Board moves ahead with plans to close schools

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

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More than 100 people spoke at the school board meeting Tuesday night. (Slideshow)

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Despite attempts to alter their stance, the Pinellas County School Board is moving forward with plans to close schools due to budget cuts.

Tuesday's school board meeting went late into the evening as parents, students and others in the community spoke to voice their opposition to the school board's decision to close five elementary schools: Gulf Beaches, Kings Highway, North Ward, Rio Vista and Palm Harbor.

Still, by the time the meeting was over, the school board voted 7-0 to tentatively approve their plan to shut down the schools.

In addition to the five possible closures, Clearview Avenue Elementary also will close, as previously decided by the board. And Southside and Coachman middle schools will be shuttered with their programs switched to other middle schools.

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Also, new middle and elementary school zones will be drawn up.

Meanwhile, parents of students at some of the schools slated for closing said they aren't giving up.

"I think it's a shame that they're not considering that this is the only school that we have on our beaches,' said one parent of Gulf Beaches Elementary School in St. Pete Beach. "We have a couple smaller fundamental schools. But where are we going to on on the barrier island?"

A final vote on the closing plan is scheduled for Jan. 13.

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