The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

School gets ready for its debut

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As construction work continues at Cypress Creek Middle High, Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles and her fledgling staff are preparing to set up residency.

Her initial crew of eight people will be looking to take over the building the week of June 12, she said.

Charlie Barthle, the educational facilities inspector, talks about features in the new school that is scheduled to open in August. (Fred Bellet)

The school, set to launch its inaugural year in August, initially will open for students in grades six through 11.

The building will have roughly 114 staff members, and, as of May 31, Hetzler-Nettles had just nine instructional openings left to fill.

But, there’s still a lot to do before the school, off Old Pasco Road, opens. For one thing, the principal wants to give students and parents a chance to get acquainted with the campus.

“We’re in the unique position where everybody kind of needs to be oriented to the school,” she said.

To help people get a feel for the campus, three events dubbed HowlaPalooza have been scheduled.

Howlapalooza draws its name from the school’s mascot, the coyote.

The gathering for seventh- and eighth-graders, and their parents, is scheduled for Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Ninth-graders through 11th- graders and their parents are set to meet the same afternoon, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

In both cases, parents and students with gather separately for activities in different parts of the campus, and then will join together to tour the school.

Getting the campus ready for its first year is a massive job. A landscaper is shown here stabilizing a new tree at the school.

The tour, Hetzler-Nettles said, “is what everybody is excited about — understandably, so.”

The sixth-grade Howlapalooza is patterned after the ninth-grade orientation that Hetzler-Nettles previously conducted when she was principal at Wesley Chapel High School.

Sixth-graders and parents will arrive at 9 a.m. on Aug. 2.

“We’ll do a Parent University in the morning for the parents, for maybe an hour,” Hetzler-Nettles said.

The sixth-graders will stay until 1 p.m., being guided through such activities as opening lockers, going through the lunch line in the cafeteria, and generally getting a feel for where things are and how things work.

The idea, the principal said, is “get them used to the campus, to kind of erase some of those first-day jitters. It makes it a little less overwhelming.”

Electricians are installing lighting outside the cafeteria, which will have some outdoor dining.

Hetzler-Nettles and staff members already have visited schools that are feeding students to Cypress Creek Middle High, and have been handing out T-shirts and giving updates on the campus’ progress.

Activities are planned during the first week to help orient the students to the campus, she said.

The principal said it’s natural to feel nervous, and she added “anytime you’re stepping into something new, it’s good to be nervous.”

Hetzler-Nettles is excited about the prospects of developing the school’s traditions and opportunities.

“It’s good to work together, and to communicate and create something exciting for kids and the community. We’re really, really jazzed about that,” the principal said.

She said she knows others are excited, too, because she’s seen the school’s T-shirts being worn all over the community.

Cypress Creek Middle High gears up for opening year
Howlapaloozas
Sixth grade: Aug. 2, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Students should wear comfortable clothing and shoes, for outdoor activities and a campus tour. A McDonald’s lunch will be provided. Children who are on medication should address that issue before arriving on campus. Any questions? Email Assistant Principal Meighan Melsheimer at .

Seventh grade and Eighth grade: Aug. 1, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Students and their parents are invited to take part in some activities and tour the campus. Parents will report in the gymnasium, while students report to the cafeteria. After some activities, they will join together to tour the campus.

Ninth grade through 11th grade: Aug. 1, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Students and their parents are invited to take part in some activities and tour the campus. Parents will report in the gymnasium, while students report to the cafeteria. After some activities, they will join together to tour the campus.

Registration
Appointments for registration will begin on June 26. Students who have been rezoned to attend the school do not need to register as new students. Those who are registering as new students should check for registration requirements on the school’s website at CCMHS.pasco.k12.fl.us.

Secondary Orientation Day
A secondary orientation day for seventh-graders through 11th-graders is scheduled for Aug. 8, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students will be able to pick up their schedules and pay fees.

Published June 6, 2017

Chalk Talk 06/07/2017

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(Courtesy of Andy Dunn, Pasco County Schools)

Posthumous diploma awarded
Alfred Smith was drafted out of high school to serve in World War II and never completed high school. Smith’s grandson, Robert Pullen (U.S. Air Force retired), worked with the Florida Department of Education to see that his ‘Pepa’ was awarded a high school diploma. Ruth Smith accepted her husband’s posthumous diploma during the Pasco High School graduation ceremony May 26. Alfred served as a private in the Army in Germany and earned a Bronze Star for his service. From left: Principal Kari Kadlub, Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt S. Browning, Ruth Smith and Tom Smith (son).

Students make Dean’s List
These local students have been named to the spring Dean’s List at their respective schools:

  • Tori Anderson (Odessa), Berry College, Georgia
  • Cami Ash (Lutz), Harding University, Arkansas
  • Lauren Dobles (Lutz), Emerson College, Massachusetts
  • Sarah Fechtel (Lutz), Belmont University, Tennessee
  • Christina Linton (Odessa), Newberry College, South Carolina
  • Kyle McCann (Lutz), Belmont University
  • Caroline Amanda Meisner (Lutz), Greensboro College, North Carolina
  • Katelyn Prieboy (Lutz), Belmont University
  • Katie Quintana (Lutz), Berry College
  • Madison Stevens (Lutz), Harding University
  • Katie Wynn (Lutz), Belmont University

School garden yields veggies
Pasco County Schools’ Chef Blancato visited Hudson Elementary School May 23, to encourage students to eat fresh vegetables by showing them how to prepare dishes, using the vegetables grown in a class-run garden.

Second-grade scholars and Pasco County master gardeners tended to a garden throughout the school year, and were able to partake in their fruits of labor.

Goddard School open house
The Goddard School, 2539 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will have an open house June 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and a Walk-in Wednesday June 14 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The F.L.E.X. curriculum allows children to grow and learn through hands-on experiences, incorporating S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), as well as P21 initiatives (cooperation, communication, critical thinking and collaboration).

The school is now open, offering tours and enrolling.

For information, call (813) 413-5453.

New teacher graduates
Pasco-Hernando State College Educator Preparation Institute graduated 24 new teachers. Several of the students have secured positions as teachers in Pasco, Hernando, Hillsborough and Pinellas county schools.

The college will be training new teachers this fall and is accepting applications for individuals who want to pursue a career in teaching.

The deadline to apply and complete testing requirements is July 15. Classes start Aug. 21.

For information, call Melissa Burr at (727) 816-3471, or visit PHSC.edu/epi.

Students advance to nationals
Pasco-Hernando State College students Jeff Haney and Michaela DiPerna received gold medals at the SkillsUSA state competition, advancing them to the National SkillsUSA competition at the 53rd annual National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, June 18 to June 24.

The NLSC is a showcase of career and technical education students representing 52 state and territorial associations.

Haney will compete in the computer programming category, and DiPerna will compete in related technical math.

Also, PHSC student Marnie Banks was awarded a silver medal, placing second in the state competition in the related technical math category; Karen Becker received a bronze medal, placing third in the state competition in the job interview category; and, Nancy Haney placed third for a bronze medal in the extemporaneous speaking category.

Sixty-four graduate from Primrose School
The Primrose School at Collier Parkway celebrated 64 pre-kindergarten students, as they received their first graduation diplomas.

A formal ceremony commemorated the students’ completion of pre-kindergarten and recognized each child, one-by-one, as they shook their teacher’s hand and moved their tassels from left to right.

There also was a slide show of pictures collected throughout the year, a Pledge of Allegiance, the “Star Spangled Banner,” class song performances, and a reception with cake, juice and refreshments.

More than 1,000 degrees bestowed
Saint Leo University’s commencement ceremonies at University Campus bestowed more than 1,000 new degrees on recipients.

  • About 325 students, mainly adult learners who studied online and on ground at the Adult Education Center at University Campus and Pasco-Hernando State College locations, were awarded bachelor degrees.
  • More than 435 students received master’s degrees across a variety of disciplines during a ceremony in the Marion Bowman Activities Center. Saint Leo conferred its first Doctorate of Business Administration degrees to Billie Jarrell, Leslie Sukup and Patrick Plummer.
  • More than 350 traditional undergraduates who studied at University Campus received their degrees. Two associate degrees were awarded posthumously to the families of Alexis Carrera and Nicholas Jonah Cusson-Ducharm, both of whom passed away in 2016.

New principal and chaplain
St. Petersburg Catholic High School has two new school leaders.

The Diocese of St. Petersburg appointed Ross Bubolz as the school’s next principal and Reverend Anthony Ustick as school chaplain.

Bubolz began his career at Glenwood School in Chicago, Illinois, as a teacher, dean of students and residential care worker. He has spent the last 14 years in Catholic schools, most recently serving as principal of the Cathedral School of St. Jude in St. Petersburg.

Ustick is a native of Pinellas County and ordained to the priesthood in May 2015. Recently, he was the parochial vicar at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle.

Ustick will work with Bubolz in the administration and leadership of the school.

Increased school impact fees a step closer in Pasco County

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Pasco County’s Development Review Committee has recommended approval of a proposed ordinance that would hike school impact fees in Pasco County.

The review committee, acting as the county’s local planning agency, found the proposed increase to be consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan.

The new rates would significantly increase the impact fees charged to new residential development to help address the impact that new growth has on schools.

Under the proposed ordinance, the fees could be used to build new schools, acquire school sites or purchase new school buses.

These are the proposed fees:

  • Single-family detached residences: $7,540, for homes 1,500 square feet or less; $9,785 for homes between 1,501 square feet and 2,499 square feet; and, $12,028 for homes of 2,500 square feet or more
  • Single-family attached: $3,633 per dwelling
  • Mobile homes: $5,544 per dwelling
  • Multifamily: $5,295 per dwelling

Those compare to these current fees:

  • Single-family detached: $4,828 per dwelling (no distinction based on size)
  • Single-family attached: $1,740 per dwelling
  • Mobile home: $2,843 per dwelling
  • Multifamily: $1,855 per dwelling

The fees do not apply to age-restricted communities, where residents are 55 and older.

At the review committee meeting on May 25, Mark C. Ogier, representing the Bay Area Apartment Association, challenged the proposed multifamily rate.

“These proposed impact fees are very troubling to our association and our industry,” Ogier said.

Cypress Creek Middle High School is taking shape, off Old Pasco Road. Pasco County Schools has asked the Pasco County Commission to increase school impact fees to help address the county’s burgeoning enrollment. This new school will enable Wiregrass Ranch High School to resume a regular schedule after it was forced to lengthen its school day to teach students in shifts.
(Fred Bellet)

“No. 1, the proposed increases are huge increases for all categories, but they’re especially grossly disproportionate for multifamily,” Ogier said.

The proposed multifamily increase is a 184 percent increase from the current rate.

At the same time, he said, the amount of student generation from multifamily is “significantly less than single-family,” he said.

Ogier — whose association represents more than 142,000 apartment units in the Tampa Bay area — also questioned the generation rates used by the school district’s consultant, Tischler-Bise, in the impact fee study.

He cited statistics showing that 80 children per 100 households live in single-family, compared with 38 per 100 households in multifamily, Ogier said.

When just children between the ages of 6 and 17 are considered, 35 percent of single-family owners have kids in that age range, while multifamily has just 13 percent, Ogier added.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, said the student generation rates were based on where students actually live.

“Every student is geo-coded to a particular residence,” Gadd said.

“I’m not sure how you beat that,” said Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles. “They live where they live.”

While the Pasco County Commission doesn’t have to adopt the full rate that’s recommended, it cannot simply reduce the multifamily fee, said David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney.

“There’s no legal way to just reduce multifamily,” Goldstein said, noting to do that would cause single-family to pay a disproportionate amount of the fee.

Review committee member John Walsh asked what would happen if the Tampa Bay Apartment Association wanted to debate if the study was valid or not.

Goldstein responded: “They’d have to come up with their own data showing that what Tischler-Bise (the school district’s consultant) came up with, is inaccurate.”

Gadd said he would provide his underlying data to Ogier, so he could see the information that the district used.

A committee appointed by the Pasco County Commission had recommended the full impact fee increase be adopted, but also said that should be done in stages — with a portion of the impact fee adopted within 90 days of the ordinance adoption and the rest adopted after the Pasco County School Board voted to seek a sales tax increase to address school capacity needs.

That recommendation fell flat with county commissioners who said they didn’t want to force the school board to seek a sales tax increase.

Regardless of what happens with the proposed impact fees, the school district remains in a deep hole regarding funding for new schools.

District officials estimate that even with the full impact fee increase, the district would have a   $284 million shortfall for capital construction needed during the next decade.

Pasco commissioners have scheduled two public hearings on the ordinance to amend the school impact fees.

The first public hearing on the school impact fees issue is set for June 20 at 1:30 p.m., in the commission’s board room at the West Pasco Government Center. The second is set for July 11 at 1:30 p.m., on the second floor of the Historic County Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Published May 31, 2017

Chalk Talk 05/31/2017

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Pine View students place second
Local students from Pine View Elementary School in Land O’ Lakes are second-place national winners as part of the 25th annual Toshiba and NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) ExploraVision program.

The students will be honored in Washington D.C., June 7 through June 10.

The Pine View project named “The Coral Reef MGS” will help reefs grow, while providing scientists with consistent information about coral bleaching, ocean water temperature and acidity.

The Monitored Growth Sanctuary includes an electrified graphene coral growth platform, solar and hydropower collectors, and an ocean water monitoring station.

Fifth-grader wins first place in poster contest
Kaden Horvath, a fifth-grader at Cypress Elementary School in New Port Richey, won first prize (Grades 3 to 5 category) in the second annual Dole “Fruitapalooza” poster contest. Horvath received an iPad mini and a plaque.

Cypress Elementary’s fifth-grade art students also won the National Grand Prize in the contest. The school received $1,000 for the art classroom and 10 cases of Dole fruit bowls for the cafeteria.

To view Horvath’s submission, visit DoleFoodService.com/schoolcontest.

Teacher hiring event
Pasco County Schools will host a teacher interview and hiring event June 1 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Pasco County Schools District Office Building 3, 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Those interested in an interview must apply to attend the event at PascoSchools.org/employment and complete the Teacher Interview and Hiring Event Application. Once the application is approved, the applicant will receive an email to respond to.

For information, contact the Office of Human Resources and Educator Quality at or (813) 794-2845.

Catholic homeschool conference
The IHM Tampa Homeschool Conference will take place at St. Lawrence Parish’s Higgins Hall, 5225 N. Himes Ave., in Tampa, June 8 from noon to 6 p.m., and June 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Participants can learn more about Catholic home-schooling.

Admission is free. Registration is not required.

For information, visit IHMConference.org, or email .

PHSC adds new trustees
Pasco-Hernando State College welcomed two new members to the District Board of Trustees.

Col. Jeffrey Harrington, of Hudson, serves as second in command at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. He previously served as Chief of Police at New Port Richey Police Department. Harrington has a doctorate degree from Capella University. He fills a vacant trustee seat, with his term ending May 31, 2019.

Alvaro “Al” Hernandez, of Odessa, is a vice president of marketing at Humana, and received a master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University. He fills a vacant trustee seat, with his term ending May 31, 2018.

Five students accepted to service academies
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) congratulated five students who have been accepted to one of the nation’s prestigious service academies.

The students were nominated by Bilirakis’ office based on their academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and character.

This year’s appointees are:

  • Bethany Greene, Sunlake High School, United States Naval Academy
  • James Nichols, Steinbrenner High, United States Military Academy
  • Olivia Lane, Hillsborough High, United States Air Force Academy
  • Alana Tallman, Pasco High, United States Air Force Academy
  • Nicolette Clark, Allendale Academy, United States Air Force Academy

The students undergo a competitive interview process, and each respective academy makes the final decision on acceptance.

Applications for the next round of nominations in the fall can be found online at tinyurl.com/lorof88.

Student selected for Duke program
McKenna Vitali, a seventh-grader at River Ridge Middle School, was selected to participate in Duke University’s Talent Identification Program, and received a medal at the university during a Grand Recognition Ceremony.

Vitali, an exceptional education student who has been diagnosed with dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), was recognized by Duke for her exceptionally high ACT scores.

Local university graduates
Grantham University in Kansas has announced these local graduates of the school’s online degree and certificate programs: Charles Hutchins, Dade City, electronic and computer engineering; Edward Bryant, Land O’ Lakes, criminal justice; Paul Hanniffy, Land O’ Lakes, business administration; Penny Petee, Land O’ Lakes, multidisciplinary studies; Emil Isaakian, Lutz, computer engineering tech; and, John Payne, computer science.

King’s College in New York has awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in media, culture and the arts to Alexa Rivera, of Wesley Chapel.

Tori Anderson, of Odessa, has earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Berry College in Georgia.

Katarina Parise, of Lutz, graduated from The University of Tampa with a Bachelor of Science in criminology and criminal justice. Parise is a 2013 graduate of Sunlake High School.

Courtney Olivier graduates law school
Courtney Olivier, of Lutz, has graduated from the Stetson University College of Law. Olivier was a member of the Trial Team, a fellow in the Center for Excellence in Advocacy, a member of the Student Leadership Development Committee, and a class representative of the Student Bar Association. She also served as a Stetson Ambassador and a Study Abroad Diplomat.

Olivier also was an intern for two federal defender’s offices: the Federal Defender Program in Chicago, Illinois, and the Office of the Federal Defender for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa.

Fleet of school buses to use alternative fuel

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Pasco County Schools is making history with a new, fast-fill station and a fleet of buses that runs on alternative fuel.

Emmett Thompson, the school district’s transportation maintenance supervisor, fuels a truck with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

The school district, in partnership with Integral Energy and Clearwater Gas System, is the first in Florida to own and operate a compressed natural gas (CNG) station to fuel its growing fleet of CNG buses.

By the end of the 2018 school year, school officials estimate the district will own 65 buses that operate on natural gas, rather than diesel or gasoline.

The fueling station, along with a new bus garage, is on about 24 acres at 13101 Interlaken Road in Odessa.

School officials, school board members and representatives with Integral Energy and Clearwater Gas celebrated the occasion with a ribbon cutting on May 16.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, center, cuts the ribbon at the new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station as Chuck Warrington, left, of Clearwater Gas, and State Sen. Wilton Simpson watch

Guests at the event toured the buses and the fuel processing plant. The J.W. Mitchell High School jazz band entertained.

The alternative fuel is expected to offer several benefits, including reduced vehicle noise, cleaner emissions and cost efficiency.

“We’ve tried to be good stewards of our natural resources,” said Kurt Browning, the district’s superintendent.

Each bus is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 20,000 pounds a year, school officials said. Compared to clean diesel buses, they said the CNG buses would produce 13 percent less greenhouse gas, 95 percent less nitrogen oxide and 80 percent less hydrocarbon.

The CNG station can fuel a bus within 3 minutes and can pump out the equivalent of more than 10,500 gasoline gallons a day.

Members of the J.W. Mitchell High School jazz band performed at the ribbon cutting for the new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station.

It also is a state-of-the-art facility with more than 10,000 linear feet of electrical conduit buried underground. More than 50 cubic yards of concrete encase those conduits; and, each CNG storage vessel weighs more than 6,500 pounds. All of the compression equipment was American-manufactured.

Ray Gadd, the school district’s deputy superintendent, said discussion about the CNG station and using the alternative fuel began nearly six years ago.

He and other school district staff members helped shepherd the project to its completion. State Sen. Wilton Simpson sponsored a bill to create a state rebate program that can reimburse the county up to $25,000 for the cost of each bus.

In the past three years, the school district began buying new buses that run on alternative fuel.

Plans are to continue buying about 35 buses a year eventually replacing much of the school’s aging fleet of more than 450 buses. The shift will reduce reliance on gasoline and diesel-burning fuels in favor of natural gas, which burns cleaner and emits fewer toxins.

Published May 24, 2017

Pasco County schools expect budget squeeze

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As things stand now, Pasco County Schools could be facing an $8.7 million budget shortfall for the 2017-18 budget year, and Superintendent Kurt Browning has begun laying the groundwork for potential cuts.

He briefed the Pasco County School Board during a May 16 budget workshop about what he’s been doing so far to gear up for what could become a tough budget year.

Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning

The final budget numbers won’t be known until Gov. Rick Scott acts on the budget adopted by the Florida Legislature. Scott has 15 days to sign the budget, veto it, or use his line-item veto authority. The 15-day time clock begins ticking once the budget lands on Scott’s desk.

Browning told school board members that he had met the previous week with all the district’s department directors and directed them to “prepare a 10 percent budget reduction exercise.”

The superintendent said he emphasized it was an exercise, but he added, “we’re going to look at each one of those proposed cuts that they recommend, and we will look at it accordingly and see what the impacts to the district are.”

On the same day, Browning had a conference call with secondary principals and two conference calls with the district’s elementary principals, to let them know they need to hold one instructional position open.

The district isn’t taking the position away from each school, but it is freezing it, Browning said.

The district estimates it would take 146 positions to plug an $8.7 million budget gap, Browning said.

Olga Swinson, the district’s chief finance officer, also noted that the charter school enrollment in Pasco County is projected to increase by about 977 full-time equivalent students, which is about a 25 percent increase over the previous year.

The district is also facing additional costs associated with opening Bexley Elementary and Cypress Creek Middle/High School, she said.

There also will be higher retirement costs, health insurance costs, increased costs for McKay Scholarships and higher costs in a number of other areas, according to Swinson.

Browning told board members that the district is considering a wide range of options to balance the budget.

The district is looking at extended school year funds, extended school day funds, furlough days, closing schools, class size requirements, dual enrollment, leadership supplements, athletics, athletic supplements and other options, Browning said.

“The bottom line is, nothing is off the table. Nothing’s off the table,” Browning said.

“The only editorial comment I will make is that, in a year when the state is not in economic crisis, we should not be in this economic crisis,” Browning said.

Published May 24, 2017

Review committee to talk about school impact fees

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Pasco County’s Development Review Committee is slated to discuss a proposal that would raise the impact fees charged to new residential development to help address the impact that new growth has on schools.

Under the proposed ordinance, the fees could be used to build new schools, acquire school sites or purchase new school buses.

Bexley Elementary School, depicted in this rendering, is set to open in the fall for the 2017-2018 school year. Rapid residential growth in Pasco County has prompted a need for new schools, and the Pasco County School Board is asking the Pasco County Commission to increase school impact fees to help pay for new growth.
(File)

Pasco County already imposes school impact fees, but the new fees would be substantially more than is currently collected.

Here are the proposed fees:

  • Single-family detached residences: $7,540, for homes 1,500 square feet or less; $9,785 for homes between 1,501 square feet and 2,499 square feet; and, $12,028 for homes of 2,500 square feet or more
  • Single-family attached: $3,633 per dwelling
  • Mobile homes: $5,544 per dwelling
  • Multifamily: $5,295 per dwelling

These are the current fees:

  • Single-family detached: $4,828 per dwelling (no distinction based on size)
  • Single-family attached: $1,740 per dwelling
  • Mobile home: $2,843 per dwelling
  • Multifamily: $1,855 per dwelling

The fees do not apply to age-restricted communities, where residents are 55 and older.

Even if the county adopts the proposed rates, school district officials estimate a $284 million shortfall in revenue needed for capital construction during the next decade.

The development review committee meeting, which is open to the public, is set for May 25 at 1:30 p.m., in the board room at the West Pasco County Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

The development review committee, under the direction of the county administrator, reviews proposed developments and policies, and makes recommendations to the Pasco County Commission. It includes representatives of several different county departments and a representative from Pasco County Schools’ staff.

The school impact fee issue boils down to rapidly increasing school enrollment outpacing the school district’s ability to build schools to house the students.

Concerned about the problem, the school district hired a consultant to do an impact fee study.

That study recommended substantially higher impact fees.

The County Commission reacted by appointing a Pasco County School Infrastructure Funding Committee, which recommended the consultant’s highest fees be adopted, but only if the school board put a referendum on the 2018 ballot seeking a sales tax increase to support school construction.

The infrastructure funding committee’s recommendation fell flat with county commissioners, who resisted the idea of requiring the referendum.

As Commission Chairman Mike Moore put it during a May 2 workshop on the issue: “I’m not very keen on the recommendation for this board to attempt to almost hijack the process, or tie the school board’s hands by forcing them to go out and raise the sales tax. That makes me uncomfortable.”

Instead, commissioners directed county staff to prepare an ordinance to increase the school impact fee, and to schedule the development review committee meeting and two public hearings.

Absent specific direction for the amount to include in the proposed ordinance, the county’s legal staff said it would use the full amount recommended by the consultant.

The proposed ordinance does not include a requirement for the school board to ask voters for a sales tax increase to support schools.

But, it notes that except for annual adjustments that may be made based on construction costs, “the school impact fee shall not be updated in a manner that would result in an increased school impact fee for (a) period of 10 years after the effective date of the 2017 school impact fee rate increase.”

In addition to the review committee’s session, the County Commission has set two public hearings on the proposed changes to the county’s school impact fees.

Considerable debate is likely.

Proponents of the higher fees are expected to contend that new growth should pay for itself, that there’s no question the schools are needed and that there are no other sources of revenue available.

Opponents, on the other hand are likely to argue that new development is being forced to shoulder too much of the cost, that the size of the fees put Pasco County in a competitive disadvantage and that the higher fees will make it essentially impossible to provide affordable housing.

The first public hearing on the the school impact fees issue is set for June 20 at 1:30 p.m., in the commission’s board room at the West Pasco Government Center. The second is set for July 11 at 1:30 p.m., on the second floor of the Historic County Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Published May 24, 2017

Chalk Talk 05/24/2017

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From left: Deputy Tax Collector Billy Poulos, Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, Dominic Fonseca, teacher Freda Abercrombie and Principal Rachel Fowler.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Tax Collector)

Essay contest winner announced
As part of Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Paula O’ Neill’s annual contest, Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano received essays from middle school students in public, private, parochial, charter, online and home-schools in answer to the question, “How do you, as a middle school student, benefit from taxes your family, friends and neighbors pay?”

Dominic Fonseca, an eighth-grade gifted student at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School in Wesley Chapel, submitted the winning essay and was awarded a $300 Best Buy gift card. Fonseca’s essay best communicated his response to the topic question, while meeting the contest criteria of overall essay structure, appearance and readability.

The contest will again be offered in 2018. For information, visit PascoTaxes.com.

Korean War veteran wears cap and gown
Marty Sullivan, an 83-year-old Korean War veteran, donned a cap and gown to stand with the members of the Joe E. Newsome High School Class of 2017 on May 19.

Sullivan had just completed his sophomore year at a Boston high school in 1951 when he walked into a U.S. Navy recruitment center to sign up for the Korean War.

Jobs, a family and a retirement move to Hillsborough County followed in the years after he left the service.

Sullivan learned through his volunteer work at the Hillsborough County Veterans Park and Rear Admiral LeRoy Collins Jr. Veterans Museum that he qualified for a high school diploma.

The State of Florida offers a standard high school diploma to any eligible, honorably discharged military veteran who left high school in order to serve our nation’s armed forces.

For information, call Hillsborough County Consumer & Veterans Services at (813) 635-8316, or visit HCFLGov.net/Veterans.

John Legg receives alumni award
Pasco-Hernando State College has named former Senator John Legg, PHSC class of 1994, as its 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.

Legg was honored at the college-wide annual Student Activities and Distinguished Alumni Award Recognition Ceremony in April.

Legg is the chief financial officer of DaySpring Academy, a Pasco County charter school he founded in 2000. He received an Associate in Arts degree from PHSC in 1994, and transferred to the University of South Florida, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in public administration.

Legg began his public service career as a legislative aide to Florida House Rep. Heather Fiorentino, whom he subsequently succeeded. He then was elected to the Florida Senate where he served from 2012 to 2016.

Reading kickoff
The Hugh Embry Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City, will host a Summer Reading Club Kickoff June 3 at 2 p.m., for elementary-aged children and their families. There will be a presentation by Mad Science.

For information, call (352) 567-3576.

Catholic homeschool conference
The IHM Tampa Homeschool Conference will take place at St. Lawrence Parish’s Higgins Hall, 5225 N. Himes Ave., in Tampa, June 8 from noon to 6 p.m., and June 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Participants can learn more about Catholic home-schooling.

Admission is free. Registration is not required.

For information, visit IHMConference.org, or email .

Woman’s club awards scholarships
The GFWC Woman’s Club of Zephyrhills awarded nine $1,000 scholarships at its end-of-the-year luncheon. The following students received a certificate and check:

  • Mariana Escudero, Pasco-Hernando State College
  • Shelly Brantman, Grand Canyon University
  • Sarah Marie First, University of Central Florida
  • Luis Arturo Chavez Rincon, PHSC/Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • Lilly Ostrander, PHSC
  • Courtney Graham, Saint Leo University
  • Alaysha Bell, Florida A&M University
  • Victoria Tinney, Sante Fe College
  • Amber Strickland, PHSC

Moore-Mickens center may get new life

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Two years of negotiations, with a lot of hope and persistence from the community, appears to be paying off for the Moore-Mickens Education Center.

The center —historically tied to the first school for black students in Pasco County — was closed in 2015.

But, Pasco County School District officials and the nonprofit Moore-Mickens Education Center & Vocational Center Inc., are almost ready to sign a lease agreement to reopen the school’s campus, according to Keith Babb, the nonprofit’s chairman.

A nonprofit coalition of residents, community leaders and organizational representatives hope to begin leasing the Moore-Mickens Education Center from the Pasco County School Board.
(File)

The lease would be for $10 a year for 30 years, Babb said.

“We are extremely excited,” he said.

He anticipates the matter will be on the June 6 school board agenda.

Babb said a private donor made a significant contribution to the nonprofit. But, additional funds are needed.

A breakfast fundraiser is scheduled for May 20. The goal is to raise at least $5,000, Babb said.

Prior to its closing, the campus on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard offered classes for adults, teen parents and special-needs children.

School officials initially announced the school’s closing in 2014, but backed off when the community pleaded to keep it open.

That decision was reversed the next year, based on costly repair expenses.

The goal is to partner with other nonprofits and agencies to bring multiple programs to the community, possibly including a food bank, afterschool programs, and voluntary prekindergarten classes.

“That doesn’t mean we’re going to start programs right away,” Babb said.

The first step is to get buildings open and ready for use, he said.

Plans are to use the administrative building, the building that formerly housed the Cyesis teen parent program, and a building where the Dade City City Commission once held its meetings.

A walk-through and inventory check was planned this week with Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, Babb said.

Gadd was not available for comment prior to The Laker/Lutz News’ deadline for publication.

Published May 17, 2017

Marking a milestone, embarking on new paths

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Thousands of members of the class of 2017 will take part in ceremonies across The Laker/Lutz News’ coverage area this graduation season — to celebrate a rite of passage and embark on the next adventure.

Some will head out from Lutz, Odessa, Land O’ Lakes, New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, San Antonio and St. Leo to continue their studies in other locales.

Some will go to far off places; others will stick closer to home.

The list of their declared colleges includes the University of Florida, Georgia Institute of Technology, Saint Leo University, Pensacola Christian College, University of South Florida, New York University, Princeton University, Stanford University, Cornell University, Florida State University, Rasmussen College, Pasco-Hernando State College and Hillsborough Community College.

Their aspirations run the gamut, too.

One wants to study culinary nutrition. Another, finance and actuarial science. One plans to study music education; another, microbiology.

There are members of the class of 2017 interested in pursuing careers in all sorts of engineering — including electrical, computer and chemical engineering,

Other majors include advertising and finance, pre-dentistry and biomedical sciences.

The list goes on and on.

Before heading to that new chapter in their lives, however, these students and their families will pause to celebrate the Class of 2017’s accomplishments so far.

Some graduates will take part in small, intimate ceremonies. Others will march into huge auditoriums.

And, while the world around them gets noisier by the day — with partisan politics and increasing international turmoil — these ceremonies likely will be marked by time-honored traditions.

Whether the gathering is large or small, there likely will be music and speeches.

Each graduate’s name will be announced.

There will be photos and applause, and friends and family members will gather for parties, too.

And, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Many members of the class of 2017 have distinguished themselves by embracing academically rigorous courses, and acing them.

This crop of students has experienced a technological revolution during their lifetimes.

They’ve mastered such social media channels as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

They have become experts at posting to Facebook and YouTube.

They feel lost without their Smartphones, and texting comes second-nature to them.

The Digital Age has left its mark on their learning, too. Traditional lectures and textbooks are often enhanced by a world of information, available through the Internet, just a few keystrokes away.

While many graduates plan to pursue higher education, others will be heading to the workforce.

Some don’t know what kind of work they’ll pursue, and others will likely end up in careers that do not yet exist.

Some receiving diplomas this year, far exceeded the requirements for graduation, while others barely squeaked by.

But, regardless of how they arrived, each has accomplished a milestone and has reason to be proud.

The Laker/Lutz News salutes members of the Class of 2017.

Published May 17, 2017