Southshore Students to the State: Don’t Cut Our Future, Bro.

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Dear Tallahassee: Stop Defunding Our Dreams

You know that feeling when you check your bank account and say, “Well, guess I’m having cereal for dinner”?
That’s basically what Tallahassee is saying to schools across the state—including right here in Southshore.

Florida lawmakers are proposing a major reduction in “add-on” funding for accelerated academic programs (think IB, AP, Dual Enrollment, AICE) and Career & Technical Education (CTE). Translation? The stuff that actually gets kids into college or a decent job before they’re 30 and living in your guest room might be on the chopping block.

Here’s what’s at stake in the Southshore area:

• Fewer advanced classes at schools like Sumner, East Bay, Spoto, and Lennard. Because who needs college credit in high school when you can just pay full price later, right?

• Cutbacks to career training programs—you know, the ones where kids learn real-world trades like welding, IT, and healthcare. (Because obviously what we need in 2025 is less skilled labor.)

• Higher costs for families. Without funding, parents may be on the hook for exam fees, tuition, and other extras. Hope you weren’t too attached to that tax refund.

• Limited options for charter and lower-income students, many of whom rely on these programs as a pathway to something better than minimum wage and student debt.

And yes, the irony is rich: just when we need more pathways to success, the state is cutting the ladder off halfway up.

So what can you do?
Raise your voice. Contact your local and state reps. Share this info with your neighbors. Let them know Southshore families like yours aren’t okay with sacrificing opportunity to balance the budget.

Because cutting accelerated and career-track programs isn’t “fiscal responsibility.”
It’s like canceling Driver’s Ed and wondering why no one knows how to steer.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Golf Cart Crossroads

In Sun City Center, golf carts have never been just a weekend luxury—they’re a way of life. For decades, retirees and long-time residents have zipped through neighborhoods, run errands, and visited friends using these quiet, slow-rolling vehicles. Entire roadways were designed with golf carts in mind. You’ll even find designated parking spots at grocery stores and medical centers.

But as Southshore grows—and it is growing fast—the roads are starting to look different. More cars. More speed. More people unfamiliar with the local pace. And tragically, more potential for deadly accidents.

Just this week, a beloved community member lost her life in a golf cart crash after a driver ran a red light at a busy intersection. It's the kind of news that hits harder when you realize: this could happen again.

What was once a sleepy, golf-cart-friendly corridor is now bordered by new housing developments, commercial projects, and increased traffic from all directions. Apollo Beach, Riverview, Wimauma—each community is growing, and with that growth comes new challenges.

Golf carts and heavy traffic don’t always mix well. Many of our roads were built before anyone imagined a four-lane highway sharing space with a line of golf carts headed to Publix. But here we are.

If Southshore wants to preserve what makes it unique, safety has to be part of the growth plan. That means smarter road design, more visible crossings, and public awareness that golf carts aren’t a relic of the past—they’re still a vital part of daily life here.

Progress doesn’t have to mean losing what makes our communities special. Golf carts aren’t going away, and they shouldn’t have to. They represent freedom, sustainability, and a slower pace of life many people move here for.

As Southshore expands, we owe it to our residents—past, present, and future—to ensure safety grows right alongside the skyline.

Not A Fan of Phosphate?

A few months ago, we covered Mosaic’s proposal to dispose of treated phosphate wastewater by injecting it deep underground—a plan that stirred up plenty of concern across Southshore and beyond.

On March 11, Mosaic, alongside the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), hosted a public meeting in Plant City to explain their next steps: a permit request to drill an exploratory well over 8,000 feet deep at their Plant City facility. According to Mosaic, this is simply to study the geology—not to begin injecting anything. Yet.

But not everyone’s buying it.

Environmental groups and concerned locals packed the meeting, raising alarm bells about potential leaks, contamination, and long-term risks to our drinking water. Glenn Compton of ManaSota-88 said it plainly: “All wells leak. It’s just a matter of when.”

Mosaic’s response? They point to similar projects across Florida and promise strict monitoring and testing. Still, with the DEP accepting public comments through March 14, the fate of the project remains undecided.

We'll keep an eye on what happens next—because when it comes to protecting Southshore’s water, we're not afraid to go deep.

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