The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Land O' Lakes News

Proposed rezoning for Ballantrae office park raises questions

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The Pasco County Commission has continued a request to rezone the Ballantrae Professional Center until Sept. 17, to sort out issues relating to the center’s current uses, the proposed zoning and who has authority to request the proposed zoning.

The center, on the south side of State Road 54 at the intersection of Hunting Bow Circle, in Lutz, is currently zoned as a PO-1 Professional Office District.

The request, by the Ballantrae Center Owners Association, is to change the designation to a PO-2 Professional Office District, which allows a wider array of uses, said Denise B. Hernandez, zoning administrator/special project manager for the county.

The county planning department and the Planning Commission recommended approval of the rezoning.

However, during the County Commission’s public hearing on Aug. 21, an owner of a condo office building within the development objected to the proposed rezoning.

And, that objection prompted a reaction from Commissioner Mike Moore.

“He owns the building. That’s not what he bought into. That’s not what he purchased. Who am I to tell him that he’s got to change his zoning for something he doesn’t want. I’m not going to back this,” Moore added.

Hernandez said the rezoning request is aimed at bringing uses on the property into conformance with PO2.

“Going PO2 allows them to do every single use in PO1 and then add some additional uses, including private schools, post office, government buildings, barbershop, beauty salons, flower shops, those type of things,” she explained.

A number of current uses on the property already fall under the PO2 designation, she added.

“We think it’s consistent with the character of the area, the existing area, and we’re recommending approval of the zoning amendment,” Hernandez said.

However, there is confusion over who has the authority to request the rezoning, and also about the site’s current zoning.

The office park is condo-platted.

A real estate agent working on a parcel came in and told the county that the development needed to be PO2 because there are PO2 uses there, Hernandez said.

Stacie Mixon, speaking on behalf of the management company for the office development, said “this property, in essence, was originally a PO1, then it was changed to a PO2 years ago.

“If you looked at the property appraiser’s website, all of these properties are zoned PO2 according to the website.

“One of the builders went to build and they were told by building permitting that it’s PO1,” Mixon said.

“A lot of the owners purchased under the assumption that it’s PO2,” she said. “Tenants are in there that are supposed to be in PO2.

“Now, we’re at a standstill,” Mixon said.

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder said the issue wouldn’t be before the County Commission if the current zoning wasn’t PO1.

“The property appraiser is not the one who is in charge of zoning,” Steinsnyder said. “This board is.”

At one point, a portion of the office development was temporarily zoned PO2, with explicit provision that the zoning was temporary and was exclusively for Imagine Charter School, Hernandez said. That zoning was initially granted in 2008 and expired in 2012.

Imagine Charter School now has a permanent location on Sunlake Boulevard.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey asked whether an individual office condo building owner could decide if they want PO1 or PO2.

“We don’t want to shut down all of those businesses,” Starkey said.

Mixon said owners in the office park voted on whether to seek a rezoning to a PO2 and the majority agreed, but she did not have specific information about the vote at the public hearing.

Steinsnyder recommended continuing the hearing until Sept. 17.

“Without looking at the condominium documents, I don’t know who the legal authority to rezone this property really would be,” Steinsnyder said.

By delaying the vote, county staff will have a chance to get additional information from the opponent to the rezoning and from the applicants, commissioners said in voting for the delay.

Published September 5, 2018

Bexley borrow pit gains approval

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a request for a borrow pit to provide fill dirt for use at Bexley by Newland Communities, a master-planned community, off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

The development sought approval to operate the borrow to provide up to 1 million cubic yards of sand and dirt to be excavated and hauled over a period of four years.

The borrow pit will be reclaimed after the dirt hauling is completed.

The infill dirt will be used for internal uses at Bexley, but some of will need to be trucked across Tower Road, which is used by the public.

The borrow pit site is south of Tower Road, west of Sunlake Boulevard, and about half-mile east of Ballantrae Boulevard.

The borrow pit’s operating hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will not operate on Sundays or holidays.

The Pasco County Planning Commission recommended approval of the request, and the County Commission approved it on its consent agenda, meaning there was no discussion of the item, at its Aug. 21 meeting.

Approval also is required from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, also known as Swiftmud.

Published September 5, 2018

‘My job is to care for everybody,’ local pastor says

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Sometimes Jordan Kassabaum does a double-take when someone calls him “pastor.”

“I’m just not used to it,” said the 27-year-old pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Land O’ Lakes. “It seems surreal when I’m standing in front of a congregation.”

Kassabaum, a native of Dade City, was named pastor of the Land O’ Lakes church on July 1.

Jordan Kassabaum, pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Land O’ Lakes, wants his church to be an inviting place that cares for everyone. (Brian Fernandes)

He is gradually getting to know his new congregation.

“I’m astounded at just how many gifted people are here,” said Kassabaum, who leads a church established in 1959. “My staff are amazing.”

Currently, membership stands at around 200. Kassabaum would like to see that number grow.

The church leader said his title isn’t the important thing — and he doesn’t mind when members of his congregation call him by his first name.

It’s that casual approach he’d like to share with people outside of the church, as well, he said.

For instance, in the past, he has participated in such events as ‘Beer and Hymns,’ where folks gather in a brewery or bar to sing classic church songs. He’s also taken part in ‘Pints and Parables’ which entails sharing drinks while taking part in bible study.

Those are some ways that Kassabaum has tried to break down stereotypes about church, and show it in a new and refreshing light.

“My job is to care for everybody,” he said. “Most of my friends are actually not deeply religious people.”

Early beginnings
Kassabaum was born in Dade City, and grew up there, graduating from Pasco High School.

“I loved it,” Kassabaum said. “When you’re growing up in a place like that, it can seem very restricting. You can’t wait to get out, and you really don’t appreciate that quiet kind of life until you go off and see the rest of the world. Now there’s a certain kind of attraction to it.”

He came from a musical household. His father played the saxophone and his mother played the flute. That influenced him to join the high school band and to play the saxophone.

He enjoyed performing so much that he contemplated it as a career, but he decided not to pursue that because he didn’t want to turn something he loved into a chore.

Kassabaum said he didn’t grow up in a religious home.

On several occasions, he attended a Baptist church that his grandfather had helped to build, but he was not immersed in church life, nor obligated to hold any religious beliefs.

“My parents wanted me to make decisions for myself,” he said. “They didn’t want to impose anything on me.”

In school, he excelled in science and biology, and had a desire to help people in need. That motivated him to look toward a medical career.

Finding meaning in tragedy
Although his desire to help others sparked an interest in medicine, it was his father’s illness that compelled him in that direction. He was just 15 when his father died from brain cancer.

“That really set me on a path towards being just a doctor,” he recounted.

As he was coping with the loss of his father, he began questioning life in general.

It was then that a friend invited him to the First United Methodist Church of Dade City.

“I asked a lot of these tough questions,” Kassabaum recalled. “Is God real? Does God love me? Why do we suffer?”

The church and its congregation provided a place of refuge and solace.

When the pastor describes his spiritual journey to others, he said, he often describes it as both a moment of epiphany, as well as a gradual process.

The transitions he went through, he said, were “fundamental experiences.”

“I was lucky enough to be in a space where there were people who loved and cared about me. Who didn’t seek to fix me,” he said.

As he acquainted himself with the congregation — through bible studies and discussions —  he realized that he wanted to remain within the Methodist denomination.

Leadership skills through academics
Kassabaum’s desire to become a doctor took a turn as he began to feel that evangelism was his true calling.

“I don’t think anybody goes into ministry without having a sense of call,” said the pastor. “A sense that God has placed a task for you to complete.”

With that in mind, he enrolled at the University of Florida in 2009. He graduated four years later with a double major in religion and classical civilization.

In 2013, Kassabaum moved to Connecticut to continue studies at Yale Divinity School.

“It was interesting to be exposed to all sorts of different people and different ways of thinking,” said the pastor about Yale’s diversity.

He graduated in 2016 with a Master of Divinity, a standard degree which qualifies a minister to go through an ordination process.

He then returned to Florida, where he worked for two years as a missions intern and adult ministry coordinator.

New and present chapter
Now, he envisions his Land O’ Lakes church becoming a place which is filled with individuals ministering to others with their own unique set of gifts — gifts that not only contribute to the church, but to the community at large.

He already has seen their talents through Sunday school teaching, as well as mission and relief work.

Working with those within the church and inviting others to join, the pastor hopes that one day his congregation will mirror its community — diverse in age groups and ethnicities.

Bob Swan, the church’s facilities manager and a member for 25 years, said “Pastor Kassabaum has brought a wealth of new ideas, and it’s just been great.”

Kassabaum knows that leading a church is not a one-man job, and he’s grateful for his staff and congregation, who have rallied around to help.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my experience here,” the pastor said of his new home church. “I knew this was where God wanted me to be.”

Published August 29, 2018

Enjoying nature’s grand displays

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Any time that Lillian Cucuzza and her husband, Dave, want to take in a nature show, they just look out their back window, step out into their backyard or walk around the cul-de-sac to a pond near their yard.

Lillian and Dave Cucuzza, of Land O’ Lakes, enjoy daily nature shows in their backyard.(B.C. Manion)

The Land O’ Lakes nature lovers enjoy a visual feast every day.

They see hummingbirds, Carolina wrens, cardinals, red-shouldered hawks and all of the birds of prey.

There are birds that come by to grab a bite from a feeder, enjoy the nectar from a plant, or make a snack on insects.

“If you want to attract the really nice birds, get the golden safflower bird feed,” Lillian advised. “It doesn’t sprout. The black birds and doves and pigeons — they don’t like it because it’s bitter to them.”

“We get our bird feed from Wild Bird USA,” Lillian said. “It’s nonsprouting, so it doesn’t grow weeds.”

She also noted: “We used to put out a hummingbird feeder, where you had to put the sugar water out. But, you have to change it almost every day, otherwise it’s not good.

This male pileated woodpecker was in the woods, chopping the wood to get to the bugs. (Courtesy of Lillian Cucuzza)

“I’m like, ‘I’m not doing that.’

“We also have a suet feeder out there that we get from Wild Bird. It’s the suet dough. It’s not greasy. We get a lot of the woodpeckers and different warblers,” she said.

Dave’s in charge of stocking the feeders.

Some birds hang out in a birdhouse out back or in the nearby woods. Others make their home in a pair of palm trees near the couple’s front door.

“We get little cardinals. They make little nests in there,” Lillian said.

Besides observing wildlife in their backyard, the couple also enjoys sightings of deer,

blue herons, ibises, white egrets and other winged creatures in or near a pond, on a neighboring property.

“There’s a little gator in there,” Lillian said. “I saw it recently. A little 3- or 4-footer.”

When she was waiting for the gator to make an appearance one day, a trio of deer showed up.

This blue-gray gnatcatcher was in the Cucuzzas’ backyard snacking on whatever gnats or bugs he could get. These birds are tiny — only about 4 inches from the tip of their beak to their tail, and they’re quite quick — catching gnats mid-air.

Some pointers for creating your own backyard habitat
If you’d like to make your yard a welcoming place for birds, butterflies and other creatures, here are some pointers from Lara Milligan, a natural resources agent at Pinellas County Extension. She provided these tips during a seminar she gave earlier this year at the Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park community center.

“We’re exploding with development and construction, leaving less opportunities for our native wildlife to live and exist,” Milligan said. “Any little bit that we can do in our yards, or in your community or neighborhood, is helpful and beneficial for wildlife.

“Just like us,” she reminded the audience, “wildlife need food, water, cover and space.”

When it comes to creating conducive conditions to attract wildlife, it’s important to think big, and small, she said.

“We often think of wildlife as some of these bigger creatures, but it’s really important that we’re also attracting the little creatures. If you don’t have the little guys, we’re not going to be attracting anything else,” Milligan said.

Here are some of her tips.

Tip No. 1: Limit the amount of lawn that you have. Turf grass doesn’t do much for wildlife. Consider providing alternative ground covers, such as beach sunflower or sunshine mimosa.

This Carolina Wren was sitting on the bird feeder baffle. They are small birds with a big sound.

Tip No. 2: Increase the vertical layering in your yard. You want stuff to be at all levels, from the ground level up to the tops of trees. When planting, think about what the plant will look like at maturity. You don’t want giant gaps in your landscape.

Tip No. 3: Keep those dying and diseased and knocked over trees in your landscape, unless they pose a hazard to your house. Woodpeckers and other cavity nesters rely on these snags for shelter. Screech owls can’t excavate their own cavities, so they rely on woodpeckers to do that for them.

Tip No. 4: Keep brush piles in your yard, but not next to your house. They provide shelter for the smaller organisms, which are an important part of the food chain.

Tip No. 5: Provide water. Any source of water you provide in your yard will benefit wildlife.

Tip No. 6: If you have a birdbath, remember to keep it filled at 2 inches to 3 inches of water. Birds won’t use it if the water is too deep. Also, keep it clean and don’t use chemicals to clean it. A sturdy scrub brush should do. It’s also important to keep the space around it clear so birds can see potential predators.

This female northern Cardinal caught a bug in the yard.

Tip No. 7: Plant native plants in your yard. They resist pests and diseases, and generally require less care. If you want butterflies, be sure to have plants that are appropriate for caterpillars and for butterflies. Create a small moist area of sand in your yard. Butterflies will suck water out of moist sand to give them the minerals and nutrients they need.

Tip No. 8: Add bird feeders. The diversity of bird feeders that you install will increase the diversity of birds that you attract. The same goes for seeds. Be sure to keep your bird feeders clean.

Tip No. 9: Manage your pets. Cats and dogs can have a really huge impact on native wildlife species.

Tip No. 10: Seek natural solutions to pest problems. Being vigilant can help nip pest problems in the bud. Often, spraying pests off with a hose can solve the problem. If pesticides are needed, use sparingly.

Attracting butterflies to your backyard

These plants will help

This fuzzy flower is a magnet for pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. (File)

Nectar plants

  • Firebush
  • Pentas
  • Salvia
  • Dwarf powderpuff
  • Jatropha
  • Firespike
  • Blanket flower
  • African blue basil
  • Beautyberry
  • Ironweed

Host plants

  • Native, not tropical milkweeds
  • Dutchman’s pipevine
  • Passionvine
  • Cassia
  • Partridge pea
  • Wild lime
  • Plumbago
  • Frogfruit
  • Parsley
  • Dill
  • Fennel

Published August 29, 2018

Bexley seeks permit for on-site borrow pit

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Bexley by Newland Communities won approval from the Pasco County Planning Commission to operate a borrow pit at the master-planned community, off State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes.

Approval also is required from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, also known as Swiftmud, and the matter also needs approval from the Pasco County Commission.

If approved, the conditional use permit from Pasco would allow up to 1 million cubic yards of sand and dirt to be excavated and hauled away over four years.

The borrow pit would be reclaimed afterward.

This rendering shows the master-planned community of Bexley by Newland Communities, at State Road 54, east of Suncoast Parkway. (File)

The infill dirt is for internal uses at Bexley. However, some portion of the dirt would cross over Tower Road, a road used by the public.

The borrow pit site is south of Tower Road, west of Sunlake Boulevard, and about half-mile east of Ballantrae Boulevard.

“The fill dirt is being removed and will be used for development of the office portion of the project,” said attorney Andrea Zelman.

Though some trucks will cross over Tower Road, all of the dirt will be used as part of the Bexley development, Zelman said.

The borrow pit’s operating hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will not operate on Sundays or holidays.

Once work begins, signs will be posted to alert motorists of trucks accessing Tower Road.

Bexley is a master-planned community with about 1,700 acres located on the north side of State Road 54, east of the Suncoast Parkway, and on north and south sides of Tower Road.

The community is approved for up to 1,200 single family residences and 520 multifamily dwellings, as well as about 94,500 square feet of commercial and retail, and about 563,000 square feet of offices.

By Kathy Steele

Published August 22, 2018

‘Clear the Shelters’ makes both pets and people happy

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Mark Martin, of Zephyrhills, left, and his wife, Amber, pose for a picture with the dog that they adopted during the Clear the Shelters event on Aug. 18 at Pasco County Animal Services in Land O’ Lakes. Amber said she knew ‘Charlie,’ a Jack Russell mix, was the one for them because he was very timid, and he appeared to need extra patience and love to trust people again, which they are happy to provide. (Christine Holtzman)

Pet lovers had a chance to add a new member to their family without paying adoption fees during a “Clear the Shelters’ event at Pasco County Animal Services, at 19640 Dogpatch Lane in Land O’Lakes.

The animal shelter, along with the nonprofit group Friends of Animal Services Inc., hosted the event as part of the national pet adoption drive.

The drive, launched four years ago, is spearheaded by the television media company NBC Universal, and sponsored by Cat’s Pride and Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

Shelters across the country taking part in the event either reduced or waived pet adoption fees.

Pasco County dispatch operator K.c. Pearson, of Port Richey, cuddles the kitten that she will soon officially adopt during the Clear the Shelters event. Pearson plans to name the kitten Psi. She already has a cat named ‘Zeta’ that she previously adopted from the shelter.

The Pasco shelter waived the adoption fee for the dozens of available cats and dogs, and required only the purchase of appropriate licensing for a new pet.

Normally, adoption fees are $70 to $85 for dogs and $40 to $50 for cats, which includes spay/neutering, vaccinations, microchip, heartworm testing for dogs, and FIV and feline leukemia for cats.

Rachel Stever, the education and outreach coordinator for the shelter, said this was the second year the shelter participated, and she expected about 300 people to attend.

Hanging out in the Feline Showroom, 12-year-old Mikaylah Chimara, of Zephyrhills, left, holds a kitten named ‘Flash.’ Her 8-year-old sister, Bella, center, holds ‘Shy,’ and her 10-year-old sister, Alicia, cuddles with ‘Rocket.’ Their mother Nicole, who brought the girls to the event as a surprise, said that they would be taking ‘Flash’ home.

People began lining up two hours before the doors opened and, by the time it did, a crowd of about 100 had gathered, Stever said.

During the first two hours of the event, 16 adoptions had occurred and 11 were pending, she added.

Pasco County Animal Services became a “Save 90” shelter in 2012, meaning that its goal is to save 90 percent of the animals that are brought to the facility.

In addition to getting adoption fees waived, those attending the event could pick up swag bags provided by Pet Supplies Plus, complete with pet food samples, treats and coupons, and a spin the wheel game for a chance to win a prize.

Friends of Animal Services, the nonprofit support group of Pasco County Animal Services, was there, too, showing off its memorial tree. Those making a $100 donation receive an engraved leaf on the memorial tree. All donations support the shelter.

By Christine Holtzman

Published August 22, 2018

Land O’ Lakes High to get more parking spaces

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Land O’ Lakes High School is undergoing a massive renovation project that is essentially giving the high school a new look and expanding its capacity by more than 400 students.

The Pasco County School Board voted last week to approve $1.2 million in changes to the project.

Providing 60 additional parking spaces was among a list of items that Betsy Kuhn, assistant superintendent for support services, presented to the board for approval.

“Parking has become a serious issue at Land O’ Lakes High School,” Kuhn said, and more parking will be needed as the school expands.

Pasco County School Board member Colleen Beaudoin said the additional parking is needed.

“I get lots of calls about parking at Land O’ Lakes High School,” Beaudoin said.

Other items included in the change order are:

  • Remove and replace existing flammable storage building and resurface an adjacent roadway to improve access for emergency vehicles
  • Update interior finishes such as paint, flooring, lighting, wall base and acoustical panels in the Music and Exceptional Student Education Rooms, to bring those areas in line with the balance of the remodel
  • Remove and replace two air handling units and heaters for the gymnasium, including modification of electrical, as required, and provide new controls connected with the central control system
  • Provide new metal exterior doors, frames and hardware for the gym.

Even though these items were not part of the original scope of the project, they can be completed within the project’s original construction budget, Kuhn said.

Published August 1, 2018

Connerton, county and school board agree to land swap

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Pasco County, the school district of Pasco County and Pasco Investment Land LLC have agreed to a land swap in connection with a county district park in Connerton.

Pasco County owns approximately 119.7 gross acres that have been deeded for a district park in Connerton, a master-planned community in Land O’ Lakes.

The school board owns approximately 22.3 acres that is slated for a future school site, and Pasco Investment Land LLC, also referred to in the agreement as Connerton, owns the adjacent land.

Under the exchange, Pasco County has agreed to convey about 6.6 acres of upland acreage to the school board.

The county also agreed to convey about 46.8 upland acres to Connerton.

The school board has agreed to convey about 6.6 acres of upland acres to Connerton.

And, Connerton has agreed to convey approximately 53.6 upland acres to Pasco County.

The agreement also calls for Pasco County to establish a parks and recreation impact fee credit for all parkland to be retained and exchanged within 30 days of the closing.

The county also agreed to provide for a north-south drive aisle, to the east and parallel to Flourish Drive that allows for vehicular access from the future Connerton Boulevard to the northern boundary of the park site.

The land swap aims to facilitate the development of an elementary school, a middle school and a district park.

There are no immediate plans for the schools or the park, according to school district and county parks officials.

However, the school district and county do plan to share use of the park facilities once they are built.

The development of the district park “is all tied to funding,” said Keith Wiley, director of Pasco County’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department.

Published July 25, 2018

Rosebud Continuum approved as a private school

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Field trips to Rosebud Continuum are a regular, bi-weekly event for students at Academy at the Lakes during the school year.

Students learn about gardening and sustainable practices for an environmentally friendly world.

Now, Rosebud’s staff members are preparing for a future that will expand its outreach to more schools.

The 14-acre Rosebud Continuum features a Florida Native Plant Trail, with a wildflower meadow. (File)

The Pasco County Planning Commission on July 11 approved a special exception permit that will allow Rosebud to operate as a private school.

The expectation is for more students from area schools to come for tours and hands-on-learning. Rosebud also plans to apply to Pasco County Schools for inclusion on a list of approved student support programs and resources.

Rosebud will not be a day school, but instead will be a go-to location for other schools interested in environmental programs, said Jerry Comelias, the site and educational director for the Rosebud Continuum, at 22843 Hale Road in Land O’ Lakes.

Teachers also could attend workshops to learn about Rosebud and sustainability, with a goal of being their students’ tour guides.

“We want to train the trainers,” said Comelias. “We want to make the world a better place.”

In addition to Academy at the Lakes, Blake High School students, from Hillsborough County, were among those making trips to Rosebud in recent months.

Students aren’t the only groups that tour Rosebud.

Visitors from Haiti came earlier this year to learn natural growing practices that they can use at home.

Comelias is a graduate of the Patel College of Global Sustainability at the University of South Florida.

Rosebud Continuum is a partnership between the Patel College, and Sonny and Maryann Bishop, who own the 14-acre site.

Sonny Bishop is a former National Football League player, and a Lakota Sioux.

Rosebud reflects the Bishop family’s philosophy of preserving and advocating for ancient traditions of sustainability, once commonly used in Florida.

The site features a sustainability farm, a wildflower meadow, goats, aquaponics, hydroponics, Florida native plants, beekeeping, and biodigesters that convert food waste into fuel and fertilizer.

The site also has a two-story brick home, a brick garage, a basketball and volleyball court, a hoop-house and a shed.

The metal shed will be designated as a classroom, and the hoop-house will be a greenhouse classroom.

No new structures are planned.

Summer months are mostly about maintenance and cleaning up, and getting geared up for the coming school year, Comelias said.

Tours through the Florida Native Plant Trail, with the wildflower meadow, though, are available on request, he said.

For information, call Comelias at (813) 331-7170, or email .

Published July 18, 2018

Pine View achieves IB designation

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Pine View Middle School has become the first public school in Pasco County to be authorized as an IB Middle Years Programme World School.

Principal Jennifer Warren and members of the school’s staff recently attended the Pasco County School Board’s meeting, where they were congratulated for their accomplishment.

The school received a letter dated May 30 from Siva Kumari, director general of International Baccalaureate, informing them that the school had met the requirements to receive the authorization.

“As an IB World School offering the Middle Years Programme, you are part of a global community of schools committed to developing knowledgeable, caring, young people who will be ready to negotiate their futures successfully, and make contributions resulting in a more harmonious and peaceful world,” Kumari wrote.

“We commend your school’s educators, administrators, students and families for their active roles in choosing to offer the Middle Years Programme,” he added.

An International Baccalaureate team visited Pine View Middle in the spring to determine whether the school should receive the distinction.

The team spent two days at the school, interviewing staff, students and parents, and observing classrooms to ensure that the IB framework has been embedded in Pine View’s learning environment, Warren said, in an interview following the visit.

Becoming an IB Middle Years Programme World School is a lengthy process.

Pine View, at 5334 Parkway Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, became a candidate school in May of 2015, and began implementing the program at the start of the 2015-2016 school year.

Pine View Middle also has been designated as a magnet school, which means that students who live outside of the school’s attendance zone can apply to attend the school.

Those living within its boundaries have first choice, and then remaining slots are opened up to those living outside the boundaries.

Pine View’s mission is “to provide a rigorous, world-class education, which inspires students to become active, compassionate and collaborative lifelong learners who understand and respect other people and their differences,” according to the school’s website.

The International Baccalaureate “aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

“To this end, the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

“These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right,” according to IB’s mission statement, which is posted on Pine View’s website.

Published July 18, 2018