The big news in Tampa today is not about the Economic Crisis, or the Presidential Race.  The Hillsborough County School Board announced that it will be making “Boundary Changes” for a number of schools next year and specifically mentioned Plant High School in South Tampa! Plant High is one of the Top 100 High Schools in the U.S., and the Plant High School District is one of the most sought-after places to live in Tampa for families with children. I have lived, and worked, in the Plant High District for nearly 20 years. 

The Current Boundaries for Plant High School take the district north of Kennedy Blvd. to I-275 and south through the neighborhoods of Bayshore Beautiful and west to Bel Mar Shores and the bay. I can guarantee there are parents throughout South Tampa who are already forming a coalition to fight the boundary changes, since South Tampa Real Estate values are higher in the “Plant” District, any boundary changes are bound to affect housing values in certain South Tampa Neighborhoods. 

Where will they move the boundaries?  That will be a heated discussion!  Since South Tampa consists of everything south of Kennedy Blvd., that would be the “natural” boundary change. However, that would virtually eliminate much of the “minority” student population and could be considered “segregation”.  Moving the southern boundary farther north, would eliminate the Bayshore Beautiful neighborhood, which is filled with pricey homes and many prominent “movers and shakers” in Tampa!  As Real Estate Agents, we often joke that someone influential must have lived on Chapin Avenue, since it is such an odd place for a southern boundary in the Plant District! The Bayshore Beautiful Homeowner’s Association meets tonight at 7 pm…I am betting this item is on the agenda!

Several years ago, Westchase Elementary School went through some boundary changes and THOUSANDS of parents showed up to protest! 

Though I can’t predict WHERE the new boundaries will be, I CAN predict many heated discussions on the issue! My advice?  If you live close to the “fringes” of the Plant High District, this might be a good time to sell your house and move to the “center” of the District!  Davis Islands, Hyde Park, Palma Ceia, New Suburb Beautiful, Parkland Estates,  Beach Park and Sunset Park are pretty safe “bets”.

You can read more about living in South Tampa, and the Plant High School District, in some of my previous articles!

Buy A Home in the Plant High District

Buy A Home in Beach Park or Sunset Park

Hyde Park…The Historic District in Tampa

New Suburb Beautiful

Davis Islands

For help finding a home in the right neighborhood in Tampa, for your family, contact me today!

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