Alachua County's schools present —rightsizing' plan: closures, K–8 conversions and local officials' concerns

Kathy Ebaugh, director of planning for JB Pro, told a gathering of Alachua County elected officials that the district's Our Schools Future Ready plan aims to "right size" the system by aligning facilities with declining student enrollment and program needs. The presentation proposed three draft boundary scenarios that would convert some middle‑level campuses to K–8, move programs such as VPK, and in some options close elementary campuses including Duval, Foster, Williams, Rawlings and (in one draft) Alachua Elementary.

The district and its consultants said the proposal is driven by data showing a long‑term enrollment decline and an ageing facility portfolio. "At all levels, there is excess capacity," Ebaugh said, adding that the district currently has about 6,600 extra seats districtwide. Average building ages cited in the presentation were about 37 years at the elementary level and 46 years at the high school level, with some campuses approaching 70 years.

The consultants framed K–8 conversions as a major strategy to improve facility utilization and programming. Ebaugh said converting existing middle‑school campuses to K–8 would "absorb the capacity that's available at the middle school level and help us, therefore, free up some elementary schools for potential closure," and argued the step would allow the…