magnet schools so close together and building them close to where Spring Hill Elementary School is,” said Melinda Barrett, vice president of the Hernando County Teachers Association.
Several board members proposed shutting down schools for budgetary purposes, but the cost of maintaining empty schools to prevent decay would limit potential savings.
“I’m a teacher at Spring Hill Elementary, one of the school’s they’re talking about closing, and it makes us a little nervous,” Tucker said. “I am excited about the changes that our new administration is putting forth, and I am looking forward to a really good school year. However, I think it is definitely going to impact teacher morale.”
The committee suggested shifting zones to create a balance of students at each school. This would ensure all current elementary, middle and high schools and accompanying programs stay open.
Michael Maine, principal of Spring Hill Elementary School, believes this is the best option.
"We’re going to do the best we can,” Maine said. “It’s still early on in the process. I’m sure the school board has a lot of avenues open, but we plan to continue our course in bringing out a positive change for the upcoming school year.”
If this option is chosen, schools below capacity like Central High School would receive students from Weeki Wachee and Frank W. Springstead High Schools.
Another idea is to shift IB and magnet programs to less crowded schools.
“The magnet programs are a big part of the schools, and they probably don’t want to move,” said Tucker.
West Hernando Middle School and Pine Grove Elementary School, also half-full last year, would receive elementary and middle school magnet program students from Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics and Chocachatti Elementary School.
While Central, West Hernando and Pine Grove are located in the center of the county, they are more remote from dense populations of students, according to the Hernando County School District website.
“Spring Hill has been a neighborhood school for over two decades, and many families who attend live within walking distance of the school,” Barrett said. “The problem with closing Spring Hill...is how it would affect the parents who don't have their own mode of transportation.”
As a Title I school, many of Spring Hill’s families depend on public transportation, friends or family and some simply walk, according to Barrett.
“I worry that if moving the children to Pine Grove, or even to the Challenger campus, would hinder family participation greatly, being that many families wouldn't have the means to get to the other campuses, without difficulty,” said Barrett.
Challenger is the closest school for most students, but it can be more than a two-mile commute for families who live near Spring Hill.
Another option is to designate Challenger and Chocachatti as zoned schools.
None of the plans have been finalized, as the committee still has several factors to consider.
They hope to reach a decision that will assign students in the same subdivisions to the same zoned schools and address safety concerns with students crossing public highways.
Once a plan is approved, it will require a vote of the board.