With Cocoa Beach population falling, so is enrollment at two traditional elementary schools

Dave Berman and Rick Neale, Florida Today
Updated ·3 min read
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The growing number of vacation rentals in Cocoa Beach could lead to the city losing one of its elementary schools.

With the decrease in residents in Cocoa Beach as a contributing factor, enrollment at elementary schools in the area has been dropping.

Cape View and Roosevelt elementary schools both serve Cocoa Beach students. Freedom 7 is a "school of choice" that draws students from throughout the county.

The two traditional elementary schools that serve Cocoa Beach students have the lowest student enrollments of the Brevard School District's 57 elementary schools, with Cape View at 308 last spring and Roosevelt at 283. In comparison, 37 elementary schools had student populations above 500, and the average Brevard elementary school had a population of 575.

Roosevelt Elementary School in Cocoa Beach had the lowest enrollment of the Brevard School District's 57 elementary schools. Last spring, it has 283 students and was operating at about 47% of its capacity of 599.
Roosevelt Elementary School in Cocoa Beach had the lowest enrollment of the Brevard School District's 57 elementary schools. Last spring, it has 283 students and was operating at about 47% of its capacity of 599.

More: Explosion of vacation rentals in Cocoa Beach leaves residents frustrated and angry

Cape View ― which also draws students from Cape Canaveral, where the school is located ― last spring was operating at about 54% of its capacity of 570, while Roosevelt was operating at about 47% of its capacity of 599. In theory, the combined student populations of Cape View and Roosevelt could be accommodated at Roosevelt.

Cape View's enrollment is down 17% from 371 in the spring of 2019, and Roosevelt's is down 26% from 381 in the spring of 2019. Enrollment figures can drop for a number of reasons, including declining overall population within a school's attendance boundaries; more parents enrolling students in a charter school or private school; and more parents home-schooling their children.

Brevard County’s overall population soared 32.4% from 2000 to July 2022, rising from 476,230 residents to 630,693. But Cocoa Beach’s population dropped 9.1% during that span, tumbling from 12,482 permanent residents to 11,341 ― “which is not the normal process for Florida communities,” Cocoa Beach Director of Development Services Tanja McCoy said.

From 2017 to 2021, Census data show Cocoa Beach had 1.90 people per household. Florida averaged 2.57 people per household during that span, and McCoy said widespread vacation rentals in Cocoa Beach may be a factor.

Cocoa Beach City Commissioner Skip Williams fears BPS could downsize or close schools if too many Cocoa Beach permanent households are replaced by short-term rentals.

“It's going to be a huge economic impact on the area and the property values if we lose our schools. We have A-rated schools,” Williams said.

More: 'Soul of Brevard County' up for debate as Commission looks at expanding vacation rentals | Rangel

Former Cocoa Beach Mayor Ben Malik said he has his concerns, too, about the future of the elementary schools.

Brevard School Board Chair Matt Susin said, if a school's student count is shrinking, it would be "an absolute concern" to him.

But Susin added that the district is not discussing closing any schools, and he believes the Brevard School Board is "committed to do anything we can do to keep schools open."

Adjusting school boundaries would be an option to boost enrollment in a school with unusually low student counts, but that is not being discussed at this time, either, Susin said.

Russell Bruhn, chief strategic communications officer for the Brevard School District, said it is the district's goal to have student enrollment near the school's capacity without going over.

But he emphasized that families should be assured that there is no discussion within the district about closing schools or changing attendance boundaries in the Cocoa Beach area. In fact, he noted that Roosevelt over the summer got a new roof and major renovations to the kitchen and cafeteria area.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

Rick Neale is a space reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Cocoa Beach elementary schools see fewer students as vacation rentals rise