CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A community effort to stop the Brevard County school district from potentially closing a school had a big gathering on Tuesday afternoon for their cause.
Over the last couple of months, Cape Canaveral Community Correspondent James Sparvero reported how Brevard Public Schools is thinking of merging two elementary schools because those schools are only about half-full.
During a town hall-style meeting at city hall, concerned parents of the 270 students who could be relocated from Cape View Elementary to Roosevelt Elementary, seven miles away in Cocoa Beach, spoke before the Cape Canaveral city council and BPS superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell, who was in attendance as well.
[WATCH: Cape Canaveral leaders oppose elementary school closing]
“So, for his school to be in possibility of being shut down is absolutely devastating,” one parent said.
At a school board meeting on Oct. 28, board member Katye Campbell said attendance at Cape View dropped from 400 kids to 200 in the last 10 years. The district blamed Cape View’s declining enrollment on an older population (in Cape Canaveral, the city said the average age is 59) and on vacation rentals.
Airbnb weighed in through an email to Sparvero.
“There is no credible evidence that short-term rentals lead to lower school enrollment,” the email from the company read. “Recent reporting also shows public schools across Central Florida are experiencing declining enrollment as families take advantage of Florida’s universal voucher program, which pays for eligible students to receive a fully funded private or home school education.”
[WATCH: PTO president speaks against potential closure of Brevard elementary school]
Whatever the reason for fewer students, another parent Tuesday talked about how much the school means to the community.
“I’ve been all over the world, and I’ve never seen a community and a school that is this well done, tight-knit, and just, good,” Clifford Smith said.
The parents had the support of Mayor Wes Morrison and city council members.
The school board takes up the debate again at a meeting on Nov. 18.