Parents plan to push back against Cross Bayou Elementary closure

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — A number of parents plan to speak out at Thursday’s community meeting regarding the proposed closure of Cross Bayou Elementary in Pinellas Park.

The family and community meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday in the cafeteria of Cross Bayou Elementary.

Citing declining enrollment district wide, Pinellas County Superintendent Kevin Hendrick recommended a handful of school consolidations and closures in order to cut down on costs and reduce the amount of student seats available.

Hendrick recommended Cross Bayou Elementary close at the end of the 2025-2026 school year, and students be rezoned to nearby Pinellas Central and Bardmoor elementary schools. The Deaf/Hard of Hearing program, which is run out of the school, would be relocated to Walsingham Oaks K-8.

The decades-old school building is in need of roughly $5.1 million in capital improvements in the coming years, Hendrick said. In order to keep the school up and running it would need a new roof, front office expansion, and refrigerator replacements. The district hopes to sell or lease the property as-is after student depart for the final time in May. The district expects to save about $3 million a year by closing the school.

Cross Bayou Elementary currently has 245 students with a maximum capacity of 610 students. This is a steep drop from its peak of 427 students during the 2018-2019 school year.

Parent and school volunteer Michael Gerke says he plans to speak at Thursday’s meeting and plead with district officials to reconsider.

“The principal has a better chance of having a relationship with 300 kids than she does with 600 kids,” he said. “That’s what matters to me most is the children, it’s more than any budget. More than any bill. I just really hope they change their minds.”

Parent James King says his son loves his teachers and friends he’s made at Cross Bayou.

“One fear he does have is going to a new school and losing his friends, he’s made friends here,” King said. “Parents are real nervous, they don’t know what direction it’s headed.”

A second family and community meeting on the recommended closure is set for Feb. 5 at 6 p.m.

The closure is pending a school board vote, which is set for late February.