Amidst enrollment declines and increased costs, the Pinellas County School Board voted Tuesday evening to close Pinellas Park’s Cross Bayou Elementary and Gulfport’s Disston Academy at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year.
The recommendation to close the schools was unveiled at a January workshop and is a part of the district’s Planning for Progress initiative.
Cross Bayou Elementary currently serves approximately 250 students and has a 40% utilization rate, Pinellas County Schools superintendent Kevin Hendrick said at the meeting. The property will either be sold or leased. Additionally, the closure will provide an estimated $3 million in annual cost savings…