Education

Chalk Talk 04/28/2021

April 27, 2021 By Mary Rathman

Rebecca Schulkowski (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

New board appointment
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Rebecca Schulkowski to the District Board of Trustees (DBOT) for Pasco-Hernando State College.

Schulkowski, director of operations for Mease Dunedin Hospital and Mease Countryside Hospital, is leading the construction of BayCare’s new 318,000-square-foot hospital in Wesley Chapel.

“Dr. Schulkowski brings over 20 years of administrative and clinical experience to the DBOT,” said Timothy Beard, PHSC president. “We look forward to her leadership and guidance.”

Schulkowski’s position on the board began on March 26. She succeeds Al Hernandez who served on the DBOT since March, 2017.

The appointment is subject to the confirmation by the Florida Senate.

CyberCamp scholarships
The University of South Florida’s (USF) CyberCamp is a virtual experience open to students in grades three to 12, and graduating high school seniors who are interested in the rapidly growing field of cybersecurity.

Scholarships are being offered through the support of businesses and individuals, and all funds are distributed based on need.

The application window for the USF summer camp program is open until April 30, at bit.ly/3flHM4x.

To learn more about the elementary cybercamp, visit bit.ly/usfelemcybercamp.

For middle school camp, visit bit.ly/usfmiddlecybercamp.

For high school camp, visit bit.ly/usfhighschoolcybercamp.

In-person graduations
Pasco County Schools will host in-person graduations in school stadiums, unless otherwise noted.

This year, each graduate will be allowed to have four guests — two guests to accompany the graduate on the field, and two seated in the bleachers.

“We know how important it is to the graduates to walk across the stage and receive their diploma in person. And we know how important it is to have family there to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Kurt Browning, Pasco superintendent of schools.

Here is a list of graduation dates and times for the schools in The Laker/Lutz news coverage area:

May 26 at 6 p.m.: Marchman Technical College, at River Ridge High Performing Arts Center
May 27 at 6 p.m.: Pasco eSchool, Idlewild Baptist Church
June 1 at 6 p.m.: Wendell Krinn Technical High School, in the school’s gymnasium
June 2 at 7 p.m.: Cypress Creek High School
June 3 at 9 a.m.: Zephyrhills High School
June 3 at 7 p.m.: Wiregrass Ranch High School
June 4 at 7 p.m.: Land O’ Lakes High School
June 4 at 7 p.m.: Wesley Chapel High School
June 4 at 7:30 p.m.: Pasco High School
June 5 at 9 a.m.: Sunlake High School

For more information, email Stephen Hegarty at .

Student achievements

Joel Perdomo, of Lutz, has earned a place in The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most-selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Perdomo was initiated at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Marissa Schabes, of Lutz, was recognized to the fall Dean’s List at Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina. Furman is a private, undergraduate liberal arts and sciences university.

Free VPK offered
Pasco County Schools offers free VPK for three hours a day, for the 2021-2022 school year.

Children must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, to be eligible.

For information, contact the Pasco Schools VPK office at 813-794-2672.

Hillsborough Schools plans deep cuts to avoid state takeover

April 20, 2021 By B.C. Manion

Hillsborough County School Board members spent much of the day and evening of April 13 discussing the district’s need to make deep cuts to avoid losing financial control of the district.

“Hard decisions have to be made to protect this organization,” Superintendent Addison Davis told board members, and the public.

If the district doesn’t reduce its expenses, the Florida Department of Education will take over, and the cuts it makes will be less surgical in nature, Davis said.

The state will tell the district “what to do for every cent and dollar,” Davis said, essentially stripping the board and superintendent of their financial power.

Board members and Davis discussed the need to make more than $100 million in cuts during a board workshop in the morning and a board meeting in the evening.

Davis said he came to Hillsborough County with the mission of improving the district’s academic performance.

His 13-month tenure in the district, however, has been dominated by dealing with budgetary shortfalls.

“I didn’t know that Hillsborough was in any type of a financial deficit,” the superintendent said.

“We’re losing students, which is equivalent to losing leaders, teachers, district staff and support staff. That’s a reality,” Davis said.

Numerous speakers criticized the district’s planned reductions.

“As a career Hillsborough County educator, who loves this district, I am thoroughly disappointed and disheartened by where we stand today. These cuts are not good for students, schools, employees, or our communities,” said Rob Kriete, president of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.

“The cuts that you are going to bring are going to destroy what little morale is left,” another speaker said.”

Others questioned the district’s plans to cut its number of assistant principals and reduce staffing levels at individual schools.

“Don’t balance the budget on the back of our schools,” a speaker urged.

“There is a lot of talk about transparency, but there’s not a lot of evidence of this,” a speaker said.

Davis said if anything, he has over-communicated the district’s financial situation. “It hasn’t been a secret,” he said, noting he’s done media tours and given talks to numerous groups about the district’s dire financial straits.

He also told board members: “We gave every school a staff allocation model for their schools. We didn’t change anything that hasn’t historically been in Hillsborough County. We’re just implementing that model.”

The district’s plan, however, reduces the number of assistant principals.

That decision has prompted concerns about how the reduced staffing will affect student safety and behavior.

As one speaker put it: “Our already overwhelmed assistant principals are going to become even more overwhelmed, coming off a very difficult year.”

School board member Nadia Combs told Davis: “I do believe that we are top-heavy in this district. I do believe that the cuts need to come from the top and go down.”

The district needs to find a landing place for the assistant principals affected by the cuts, Combs said.

“When people are identified as an assistant principal, it’s because they’ve done a great job as a teacher. They’ve gone above and beyond, as a teacher.

“I strongly believe that we need to look at every single one of our assistant principals and make sure they have a landing somewhere.”

“Some of these assistant principals just found out on Friday that they are going to be let go. Some of them have been in this district for 25 or more years.

“We have 24,000 employees. I think we can find a place for those 50 people,” Combs said.

Davis responded: “I would love to guarantee every assistant principal a job.

“I have a contract that I have to follow. Teachers have the first right in that contract.”

Davis added that master schedule reviews will continue during the summer to determine how many positions can be regained, based on the newest enrollment projections.

He also noted that while the college and career counseling position may be eliminated, 23 of the district’s 28 career counselors are certified to be counselors and will move to those positions.

Of the remaining five, he said, one has retired and two have found new positions, leaving the district down to two.

School board member Jessica Vaughn asked if the district could use federal CARES Act money, to help address the shortfalls to give the district more time to find long-term solutions.

But, Ro Johnson, the district’s new chief financial officer, said the district should not use one-time money to support staffing because ultimately the personnel would need to be cut once that money ran out.

School board chairman Lynn Gray and school board member Henry “Shake” Washington said principals need to play a key role in deciding what happens at their schools — because they are in the best position to know what the school needs.

Davis told board members he understands the educational sacrifices that the district is having to make.

“As a superintendent, I would never make these decisions, if our back were not against the wall,” Davis said adding, “I don’t want to be one of the leaders that kicks this can down the road.”

Hillsborough County School Cuts
Hillsborough County Public Schools must make budget cuts to avoid being taken over by the Florida Department of Education.

Planned cuts include:

1,000 positions (It is not known yet how many people the district will cut)
Furlough days: Each administrative position will be required to take furlough days
Fewer assistant principals: The district expects to trim about 47 AP jobs
Elimination of college and career counselors; those services will be provided by school counselors

Published April 21, 2021

Chalk Talk 04/21/2021

April 20, 2021 By Mary Rathman

Showing up for students
With year-end events canceled due to the pandemic, Wendell Krinn Technical High School hosted a Formal Friday, in which students elected a king and queen, and listened to music during their lunchtime. School Resource Officer (SRO) Cpl. Locascio, of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, dressed for the formal occasion, in which he took part. SROs with the sheriff’s office do more than just provide a law enforcement presence at schools, as they help students in various ways, each day, and care deeply about the community they serve.

Virtual career fair
Saint Leo University’s Human Services Department will host its annual Virtual Career Fair on April 24 from 9 a.m. to noon. The fair’s theme is “Career Competency and Readiness,” and is free and open to the public.

The hosts for the event will be Dr. Amina Abdullah, chair of human services, and Dr. Michelle Boone-Thornton, associate chair.

In addition to professionals in the human services field, representatives from Saint Leo’s Career Services and the Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence will provide information.

The sessions will focus on:

Resume preparation: Categories and terms to use on a resume
Applicant tracking software: Strategies to advance a resume, through computer prompts
Interview preparation: Questions to ask during the interview
Interview practice: An opportunity to practice interview skills
Job search platforms: How to locate positions in human services

There will be open discussion time and an opportunity to ask the panel questions.

To register, visit tinyurl.com/4nkdna66.

For information, contact Dr. Abdullah at 412-229-7431 or , or visit SaintLeo.edu/online-human-services-bachelors.

Executive director named
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) has named Lauren Baker Murray as the inaugural executive director for the school’s new Instructional Performing Arts Center. Murray joined PHSC on March 15.

Murray is a Tampa native, and has more than 20 years of administrative and academic experience in higher education and the performing arts.

She most recently served as the music chair at the Patel Conservatory at the Straz Center in Tampa. During her tenure, she doubled the enrollment in music programming, and worked collaboratively with higher education and secondary school leaders to create custom arts programming in the region.

Murray has served as an associate director of the School of Music at the University of Northern Colorado and as the coordinator of artistic programming in the School of Music at the University of South Florida.

She also has served as director of operations and education for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and is an accomplished oboe instrumentalist.

Murray has a Bachelor of Music Education from Stetson University, a Master of Music from Yale University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas.

Free VPK offered
Pasco County Schools offers free VPK for three hours a day, for the 2021-2022 school year.

Children must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, to be eligible.

For information, contact the Pasco Schools VPK office at 813-794-2672.

Students attend WrestleMania
AdventHealth, philanthropist Thaddeus Bullard (also known as WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil) and the Bullard Family Foundation joined forces to put smiles on the faces of several Hillsborough County students and teachers, with surprise tickets to WrestleMania 37, according to an AdventHealth news release.

AdventHealth and the Bullard Family Foundation consistently work together to provide services and resources, including free physicals and health screenings, to help underserved and underprivileged communities.

The WWE superstar hosted the two-night event at Raymond James Stadium on April 10 and April 11.

Bullard also recently visited Gulf Middle School in New Port Richey to unveil the school’s new Innovation Lab, which will provide opportunities for students to learn and play in a safe and fun environment during and after school.

Last year, Bullard approached Pasco County Schools with a proposal to partner with the school district to help kids. That partnership has resulted in Innovation Labs at both Gulf Middle and Pasco Middle.

All of the equipment, furniture and electronic devices were donated by Skanska and Microsoft in partnership with the Bullard Family Foundation.

Union Park Charter Academy has one year to get finances in order

April 13, 2021 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County School Board has refused a 5-year extension of Union Park Charter Academy’s contract, instead granting it a one-year term.

The decision came during the board’s April 6 meeting, at the recommendation of Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning.

Board members backed the superintendent, despite the urgings of numerous parents and of representatives of Charter Schools USA and the school’s governing board.

Browning said the school district has no desire to shut down the charter school, but said this action is necessary to ensure the charter gets its financial house in order.

Parent after parent told school board members that Union Park has gone to extraordinary lengths to meet the needs of their children, to maintain open lines of communication with parents and to engage families.

They said their children are thriving and they believe the school needs the five-year contract extension to provide stability.

In addition to the obvious support of parents — representatives for the school said they were surprised by the district’s decision to offer just a one-year term.

“Union Park Charter has met all criteria to be renewed for five years,” said Valora Cole, board chair of the Florida Charter Educational Inc., which is the governing board for Union Park Academy.

Eddie Ruiz, Florida State Director for Charter Schools USA, told school board members that there was no basis for just a one-year term.

He told the school board that Charter Schools USA has been operating for 20 years and this has never been an issue.

Independent auditors have done audits and there have been no negative findings, he said.

“We’re happy to work with staff, but a one-year renewal really will not help our school. It really will hurt our school. And so, we really are asking for what we deserve, which is a five-year renewal,” Ruiz said.

But Mary Tillman, director of internal audit for Pasco County Schools, said there were issues of overspending during the school’s first two years of operation. She also noted that the budgets are based on enrollment projections that were not achieved.

The school did not produce evidence of any budget amendments to address that issue, Tillman said.

The district’s auditor added: “I have no doubt that Charter Schools USA has the resources to support this school but we haven’t seen that in writing.”

Another problem, according to Tillman, is that the budget was missing information.

“I don’t know how to analyze budgets when not all of the numbers are there,” Tillman said.

Browning said his email box was flooded with messages, which conveyed the sense that the school district was preparing to close Union Park.

“It is not the intent of this superintendent or district to close a charter school,” Browning said.

Published April 14, 2021

Pasco County Schools preparing for two new STEAM schools

April 13, 2021 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County school district plans to close Centennial Elementary School in Dade City and Marlowe Elementary School in New Port Richey, and reopen them as STEAM magnet schools.

The acronym STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

The conversion of the schools will begin at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year, based on an action approved by the Pasco School Board on April 6.

The staff allocations at both schools will be updated for the 2021-2022 school year to reflect these conversions and the newly approved STEAM teacher job description will be used at both schools, as well as at Sanders Memorial Elementary School.

Identified instructional staff members will begin professional development this summer and that will continue into the 2021-2022 school year, with implementation of STEAM curriculum and specialized instructional strategies occurring throughout the 2021-2022 school year.

The student populations and boundaries for both schools will remain status quo for the 2021-2022 school year, with proposed boundary changes to remove the school boundaries for both schools planned for the school board’s consideration and approval this fall.

The boundaries for Centennial and Marlowe will be absorbed into other nearby schools.

Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, the student populations at Centennial and Marlowe will be determined through the district’s Pasco Pathways process — with priority preference for attendance given to existing students at both schools.

The district is converting the schools to provide more choices to parents, Superintendent Kurt Browning said, during a previous discussion of the issue.

Board member Colleen Beaudoin said parents have been seeking the additional option.

Published April 14, 2021

Chalk Talk 04/14/2021

April 13, 2021 By Mary Rathman

Land O’ Lakes teen to compete
Miss Land O’ Lakes Teen USA Eliza Smith, a sophomore at Land O’ Lakes High School, will be competing in the 2021 Miss Florida Teen USA pageant July 16 to July 18, in Orlando.

Smith has a GPA of 4.6, with all honors and AP classes. She has been a member of the National Junior Honors Society, and has received a nomination for the Future Leaders of Medicine Award.

Smith aspires to attend Duke University, to major in health sciences with a minor in psychology, with the hope of becoming a physician’s assistant.

Her platform, “Be Bold Be Beautiful Be You,” strives to educate people about the importance of mental illness awareness, reduce the stigma around them, and learn how to better support someone with a mental illness.

Free VPK offered
Pasco County Schools offers free VPK for three hours a day, for the 2021-2022 school year. Children must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, to be eligible. For information, contact the Pasco Schools VPK office at 813-794-2672.

Victory High open house
Victory High School will host an open house on April 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in the Calvary Chapel Worship Center, Room 111 and Room 112, 6825 Trouble Creek Road in New Port Richey.

The open house is for new students, ages 14 to 19, seeking recovery from addictions, who are interested in enrolling in the private high school.

Preregister by emailing .

For information on the school, visit VictoryHighSchool.net.

Scholarship deadline extended
The deadline to apply for college scholarships of up to $5,000 from Hillsborough County Social Services and the Community Action Board has been extended to April 16.

Application materials can be downloaded on the county’s scholarship application page, at Tinyurl.com/ffzrrth8.

Detailed instructions on how to apply also can be found on the page.

Students may submit completed applications online only. Recipients will be notified in writing prior to the fall semester.

For questions, call Irina White at 813-272-5074.

Award recipients
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) has announced the recipients of its annual NISOD Excellence Awards, which recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues.

The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) award recipients are:

Carolanne Azan, DBA, assistant professor, Bachelor of Applied Science in supervision and management
Karen Lotz, assistant professor, Bachelor of Nursing
Jonathan Spiewak, instructor, mathematics

Because the 2020 conference was canceled, PHSC also recognized these honorees:

Gary Cors, J.D., professor and paralegal program director
Gloria Pray, assistant professor, economics and director of business programs
Jeremy Scarbrough, Ph.D., instructor, philosophy

Prepaid scholarships
Hillsborough County Public Schools, in partnership with the Florida Prepaid College Program, is offering two scholarships to students worth a total of $9,000.

Superintendent Addison Davis’ Future of STEM Scholarship is a two-year Florida college plan worth $8,000, and is designed to encourage new teachers in areas with critical shortages. The scholarship will be awarded to a senior student attending Hillsborough County Public Schools who will study to become a teacher in a STEM subject.

Davis’ Preparing Students for Life Scholarship is a Florida 529 Savings Plan worth $1,000. It will be awarded to a parent or guardian who attends a kindergarten registration event or begins the registration process prior to April 30. The eligible student’s name will be drawn at random.

For information about both scholarships, visit bit.ly/HCPSscholarship.

Course fee adjustments
The Pasco-Hernando State College’s Board of Trustees will consider approving proposed adjusted course-related fees at its April 20 board meeting, at 6 p.m., at the West Campus in New Port Richey.

Many fee adjustments relate to vendor increases for workforce courses, laboratories, and program testing. Some fees may be covered by financial aid, scholarships and grants.

All fees charged by vendors are negotiated by the college, with additional fee increases and decreases expected in the coming academic year.

For details regarding proposed fee adjustments, justification for the fees and fee implementation details, visit Policies.phsc.edu, and click on the Policies and Procedures link.

Republican scholarships
The Republican Party of Pasco Scholarship Committee is now accepting applications for Pasco County Schools’ graduating seniors, including pubic, home-schools, charter and private schools.

Graduating seniors from any Pasco County high school are eligible if they meet this criteria:

Must be a registered or preregistered Republican
Have a cumulative 3.0 GPA
Complete a 650-word minimum essay on the topic: “What is the importance of conservative values for young people in today’s world?”
Extra points will be given for club and social activities, volunteer hours and campaign participation
Must be planning to attend an accredited community college/university or accredited vocational school in Florida

Applications can be found online at PascoGOP.org, at the individual’s high school career counselor’s office, or at the Pasco Republican Party office in Hudson.

Applications and essays must be emailed to , or to RPOP, 12043 Cobblestone Drive, Hudson, FL 34667, Attention: Sandy Graves, scholarship chair.

For information and questions, call 727-863-5400, or email .

The deadline to apply is 5 p.m., April 30.

Five $1,000 scholarships will be awarded in May.

Pasco schools to drop mySchool Online option this fall

April 6, 2021 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning has announced that the school district is dropping its mySchool Online option in the fall.

Browning explained the district’s decision in a video and the district issued a news release, as well, to explain the coming change.

“Based on recent positive trends, we expect that there will no longer be the need for (the) mySchool Online option next school year,” Browning said, in the video. “We expect the vast majority of students to be back in the classroom for in-person learning and for our employees to return to the classroom or office.”

The superintendent also shared the district’s rationale for its decision.

“First of all, the Florida Department of Education only authorized Florida school systems to offer mySchool Online-type options for the 2020-2021 school year,” he said.

“Current indications are that such programs will not be authorized by the state for the 2021-2022 school year. In addition, the number of positive COVID-19 cases, involving our students or staff, have decreased dramatically, since the high mark of January,” Browning said.

He added: “We continue to monitor the numbers closely, both in our schools and in the community, at large.

“Finally, we have been very aggressive in making the vaccine readily available to our staff,” he said.

Because of the district’s partnership with the county health department, it has been able to vaccinate thousands of its employees, the superintendent said.

Browning also noted that the number of students choosing the mySchool Online option has been steadily declining.

Initially, 60% of the district’s students chose the in-person, bricks-and-mortar option this school year. That figure has increased to 76%. Twenty-one percent of the district’s students are enrolled in the mySchool Online option; the other 3% attend Pasco eSchool, according to district statistics.

Browning also noted: “Despite our best efforts, our data show that many students who opted for mySchool Online are not succeeding academically and would benefit from a return to in-person learning.

“There’s also a growing body of evidence regarding the mental health benefits of attending school in person, with classmates.”

Browning also addressed the issue of masks.

“We’ve all been looking forward to the time when we can all get back to something close to normal. That raises a question about masks.

“I know we are all looking forward to doing away with the masks. Right now, I can’t say for sure whether masks will be required or optional, or some other status.

“We will provide clear guidance on masks, when we have a better idea of what is possible.

“At this time, we expect we’ll be able to get back to normal in the fall,” Browning said.

Published April 07, 2021

Chalk Talk 04/07/2021

April 6, 2021 By Mary Rathman

‘Buddy’ bundles for students
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’Lakes Woman’s Club has not been idle during this pandemic year. The women pursued even more than their usual portfolio of projects because the need has been so great. Faith Sincich delivered enough ‘snuggle buddy’ bundles for an entire first-grade class at Miles Elementary. Each bundle contained two books, a flashlight and a snuggly blanket. The club also donated clothing and supplies to the school. For information, visit the club’s Facebook page or its website at GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org.

Yea! Awards
Hillsborough County is accepting nominations for the Youth Excellence and Achievement (Yea!) Awards through 5 p.m., on April 12.

The awards recognize the positive contributions made by young people in the community.

Nominations, which will be reviewed by the Commission on the Status of Women, can be submitted for both middle and high school students in each of these categories:

Leadership — demonstrating positive impact on others in an ongoing endeavor, such as sports, academics or the arts
Success Despite Difficult Odds — overcoming tremendous personal difficulty to attain success and positively impact others
Volunteer or Community Service — allocating discretionary time to help others or complete a project that has improved our community

Nomination forms can be found online at HCFLGov.net/YEA.

Speaker series
Saint Leo University’s East Pasco Education Center will present a speaker series for students and prospective students interested in “helping” careers.

The topics for the Social Services Speaker Series will appeal to those interested in social work, education, criminal justice, psychology, and human services.

The series will include:

April 13: Peer Programs for Criminal Justice, at noon; Social Work Careers and Practices, 12:25 p.m.; and Questions and Answers, 12:50 p.m.
April 27: Substance Abuse/Mental Health from the Perspective of Children’s Protective Services, at noon; Working with Youths from the Perspective of Public Schools, 12:25 p.m.; and Questions and Answers, 12:50 p.m.
May 11: Suicide Prevention and Awareness, at noon; Benefits of Partnership Between Law Enforcement and Mental Health Professionals, 12:25 p.m.; and Questions and Answers, 12:50 p.m.

Registration is required for all sessions.

For information, email Derek Saunier, center director, at or 352-588-7451.

The open house is for new students, ages 14 to 19, seeking recovery from addictions, interested in enrolling in the private high school.

Preregister by emailing .

For information on the school, visit VictoryHighSchool.net.

Scholarship deadline extended
The deadline to apply for college scholarships of up to $5,000 from Hillsborough County Social Services and the Community Action Board has been extended to April 16.

Application materials can be downloaded on the county’s scholarship application page, at Tinyurl.com/ffzrrth8.

Detailed instructions on how to apply also can be found on the page.

Students may submit completed applications online only. Recipients will be notified in writing prior to the fall semester.

For questions, call Irina White at 813-272-5074.

Prepaid scholarships
Hillsborough County Public Schools, in partnership with the Florida Prepaid College Program, is offering two scholarships to students worth a total of $9,000.

For information about both scholarships, visit bit.ly/HCPSscholarship.

Student achievements
Mary Flook, of Land O’ Lakes, was named to the Dean’s List at North Greenville University in Tigerville, South Carolina, and Benjamin Tomas, of Lutz, was named to the Dean’s List at Peru State College, Peru, Nebraska.

Many fee adjustments relate to vendor increases for workforce courses, laboratories, and program testing. Some fees may be covered by financial aid, scholarships and grants.

All fees charged by vendors are negotiated by the college, with additional fee increases and decreases expected in the coming academic year.

For details regarding proposed fee adjustments, justification for the fees and fee implementation details, visit Policies.phsc.edu, and click on the Policies and Procedures link.

Graduating seniors from any Pasco County high school are eligible if they meet this criteria:

Must be a registered or preregistered Republican
Have a cumulative 3.0 GPA
Complete a 650-word minimum essay on the topic: “What is the importance of conservative values for young people in today’s world?”
Extra points will be given for club and social activities, volunteer hours and campaign participation
Must be planning to attend an accredited community college/university or accredited vocational school in Florida

Applications can be found online at PascoGOP.org, at the individual’s high school career counselor’s office, or at the Pasco Republican Party office in Hudson.

Applications and essays must be emailed to , or to RPOP, 12043 Cobblestone Drive, Hudson, FL 34667, Attention: Sandy Graves, scholarship chair.

For information and questions, call 727-863-5400, or email .

The deadline to apply is 5 p.m., April 30.

Five $1,000 scholarships will be awarded in May.

Chalk Talk 03/31/2021

March 30, 2021 By Mary Rathman

Sheriff’s office hosts training
While Pasco County schools were on Spring Break, several school crossing guards and traffic control officers spent part of the week becoming FDOT Certified School Crossing Guard Trainers. The training, hosted by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, included a classroom portion, and demonstrations and practice outside at Safety Town in Shady Hills. In addition to the PSO, five other agencies were in attendance as well. The PSO also is hiring school crossing guards. For information and to apply, visit JoinPSO.com, and click on ‘Current Openings.’

Shoe drive success
Victory High School, a recovery high school in Holiday, recently hosted a shoe drive asking the community to clean out their closets to donate.

Fifty-two large garbage bags of gently used and new shoes were collected.

Victory High will receive a check from Funds2Orgs for the donations.

Student achievement
Thais Jacomassi, of Lutz, was named to the fall Dean’s List at Emerson College, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Jacomassi is majoring in writing, lit and publishing, and is a member of the Class of 2022.

AP Capstone program
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill is one of approximately 2,000 schools worldwide to implement the AP Capstone Diploma program, according to a school release.

The innovative program allows students to develop the skills that matter most for college success, such as research, collaboration and communication.

The program consists of two yearlong courses taken in sequence: AP Seminar and AP Research.

Students who score a 3 or higher in both courses, and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing, earn the AP Capstone Diploma.

Students who score a 3 or higher in both classes, but not on the additional four exams, can earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

Bishop McLaughlin will start offering AP Seminar in the fall. In this class, students choose and evaluate complex topics through multiple lenses — identify credibility and bias in sources, and develop arguments in support of a recommendation.

In the subsequent AP Research course, students design, execute, present and defend a yearlong research-based investigation on a topic of individual interest.

For information, visit BMCHS.com, or call 727-857-2600.

Need-based scholarships
Take Stock in Children, a need-based scholarship program with the Pasco Education Foundation, has announced that its application period for the 2021-2022 school year is now open to students currently in eighth grade attending Pasco County Schools.

The program is statewide, and provides scholarships, mentoring and hope, to help break the cycle of generational poverty through education.
Eligibility requirements and online applications are posted at TakeStockPasco.org or PascoEducationFoundation.org. The deadline to apply is April 15.

Selected students will be provided with a college readiness coach, a mentor, and College & Career Readiness Services.

How educated is Florida?
WalletHub has released its report on 2021’s Most & Least Educated States in America.

In order to determine the most educated states, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 18 metrics that examined the key factors of a well-educated population: educational attainment, school quality, and achievement gaps between genders and races.

Florida’s rankings are (1=Most; 25=Average):

First: Gender Gap in Educational Attainment
Fifth: Average University Quality
29th: Percentage of Bachelor Degree Holders
29th: Percentage of Graduate or Professional Degree Holders
31st: Racial Gap in Educational Attainment
32nd: Percentage of Associate Degree Holders or College-Experienced Adults
33rd: Percentage of High School Diploma Holders

For a full report, visit WalletHub.com/edu/e/most-educated-states/31075.

Child care courses
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) is offering a course for child care directors to become credentialed and a course for those seeking a child care professional credential.

The Operation of an Early Childhood Center course will be offered as a remote, online class via Zoom, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., from May 17 to July 16.

The Childcare Professional Credential course will be offered as a hybrid course meeting via Zoom for 48 of the 120 class hours, on Tuesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., from May 13 to Aug. 3. The remaining course hours will be delivered through online assignments.

Both courses are T.E.A.C.H. scholarship eligible (visit Teach-fl.org.) and Rapid Credential scholarship eligible (visit PHSC.edu/academics/job-training/scholarship).

Students need to apply as soon as possible, as T.E.A.C.H. takes six weeks to eight weeks to process, and Rapid Credential is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

To learn more about these courses, or to enroll, visit PHSC.edu/academics/continuing-education, or email .

Tuition assistance
CareerSource Tampa Bay has $4.6 million available to assist Hillsborough County youth and adults with tuition assistance scholarships to begin post-secondary training at local schools, according to a news release.

Scholarships are awarded in totals of up to $10,000 based on the program choice. Tuition assistance is awarded in the following in-demand industries: Health care, information technology, manufacturing and trades, professional services, and retail and hospitality.

The scholarships will be available to young adults ages 16 to 24 through the Young Talent Tampa Bay program, and adults age 18 and over through the Adult & Dislocated Worker program.

To be eligible to the programs, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Be a Hillsborough County resident
Meet certain age requirements
Meet U.S. citizenship or permanent resident requirements
Be registered for the Selective Service (males only)
Additional income eligibility applies

In addition to the scholarships, the programs also offer a designated career coach; employability skills training; financial literacy; assistance with resumes; national certifications for workplace training; limited supportive services; job placement assistance, including on-the-job training opportunities; career exploration and guidance; GED assistance (youth only); and placement assistance into Paid-Work-Experience (youth only).

Youth ages 16 to 24 can register for upcoming virtual information sessions at CareerSourceTampaBay.com/job-seekers/youth/.

Virtual sessions for those age 18 and older take place virtually every Wednesday at 10 a.m. To attend a session, email .

To apply to the Adult & Dislocated program, visit SurveyMonkey.com/r/N7QV576.

Graduating seniors from any Pasco County high school are eligible if they meet this criteria:

Must be a registered or preregistered Republican
Have a cumulative 3.0 GPA
Complete a 650-word minimum essay on the topic: “What is the importance of conservative values for young people in today’s world?”
Extra points will be given for club and social activities, volunteer hours and campaign participation
Must be planning to attend an accredited community college/university or accredited vocational school in Florida

Applications can be found online at PascoGOP.org, at the individual’s high school career counselor’s office, or at the Pasco Republican Party office in Hudson.

Applications and essays must be emailed to , or to RPOP, 12043 Cobblestone Drive, Hudson, FL 34667, Attention: Sandy Graves, scholarship chair.

For information and questions, call 727-863-5400, or email .

The deadline to apply is 5 p.m., April 30.

Five $1,000 scholarships will be awarded in May.

Pasco County supports youth program

March 23, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The Pasco County Commission has approved a two-year lease to Youth Entrepreneurial Services Inc. (YES), for office space at the Stallings Building, at 15029 14th St., in Dade City.

The lease term begins on March 1 and ends on Feb. 28, 2023. Terms also include two additional one-year renewal options.

The YES program focuses on serving youths and young adults, between the ages of 11 and 25, to help them develop innovative thinking and entrepreneurial skills.

The lease covers 140 square feet of space, plus non-exclusive use of classroom 1, common parking and common areas.

In addition to the rent charge of $1 a year, the organization also will pay its pro-rata share of the utilities in the annual amount of $240.

Published March 24, 2021