The Pasco County School Board voted 4-1 on Nov. 3 to close and consolidate Fox Hollow Elementary School after the 2026-27 school year. Parents, staff and community members objected, citing transportation, child care and the loss of a neighborhood school. Fox Hollow students will remain at their school for the rest of 2026-27.
District staff said the rezoning process begins in January. A proposed boundary plan, a public workshop, a public hearing and a board vote are expected by March. Final school assignments have not been set.
The vote fell under the district’s Elevate 34668 plan, named for the 34668 ZIP code. Schrader Elementary would receive a STEAM focus. Highlands Exploratory Academy would emphasize career exploration, character education and community connections. Chasco K-8 would be developed as a more seamless K-8 option. The same agenda item renames Gulf Highlands Elementary as Highlands Exploratory Academy and moves West Pasco Education Academy to the former Kousa Elementary campus.
Board member Jessica Wright cast the only no vote. She unsuccessfully moved to separate the Fox Hollow closure from the rest of the item. “I support relocating West Pasco Education Academy and the proposed changes at Gulf Highlands, but my concern is approving Fox Hollow’s closure before we can understand its anticipated impact,” Wright said.
Parent Samantha Vrbancic told the board, “Our children deserve answers before a vote, not after.” Cheryl Furia, who works in data entry at Fox Hollow, said staff were already seeking jobs elsewhere. “This is certainly creating instability for both staff and students,” Furia said.
Transportation drew the sharpest opposition. The district said 352 Fox Hollow students currently walk to school. Tampa Bay Times reported that Superintendent John Legg proposed the plan about two weeks before the vote, and that Wright put the share of Fox Hollow students who walk at 80%. Tampa Bay Times also reported that Pasco enrollment shrank by nearly 4,000 in two years, and that officials expect more school closures if those trends continue. Critics told the Tampa Bay Times that the board’s early-morning Election Day meeting left few residents able to attend. Fox13 reported that the three ZIP 34668 elementary schools have not earned an A or B grade from the state in 14 years.
Read more: Tampa Bay Times coverage and Fox13 News.
Originally reported by Hernando Sun and Tampa Bay Times and FOX 13 News
