TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — While parents across Hillsborough County pushed back against redistricting, families in the Carrollwood area have been advocating for a big change to their community’s elementary school.

“For the past several months, my oldest one comes home and says, it’s a K through 8 yet? It’s a K through 8 yet, right?” parent Danielle Eichmann said.

Carrollwood Elementary School is one step closer to transitioning into a K-8 school after a 7-0 vote from the Hillsborough County School Board on Tuesday night.

“I think we were all in tears,” parent Jenna Melasi said. “We were so excited.”

Melasi and Eichmann both have students in first and third grades. Since they began organizing with several other Carrollwood moms last July, they have met with every school board member and attended nearly everything meeting since then.

“The community has needed this for a long time and having these kids stay together and not spread out is super important,” Eichmann said.

Without a strong middle school option in their neighborhood, the moms say after 5^th grade, nearly all of the Carrollwood Elementary students leave the district for private, charter or homeschool.

“If this hadn’t gone through, do you know what you have done with your girls for middle school?” News Channel 8 asked Eichmann.

“Honestly, I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about that, hopefully,” she said.

In March, the school board decided to delay a vote on districtwide boundary changes.

So while thousands of students won’t be on the move next August, the current fifth graders should be sticking around for middle school at Carrollwood Elementary.

“We are just so thankful they have taken time to hear us, every school board meeting, give us feedback,” Melasi said.

Both the Carrollwood K-8 expansion and the closure of Just Elementary School will go before the Hillsborough School Board for a second and final vote on May 9.