Pasco proposes closing Fox Hollow Elementary in Port Richey under 'Elevate 34668' plan

Fox Hollow Elementary in Port Richey would close next fall, and its students would be rezoned to nearby schools, under a proposal Pasco County Superintendent John Legg presented to school staff and parents Thursday afternoon, Oct. 15, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The plan, called Elevate 34668, is a proposal, not a decision. The School Board is scheduled to take it up at a workshop Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 4:30 p.m., the district's meeting calendar shows.

Elevate 34668: the three elementary schools

School	Capacity used	Proposed change
Fox Hollow	About 56%	Close next fall; students rezoned
Gulf Highlands	67%	Career exploration; renamed Highlands Exploratory Academy
Schrader	66%	STEAM program aligned with Bayonet Point Middle

Source: yahoo.com

What the proposal would change

Fox Hollow's students would be reassigned to Gulf Highlands, Schrader or Chasco K-8, where some of them already go for middle grades. Legg said Fox Hollow is the oldest school in the ZIP code and the one most in need of building improvements.

Schrader would become a science, technology, engineering, arts and math school, with its curriculum aligned to Bayonet Point Middle next door. Gulf Highlands would add a career exploration program and be renamed Highlands Exploratory Academy, using a curriculum meant to give students more exposure to career and technical options on top of core academics.

In a related move, Legg suggested shifting the West Pasco Education Academy from the old Hudson Elementary campus to the former Calusa Elementary site on Orchid Lake Road. The district would then issue an invitation to negotiate for leasing, buying or otherwise using its empty buildings. Legg described that as a non-binding process in which a group of community members would review ideas and make recommendations.

Who is affected

The initiative targets the Port Richey-area 34668 ZIP code, bounded by Ridge Road to the south and State Road 52 to the north, from Little Road west to the Gulf of Mexico.

Legg said the goal is to tackle academics and enrollment together. The three elementary schools in the area have each lost about 30 to 50 students a year over a number of years, and together they have received six F's, nine D's and 24 C's in state grades over 14 years. "We can't do the same thing we've been doing there for 14 years and expect different results," Legg said.

Where board members stand

Board members told the Times they don't want to close neighborhood schools. Jessica Wright said the board has a financial responsibility to use every campus to its potential, but she has several questions that need answers before she can support the plan.

Megan Harding, who taught at Fox Hollow before she was elected, also has questions. "I want to make sure whatever decisions we make, whatever opportunities we give them, are the right ones," she said.

Part of a wider pattern

Legg pointed to earlier closures of Hudson Elementary in 2020, Locke in 2023, Calusa in 2025 and Gulfside this year. The Times reported that districts also face the possibility of Schools of Hope charters seeking to share under-enrolled campuses, and that more actions are likely if trends continue, with Legg saying the district may be looking at another ZIP code next year.

How to follow the discussion

The Oct. 20 workshop is listed for the Board Room in Building 3 of the district office, which the district lists at 7205 Land O Lakes Blvd. in Land O' Lakes. The regular School Board meeting follows at 6 p.m. in the same room.