Apollo Beach parents urge board to expand Dobie Elementary into K–8, citing rapid housing growth

Several parents from the Apollo Beach/Waterset area urged the Hillsborough County School Board on Oct. 14 to expand Dobie Elementary into a K–8 school, saying rapid residential development and rising middle‑school demand make the conversion a cost‑effective use of existing district property.

Speakers said multi‑family developments and an anticipated 1,500 new homes in the Waterset area will increase middle‑school enrollment pressures. A parent representing the petition campaign said the initiative had gathered more than 1,100 signatures and pointed to a nearby precedent: the board approved a K–8 expansion for Apollo Beach Elementary in 2024.

Sue Battigliere, who said she represents parents advocating for the expansion, told the board the change would be “an immediate cost‑effective solution” that uses existing district infrastructure and would help retain students who have left for charters, magnets or private schools. “Every student who leaves takes valuable per‑pupil funding with them,” she said, noting that the district could recapture both students and funding by offering a local K–8 option.

Other speakers described personal impacts. A parent who said her older child repeatedly applied to a magnet middle school and eventually had to transfer to a private school said a K–8 option at Dobie would have allowed the family to keep siblings together and remain in the neighborhood. Another speaker noted touring Eisenhower Middle School and the improvements there but argued that current capacity and environment remain a concern for local families.

Supporters urged the board to consider Dobie’s expansion as a planning and enrollment tool to relieve pressure on nearby middle schools and to keep neighborhood families in the public system. District staff did not present a staff recommendation or timeline during the public‑comment segment; board members did not take an immediate vote on the request.