- November 20, 2024
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Volusia County Schools is returning Holly Hill School to an elementary school in the 2024-2025 academic year, and over 200 middle school students will be rezoned to Ormond Beach Middle School.
The Volusia County School Board unanimously approved the school conversion from a K-8 to a K-5 and the rezoning of attendance zones at its Feb. 13 meeting. The board action was one of five rezoning amendments on the agenda, aimed at addressing the overcrowding of schools identified by the district in 2022. Community meetings discussing the proposed changes were held countywide beginning last November through January of this year.
According to the district, 223 students currently attending Holly Hill School will be rezoned to OBMS and 171 will attend Campbell Middle School in Daytona Beach.
Holly Hill School was turned into a K-8 in 2011 when Holly Hill Middle School closed. The middle school was later demolished.
In addition to addressing overcrowding, the board spoke about giving Holly Hill School students access to middle school programs they haven't had before.
Board Chair Jamie Haynes said she was working as a teacher when Holly Hill Middle School was closed and the kids were transferred to Holly Hill Elementary School. It was a small number of students, and they were missing out on programs.
"If you're going to do a K-8, you have to have a balance of the number of students in both to be able to offer all of the programs," Haynes said.
VCS Chief Operating Officer Patty Corr said one program that has been lacking at Holly Hill School is art. The campus didn't have space for it.
"Having spent 14 years in the middle school division, that's one of the highest requested electives by our middle school students, especially now," Corr said.
School Board member Ruben Colon said he hasn't personally visited Holly Hill School, but that he relied on his fellow board members' knowledge of the school and community as the basis of his support for the conversion and rezoning.
"At the time, they explained what the limitations were at Holly Hill and how those students were being underserved just because of environment," Colon said.
School Board member Carl Persis suggested that the transition of students could be eased using existing student leaders, such as the ones at Campbell Middle School, to meet with the incoming Holly Hill students over the summer to welcome them.
"That would serve as such a great bridge and comforting for those students, because we all know middle school age is tough ... and so friendships matter," Persis said.
