TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hillsborough County School Superintendent Addison Davis went back to the drawing board for a new plan to deal with overcrowded and under utilized schools in the district.
The school board has considered three other plans, but each one has been met with opposition and even some anger from parents.
All four plans would move thousands of students to new schools, shift school boundaries and in some cases shut down schools with low attendance.
School Board Chair Nadia Combs says the district must do something to deal with population shifts.
“People throughout the country are moving here. We are the number one location to move to and it’s just not sustainable to do nothing,” said Combs.
School board member Shake Washington says the latest plan from Davis will impact students of color more than other groups.
“I have a total of 13 schools that’s going to be disrupted. Kids from all over is going to be moved. We’ve got kids from Robles going to be moved, Booker T. Washington, Graham,” said Washington.
He says moving students from one neighborhood school to another without understanding the dynamics of those groups could have dangerous implications in some cases.
“When you mix some communities don’t work well together, they have conflicts,” said Washington.
Parents like Shawn Boyle say they are worried how the shift in school boarders will impact their children on many levels.
“It has to do with friends, it has to do with sports, because if we are moved north of the airport, getting time to do sports with local kids won’t be happening,” said Boyle.
The Hillsborough School Board took no vote on any of the proposed plans at Monday’s workshop meeting and decided to hold another workshop to talk about alternatives.