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Apollo Beach parents push Hillsborough board to expand Dobie Elementary to K-8 as neighborhood grows
Summary
Multiple parents and community members urged the school board during public comment to convert Dobie Elementary into a K-8 school to relieve middle-school capacity pressure from nearby growth and keep families in the district.
Several parents and community members told the Hillsborough County School Board on Wednesday they want Dobie Elementary in the Waterset/Apollo Beach area expanded into a K-8 campus to address rapid residential growth and ease middle-school crowding.
Speakers said the neighborhood continues to add housing, including large multifamily developments along Big Bend Road, and that the district's nearby middle-school options are not meeting some families' needs. "We're asking for the same opportunity because our community's growth and need are just as great," said Sue Battigliere, who identified herself as a parent representing community advocates for Dobie.
Another parent, Laura of Apollo Beach, said repeated lottery-based magnet admissions forced her family to enroll one child in private school and another in a district magnet, creating logistical and financial strains. "If Dobie had a K-8 option, we wouldn't be in this situation," she said.
Speakers noted an existing district precedent (Apollo Beach Elementary's K-8 expansion approved in 2024) and said expanding Dobie would use existing district property and be a cost-effective way to stabilize neighborhood enrollment, support Eisenhower Middle School by reducing pressure, and retain per-pupil funding.
Speakers said they had more than 1,100 petition signatures and urged district leaders to study the expansion and provide feasibility analysis. District staff did not vote on the request during the meeting; board members did not take formal action on the expansion at this session.
