Pasco County Schools students who live along the State Road 54 corridor could be going to a new school next year.

  • Growth in the 54 corridor spurs need for new schools
  • Boundaries to be redrawn by February and be effective for 2017-18 school year
  • New high school, elementary school planned

The district is currently working on new boundaries that will affect several schools. Overcrowding at many schools is forcing the district to draw new boundaries.

Two new schools yet to be named, High School "GGG" in Wesley Chapel and Elementary School "B" in Land O' Lakes open, next year. Officials said that will help surrounding schools from bursting at the seams.

"There has been tremendous growth in the 54 corridor, and we have Wiregrass Ranch High School sitting at 150-160 percent of capacity," said district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe.

Link: Information for parents about rezoning | Link: Pasco County Schools website

So nearby schools, including Wiregrass Ranch, will be feeding into the new high school.

"We'll be looking at the closest surrounding areas around that location, trying not to break up neighborhoods," Cobbe said.

Elementary School "B" will also open its doors, helping to relieve overcrowding at nearby Odessa and Oakstead elementary schools.

However, several other schools will be impacted. Seven Springs Middle and J.W. Mitchell students will also need to be rezoned to balance the schools that are under capacity.

"That will affect also Anclote High School, probably Gulf High School, and also River Ridge High School, this all has to do with all the new development along the 54 corridor," Cobbe said.

Committees have been formed for each affected school that will help it come to a final decision.

"They get the demographics, they see the numbers of students or school aged students in each neighborhood, they're broken down and numbered and then their task is to look at current boundaries and find reasonable divisions," Cobbe said.

The district expects the boundaries to be drawn by February 2017. Once the boundaries are drawn, they'll become effective for the 2017-18 school year.