The Hillsborough County school district has introduced several new rezoning proposals in attempts to minimize overcrowding in public schools. This problem is faced across the nation today; however, the issue has become extremely severe in certain Hillsborough County Public Schools.  

The main goal of the district proposals is to limit the severe overcrowding at Plant High School in South Tampa. The high school is known for its successful students, popular location, and A-rated teachers, leading home buyers to purchase houses in the Plant High School zone simply so they can send their children to school there. But with these new changes, students will be forced to go to new schools, despite being originally allowed to attend Plant.  

This has parents, administrators, and students extremely frustrated, as these new rezoning proposals could alter many aspects of their lives. Some believe that switching schools could be putting these student’s education in jeopardy, as the school’s students would be moved to schools that have poor ratings across the board. Jefferson and Robinson are the two schools that students from Plant would be moved to. According to US News & World Report, Plant High School has a 69% college readiness rate, whereas Jefferson’s is 34% and Robinson’s is 60%. These numbers support the frustration of many that feel that these school’s that many students would be moved to would not provide a comparable high school experience to their current school.  

There are three possible scenarios that the district has proposed. One proposal, named scenario 3, would change the elementary, middle school, and high school assignments for the area north of Kennedy. Currently, most of the area north of Kennedy is zoned for Mitchell as the elementary school, Wilson as the middle school, and Plant as the high school. However, scenario three would change the elementary school to Grady, the middle school to Coleman, and the high school to Jefferson. Other scenarios would have the south end of the Plant zone being changed to Robinson.  

Junior Paula Velasco feels for the students who may feel the effects of these changes. “I would be very devastated if I left Plant because of all the amazing classes available here and having to leave my friends I have been to school with since elementary school,” Velasco said.  

To learn more about these proposals and explore various zone changes, click the link below to access the HCPS Boundary Explorer.  

https://www.hcps-boundary.org/map