Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the K 8 Expansion Dobie topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Apollo Beach parents urge Hillsborough schools to expand Dobie Elementary to K–8
Summary
Parents and families from the Waterset and Apollo Beach communities told the Hillsborough County School Board they want Dobie Elementary expanded into a K–8 campus to keep students in the neighborhood and avoid sending them to the zoned Eisenhower Middle School or to charters and private options. Speakers brought petitions and survey data they said
Parents and residents from the Waterset and Apollo Beach neighborhoods appealed to the Hillsborough County School Board on Oct. 28 to approve expansion of Dobie Elementary into a kindergarten-through-8th grade campus, saying the change would keep children in their neighborhood schools and stem transfers to charter and private programs.
"We have the need, the passion and the commitment to support Dobie K through 8," said Sue Battigliere, who identified herself as a parent of two Dobie students and told the board that her community gathered more than 1,100 petition signatures and completed two community surveys representing nearly 500 parents and residents. "Families want to stay in the community and in our public schools."
Multiple speakers described frustration with the zoned middle school, Eisenhower, and said perception of Eisenhower’s safety and academic performance leads families to apply to magnet or charter options or to relocate. Alex Montoya, a parent and resident of Apollo Beach, said the area lacks private school capacity and that many parents apply to York Magnet years early because of concern about middle school options.
Several speakers described the social and logistical value of keeping children in the neighborhood — citing friends, nearby grandparents and short commutes — and urged the board to weigh those factors when planning capacity and redistricting.
Board members did not take formal action on the expansion at the Oct. 28 meeting. Speakers asked staff to study enrollment projections and feasibility; parents said they can provide community data and support.
Why it matters: Supporters say a K–8 Dobie would preserve neighborhood continuity, limit lengthy commutes, and reduce enrollment losses to charter and private schools. The board routinely cites enrollment projections and fiscal impacts when evaluating facility changes.
What supporters presented: Battigliere described more than 1,100 petition signatures and two community surveys that together represented nearly 500 households. A district summary given by a speaker reported that in a recent survey of about 260 respondents, roughly half were Dobie parents; respondents said about 80% of charter/private families would return if Dobie became K–8.
What the board said: Members asked staff about capacity planning and emphasized the need for enrollment, staffing and fiscal analysis before approving any permanent change. No board motion or vote on Dobie’s configuration was scheduled for the Oct. 28 agenda.
Looking ahead: Parents asked the district to add Dobie’s expansion to the district facility planning and enrollment analysis and said they would continue to provide petitions and community input.
