Brevard’s school board is set to hear from community members again regarding the potential consolidation of Cape Canaveral’s only public elementary school with Roosevelt Elementary School in Cocoa Beach at the final board meeting of the year.
An official public hearing on a proposed attendance boundary change that would send all Cape View Elementary School students to Roosevelt won’t be held until the Jan. 20, 2026 board meeting, according to the Dec. 9 board meeting agenda. But with the topic advertised on the agenda, community members are expected to speak on the topic anyway, with the issue already having come up at multiple board meetings over the past couple of months.
Community members have pushed for Cape View Elementary to remain open, with Cape Canaveral’s city council even passing a resolution asking Brevard’s school board to keep the school open and to work with them on increasing enrollment. Still, the school is up for consolidation.
The proposed boundary change would also send some students from Central Middle School to Johnson Middle School in an effort to minimize students’ commute. Neither school would be closed.
Prior to the meeting, the board was scheduled to meet at an offsite work session at Brevard Zoo. There, they were expected to discuss key initiatives for 2026.
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6:40 p.m.: No one ‘targeting’ schools
Following public comment, the majority of the meeting moved swiftly, with the board approving an agenda item that will put a public hearing regarding Cape View’s closing on the Jan. 20 meeting agenda.
Katye Campbell paused to address concerns about Cape View.
“We have been pouring resources into this school,” she said, adding that the district is spending twice as much per student at Cape View as compared to how much they’re spending at other schools. “What we have been doing over the last many years is serving thes few, and I think the work that they’ve done has been just totally commendable and I appreciate that.”
Gene Trent thanked families for coming out to speak about the school.
“Nobody’s targeting schools because of their letter grade, we’re not picking on other schools because their grades are lower, it’s just a circumstance,” he said. “Solutions matter, and like Ms. Campbell had said, it isn’t so much the need for more programs ofr more advertising … or whatever, we just don’t have students in either one of those communities.”
The board discussed recent district achievements, with non-agenda public comment scheduled to take place afterward.
6:30 p.m.: Comments conclude with criticism of communication
Julia Ackerman said keeping Cape View open is a better solution rather than using vouchers or going to charter schools.
“Instead of diverting funds, invest them right here in smaller classes, in supporting staff, in our teachers and in the programs that make a well-rounded education,” she said. “Put the kids first and keep Cape View open.”
Amy Roub asked why there wasn’t more information posted about Cape View and Schools of Hope, or state-approved charter schools that can co-locate with low-performing schools with unused space. She attempted to repeat a comment Gene Trent made during the last board meeting about hating transparency, which included an explitive, but was cut off.
Public comment concluded with Paul Roub, who also criticized the handling of communication with Cape View.
“You’re acting very reactively to problems that could have been seen years in advance,” he said. “People have come up here and talked about things that are leading to the lower enrollment and leading to the kinds of problems (we’ve seen) for years in advance.”
6:25 p.m.: Public continues to ask to keep Cape View open
Suzanne Slater expressed frustration at the “systematic dismantling of public education” and the potential closure of Cape View.
“There are solutions outside of closing the school,” she said.
Mike Mongo, a teacher and father, urged the board not to do “what is convenient.”
“We may lose the school, but we will not do so quietly,” he said. “All the world gets to know how some of us stood up and called forth those who, while elected to serve us all, stead elected to serve a few.”
Quinn Dycus said keeping Cape View open was “essential to the well-being of our community.”
“I believe we all share the goal of doing what is best for our students, and I know we can pursue solutions that reflect that,” she said.
6:15 p.m.: Suggestions offered for creative solutions to declining enrollment at Cape View
Gina Derenge said she was in tears during the last board meeting listening to kids talk about how much they love Cape View and raised concerns about Roosevelt Elementary School becoming overcrowded because of families at Patrick Space Force Base.
“Have we thought about turning (Cape View) into a STEM academy with the aquarium being built so close by?” she asked. “Let’s not be too quick to close a school, and look at our options for having an outstanding STEM program with the aquarium.”
Bernard Bryan said the pre-K attendance was very low at both Cape View and Roosevelt. He suggested marketing to increase enrollment for both.
‘I think this is an opportunity for Cape View,” he said. “I look at this as an opportunity.”
6 p.m.: Public comment kicks off with pleas not to close Cape View
Public comment kicked off just after 6 p.m., with a community member asking the school board not to close Cape View ELementary School.
“Cape View is a very important and special place,” he said. “It places a tremendous emphasis on traditional family values that you don’t see at many other public schools, and we really appreciate that as community members.”
He said he felt that there had been no reason given that the school should be closed, saying that “closing an A-rated school is certainly not what the state of Florida requests.”
Another speaker asked the board not to forget about the parents and families that walk to Cape View.
Eli, a third grader at the school, said he and his classmates love the teachers and don’t want the school to close.
“I’ve been here for five years, and every year, I’ve seen how much better it’s gotten,” he said. “It’s an A-rated school, and it does not deserve to get shut down.”
5:45 p.m.: Committee gives annual sales surtax report
An annual sales surtax report by Brevard Public Schools’ Independent Citizens Oversight Committee was presented to the board by John Hopengarten, chair of the committee.
Revenue for 2025 was consistent with 2023 and 2024, Hopengarten reported, with the 2025 fiscal year revenue reflecting a 12.7% increase since fiscal year 2022.
He detailed how project budgets were supplemented through capital and other sources. Some major projects included district-wide modern classroom initiatives; structured cabling at Space Coast Jr./Sr. High, Palm Bay Elementary, Sunrise Elementary and Edgewood Jr./Sr. High; roof renewal projects at Edgewood Jr./Sr. High, Titusville High, Cambridge Elementary, Longleaf Elementary, Manatee Elementary, McNair Middle, Mila Elementary, Astronaut High, Cocoa Jr./Sr. High and Quest Elementary; and more.
5:30 p.m.: Board meeting kicks off with small audience
The board meeting kicked off at 5:30 p.m. with a small audience in attendance and swiftly moved to approve administrative staff recommendations.
Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at fwalker@floridatoday.com. X: @_finchwalker. Instagram: @finchwalker_.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Live: Public brings concerns about school closure to Brevard school board
Reporting by Finch Walker, Florida Today / Florida Today
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