Pasco staff propose Paula Smith K–8 conversion, cite West-side declines and East-side high‑school growth; Bill Smith property eyed for magnet high school

District staff briefed the Pasco County School Board on enrollment shifts across the county and presented a proposal to consolidate neighboring elementary campuses into a K–8 model while planning new high-school capacity on the East Side.

Superintendent staff opened the agenda shift by saying the county is experiencing both declining enrollment overall and significant localized growth. “Two things can be true at the same time,” a staff presenter said, noting that some west-side schools are under capacity while East Side high schools show sustained overcapacity.

Staff recommended consolidating Gulfside Elementary into a Paula Smith K–8, effective with the 2026–27 school year, and moving the district’s community‑school operations currently housed at Gulfside to a high‑school site (staff discussed Anclote High School as a likely location). The two elementary campuses are less than a mile apart. Staff said Gulfside Elementary — built in 1977 — has a permanent capacity of 577 and had 358 students at the 10‑day count (about 62 percent capacity under current configuration). Paula Smith — built in 2006 — has a permanent capacity of 1,287 and had 826 students at the 10‑day count (about 64 percent capacity).

Dr. Iles (district…