It’s back to school today for Tampa Bay kids

Marlene Sokol, Jeffrey S. Solochek, Dirk Shadd, Jefferee Woo, Chris Urso, Tampa Bay Times
Updated ·2 min read
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The first bell of the new school year rang across the Tampa Bay area on Thursday, bringing an 11-week summer break to its inevitable end. More than 400,000 students returned to classrooms in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties, where they were greeted by more than 40,000 teachers and staff. Back-to-school day gives students a chance to reconnect with friends they haven’t seen for a while, while meeting their new teachers and learning what’s expected of them for the coming year. One down, 179 to go.

Hillsborough

Van Ayres, interim superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools, joined members of his cabinet and Sheriff Chad Chronister at Carrollwood K-8 School in Tampa on the first leg of his tour on the first day of classes on Thursday. The Carrollwood school served grades K-5 until a parent group pushed to add middle school grades, starting this year with sixth. Other stops included Tampa Bay Boulevard and Booker T. Washington elementary schools, which are both receiving students from the recently closed Just Elementary; and D.W. Waters Career Center, where the district is introducing a medical arts program. First-day enrollment numbers were up slightly from last year, at 203,368 including 33,189 at charter schools, which are managed independently. Enrollment was up in elementary and K-8 schools, and down in middle and high schools. Charter’s share of enrollment grew from 13.6 to 16.3%.

Pinellas

Kevin Hendrick kicked off his second year as Pinellas County superintendent by welcoming students and employees back to school. He started at the district’s new bus depot, offering support to drivers as they headed out on new routes designed to reduce late arrivals on campus and back home. The tour next landed at East Lake High and East Lake Middle, where sleepy sixth-through-eighth graders were starting classes nearly two hours earlier than last year. Middle schools are a focus for the district this year, with expanded programs and activities aimed at making students more interested in attending.

Pasco

Pasco County debuted two new schools this fall, as it continued to address rising enrollment projections. Superintendent Kurt Browning greeted students and staff as they arrived at Angeline Academy of Innovation, a middle-high school magnet near Wesley Chapel that’s focused on science and technology. The district also unveiled its first school dedicated to early education, based on the former campus of Mittye P. Locke Elementary, which closed at the end of the 2022-23 year. Also new for students this year were stricter rules governing cellphone usage. Browning reminded families about the new requirements early in the week, and stressed that enforcement will be serious.