Pinellas school officials are proposing a significant change in the make-up of the district's fundamental middle school system. Under a plan announced this afternoon, the district would close Southside Fundamental Middle School in St. Petersburg and Coachman Fundamental Middle School in Clearwater and move both programs to new schools.
 
Southside would move to Madeira Beach Middle School, and neighboring Madeira Beach Elementary would become a fundamental elementary school, forming the district's only K-8 campus. Coachman would move to Kennedy Middle School in Clearwater.
 
District officials said students at Kennedy and Madeira Beach would be given the opportunity to stay at their respective schools next year, providing they agreed to abide by fundamental school rules. The rest would be reassigned to other schools.
 
The moves are part of an overall plan to cut the budget and deal with declining enrollment. They also would substantially increase the number of fundamental middle school seats in the county, which are in demand. Officials said the district would save money by closing Southside and Coachman and filling up Madeira Beach and Kennedy.
 
Minutes ago, the School Board tenatively approved the ideas at a workshop. Board members plan to take a final vote Dec. 9.

Board members delayed a decision on the proposed closing of five elementary schools, saying they needed more information and time to study the issue. The board will meet to discuss the potential closings at a workshop Dec. 2.

NOTE
One fact that did not become clear until late this afternoon: This year's sixth and seventh graders at Southside would have the choice of attending the new fundamental program at Madeira Beach Middle or Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle next year.

- Thomas C. Tobin, Times Staff Writer