Tarpon Springs Fundamental
The application-based Fundamental program moves to Sunset Hills. The current Fundamental campus closes at the end of 2026–27, according to the draft map.
Schools
What changes for your school?
Find your school for the short version. The full campus details and sources follow.
Find your school
Sunset Hills Elementary
Sunset Hills combines with Tarpon Springs Middle at the middle-school campus in 2027–28. Its campus becomes Fundamental K–8, and its PreK program moves to Little Spongers at Tarpon Springs High.
Tarpon Springs Middle
The campus becomes a zoned K–8 in 2027–28. Both existing Cambridge programs remain in the revised plan.
Tarpon Springs Elementary
Remains K–5. Its students feed the zoned K–8 for grades 6–8.
Tarpon Springs High
Little Spongers at Tarpon Springs High receives Sunset Hills’ PreK program. We are asking the district to publish the most recent count and the longer-term effects on this school.
Brooker Creek, Cypress Woods and Sutherland families zoned for Tarpon Springs Middle
Students at these elementary schools who are currently zoned for Tarpon Springs Middle are rezoned to Carwise beginning in 2027–28.
Sources: Fundamental recommendation, p. 1; zoned K–8 recommendation, pp. 1–2. Read the open questions.
The campus changes were approved 6–1 on October 13. District draft minutes, pp. 4–5. The planning figures below come from the October 6 recommendations; see the latest updates and dated evidence.
October 2026 update
What changes for each school?
Sunset Hills campus → Fundamental K–8
The application-based Fundamental program moves here from its current campus. It has no neighborhood attendance zone, standard Fundamental admission priorities apply, and transportation is not provided.
348 K–5 seats + 198 middle-grade seats = 546 planned capacity. Grade 6 begins in 2027–28, grade 7 in 2028–29 and grade 8 in 2029–30. Current Fundamental fifth-graders can continue into sixth grade.
Projected enrollment and utilization are both TBD in the district table. The current Fundamental campus closes at the end of 2026–27, according to the draft map.
Tarpon Springs Middle campus → Zoned K–8
Sunset Hills Elementary and Tarpon Springs Middle combine here in 2027–28. Both existing Tarpon Springs Middle Cambridge programs remain in the revised plan: Cambridge Conservatory for Academics and Cambridge Conservatory for Academics and the Arts.
480 K–5 seats + 572 middle-grade seats = 1,052 planned capacity. The district projects 920 students and 87% utilization. Transportation follows School Board policy.
Sunset Hills’ PreK program moves to Little Spongers at Tarpon Springs High. Tarpon Springs Elementary stays K–5; its students feed the zoned K–8 for grades 6–8.
Tarpon Springs Elementary
Remains K–5
The revised recommendation keeps this elementary school. Students feed the zoned K–8 for middle grades.
The August 2026 count cited by the Tampa Bay Times is 299 students. Against the May FISH capacity of 718, that is about 42% utilization. Demand updated projections showing how the plan affects this school’s long-term future.
Sunset Hills / Tarpon Springs Middle recommendation · p. 2, program description · Enrollment and capacity sources
A changed middle-school zone
Students at Brooker Creek, Cypress Woods and Sutherland who are currently zoned for Tarpon Springs Middle (TSMS) are rezoned to Carwise beginning in 2027–28. The district identifies 20 grids and approximately 469 PCS students living in the affected area. That is a zone-population figure, not a count of current TSMS students who will transfer. Carwise is projected at 1,141 students against 1,251 capacity (91%).
Sources: Fundamental recommendation, p. 1; zoned K–8 recommendation, pp. 1–2. Both display October 6, 2026 on the page; their PDF metadata dates differ.
A statement the district should correct
The elementary arts-program wording is misleading.
The October 6 zoned K–8 PDF describes elementary and middle-school Conservatory for the Arts programs transitioning to the new school. That wording suggests an existing elementary Conservatory program at Sunset Hills. The site organizer reports that Sunset Hills does not have that specialized arts program. This distinction concerns the named application program, not ordinary elementary art instruction.
The district’s middle-school program directory identifies two existing programs at Tarpon Springs Middle: Cambridge Conservatory for Academics and Cambridge Conservatory for Academics and the Arts. Both remain under the revised plan, which says current District Application Programs will remain.
The district should correct the written recommendation so families do not have to rely on a verbal explanation to understand which programs exist and which will continue.
Sources: zoned K–8 recommendation, pp. 1–2; PCS Middle School Magnet & Fundamental Programs directory. Sunset Hills program correction and workshop account supplied by the site organizer.