BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The Brevard Public Schools Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to close Cape View Elementary School, the only public school in Cape Canaveral, following years of declining enrollment.
Board members said the decision was difficult, coming after emotional pleas from parents who urged the district to reconsider. Despite the opposition, the board determined the school is no longer financially feasible to operate.
“Nobody wants to close a school, ever,” Board Chair Matt Susin said during the meeting. “This is a very tough decision. For anyone to say this isn’t heavy on us, they’re wrong.”
District officials said Cape View has been operating at less than 50% capacity, a result of an aging population in the area and a rise in short-term rental properties. Enrollment at the school has steadily declined over the past decade.
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Parents expressed concern about how the closure will affect their children, particularly those who struggle with change.
“It’s the heart and soul of Cape Canaveral,” said Cassidy Walthour, whose son is a fourth grader at the school. “I’m just worried about how my son is going to adapt to the change because my son doesn’t do change really well.”
Nearly 300 students currently enrolled at Cape View will be reassigned to Roosevelt Elementary School, located about seven miles away.
Board member Megan Wright said the district is spending nearly twice as much per student at Cape View compared to other elementary schools, calling it an inequitable use of resources.
“When we are looking at spending two times as much on students in one school than we are in another school, that’s not fair to other students,” Wright said.
Some parents acknowledged the finality of the decision, but said they were proud of the community’s efforts to save the school.
“This decision they just made was final, and once you close a school, you can’t bring it back,” said parent Katie Lattig. “We are so sad they are going to take a major pillar out of the community. It’s devastating.”
Cape View Elementary will close at the end of the current school year. District officials have not yet announced future plans for the school property.