Too Many Schools?

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Featured Story

A Tale of Two Cities…Sort Of

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale. That tale starts with a startling title, “Despite closures, Hillsborough has too many schools.”

Something about that does not check out, especially in Southshore, where they cannot build new schools fast enough. We have school shortages, teacher shortages, and even bus shortages. So how could we possibly have too many schools?

Here is the twist. Both things can be true at the same time. In some parts of the county, campuses have rows of empty seats. In Southshore, kids learn in portables while car lines wrap the block. Same district, two very different Tuesdays.

Half-empty schools not only affect the families in that zip code. Dollars follow students to the district, not automatically to each school. The state pays the district based on enrollment counts and formulas, then the district decides how to spread staff and dollars. If that spread is slow or off target, you can get a crowded school that still feels underfunded.

Timing of funds, targeted aid, bad boundaries, and bad budgeting are usually to blame. There is also the management piece. When a district misreads growth, sticks with outdated staffing formulas, moves too slowly to post or fill jobs, lets maintenance pile up, or chases new initiatives without funding the basics, the classrooms feel it. None of that is a single villain moment. It is a lot of small decisions that add up to larger problems.

Why this matters to everyone. Half-empty campuses drain resources because buildings cost money to run, whether the rooms are full or not. That pulls dollars from electives, librarians, and support staff. Overcrowded campuses push costs the other way through bigger class sizes, more portables, stressed schedules, and faster burnout for teachers and nurses. When capacity is balanced, the whole system breathes easier. That shows up in safer pickups, steadier staffing, better reading help, and neighborhoods that feel anchored by their schools.

The reality is, as sure as the sun comes up, Southshore will keep growing. Other parts of the county will keep shifting. The challenge is to add where we must and trim where we can without losing what makes each community work. Full enough to be efficient, open enough to feel like home. That is the target.

Tell us what you are seeing in your area. Are you in a half-empty school that lost a program? Are you in a packed one that needs a second or seventh lunch? Send your stories, and we will keep pushing for plans that match the reality in our neighborhoods.

County Money is Leaving. Now What?

If your favorite nonprofit looks a little nervous this week, here is why. Hillsborough County just changed how it funds community groups, and the ripple is headed for Southshore.

The County voted 5 to 2 to phase out recurring funding for most long-time “legacy” nonprofits, cutting support by 25 percent per year to zero in year four. A small group of essential providers and organizations in county-owned buildings keep recurring funds, with a final exemption list due by November. Going forward, awards will be one-time grants that require reapplication each year, and the phase out runs through the end of the decade. For Southshore residents, that could mean shorter hours or smaller programs at groups serving food, housing, seniors, youth, and mental health, unless new donations or sponsors step in.

Locals can start by checking in with the nonprofits they use and asking what gap this funding change creates, then fill it with targeted help like a monthly donation, a sponsored supply order, or a volunteer shift. Business owners can underwrite specific costs, host a fundraiser, or offer in-kind services. If you have time, help with grant writing or outreach so groups can replace county dollars faster. Share feedback with county commissioners before November, and stay tuned to our updates so you can respond quickly as needs arise.

Southshore Story Time

Apollo Beach, A Town Built by Tides

Part 2: Life By The Canal Clock

Morning starts with a gull complaining about nothing in particular. Paddle boards slide off docks. Someone in the cove runs a motor just to hear it. In Apollo Beach, the to-do list shares a calendar with the tide table. Kids learn to read water before they care about road signs. The bait shop knows your boat by the sound of it.

Canal life is small stories stitched together. A neighbor who pulls your skiff off a sandbar without making a big deal. A heron that treats your seawall like a timeshare. A storm that blows through, scatters palm fronds, and leaves you swapping extension cords with the folks next door. When the wind lays down, everybody seems to drift outside at once. Chairs appear, dogs negotiate treaties, and the sun clocks out over the bay like it owns the place.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Florida Moves to End Vaccine Mandates

We debated on whether we wanted to cover this or not. It is a very divisive topic, and our focus is on bringing the community together. But as some people may not know what is going on, we felt a duty to at least get the information out there.

Florida’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, announced that the state is moving to end all vaccine mandates. He said the Department of Health will work with Governor Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers to remove remaining requirements, including those tied to school entry. If enacted, Florida would be the first state to eliminate all such mandates.

Right now, Florida requires certain vaccines for children to attend school. Some mandates are set by Department of Health rules, and others are in state law. Officials indicated they will revise health rules and also seek legislative changes where needed. A specific timetable was not provided. Until any new rules or laws take effect, current school immunization requirements remain in place.

State leaders framed the move as one of personal choice and parental rights. They said the plan is to unwind remaining mandates through rule changes and proposed legislation.

Medical organizations and many public health experts warned that the change could lower vaccination rates and increase the risk of outbreaks of preventable diseases such as measles, polio, and whooping cough, which pose higher risks to infants, seniors, and immunocompromised residents.

Nothing changes immediately for families. Schools continue to follow current state immunization requirements unless and until new state rules or laws are adopted. We will track any official updates that affect enrollment or school health procedures in Hillsborough County.

Potential Department of Health rulemaking, bills filed in the next legislative session, and any legal challenges. We will share concrete changes as they are finalized, along with clear steps for families.

Southshore Spotlight

Retreat for Heroes

Retreat for Heroes is an Apollo Beach nonprofit that supports first responders and their families with healing retreats, peer support, and mental health resources. Their focus is healing, suicide prevention, and strengthening the family unit.

Nominate your local hero by emailing us at [email protected]

AROUND TOWN

Local Sports

Football

Lennard vs Blake, Friday 9/5 @7:30 PM - Away

East Bay vs Newsome, Friday 9/5 @ 7:30 PM - Home

Sumner vs Wharton, Friday 9/5 @7:30 PM - Home

Riverview vs Middleton, Friday 9/5, @ 7:30 PM - Away

Spoto vs Plant City, Friday 9/5, @7:30 PM - Away

News or Events you’d like to share? Email us at: [email protected] 

Until next time,

Keep It Local.