The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Ringing in the 2020-2021 school year

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Students streamed back to Pasco County school campuses last week to begin the 2020-2021 school year, while Hillsborough County students headed to that district’s campuses this week.

The beginning of a new school year often is steeped in tradition, but this year is a year of new routines — in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students are arriving on campuses wearing masks, and teachers standing near open classroom doors to greet them are wearing masks, too.

Ten-year-old Veronika Patterson walks with her family to Bexley Elementary School. She’s accompanied by her mother, Melissa, her father, Mike, and her little sister, Izzy. (Randy Underhill)

Lunch tables have been moved outdoors, to reduce crowding in cafeterias and to accommodate outside classes.

Signs remind people to keep their distance, and bottles of hand sanitizer are within easy reach to encourage everyone to keep their hands clean.

And, there are protocols.

Lots of protocols.

They spell out what schools should do when there’s a confirmed case of COVID-19 and what to do when one is suspected.

In Pasco County, a partnership has been forged between the school district and the Florida Department of Health’s Pasco office.

Health department staff members are working in two portables on school district property, so they can respond quickly to COVID-19 cases.

The district also has spent substantial money, time and energy to prepare campuses for the arrival of students and staff; and, it has ramped up cleaning schedules to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Hillsborough County school district also has increased cleaning efforts, to reduce potential spread of the virus.

Both districts also are using special care to disinfect school buses.

Pasco County Schools activated its dashboard last week, and as of 11:30 p.m. Aug. 28, the district had reported three student cases, one each at Fivay High School, Gulf High School and Moon Lake Elementary; and one employee case, at Lake Myrtle Elementary. (For more recent information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/news.

Hillsborough superintendent Addison Davis said that the district also will have a dashboard to keep the public informed.

The district just opened campus, on Aug. 31, so it was still too early to tell what kind of impact in-school classes would have, when The Laker/Lutz News went to press

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, an educational professional for decades said: “This is definitely my first year like this.

“I think we’re going to have a great first day,” Gadd said, as he showed off Cypress Creek Middle School, on its inaugural opening day for students.

“I think our schools are well-prepared, and we’re looking forward to getting started and making the best of it,” Gadd said. But, he added, “I’d be lying, if I didn’t say I wasn’t worried about Day 2, Day 3.”

There were complaints about buses and technology on the Pasco school district’s Facebook page, but overall the district seemed to be off to a relatively smooth start.

Face-to-face instruction began this week in the Hillsborough school district, after a week of online only.

Parents line up in both directions, to drop their kids off on the first day of school at Pine View Middle School, 5334 Parkway Blvd.

Based on social media chatter from last week, it looks like there were some complaints about problems with technology.

This week offers the first real test of the district’s preparations, as it welcomes the arrival of students and staff.

Hillsborough plans to work closely with its medical partners at the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital, the superintendent said, during a recent school board meeting.

Like Pasco, Hillsborough has adopted numerous protocols intended to limit the spread of COVID-19 and to respond to known or suspected cases that arise.

Both Hillsborough and Pasco delayed their initial opening from Aug. 10, until Aug. 24.

Pasco chose to offer all three of its educational options on Aug. 24.

Hillsborough’s reopening plan shifted.

Initially, the school board adopted the superintendent’s plan to offer three learning options, starting on Aug. 24.

Then, after listening to a panel of medical experts, the board voted on Aug. 6 to delay implementation of Davis’ already state-approved plan, and instead offer online learning only for the first four weeks of school.

State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran reacted to that plan by telling the district that it had to justify any closing on a school-by-school, grade-by-grade and classroom-by-classroom basis, or jeopardize state funding.

Davis went to Tallahassee, in an attempt to find a compromise. The state rejected his proposals and, ultimately, the district opted to open online for one week and then to offer all three options, including brick-and-mortar instruction, at all of its schools beginning Aug. 31.

But then, Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson ruled on a lawsuit brought against the state by the Florida Education Association, which was consolidated with other lawsuits brought against the state.

Dodson agreed with FEA’s contention that the state’s action — to require districts to open all brick-and-mortar schools by Aug. 31, was unconstitutional. Dodson said local school boards should have the power to make that decision.

The state appealed Dodson’s ruling, which automatically stayed his injunction, unless he decided to lift it. Dodson did lift it, essentially giving decision-making authority back to local school boards.

That decision prompted an emergency meeting of the Hillsborough County School Board on Aug. 28. Board members voted at that meeting to rescind their previous decision to open online only for four weeks, and instead to proceed with Davis’ most recent plan.

Meanwhile, the case between the FEA and the state continues on, and another lawsuit, filed by the United School Employees of Pasco, is pending.

Published September 02, 2020

Cypress Creek Middle has ‘first’ First Day

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When school bells rang in a new school year in Pasco County on Aug. 24, the day had special meaning at Cypress Creek Middle School, 8845 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

It wasn’t the first time middle school students had attended the Cypress Creek campus on the Old Pasco Road, but it was the first time they were heading to classes in a school built specifically for them.

Cypress Creek Middle School Principal Tim Light was eager to welcome students to the school he leads, on Old Pasco Road. Middle schoolers had been on the campus before, but this was the first First Day of School in a school built especially for them. (B.C. Manion)

Middle school students began attending classes at a shared campus for middle and high school students in 2017, because the district couldn’t afford to build both a high school and middle school — as it had originally intended.

Construction began on the $43.5 million middle school building in 2019, and now the middle schoolers have a place that’s their own.

The enthusiasm that typically accompanies a new school opening was muted this year, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The school is following strict safety protocols.

They include:

  • Everyone on campus must wear a mask.
  • Parents drop off students at a specific place.
  • Students are directed to walk one-way down hallways, in the main classroom building.
  • Desks and chairs are spread out in classrooms.

Other safety steps include encouraging social distancing between people, placing some lunch tables outdoors to prevent cafeteria crowding, and turning off the water fountains — except to fill water bottles.

The district also kept parents off school campuses, because of concerns about COVID-19, and it kept media off, too, with the exception of allowing a special tour of Cypress Creek Middle on its opening day.

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd escorted representatives of The Laker/Lutz News and The Tampa Bay Times around the new school’s campus.

Principal Tim Light shared a few thoughts, as he stood in front of a giant painting of a coyote, the school’s mascot.

“I’m very excited,” Light said, noting he’d been planning for the school’s opening for months.

Unlike other middle schools in Pasco County Schools, this one boasts a black box theater, which will give students a chance to develop their imagination and creativity — and offer a venue for some community shows, when the pandemic lifts.

“Honestly, I never thought this day was going to get here,” Light said.

“I just want to see what the day is going to bring. Get these kids in here and get them going,” Light said.

Gadd was clearly delighted, as he showed off the district’s newest school.

“It’s really a beautiful school, the way it’s laid out,” the deputy superintendent said.

Cypress Creek Middle has the capacity of 1,600 students. Its opening reduces crowding at John Long Middle School. It also provides relief to Wiregrass Ranch High School — as Cypress Creek Middle students previously on campus shift over to the new middle school, creating more capacity at Cypress Creek High.

Beyond the normal features found at middle schools, this one has a black box theater and a suite of dance, chorus and orchestra rooms.

“It’s a space like no other in Pasco County,” said Peter Nason, the school’s theater teacher. “It is a jewel in the crown of this county, I think.

“It has space for the kids to be creative. For them to learn. For them to realize, really, what theater is, and it goes beyond the classroom,” Nason said.

Gadd is delighted by the opportunities the theater program will create.

“I first saw one of these, probably in a school 10 years ago. I’ve been dreaming about building one since then,” Gadd said.

“It’s an incredible space. It’s a dream space,” Nason told Gadd.

Gadd said: “I look forward to the first show.”

Nason responded: “I look forward to you seeing the first show.”

Two new public charter schools
Cypress Creek Middle was the only new traditional public school opened in Pasco County for the 2020-2021 school, but two new public charter schools also opened. Innovation Preparatory Academy opened for grades kindergarten through six, at 7800 Avery Scope Way in Wesley Chapel. Pinecrest Academy also opened for grades kindergarten through six, at 33347 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel.

Published September 02, 2020

Chalk Talk 09/02/2020

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Tourette syndrome & school
According to the Tourette Association of America (TAA), one in 100 students is affected by Tourette Syndrome (TS) and Tic Disorders.

More than half of school-aged children with TS have a co-occurring condition, like ADHD, anxiety or depression. These conditions, along with other learning disabilities, can have a negative influence on learning and can make it extremely difficult for students to concentrate in the classroom.

The upcoming school year will be vastly different in light of COVID-19. Whether classes are in-person or virtual, the Tourette Association can provide resources and tips for every type of classroom setting.

Members of the TAA’s Education Advisory Board offer these practices to help reduce anxiety, and give some predictability and routine to the school year.

  • Get into a sleep and morning routine to help keep your child healthy and reduce stress.
  • If working from home, have a space dedicated to schoolwork where your child can focus and be most productive. And, find exercises that can be done during break times. Mindfulness breaks may be helpful.
  • Plan ahead with your child’s school for specific sensory breaks.
  • If your child has trouble wearing a mask, find a mask that is most comfortable for your child. Build in time each day for your child to keep his or her mask on, and extend the amount of time each day.
  • Have either hard copies or electronic copies of the TAA Educator Toolkits to give to everyone working with you or your child. To order hard copies, email .
  • You or your child can write a one-page email or a letter to all educators and highlight your strengths, symptoms, and accommodations that work best. Help to educate staff and peers about TS, either in-person or virtually. Consider making a very short video to share. If you need help educating others, call (718) 224-2999, or email .
  • If your child has an IEP and receives services at school, communicate with the school about what these services will look like. Support in managing assignments is important.
  • Your child listens and can pick up on your anxiety. Share how school is going to look different this year, and be positive about the decisions you have made.
  • Listen to your child’s concerns about the school year. That way you can be more prepared to help them with their emotions.
  • Communicate with the school about any anxiety your child or teen is facing about the school year. A school counselor or social worker may have tips for supporting the student and may be able to communicate the issues to classroom teachers.
  • Trust that you are doing your best to support your child through this.

For more information, visit Tourette.org.

MOSI in a Box
MOSI is offering live, virtual hands-on, inquiry-based, STEAM activities and interactive Q&As, available until Dec. 31, for kindergarten through eighth-grade students and their families.

There are three programs offered through Zoom:

  • Planetary Explorers: Choose a mission, design spacecraft and follow in the footsteps of astronauts, engineers and scientists.
  • Mission Health: A Look at the Human Body: Explore the mechanics of bones, muscles, lungs and the heart
  • Forensic Investigators: Gather clues, analyze evidence and make observations to solve a crime

Each program is one hour.

For cost and registration, call (813) 987-6000, or visit MOSI.org.

Meal applications available
Pasco County Schools is accepting free and reduced-price household meal applications for the 2020-2021 school year, and will serve free breakfast at 49 schools.

In accordance with the National School Lunch Act, households that are below the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines may qualify for free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch benefits. Households must complete a new application each school year.

Visit PascoSchoolMeals.com for a link to the online application, frequently asked questions, income eligibility guidelines, cafeteria menus and more.

Schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area that will serve free breakfast are: Centennial Elementary, Centennial Middle, Chester Taylor Elementary, James Irving Education Center, Lacoochee Elementary, Pasco Elementary, Pasco High, Pasco Middle, Quail Hollow Elementary, R.B. Stewart Middle, Rodney B. Cox Elementary, San Antonio Elementary, West Zephyrhills Elementary, Woodland Elementary and Zephyrhills High.

For information, call Pasco County Schools Food & Nutrition Services at (813) 794-2522.

Gift card drive
United Way of Pasco is hosting a Stuff the Bus Gift Card Drive for Teachers.

Those interested can donate a preloaded gift card from a favorite school supplies retailer, to be delivered to Pasco County school teachers.

Mail gift cards to the United Way of Pasco, 17230 Camelot Court, Land O’ Lakes FL 34638.

Donations also can be made online at UnitedWayPasco.org/stuff-the-bus-2020.

Fee adjustment meeting
Pasco-Hernando State College’s (PHSC) District Board of Trustees (DBOT) will consider approving proposed adjusted course-related fees at its board meeting on Sept. 15 at 6 p.m., at the Spring Hill campus. If the meeting is switched to virtual viewing, details will be available online at PHSC.edu.

Fee adjustment proposals are reviewed and approved for DBOT consideration by PHSC’s Council of Academic Affairs, a committee that includes representation by administrators, deans, academic department chairs, program directors, faculty and staff.

For details regarding the adjustments, justification for the fees and fee implementation details, visit Policies.phsc.edu/policies-and-procedures/public-disclosure.

Questions or concerns about the proposed fees should be directed to the appropriate dean listed on the webpage.

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.

School begins in Pasco and Hillsborough counties

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Students headed back to classrooms in Pasco County this week and began learning online for the first week of classes in Hillsborough County — while the impact of a temporary injunction and from a pending legal action are not yet clear.

In response to lawsuits filed by the Florida Education Association and individual plaintiffs, the Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson granted a motion for a temporary injunction against Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s executive order.

“The order is unconstitutional to the extent it arbitrarily disregards safety, denies local school boards decision making with respect to opening brick and mortar schools, and conditions funding on an approved reopening plan with a start date in August,” the judge’s order says.

It remains to be seen how the decision will play out in Pasco County, where brick-and-mortar schools have reopened, and in Hillsborough, where they are scheduled to do so on Aug. 31.

In their closing arguments on Aug. 21, lawyers for the Florida Education Association, as well as for individual plaintiffs, argued that the  state’s Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s  Emergency Order 6 was “arbitrary and capricious” and, therefore, unconstitutional.

The order required school districts to submit reopening plans, which included opening every brick-and-mortar school for five days a week, with the school year starting by the end of August.

Kendall B. Coffey, an attorney representing the teachers union, said the state’s order “completely ignored safety. We all agree that a safe education is a paramount duty under the Florida Constitution.”

The state used “financial bullying” to coerce districts to comply with the order, Coffey said.

He noted what happened in Hillsborough County.

The board approved a reopening plan, which the state subsequently approved. Then, the board heard from a panel of medical experts, who advised against reopening classrooms, until COVID-19 positivity cases declined.

The board then voted to open online only for the first four weeks, before activating the previously approved plan.

The state rejected Hillsborough’s decision.

A letter from Corcoran told the district it would need to submit another plan, which justified any proposed closure, on a school-by-school, grade-by-grade and classroom-by-classroom basis.

The district ultimately agreed with state officials to open the school year online only for one week and then reopen brick-and-mortar schools.

But, that decision came after financial pressure from the state, Coffey said. “We know that Hillsborough was threatened with losing $200 million.”

The attorney said it would serve the public interest to allow local school districts to determine when it safe to return to school, without risk of financial penalty.

Attorney David Wells and Nathan Hill, representing the defendants, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Corcoran, said the state was acting under its authority to supervise the state’s 67 school districts.

They said the emergency order considers a range of student needs.

“What are the dangers of not going back to school?” Wells asked. “What happens when children have to learn from home?”

Besides offering the educational benefits of face-to-face instruction, schools provide a wide range of other services for students, Wells said. Schools ensure students have access to meals,  provide services for special needs students and offer an opportunity for intervention when students need protection in abusive homes, or require mental health services.

Remote learning, by contrast, raises issues over whether families have enough digital devices to meet individual student needs, and whether households have internet access, he said.

Both Wells and Hill objected to any attempt to have the court rewrite Corcoran’s order.

“If the governor and the department of education are neutered and left helpless to carry out their constitutional obligations, then the unions will have their way. The schools will not open,” Wells said.

Attorney says key issue is safety for students, staff
Attorney Billy Wieland represented some individual teachers challenging the state’s action.

He told the judge that the issue boils down to this: ‘If we send children and teachers back into the classroom for live, face-to-face instruction — are they going to be safe and secure? We believe you are in the best position to prevent avoidable death.”

But Hill, representing the state, countered: “It is not for this court to second-guess the policy decisions of the executive branch. What they (opposing attorneys) want the court to do, really, is to write a new emergency order. And, that is simply not something the court has the power to do in this situation.”

During closing argument, the judge asked Wells: “Under the emergency order, what choice did the districts have, but to submit a plan in accordance with the emergency order?”

Wells replied: “It’s very clear on Page 6 (of the emergency order), you don’t have to submit a plan.”

The judge responded: “Right, but you lose a lot of funding if you don’t do that.”

Wells acknowledged: “There’s no question about that. I’m not going to dance around it. That’s absolutely right.”

The judge also wanted to know: “To what extent does medical or scientific information play a part in Executive (Emergency) Order 6? It says you’ve got to open.”

Wells said the state had to consider: “The risks I have if I move forward are X. The risks that I have if I don’t open school are Y. How do I make the balance?”

The judge also wanted to know what happens to teachers who will be forced to return because the number of students who want face-to-face instruction.

Hill told the judge: “There is a grievance procedure. They have an adequate remedy of law, under their contracts.”

Meanwhile, another court case is pending. The United School Employees of Pasco has requested an expedited case. No additional information was available on that case, as the afternoon of Aug. 24.

Published August 26, 2020

Safety, flexibility are the bywords as college students return

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With COVID-19 safety protocols in place and enrollments either declining or flat, Pasco County’s colleges and universities have welcomed back students for the fall semester.

Whether it was Saint Leo University or the campuses at Pasco-Hernando State College, most courses were offered online to keep class sizes small. Zoom video conferencing technology was utilized for full interactivity, while hybrid/in-person attendance demanded face masks, hand-sanitizing and social distancing.

Students gather with face masks at Saint Leo University. (Courtesy of Renee Gerstein/Saint Leo University)

Seat configurations were redone. Plexiglass shields were installed in high-transaction, high-touch point areas. Some student activities were abandoned, while others were offered virtually.

“The keyword for everyone these days is flexibility,’’ said Saint Leo Senior Vice President Melanie Storms. “Of course, there will be a learning curve. But we’re very comfortable with what we’re doing.’’

After a record-breaking 2019, which featured a 40% enrollment increase, Storms said Saint Leo will have the same number of new students (1,000) as last fall. There is a 30% reduction in new international students and a 10% decrease in students living on the main campus. Enrollment in Saint Leo’s online programs are up 16% over last year.

“We got out early with a plan and were very transparent with our students about what we were planning to do,’’ Storms said. “We often talk (in the administration) and wonder what our enrollment might have been had there not been COVID. We might have seen another pretty substantial increase. We believe the fact that we have held steady is a reflection of how strong our new class is and the flexibility we’re providing them.’’

Saint Leo students could choose their educational method — either hybrid (alternating in Group A and Group B between in-person and Zoom), connected (exclusive Zoom in a scheduled class period with other students) or online.

Regardless of the choice, all Saint Leo students are required to have at least one class fully online, so overall traffic at campus sites could be kept at acceptable levels (maximum 50% of the normal population, maximum of 15 students in all classes).

“It’s a lot to take in, but we have a team solely dedicated to analyzing this and manipulating the boxes,’’ Storms said. “We went through the classrooms and determined where we’d need to be for comfortable occupancy. We backed that into the scheduling software and worked to make sure students would have the right mix and be optimized in their educational experience.

Saint Leo University’s social distancing reminder.

“We’re all doing things we’ve never done before. Many students are just navigating their lives and saying, ‘Sometimes I’m on Zoom, sometimes I’m online, sometimes I’m in the classroom.’ It’s interesting that one-third of our students selected connected (Zoom), but our housing is only down 10%. So we anticipate a lot of students coming to live with us who are (solely) studying in the Zoom capacity. It’s a new world. We’re getting our feet wet and making adjustments on the fly.’’

At Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus, in Wesley Chapel, and its East Campus, in Dade City, course offerings will largely be online or Zoom. There are notable exceptions, particularly in the health sciences programs, where students need access to laboratories and specialized equipment or disciplines, such as welding or law enforcement.

Porter Campus Provost Kevin O’Farrell said his enrollment was down 24% from last fall during a recent snapshot, but he was optimistic about an upswing due to students making last-minute decisions.

“I know the word ‘unprecedented’ has probably been overused, but there’s no other way to describe the challenges faced by all levels of higher education,’’ O’Farrell said. “At the same time, I’ve been so heartened by the level of innovation and ingenuity everybody is using. I always say, ‘Don’t let a crisis go to waste,’ and by that I mean, it’s an opportunity to rethink all of our processes and problem-solving.

“We went to a virtual waiting room for students to utilize time with advisors. I think that’s going to become a standard now. When the pandemic goes away, I think people would rather wait at home to speak with an advisor instead of sitting in the lobby. We’ll go back to some things, but we’ve found better ways to do other things.’’

At the state college’s East Campus, Provost Ed Goolsby said his faculty has adapted well to working remotely, although some prefer occasionally utilizing their on-campus office.

“They can work from there, but they just won’t be teaching on campus for the most part,’’ Goolsby said. “There will always be a place for the face-to-face teaching and I know some students want that level of accountability. We’ll just have to see what the environment is moving forward to the spring semester and beyond.

“I think we have shown — and we have been forced to show — that education can adapt. We have seen the words ‘fluid’ and ‘pivot’ quite a bit, but those are words that describe what we need to do,” he said.

By Joey Johnston

Published August 26, 2020

Chalk Talk 08/26/2020

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Meal applications available
Pasco County Schools is accepting free and reduced-price household meal applications for the 2020-2021 school year, and will serve free breakfast at 49 schools.

In accordance with the National School Lunch Act, households that are below the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines may qualify for free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch benefits. Households must complete a new application each school year.

Visit PascoSchoolMeals.com for a link to the online application, frequently asked questions, income eligibility guidelines, cafeteria menus and more.

Schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area that will serve free breakfast are: Centennial Elementary, Centennial Middle, Chester Taylor Elementary, James Irving Education Center, Lacoochee Elementary, Pasco Elementary, Pasco High, Pasco Middle, Quail Hollow Elementary, R.B. Stewart Middle, Rodney B. Cox Elementary, San Antonio Elementary, West Zephyrhills Elementary, Woodland Elementary and Zephyrhills High.

For information, call Pasco County Schools Food & Nutrition Services at (813) 794-2522.

Gift card drive
United Way of Pasco is hosting a Stuff the Bus Gift Card Drive for Teachers.

Those interested can donate a preloaded gift card from a favorite school supplies retailer, to be delivered to Pasco County school teachers.

Mail gift cards to the United Way of Pasco, 17230 Camelot Court, Land O’ Lakes FL 34638.

Donations also can be made online at UnitedWayPasco.org/stuff-the-bus-2020.

Deployed graduate returns
Zephyrhills native and 2013 Zephyrhills High School graduate Desiree Moon returned home on Aug. 9, marking the end of a seven-month deployment aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69).

After departing its home port of Norfolk, Virginia, in January, for a Composite Training Unit Exercise, the aircraft carrier remained underway and deployed to the Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Moon is an aviation support equipmentman aboard the carrier. Moon is responsible for being a mechanic on all equipment that supports aircraft functionality and safety.

Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Moon, who has military ties with family members who have previously served.

Moon’s grandfather was in the Navy and retired as a chief boatswain’s mate, and her oldest sister and brother are currently serving in the Army.

Social Work Conference
Saint Leo University has opened registration until Sept. 1 for its sixth annual Social Work Conference, scheduled to take place, through Zoom, on Oct. 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The conference is open to social work professionals and interested community members.

The theme is “Strengthening Generations of Families and Communities.”

Presentations will be solution-oriented and topics that may include family or school violence, trauma, mental illness, and obstacles to successful re-entry to society for individuals coming out of prison.

The conference guest speaker is Cpl. Alan Wilkett of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, who has been recognized for his extensive work in fighting human trafficking and training community groups in areas of crime prevention.

Continuing education credits will be processed for $20. Registration for attendees not affiliated with Saint Leo University is $20.

For information, visit SaintLeo.edu/annual-social-work-conference, or email and use the words “2020 Social Work Conference” in the subject line.

Schools benefit from donations
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s five offices collected donations in July for the Pasco County School District’s ABC (Assist, Believe & Care) Program. The program was created to provide financial assistance to students and their families who are experiencing economic hardship, especially when those needs interfere with the student’s ability to be academically successful.

The donations will go into a fund that teachers can use when they see or learn of a need a child may have.

Each tax collector office earmarked $2,000 for a school in need, totaling $10,000 in donations countywide, Fasano said.

The schools chosen by each office to receive funds are:

  • Dade City office: Pasco Middle School
  • Gulf Harbors office: Sunray Elementary School
  • Land O’ Lakes office: Charles S. Rushe Elementary School
  • New Port Richey office: Moon Lake Elementary School
  • Wesley Chapel office: Woodland Elementary School

To maintain appropriate social distancing, letters with checks were sent to the principal of each school identified.

For information about the charitable giving programs at the Pasco Tax Collector’s Office, call Assistant Tax Collector Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

Early education rankings
The personal finance website, WalletHub, has released a report on 2020’s States with the Best & Worst Early Education Systems.

WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 12 key metrics. The data set ranges from the share of school districts that offer a state pre-K program to the number of pre-K quality benchmarks met and total reported spending per child enrolled in Pre-K.

The quality of early education in Florida ranked as follows (1 is Best, 25 is average):

  • 10th – Total State Head Start Program Spending per Child Enrolled in Preschool
  • 14th – Share of 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds Enrolled in Pre-K, Pre-K Special Education and Head Start
  • 28th – Income Requirement for State Pre-K Eligibility
  • 37th – Monthly Child Care Co-Payment Fees as a Percent of Family Income
  • 43rd – Total Reported Spending per Child Enrolled in Preschool

For the full report, visit WalletHub.com/edu.

 

COVID-19 complicates school start

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Students in Pasco and Hillsborough counties are set to begin a new school year on Aug. 24, but not all of the students will be headed to campus.

In Pasco County, students have three options for learning — amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Some students are expected to arrive at Pasco campuses on Aug. 24, while others opt for two versions of online learning. In the mySchool Online version, students are connected virtually to their assigned schools. With Pasco eSchool, they have more flexibility in the schedule and pace of learning.

In Hillsborough County, classes begin on Aug. 24, with all students beginning the school year through online learning only, until campuses open for students on Aug. 31. Like Pasco, Hillsborough is offering three learning options — face-to-face instruction and two virtual approaches.

Pasco and Hillsborough county students are set to return to school on Aug. 24, either in-person or virtually. (B.C. Manion)

Of course, there’s nearly a week before school begins, so it’s not inconceivable that these plans could change again.

As of press deadline for The Laker/Lutz News, there were two legal actions pending over whether school districts must comply with Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s Emergency Order that requires a face-to-face learning option on public school campuses.

The school year is already starting later than initially planned, with both Hillsborough and Pasco starting on Aug. 24, rather than Aug. 10.

The Hillsborough County School Board then voted to begin the district’s school year with four weeks of online-only instruction.

That decision came after a panel of medical experts advised against reopening schools until the COVID-19 positivity rate declined to about 5%.

Corcoran, however, rebuffed Hillsborough’s temporary online-only plan.

Corcoran said Hillsborough’s new plan was inconsistent with the reopening plan the district previously had submitted to the state that had been approved.

Hillsborough Superintendent Addison Davis then took a trip to Tallahassee, to seek middle ground.

That didn’t work.

After Davis returned, the district announced that “state leaders rejected two different phased-in models our district proposed that would have delayed our brick-and-mortar opening while ensuring our most vulnerable student populations were served in a face-to-face capacity.”

So, Hillsborough’s school year will begin with one week of online, with brick-and-mortar campuses opening on Aug. 31, for students choosing that option.

Meanwhile, in Pasco County, the school district plans to follow its Aug. 24 opening plan.

However, the United School Employees of Pasco has filed a lawsuit, seeking return to online learning only, until the COVID numbers come down, per the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning and the Pasco School Board have stood behind the district’s reopening plan. Not following that plan, they have said, would jeopardize state funding.

The Florida Education Association’s motion for injunctive relief from Corcoran’s Emergency Order has been scheduled for mediation Aug. 18, and if necessary, for court hearings on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20.

The decisions being made at the state and school board levels have caused parents and teachers to make a variety of personal decisions.

Ben Langston, of Long Lake Ranch in Lutz, said he and his wife, Rene, decided to enroll their children, Connor and Avery, in a private school.

The Langstons had been planning to send the children to Oakstead Elementary, but switched those plans because of the uncertainty with what will happen with public schools.

They want Connor and Avery to have an in-school experience, rather than online, because they believe it offers a superior form of learning.

Cindy Smith, an art teacher at Land O’ Lakes High School, on the other hand, has made a different decision: She’s retiring after 31 years in Pasco County Schools.

“It was very difficult. It took me months to decide it,” said Smith, who taught Art 1 through Advanced Placement.

“I didn’t feel like it was wise to go to school and expose myself to the possibilities of COVID, at my age,” Smith said.

She doesn’t think that virtual teaching is effective for secondary art classes, although she said it would be a safer option until COVID-19 cases decline.

The teacher said she’ll miss teaching and her students.

“I’m sad about it. I’m sad for my friends. I’m sad for my students. How horrifying to think any one of them could die because of one person, or a few persons’ decisions,” Smith said.

She added: “I’m concerned that parents may not be taking this seriously enough.

“I don’t think they understand the hazards and the dangers and the concerns that we, as teachers, have. We love our students, we love our jobs, but to put us in a danger, death-threatening kind of situation is unreasonable,” Smith said.

Despite the focus on COVID-19, there also are other developments associated with beginning the 2020-2021 school year, and that includes the opening of Cypress Creek Middle School.

The new school, on Old Pasco Road, will serve students in grades six through eight.

Students who have been housed in a portion of Cypress Creek High School now will be moving to Cypress Creek Middle.

Other students previously assigned to John Long Middle, will join them, providing long-needed relief from crowding at John Long Middle.

Students from Wiregrass Ranch High also have been reassigned to Cypress Creek High, but the full effect of that boundary change won’t be immediately felt because the school district grandfathered the junior and senior class at Wiregrass Ranch.

Two new public charter schools also are opening this year, in Wesley Chapel — Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel and Innovation Preparatory Academy in the Connected City area of Wesley Chapel.

Published August 19, 2020

InPrep delivers innovation, through teachers and technology

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Innovation Preparatory Academy, a public charter school opening in Wesley Chapel next week, is suited for a world that has become increasingly customized and on-demand.

InPrep, at 7800 Avery Scope Way, will deliver face-to-face instruction, live instruction for remote learners, and a hybrid option — which allows students to attend school on campus two days a week and learn remotely on the other three.

The school is part of the Connected City campus being developed by Tampa-based developer Metro Development Group.

Sara Capwell is the principal of Innovation Preparatory School, a pubic charter school that is opening this year in the Connected City area of Wesley Chapel.(Courtesy of Innovation Preparatory Academy)

The Connected City encompasses two Metro Places communities, Epperson and Mirada, each featuring Metro’s exclusive ULTRAFi high-speed internet technology — the fastest internet speeds available with up to 1 Gigabit of speed.

“We wanted to make sure that as part of the Connected City there was a school that supported the big vision of Connected City,” said Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations with Metro Development Group.

Goyani, who grew up in India, said the educational system there was rigid. This school, by contrast, will provide an on-demand, customized form of education.

Principal Sara Capwell said the school’s technology, blended with its instructional method, will deliver a personalized approach to education.

“All of our students are assessed at the beginning, when they first join us. We will develop plans for them that target their areas of need, and extensions, enrichments, as well,” Capwell said.

Whether students are learning face-to-face or remotely, they’ll be able to join in with their teachers and classmates.

“Students will be able to engage in small group instruction with their instructors and peers, utilizing the iPads and specialized cameras that the teachers will have that will be able to follow the teacher, and the teacher’s interactions with the kids,” Capwell said.

It’s as close as students can get, she said, “to actually being there together.”

“If I’m a first-grader, for instance, and it’s time for reading class and I’m at home, I’ll join in. The platform we’re using is Schoology.

A rendering of the front of the school, in an aerial view.

“All of my courses will be in one area, one folder on my iPad, where I can click on my reading link. When I go there, I’ll have my Zoom access for that class, right there, too. My assignments are right there. And, if the teacher wants to assign me an assignment that the other kids don’t have, it’s there, too.

“Then, I click on the Zoom. I interact with the teacher. I can raise my hand and ask questions. I can collaborate with a peer, using the cameras,” Capwell said.

Goyani added: “We wanted to make sure that everyone has access to the same software, the same learning platform, and then they have the hardware device at home, so they’re not left behind.”

To ensure that all students will be able to fully participate, the school is providing a device for each student, regardless how many children a family has, Capwell said.

Kartik Goyani, a vice president with Metro Development Group, said the opening of Innovation Preparatory Academy represents the fruition of a dream that began more than four years ago. He grew up in India, where the education system was rigid. He’s excited about the possibilities that InPrep will offer its students.

Classes also will be recorded, so if a child has to miss a live session, it can be viewed later.

Another thing that sets the school apart is its collaborative approach to teaching, the principal said.

“Grade-level instructors instruct together, as a team, with a grade level of students,” Capwell said. “Each teacher has an area of expertise, that he or she has been hired for, and that is the primary expert teacher for that content area, and the other teachers actually provide support throughout that content time, as co-teachers and co-facilitators. They pull small groups. They provide direct instruction to individual students or small groups, while the content expert is providing the direct, overall instruction.”

The school has adopted a WISH model of education, which stands for wellness, innovation, science and health.

To promote wellness, the school has a partnership with AdventHealth West Florida. It also has two indoor wellness tracks. In addition to wellness walks, there will be other wellness activities, such as yoga and meditation, Capwell said.

The idea is to make wellness a part of daily life, Goyani said.

The school also will emphasize science, technology, engineering and mathematics, Capwell said.

InPrep is part of Charter Schools USA, Inc.

It will serve students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade, but initially is opening as a K-6 school, and will add grades seven and eight in in subsequent years.

InPrep will have a maximum enrollment of 615 this year, with students coming from Wesley Chapel, Dade City, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes and other communities, Capwell said.

Both she and Goyani are excited about opening the new school.

“We think this is going to be a school unlike anything else that the state has ever seen —  so that’s the part that I’m most excited about,” Goyani said.  “I can’t wait to welcome parents and kids on Aug. 24.”

Innovation Preparatory Academy, K-6
7800 Avery Scope Way, Wesley Chapel
Principal: Sara Capwell, (954) 202-3500

Other area charter schools*

Hillsborough County
Learning Gate, K-8
16215 Hanna Road, Lutz
Principal: Michelle Mason, (813) 948-4190

Lutz Preparatory, K-8
17951 N. U.S. 41, Lutz
Principal: Bonnie Guertin, (813) 428-7011

Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, K-8
18681 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Lutz
Principal: Dr. Judith Moore, (813) 616-5099

Pasco County
Academy at the Farm, K-8
9500 Alex Lange Way, Dade City
Principal: Ray Polk, (352) 588-0508

Countrywide Montessori Charter School, 1-8
5852 Ehren Cutoff, Land O’ Lakes
Principal: Michael Picone, (813) 996-0991

Imagine Charter School of Land O’ Lakes, K-9
2940 Sunlake Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
Principal: Aimee Williams, (813) 428-7444

Published August 19, 2020

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel gears up for its first year

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Classes won’t start until Aug. 24, but the staff at Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel has been setting the stage to create a place where education is engaging.

Pinecrest Academy, a new public charter school, is opening on Aug. 24, in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

Drop in to the new charter school, at 33347 State Road 54, and you’ll be greeted by a sign at the front desk that reads: “I’m not here to be average, I’m here to be awesome.”

If you sit in the waiting area, you’ll see another sign, this one in the words of Dr. Seuss: “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

The new school, near the entrance to Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, is opening for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Plans call for the school to serve through eighth grade.

Principal Aimee Mielke gave a reporter from The Laker/Lutz News a sneak peek of the school recently, discussing the charter school’s features and curriculum.

Classes don’t start until next week, but the pent-up excitement about opening the new school is almost palpable.

The classrooms are designed for face-to-face instruction, but built-in cameras and microphones enable teachers to provide real-time, distance learning to students who are studying at home.

“Students are receiving live instruction,” Mielke said. “It is like you’re in school.”

“Students will actually log on in the morning. They take the entire day with their teachers, in a live format,” she said. “They do it using a secure single sign-on, that we have specific to our school, called Collegia.”

Throughout the two-story building, there are accent walls in shade of blue and green that add a pop of color, as you pass down the corridor.

In the art room, steel buckets appear to be pouring out colors — represented by colorful fabrics. A sign in that second-story room sets out the expectations:

  • A is to Aim to do your best.
  • R is to Respect yourself, your peers, the art studio.
  • T is to Trust in yourself and your ability to learn.
Pinecrest Academy Principal Aimee Mielke demonstrates how this piece of technology works, while also offering a warm welcome to new students and families who will be joining her school on Aug. 24, when the new charter public school opens. Everyone on campus will be required to wear a mask to prevent potential spread of COVID-19.

In a kindergarten classroom on the first floor, a display board awaits the “amazing work” coming soon.

The new Wesley Chapel charter school is part of the Pinecrest Academy Inc. network, which has developed a reputation for excellence, Mielke said. All of the Pinecrest schools are A-rated schools.

The school will have “extreme high expectations for instructional practices,” the principal said, and will offer students more than typical opportunities to broaden their learning.

For instance, both Spanish and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) will be part of the curriculum delivered to every student, she said.

The maximum enrollment this year is 649, and some openings remain. The school’s maximum capacity is over 1,200, giving it plenty of room to grow.

The extra space is coming in handy this year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The school will be using its cafeteria, but it is also able to convert some empty classrooms into additional lunchrooms.

That way, Mielke said, “students can still enjoy the ability to sit with friends, and teachers still have the ability to eat with their teams.

“Obviously, the most important thing is safety. That’s the bottom line. But, I really wanted also to protect our teachers’ time, as well.

“With everything going on, it adds that much stress, so whatever I can do to kind of decrease that, I’m trying to do,” she said.

Opening a new school during the midst of a pandemic has its challenges, Mielke said.

This sign is one of a trio of signs in the art classroom. It signals the teacher’s belief that students should trust in themselves and their ability to learn.

“Everybody is going to be nervous, so it’s really about addressing that, as an administrator. “Understanding the social-emotional part of that,” she said.

However, she added: “We have many, many, many things that we’re putting in place from, obviously, masks, to arrows in the hallway, to stickers that say to stand 6 feet apart.”

Another challenge is the ongoing roadwork on State Road 54. An expansion project of the road was expected to be finished before the school opened, but that hasn’t happened.

Mielke said she had a meeting scheduled last week with a supervisor of the Florida Department of Transportation, to discuss the issue.

When school opens, she expects an officer to be directing school traffic to the appropriate entrance off of State Road 54, into the school campus.

Because of COVID-19, the school wasn’t able to have the kindergarten camp it had planned, or the school tours. And, it had to postpone the celebratory ribbon cutting.

But, Mielke said that she and her staff are eager to open the school, and welcome students.

“Our job is to be flexible,” she said.

“You’re going to try to make your families as happy, as comfortable, as you can,” she said.

“We’re excited.”

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, K-6
33347 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel
Principal: Aimee Mielke, (813) 355-0002

Other area charter schools*

Hillsborough County
Learning Gate, K-8
16215 Hanna Road, Lutz
Principal: Michelle Mason, (813) 948-4190

Lutz Preparatory, K-8
17951 N. U.S. 41, Lutz
Principal: Bonnie Guertin, (813) 428-7011

Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, K-8
18681 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Lutz
Principal: Dr. Judith Moore, (813) 616-5099

Pasco County
Academy at the Farm, K-8
9500 Alex Lange Way, Dade City
Principal: Ray Polk, (352) 588-0508

Countrywide Montessori Charter School, 1-8
5852 Ehren Cutoff, Land O’ Lakes
Principal: Michael Picone, (813) 996-0991

Imagine Charter School of Land O’ Lakes, K-9
2940 Sunlake Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
Principal: Aimee Williams, (813) 428-7444

*Within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Sources: Hillsborough and Pasco public schools

Published August 19, 2020

Design work begins on new Land O’ Lakes school

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Pasco County Schools has signed a contract with Harvard Jolly Architecture for the design of a new 6-12 School to be built within the Angeline community of Land O’ Lakes.

The architect will be paid nearly $3 million, under terms of the contract approved by the Pasco County School Board on July 28.

The school will be built on an 18-acre site, with a capacity for 1,694 students.

The estimated construction budget is $45 million.

Construction is expected to begin in December of 2021, with completion expected by June 2023.

The construction manager will provide construction management services, with a guaranteed maximum price. The project also will be designed in compliance with a sustainable building rating system.

The school is part of a new community that is expected to become a major job generator, and to be a place where people will live, work, play and learn.

The proposed development — referred in economic development documents initially as Project Arthur, is now known more commonly as the Angeline community.

It is being planned on 7,000 acres, in an area south of State Road 52, east of the Suncoast Parkway and west of the CSX rail line.

Plans call for a 24-million-square-foot corporate business park, which is expected to create large-scale employment opportunities. Supportive services also are envisioned, including residential communities, parks, schools and other uses to be connected through walking and bike trails, the report adds.

The property — which has uplands and wetlands areas — has been used for cattle ranching and a pine plantation for decades, according to a county report.

The landscape includes oaks and pine trees, and forested and non-forested wetlands. It also has open water lakes, which are mostly remnants from prior borrow pit operations, according to the county report.

The report also notes that the project site’s proximity to the CSX railroad line provides an opportunity for commuter rail, in the event that the rail line is converted to a commuter rail line in the future.

Two of the county’s vision roads also go through the project: Ridge Road and Sunlake Boulevard.

The extension of Ridge Road, and the construction of a new interchange at Ridge Road and the Suncoast Parkway also will have a significant impact on the area’s development.

Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute has purchased about 775 acres for a future research hub near the interchange.

Published August 19, 2020