The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Chalk Talk 12/02/2020

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Saint Leo University hosted an early tree lighting on Nov. 18. (Courtesy of Sam Gonzalez, Saint Leo University)

Christmas season kick-off
Saint Leo University kicked off the Christmas season on Nov. 18 – a little early this year – in order for students, faculty and staff to celebrate together before Thanksgiving break.

The last two weeks of the fall semester will be completed online, Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, and many students will not be on campus.

Saint Leo University’s manger awaits the Christ child.

The Saint Leo community was joined by members of the Pasco County community for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at University Campus, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo.

Father Randall Meissen, university chaplain, blessed the university’s Christmas tree and nativity as the university prepares for Advent.

Student Government Union President Ashley Butler read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke 2: 1-14, and students, faculty and staff provided Christmas music.

Leadership webinar
Saint Leo University’s Tapia College of Business will present a free virtual Leadership Re-Imagined Webinar on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., entitled “Finding Strategic Flexibility to Power Through the Pandemic and Beyond,” to assist small businesses.

The discussion will take a closer look at how businesses are thinking and acting differently, and why flexibility is an indispensable mindset.

The guest speakers will be Dr. Drew Gold, associate professor of management for the Tapia College of Business, and Brian Quinn, chief development officer for Domio Inc.

To register, visit www.SaintLeo.edu/business-events.

For information, email Kim Bulmanski at .

College essay tips
The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host a live event, “College Essays for Teens,” on Dec. 4 at 4 p.m., to discuss the best tips and methods to writing college essays.

The program is for teens in grades eight to 12. There will be a Q&A session after the presentation.

Registration is required. Zoom meeting details will be sent out the day before the event.

For information, call Amaris Papadopoulos at (727) 861-3020.

Ask a college student
The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host “Ask a College Student” on Dec. 11 at 4 p.m., through Zoom, for teens in grades eight to 12.

A panel of current students from a variety of colleges, majors and experiences will answer any questions participants may have.

Registration is required. Zoom meeting details will be emailed the day before the event.

For information and to register, contact Amaris Papadopoulos at (727) 861-3020 or .

Wreath challenge
The Florida Aquarium’s inaugural “Upcycled Wreath Challenge: Conservation Connections” is a platform for youth to learn about critical environmental issues impacting our planet through a creative art format.

All schools in Hillsborough County can participate.

Each upcycled wreath will focus on one of the aquarium’s conservation priorities and be made entirely of reused/repurposed items or materials.
Guests can then come to see the wreath in the aquarium’s CIBC Aquatic Lounge, in the Mosaic Center.

The challenge runs from Dec. 6 through Jan. 3.

For information, visit FlAquarium.org.

New nursing program
Saint Leo University will launch a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program starting in the 2021 fall semester, its University Campus. The program is designed to prepare students for generalist nursing practice within complex health care systems.

The limited-access program will be accepting new students into pre-nursing coursework in arts and sciences during the first two years, including courses in anatomy, microbiology, math, writing, ethics and psychology. Students can then apply to the nursing program during their sophomore year to begin the nursing-major courses in year three.

The application process is competitive and limited spaces are available for the BSN program. This program format will allow for potential transfer students and second-degree students who may want to pursue their BSN degree in a shorter time-frame to consider Saint Leo.

There is a growing need for nurses in the coming years as a result of the rapidly aging U.S. population and a simultaneous number of nurses retiring.

The global pandemic continues to support this urgent need for licensed nurses in the field as the health care system undergoes a major transformation in structure and groundbreaking technology advances.

Upper-level nursing courses will commence in the fall semester of 2023, and the university anticipates having 48 spots for students in the first group admitted. Students will participate in theory, simulation, lab, and clinical experiences at a variety of health care and community agencies. The program will prepare graduates who can provide safe, quality care with an emphasis on wellness.

Another advantage offered at the Saint Leo campus includes the Anatomage Table, a 3-D educational display system that is usually found only in medical schools. The table displays actual X-rays of the human body and can be operated by touch-screen mode to help teach students in anatomy and physiology classes the various systems (respiratory, vascular, etc.) and structures they need to know as nurses.

The BSN will be available for undergraduate students only at Saint Leo’s residential University Campus. Students applying for the fall semester will receive automatic scholarship consideration.

The new BSN program has received approval from the Florida State Board of Nursing and is pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Applications are currently being accepted.

For more information, email , call (352) 588-8283, or visit SaintLeo.edu/bachelor-nursing-program.

Mask mandate continues in Pasco schools

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The Pasco County School Board has extended the district’s mask policy through the end of the school year.

The action came during the board’s Nov. 17 meeting, at the recommendation of Superintendent Kurt Browning.

It also followed an afternoon workshop involving Pasco County Schools staff and the Florida Department of Health-Pasco County, covering the district’s response to COVID-19.

Pasco County School Board member Megan Harding supports keeping masks in schools for now, but wants the district to move away from that — if conditions improve to the point where that would be safe. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

According to agenda materials, the proposed rule “is required to protect the health, safety and welfare of students and staff.”

It “mandates and requires that all employees, contractors, visitors, and students wear a mask or other face covering while on school property and/or engaged in school activities.”

The policy also “requires that proper social distancing must always be observed to the maximum extent possible.” Also, “whenever feasible and possible, students, staff, and visitors must remain six (6) feet away from persons that are not members of their household.”

School board member Megan Harding addressed the issue during the board’s evening session.

“I know that COVID-19 is real,” Harding said. “People in our community have suffered from it. People in my family have suffered from it and people in our school family have suffered from it.

“There no manual that has taught us how to run our school district during a pandemic. Our superintendent and staff have done an amazing, amazing job in making sure our students and teachers are the safest that they can be. Our principals have been tasked with a huge undertaking to keep their students and staff safe. Hours upon hours of work, and for that I am so grateful.

“I truly believe that we have done a great job of keeping our schools open and functioning for our students.

“Nobody likes wearing a mask. They’re uncomfortable, and our students can’t see their teachers or principals’ smiling faces.

“While many students aren’t struggling with keeping them on, I have seen firsthand, the added layer of stress, making sure they are properly being worn, and the reminders that teachers are faced with having to give their students, daily.

“However, it is our job to keep our students safe, and our staff safe, along with ensuring they receive the world-class education they deserve.

“I’m not a doctor or a health official. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is still recommending that masks are worn, local government still has a mandate in place and our local health officials are recommending we still wear them.

“We saw that today, in the workshop — all of the data. We know that we can’t properly social distance our students in the classroom, and the cafeterias and the hallways, due to square footage. This is another layer of protection.

“I want our teachers to feel supported and safe, when they’re coming to work. “And, I want our students to feel safe coming to school,” she said, and she wants parents to know that their children are safe.

“Mr. Browning, we’ve done such an amazing job in including our parents in many of our discussions around COVID-19, and for that I’m thankful.

“We’ve allowed our parents to choose whether it felt safe enough to send their child back to brick-and-mortar, or whether they wanted to do MySchool Online. I truly hope that we continue, with the support of the health department — that we keep our parents involved in those conversations,” she said.

Harding said she knows that COVID fatigue is real, and she would like to see the district move toward allowing: students to collaborate more; live performances with limited audiences; staff breakfasts; and, group staff meetings.

She said she understands that any changes must be done safely.

However, she added: “I really want our children to go to school. I want our children to participate in sports, the arts, field trips and events, but most importantly, I want our children to be safe.”

She asked for assurances that the district could change its policy if conditions improve, and she was assured that it could.

She’s in favor of relaxing the rule, as soon as it’s safe to do so.

“I don’t want our students to go to school forever with a mask on,” Harding said.

Boundaries to be set soon for Starkey Ranch K-8

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The Pasco County School Board is scheduled to set boundaries for the new Starkey Ranch K-8 school at the board’s Dec. 1 meeting.

The school — part of a complex that includes a theater, library and cultural center — is scheduled to open in the 2021-2022 school year.

The board held a public hearing on the proposed boundaries during its Nov. 17 meeting, with no one stepping forward to offer public comment.

“Starkey Ranch K-8 is built to house about 1,500 students. Initially, the school will open with kindergarten through seventh-grade students. The plan is to grandfather rising eighth-graders to their existing school,” Chris Williams, the district’s planning director told the school board during the public hearing.

“Staff put together a plan to rezone about 450 students from Longleaf and Odessa elementary schools to Starkey Ranch.

“In addition, approximately 100 students from River Ridge Middle School are proposed to be rezoned to Starkey Ranch,” he said, noting the students assigned to Starkey Ranch K-8 live in the development.

“With the Starkey Ranch development continuing to build houses for the next couple of years, we expect growth of about 200 K-8 students per year, so with growth, we anticipate approximately 750 K-7 (kindergarten through seventh grade) zoned students upon opening.

“That leaves quite a few seats open for magnet school. However, we will be working to make sure we keep seats available and open for growth, in that area,” Williams added.

District staff had an open house to explain the boundary proposals, and also accepted comments via the district’s Let’s Talk portal, Williams said.

Six comments were received via Let’s Talk.

“One person requested Asturia to be zoned for Starkey Ranch; one requested the Woodlands neighborhood of Longleaf to be zoned for Starkey Ranch. Others had questions about Starkey Ranch registration and grade configurations,” Williams said.

The district also is recommending a slight boundary shift affecting the Watergrass and Wesley Chapel elementary schools.

The change is being made as a result of the Epperson Ranch subdivision, Williams said.

“That area of Epperson Ranch being developed goes all of the way up to Tindale Road.

“You’ll also notice a small sliver above Tindale Road that has a few houses. Originally, when we were developing this plan, there were no elementary children who lived there who were attending the zone of Wesley Chapel elementary, but come August, one student did move into that area. We’ve been talking among ourselves. They will be rezoned to Watergrass Elementary, but if they choose to remain at Wesley Chapel Elementary, we plan on accommodating them,” Williams said.

Additionally, Superintendent Kurt Browning does not intend to reset school choice for any of these schools that are affected by the boundary changes and grandfather children in with transportation.

The final public hearing on the proposed boundary changes for Starkey K-8, as well as Watergrass and Wesley Chapel elementary, is set for 9:30 a.m., on Dec. 1, in the board chambers at district headquarters, 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Published November 25, 2020

Chalk Talk 11/25/2020

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Lucy Butler, first place (Courtesy of Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s Office)

Constitution essay winners
Pasco County fifth-graders who entered the eighth annual Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Constitution Essay Contest drew inspiration from culture and history.

Lucy Butler, from Bexley Elementary School, earned top honors in the contest by penning an inspired fan letter to the United States founding document.

Part of Lucy’s essay read: “The U.S. Constitution protects the rights of American citizens. In our country, the government does not hold us back from being free. We can say or write what we want (unless it’s plagiarism), we can choose our religion, and we can protest things that aren’t fair…”

Lucy also backed up her research with a shout-out to the musical “Hamilton,” and Federalist Papers co-authors James Madison and John Jay. She made arguments for the Constitution that resonate with her today.

Derek Knoedler, second place

She wrote, “‘Hamilton’ is my favorite musical, but before I was introduced to it, I really didn’t think about the U.S. Constitution.”

One of the judges wrote that Butler’s introduction paragraph was “interesting and conversational,” and it immediately pulled the reader in.

Essays by Oakstead Elementary 10-year-olds Derek Knoedler and Bethany Fissehaye claimed second and third place, respectively.

Bethany Fissehaye, third place (Courtesy of Abeselom Fissehaye

Derek extolled the virtues of the Constitution’s “building blocks of our governing system,” creating “checks and balances to ensure that no one has too much power.”

For Bethany, the Constitution is personal. She notes the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, and the 13th Amendment abolished slavery. She wrote, “No more African Americans like me must live in such a terrible way.”

The essays that were recognized with honorable mentions were submitted by Saksham Batra, Henry Perez, Heidi Keck, Alyssa Kasubinski, Dequrez Gulley Jr., Kayla Golden and Ashley Parenton.

Pasco Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles said, “Congratulations to all who entered in this extremely difficult year. The courage of so many young people choosing to write and compete when so much seems at loose ends, gives me confidence that the rock of our republic – the Constitution – will make sure we endure.”

Leadership webinar
Saint Leo University’s Tapia College of Business will present a free virtual Leadership Re-Imagined Webinar on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., entitled “Finding Strategic Flexibility to Power Through the Pandemic and Beyond,” to assist small businesses.

The discussion will take a closer look at how businesses are thinking and acting differently, and why flexibility is an indispensable mindset.

The guest speakers will be Dr. Drew Gold, associate professor of management for the Tapia College of Business, and Brian Quinn, chief development officer for Domio Inc.

To register, visit www.SaintLeo.edu/business-events.

For information, email Kim Bulmanski at .

College essay tips
The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host a live event, “College Essays for Teens,” on Dec. 4 at 4 p.m., to discuss the best tips and methods to writing college essays.

The program is for teens in grades eight to 12. There will be a Q&A session after the presentation.

Registration is required. Zoom meeting details will be sent out the day before the event.

For information, call Amaris Papadopoulos at (727) 861-3020.

Health program accepts Pepin
Amidst an unprecedented school year, Pepin Academies hopes to stay one step ahead of illness, helping to stop the spread and keeping more kids healthy with the help of Kinsa smart thermometers, according to a Pepin news release.
As one of the schools accepted into the Lysol + Kinsa FLUency health program, all Pepin Academies families will receive free Kinsa smart thermometers, and will be able to see aggregate, anonymous information on any symptoms and illnesses going around the school.

“This school year is unlike any other, as our nation continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and its widespread impact,” said Inder Singh, Kinsa founder and CEO. “Never has the need for real-time insights been greater, empowering schools to make data-driven decisions to keep their students healthy and learning. We’re excited to work with Lysol again to bring the free FLUency program to thousands of schools to help provide these insights.”

The FLUency program, now in its sixth year, will help nearly 350,000 families this year across almost 4,000 schools in the United States and Canada.
“The health and well-being of our students and teachers is our top priority, while continuing to support learning and education,” said Catherine Hernandez, registered school nurse for Pepin Academies Tampa. “We are grateful to be part of this innovative program, giving us a look at the trends affecting our classrooms.”

‘Type’ capsule contest
The Pasco County Library Cooperative is sponsoring a 2020 “Type Capsule” Essay Contest through Dec. 31, for grades three to five.

Because 2020 has been a historic year, students are asked to answer this question: “If you made a time capsule, what would you want to share about the year with future generations?”

The essay can discuss something the child experienced during 2020 and explain why it is worth remembering.

Submission deadline is 11:59 p.m., on Dec. 31.

Third-graders should write at least three paragraphs; fourth-graders, four paragraphs; and fifth-graders, five paragraphs.

Essays should not be more than three pages of writing. The student also can include images, but the images must be on separate pages from the writing itself.

For more details and guidelines, visit PascoLibraries.evanced.info/signup.

Fish art contest
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in partnership with Wildlife Forever, will host the Florida State Fish Art Contest.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade can compete in the free contest for a chance to win state and national honors, and prizes. The program is designed to inspire creativity, while encouraging the next generation of anglers and conservationists.

Florida winners will be selected by the FWC in four grade categories: kindergarten through third grade; fourth through sixth grade; seventh through ninth grade; and 10th through 12th grade.

State winners will advance to the national competition to be judged for top prizes, such as Best of Show.

To enter, students should submit their entry consisting of the following:

  • An original horizontal 9-inch by 12-inch piece of artwork featuring any fish from the Official Fish List
  • A piece of creative writing, no longer than one page, about the chosen species (required for grades four to 12)
  • A Florida State Fish Art Contest entry form

The deadline to enter is March 31.

Participants can mail entries to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Attn: Laura Rambo, Florida Fish Art Contest, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32301.

Entrants also can submit photos or a scanned copy of the entry to .

For complete contest information, entry forms and the Fish On! Lesson Plan, visit StateFishArt.org.

Chalk Talk 11/18/2020

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Largemouth Bass: Jiayi N., 11th Grade, first place, 2019 (Courtesy of Wildlife Forever)

Fish art contest
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in partnership with Wildlife Forever, will host the Florida State Fish Art Contest.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade can compete in the free contest for a chance to win state and national honors, and prizes. The program is designed to inspire creativity, while encouraging the next generation of anglers and conservationists.

Florida winners will be selected by the FWC in four grade categories: kindergarten through third grade; fourth through sixth grade; seventh through ninth grade; and 10th through 12th grade.

State winners will advance to the national competition to be judged for top prizes, such as Best of Show.

Reef Triggerfish: Vivien J., 11th grade, second place, 2019.

To enter, students should submit their entry consisting of the following:

  • An original horizontal 9-inch by 12-inch piece of artwork featuring any fish from the Official Fish List
  • A piece of creative writing, no longer than one page, about the chosen species (required for grades four to 12)
  • A Florida State Fish Art Contest entry form

The deadline to enter is March 31.

Participants can mail entries to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Attn: Laura Rambo, Florida Fish Art Contest, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32301.

Entrants also can submit photos or a scanned copy of the entry to .

For complete contest information, entry forms and the Fish On! Lesson Plan, visit StateFishArt.org.

Virtual Choice Expo
Hillsborough County Public Schools will host a virtual session entitled “Magnet: Vision 2020 Exploration Nights” on Nov. 19 and Dec. 3.

The Magnet Choice application period runs through Dec. 11.

Students and families can watch live demonstrations, through Zoom, as current students showcase in-demand programs including robotics, performing arts, medical, International Baccalaureate and more.

Students also can learn about the Magnet and Choice Program options.

For a list of Magnet, CTE and Choice options, as well as the application, visit HillsboroughSchools.org/Choice.

School grants awarded
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded $97,640.28 in grants to 43 educators within the District as part of the Splash! School grant program.

The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources, in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities, as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness campaigns.

Each school district allocates a portion of its annual youth education funding provided by the District to support the Splash! grants in their county.

The District awarded grants to these schools/teachers in Pasco County:

  • Deer Park Elementary School – Jamie Thornton
  • James Irvin Education Center – Dr. Jose Olmo
  • Pasco eSchools – Shamsher Lamba
  • Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel – Rachael Robinson
  • River Ridge High School – Laine Smith
  • Sunlake High School – Kathryn Bylsma/Michelle Hock

Grants are available for freshwater resources field studies, water-conserving garden projects, community or school awareness campaigns, and on-site workshops.

Last year’s Splash! grants brought water resources education to 5,478 students throughout the District.

For information, visit WaterMatters.org/SchoolGrants.

Essay contest
The Pasco County Library Cooperative is sponsoring a 2020 “Type Capsule” Essay Contest through Dec. 31, for grades three to five.

Because 2020 has been a historic year, students are asked to answer this question: “If you made a time capsule, what would you want to share about the year with future generations?”

The essay can discuss something the child experienced during 2020 and explain why it is worth remembering.

Submission deadline is 11:59 p.m., on Dec. 31.

Third-graders should write at least three paragraphs; fourth-graders, four paragraphs; and fifth-graders, five paragraphs.

Essays should not be more than three pages of writing. The student also can include images, but the images must be on separate pages from the writing itself.

For more details and guidelines, visit PascoLibraries.evanced.info/signup.

New financial aid programs
Saint Leo University has created new financial aid programs with the goal to make private university education accessible and affordable during challenging times.

The school’s new Tuition Advantage Program will recognize high-achieving students throughout the state of Florida who demonstrate financial need.

For students with a 3.5 GPA or higher, whose families make an Adjusted Gross Income of less than $50,000 a year (based on 2019 tax return), the program will cover the student’s full tuition after institutional, state and federal funds are applied.

To qualify, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and be determined to be Florida residents by Saint Leo’s Student Financial Services Office.

Students who participate in the tuition program are eligible to attend University Campus, the school’s residential campus, for a bachelor degree program at no tuition cost.

The four-year estimated value of a Tuition Advantage financial aid package exceeds $100,000.

The program will help students from lower income families pursue and complete their degrees.

Saint Leo also is offering a new program to provide students with a high school GPA of 2.00 to 2.39 the opportunity to succeed in a private university academic experience.

Through the D2R Associate Degree Program, students can earn an associate degree on their way to obtaining a bachelor degree.

For less than $10,000 in tuition per year, students can earn a degree in one of four programs: Associates of Arts in Liberal Arts, Associate of Arts in Business Administration, Associate of Arts in Information Technology, and Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice.

Saint Leo also has expanded and updated its Catholic Promise Award, and added a new offering — the Global Citizen Award — for international students.

Applications are being accepted for the fall 2021 semester.

For information, email , call (352) 588-8283, or visit SaintLeo.edu/daretoroar.

How Pasco Schools is navigating through COVID-19

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Heading up one of Florida’s largest school districts is certainly a tall task on its own merit — let alone when a world-altering pandemic shocks the system from March onward.

So, it’s understandable if Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning tries to bring some levity to the whole situation.

His humor showed through at a speaking engagement before the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce Oct. 20 breakfast meeting.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning was guest speaker at the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting last month at Scotland Yards Golf Club. (File)

“I always look for positive things. I think, ‘You know, I could be the supervisor of elections…’,” quipped Browning, before a crowd of dozens at the Scotland Yards Golf Club in Dade City.

Booming laughter, of course, ensued.

Browning held the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections position for 26 years, from 1980 to 2006.

He later joked and shared an anecdote how he once heard current Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley discuss his various responsibilities and lengthy work schedule.

Browning retorted to Corley: “I don’t ever want to you hear you talk about how hard you work, until you run a school district. You don’t know what hard work is, until you run a school system.”

More seriously, though, Browning told the crowd that the past six months or so have unquestionably been a stressful period for administrators, teachers, parents and students alike. “We have had a rough go,” he said.

The superintendent shared his personal experience of contracting the coronavirus in June.
The moment he received word of his positive COVID-19 test, Browning said, “it was all downhill from there.
“Probably the sickest I’ve ever been, sickest I’ve ever been in my life,” said Browning, noting he still feels some lingering fatigue even today.

“It was bad. It was bad, bad, bad. …I was too sick to even worry about what was going on in the office,” the superintendent said.

He discussed the hurdles that the district overcame to get teachers and students either back in the classroom or learning virtually.

The district gave families three learning options for the 2020-2021 school year:

  • Traditional brick-and-mortar campuses
  • Pasco eSchool virtual education program
  • mySchool Online, a hybrid virtual learning model where students follow a standard school schedule and bell times

One of the most challenging aspects of the first quarter has been the continuous indecisiveness by parents on which learning model to use for their child, he said.

Parents initially choosing a virtual model would flip back to traditional, and vice versa, mainly based on the latest news reports of whether COVID-19 cases were spiking or slowing.

“As we got closer to school, I mean people were just ping-ponging back and forth,” Browning said.

He said he had to plead with parents: “Don’t do that. Just pick a model and stick with it, because it’s not good for your student to keep going back and forth, because they’re going to lose instruction.”

Parent indecisiveness has “settled down a little bit,” but some parents are still “ping-ponging.”

The superintendent also noted that parents who intend to send kids back to brick-and-mortar campuses next semester need to inform his office soon, as preparations are already underway. A hard date for those second semester decisions will be set relatively soon.

“Keep in mind, it’s not as simple as moving kids into a classroom,” said Browning, the changes affect teachers and scheduling, too.

Other school district challenges amid COVID-19
Browning also touched on other challenges brought about by the start the pandemic, such as creating drive-thru sites to provide free meals for needy families.

The district served over 1 million meals, from March through the beginning of the school year in August.

Pasco Schools distributed over 1 million meals to needy families from March through the beginning of the school year in August, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of families who needed help increased drastically, Browning said, particularly among the district’s 36 Title 1 schools — campuses with large concentrations of low-income students.

Many of those students rely on school-provided breakfast and lunch, as oftentimes it’s their only meals of the day, “so it’s important we get the food to them,” Browning said.

The superintendent added the 1 million-plus meal figure is “much higher than we’ve ever served meals before, and I think a lot of that was due to folks having lost jobs, not being able to provide food for their kids.”

And, as students moved to remote learning, technology became a big challenge.

The district issued about 20,000 laptops and iPads to students for virtual learning purposes.

The school district primarily uses Apple equipment, but district leadership decided to distribute Dell laptops — in order to distribute more laptops. The district could buy three Dell laptops for the cost of one Apple laptop, Browning explained.

“We learned very quickly, if we’re going to get where we need to be with devices for our kids, we’re kind of switching over to Dell devices,” Browning said. “They’re not as sturdy as an Apple, but if a kid drops a Dell and breaks it, throw it in the garbage and buy another one. With an Apple, you have to fix it, and the investment’s too great to do that with.”

Getting remote internet access to students was another necessity and challenge — particularly at the end of last school year.

“You know how many kids in 2020 do not have internet service? A lot,” Browning said.

To solve the problem, the district equipped school buses with hotspots and set them up in school parking lots in remote areas with no internet service, such as Crystal Springs, Lacoochee and Shady Hills.

The concept allowed families to park their cars into school lots for several hours and have children complete necessary schoolwork from there.

“We bought hotspots by the hundreds,” Browning said.

New technical high school underway
Browning went on to discuss the district’s forthcoming technical high school — Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, being built at 9100 Curley Road in Wesley Chapel.

The Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation is being built at 9100 Curley Road in Wesley Chapel. The 184,000-square-foot technical school is expected to serve 1,000 students and is scheduled to open for the 2022-2023 school year. The school will prepare students for high-salary, high-skill careers in high-demand areas, such as digital multimedia, engineering and robotics, biomedical sciences, building construction, and cyber security, according to district officials.

The 184,000-square-foot technical school is expected to serve 1,000 students and is scheduled to open for the 2022-2023 school year.

The school will prepare students for high-salary, high-skill careers in high-demand areas, such as digital multimedia, engineering and robotics, biomedical sciences, building construction, and cyber security, according to district officials.

A groundbreaking ceremony was celebrated in early September.

Browning believes it’ll be a win for the school district, underscoring the importance of technical and vocational training programs, as well as dual-enrollment opportunities.

“We want our kids to have options, we want our kids to be successful,” said Browning. “We want them to be exposed to diesel mechanics. You know what a good diesel mechanic is paid? You know what a great welder gets paid? Sometimes six figures.”

The school, Browning said, is being constructed “with a lot of non-fixed walls” to allow for ever-changing learning programs that may require more or less space in the future.

“It’s going to be a very functional facility for our kids, and I believe East Pasco deserves that and needs that for our kids,” Browning said.

Kirkland Ranch will primarily pull students from Pasco, Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools, but also will be available to “any other kid” from the county that wants to take advantage, Browning said.

Published November 11, 2020

USF urged to continue preparing teachers

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The Pasco County School Board has adopted a resolution urging the University of South Florida to continue teacher preparation programs at all of the university’s campuses.

Board members adopted the resolution at their Nov. 3 meeting, after they and Superintendent Kurt Browning weighed in on the issue.

“We think that it would just be devastating to our programs across the Tampa Bay area for them to close that program down,” Browning said, noting he had joined superintendents from Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota for a community conversation to discuss USF’s proposal to end the program.

“I don’t think people on the outside of education fully understand the impact that this is going to have on our district,” Browning said. “We are direct recipients of great teachers who come out of USF.”

School board member Alison Crumbley characterized USF’s decision as “short-sighted.”

Like Browning, she said the district relies on USF’s program.

“Thirty percent of our teachers come from USF,” she said. “It’s just a huge disappointment to me, and letdown for the school districts and taxpayers in the Tampa Bay area that this is the situation,” Crumbley said.

Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin, who herself is a teacher, added: “It’s unfortunate that there’s been a decline nationally, in the number of people pursuing degrees in education. That is the root of the problem.

“What we’re discussing here could be a result of the excessive state mandates, testing, evaluation system and lack of respect teachers are given,” she said.

She added those factors could be deterring people from pursuing a career in education, which Beaudoin described as “a noble profession” that creates “lifelong learners and productive citizens.

“Being a teacher is rewarding and fulfilling. I’ll support anything that provides a pathway for students to enter the career,” she said.

School board member Megan Harding, a graduate from the USF College of Education, said she hopes the college will reconsider.

“Not only does this affect teachers, but it’s also going to affect the children,” her Facebook page says. “We already have a teacher shortage.”

Harding read the resolution, which the board adopted.

The resolution notes that Pasco County Schools hires approximately 525 teachers annually, and the USF undergraduate teacher preparation program contributes more than 30% of those teachers. The resolution also points to the existing statewide teacher shortage.

The resolution asserts “USF’s action will harm not only the school districts in the Tampa Bay region, but also the larger communities they serve, including families sending children to our schools and the business communities served by the graduates of our schools.”

The resolution concludes by pledging the Pasco school board’s support for any and all efforts to maintain USF’s undergraduate teacher preparation programs at all of its campuses, and encourages the college to work closely with Pasco County Schools, and other stakeholders and partners to find an alternative to closing the programs.

Browning said the resolution will be forwarded to the president of USF, the provost and acting dean.

Published November 11, 2020

Pasco school choice expos going virtual

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Pasco County Schools is showcasing the district’s choice programs in two virtual events this year.

The goal is the same as it has been in years past — to inform families about the upcoming school choice application window and to highlight the innovative program options.

The Nov. 16 Virtual Pasco Pathways Expo, presented at 5 p.m., will be the east side program.

The Nov. 19 Virtual Pathways Expo, presented at 5 p.m., will be the west side program.

The events will feature informational sessions that cover the general application process.

In addition, many of Pasco County’s schools will showcase unique educational options like STEM and STEAM magnets, the Cambridge International Education Programme, International Baccalaureate, Career Pathways, and more.

Those in attendance will have the chance to learn about Wendell Krinn Technical High School, Pasco eSchool, and the soon-to-be open Starkey Ranch K-8.

The school choice application window will run from Jan. 7 to Jan. 21, for all schools and grade levels.

For information and to register to attend a virtual expo, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/expo.

Published November 11, 2020

Districts await word on ‘remote’ learning funding

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When schools began this fall, state officials required that school districts open each of their campuses — but also allowed districts to offer parents a new remote learning choice —  without financial penalty.

Now, the state is considering how to handle the funding issue for the second semester of the school year.

State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran met last month in a virtual meeting with representatives of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and said the state needs to have a clearer picture of enrollment data, and how that could affect second semester funding. He expects the state to be able to make that determination by mid-November, or Thanksgiving at the latest.

Corcoran said students receive a better quality of education when they receive in-person instruction. He said that having students on campus also helps with societal issues, such as providing meals, mental health and other services for students.

The issue came up at the Pasco County School Board’s Nov. 3 meeting.

“We’re still waiting to hear from the department,” Superintendent Kurt Browning told board members.

“We’ve been told it’s going to be mid-November before we get direction from the department as to whether or not they’re going to continue funding the virtual option. So, that being said, this district is planning as if we’re going to have the virtual option, moving into the second semester,” Browning said.

“I know that FADSS — the Florida Association of District School Superintendents — sent a letter Friday to the commissioner (Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran).

“I know I’ve had personal communications; Mr. (Ray) Gadd has had personal communications, with the commissioner,” Browning added.

They are pressing for a decision.

“If we wait ‘til mid-November, there are three weeks that have to come out of that equation. One for Thanksgiving break, and then the two for Christmas break.

“I really don’t want our principals working over Thanksgiving or Christmas, trying to get the massive amounts of work done, if the state so chooses not to provide the funding for the virtual option,” Browning said.

He wants the state to continue to support the remote learning choice.

“COVID is still out there, and not just for the kids, but my concern is also for the staff. We have staff members who have chosen to teach in the virtual realm, simply because health concerns, elderly parents, those kinds of things.

“It’s about the kids, but also about our teachers and staff,” Browning said.

Board chairman Colleen Beaudoin added: “And, about the kids’ families — the whole community.”

Board member Cynthia Armstrong said that removing the funding support could hurt the district.

“It’s about having choice for the parents. Some parents who really believe that they need to be online, if they don’t get it here in the district, they will go elsewhere,” Armstrong said.

Browning responded: “Those concerns have been conveyed.”

Erin Malone, spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Schools, put it this way: “Our district knows the importance of parents having options, especially during this uncertain time.”

Published November 11, 2020

Hillsborough schools face shortfall

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Hillsborough County Schools is making massive cuts, as the district battles to stop the financial bleeding, Superintendent Addison Davis told members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, during a Zoom business meeting.

The superintendent detailed the rollercoaster ride the district has been on — adjusting to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and dealing with significant financial problems.

Davis joined the district on March 2, just weeks before the district shifted to remote learning for the remainder of the school year because of a shutdown imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addison Davis

Then, when the 2020-2021 school year began, there was the controversy over whether schools should be required to offer brick-and-mortar for students, or online options only.

To retain state funding, the district was required to offer a brick-and-mortar option at every campus. It also offered parents the ability to choose an online option.

Davis said about 122,000 students are in brick-and-mortar classrooms and about 95,000 students are learning remotely. Some remote learners are assigned to specific classes, while others are enrolled in a more flexible virtual learning program.

The pandemic also has required the district to spend money on personal protective equipment, and has increased sanitation and cleaning costs for district schools and facilities.

“We have spent close to $14 (million) to $15 million initially to start the school year out, related to buying the necessary PPE, whether it’s gloves, masks, hand sanitizers, other cleaning equipment and technology, to ensure every one of our common areas, every one of our classrooms were protected for every one of our learners.

“And, that’s a reoccurring costs that we don’t get additional funding for, and it’s costing us close to $4 million to $5 million a month to continue that PPE, to make certain that we have sanitation stations, not only through our common areas, but also within every one of our classrooms,” Davis said.

The superintendent also pointed out the need to cut staffing because of district deficits.

“We’re $72 million in the hole,” Davis said.

Enrollment has dropped by 3,079 students, which could result in a requirement to give money back to the State Department of Education, unless state officials hold the district harmless, Davis said.

The school system already has cut hundreds of positions and is identifying others.

It has a long ways to go to bring staffing into alignment with the district’s allocation model, he said.

“We’ve identified over 3,000 positions that were overstaffed at our schools,” Davis said.

The district has already cut hundreds of employees, including some brand-new teachers that were hired on temporary contracts, after Aug. 14.

“It breaks my heart, and I know it’s disruptive,” he said.

The actions are necessary to protect the payroll for the district’s 24,000 employees — which amounts to $66 million, every two weeks.

“We’re in a bad spot, but we’re going to stand strong, and we’re going to lead through it,” he said.

Staffing is just one issue
Besides cutting personnel, the district is scrutinizing its vendors and its contracts.

The district is “going to selectively abandon contracts and exit them, if they’re not mission critical,” Davis said.

It plans to put a freeze on consultants.

The district has been “consultant-rich, program-rich” but ”results-poor,” the superintendent said.

“We’re ranked 40th out of 67 in the state of Florida. We have the title for having the most D and F schools in Florida, as well.

“So, we have a lot of work — not only from a fiscal perspective, but we have a lot of work with what we’re going to do to improve the overall health on the instructional side of the work.

“So now, more than ever, we’ve got to find ways to reset our priorities,” Davis said.

The school chief said the pandemic has hampered his efforts to “connect with constituents” through town hall sessions.

The town halls are needed, he said, “to talk and share about the current status we are in, and why we are having to make some hard decisions as an organization.”

While unable to connect personally with community groups, Davis is doing Zoom sessions, such as the one with the North Tampa Bay Chamber on Oct. 22.

He told those listening that the district’s top three priorities are student achievement, fiscal responsibility and community engagement.

He said the district is planning a luncheon in November in an attempt to recruit students to boost enrollment.

Davis also fielded questions during the Zoom session.

In response to a question about masks, Davis said he expects them to be required until at least January.

A question also came up about when parents and volunteers will be allowed on campus.

Davis said the district has restricted access to campus to reduce potential spread of COVID-19.

The district leader said he looks forward to the day when those restrictions can be eased.

“We’ve got to get back to a point where we’re having some normalcy,” he said, where “we can have volunteers on our campuses — those who want to reach out and do mentorships.

“That’s going to really help us.”

Another question came up regarding how the district’s experience with COVID-19 cases compared to what it had expected.

“We thought we would be a tremendous super spreader when we opened and have to shut down wings, classrooms and schools. And, it wasn’t the case.

“What we did see — and are seeing —  is that individuals are going to parties, going to events, coming to school when they don’t feel well, when they have symptoms — that’s creating the positive cases in our schools,” Davis said.

“In one of our high schools, we had to quarantine 260 kids last week because they went to a party. Four of them came back to school, they’re in classes —  they moved — and we quarantined 260 kids.

“This is where we have to reclaim the dinner table and talk about core values, and talk about expectations,” said Davis, whose daughter had to be quarantined from school, and he had to be quarantined, too.

Position cuts in Hillsborough County Schools
Hillsborough County Schools has announced these cuts:

  • 424 vacant positions that will not be filled for the 2020-2021 academic year
  • 246 positions (Teachers hired prior to Aug. 14, will not lose their jobs, but may be reassigned to a different role at their school or to another school)
  • Fewer than 60 teachers hired on temporary contracts after Aug. 14
  • 150 district level staff

The district also is scrutinizing its contracts and will selectively abandon those that are not deemed to support the district’s critical missions.

Source: Hillsborough County Schools

Published November 04, 2020