The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Library system outlines its priorities, plans

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(MIKE CAMUNAS)

The Pasco County Library Cooperative has identified priority areas in its 2021 through 2024 Strategic Plan, and has developed a list of activities it plans to take to address them.

The library system outlined those goals in an agenda item that came before the Pasco County Commission during its Sept. 20 meeting.

The board approved the item, without discussion, as part of its consent agenda. Items on that agenda are generally considered to be non-controversial and are voted on in a single action.

The three priority areas identified in the library system’s strategic plan are community, education and culture.

Goals identified by Pasco County Libraries include:

  • Expanding service offerings and increasing awareness to attract new users
  • Expanding outreach opportunities for community members and organizations to encourage more involvement
  • Providing access to a collection of print, non-print, and electronic resources that support the diverse needs and interests of the Pasco County citizens
  • Providing resources and programming to support lifelong learning and skill and knowledge development across multiple literacies
  • Providing programming and activities that support self-expression, innovation, and community-based well-being
  • Fostering culture within Pasco County by offering a wide range of cultural programs at the branch libraries and outreach locations

The 2021 through 2024 plan identifies these strategies to achieve priority goals:

  • Establishing pop-up library services to expand access to resources and services
  • Providing 20 hours of service per month
  • Promoting the library’s resources at a minimum of 20 meetings per year for community groups, civic organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies
  • Coordinating with the Friends of the Library on an annual campaign to help increase membership and raise funds
  • Partnering with the Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties to provide four programs per year
  • Developing an Adult Literacy/ESL training program and training 15 volunteers per year to teach basic literacy and ESL to Pasco County citizens
  • Offer two digital literacy activities per quarter to increase skill development in finding, evaluating, creating, and communicating information on digital platforms
  • Creating a Library of Things to circulate nontraditional materials with a focus on items that support makerspace activities. Adding three new items per year to the Library of Things.
  • Selecting 15 new items per year to be added to the Adaptive Toy Collection
  • Providing at least one staff training session per quarter focused on skill development related to content creation
  • Offering two programs per quarter that educate the public on how to produce professional content for various media platforms
  • Deploying the Mobile Makerspace three times per quarter to provide hands-on learning experiences
  • Collaborating with local performers, artists and experts to expand cultural experiences and learning opportunities
  • Offering 20 cultural programs or events per year at any location in the county
  • Offering two programs per quarter that showcase cultural content created in association with the Pasco County Library Cooperative
  • Supporting the development of a cultural affairs advisory council in Pasco County by hosting at least four meetings per year and serving as a liaison/coordinator for the council

In other action, the county board:

  • Approved a task order with EnviroBuild LLC, for ongoing construction services required for the renovations of the civil department of the Clerk’s Office at the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City, for the amount of $189,050, in fiscal year 2022
  • Approved a change order with Fleischman and Garcia Architects and Planners, AIA, PA (FGA) to perform gopher tortoise relocation and related services for the design and construction of Fire Station No. 18, on Chancey Road in Zephyrhills. The change order is in the amount not-to-exceed $18,590, for a new cumulative not-to-exceed amount of $279,820.00. There are potentially 20 active burrows on the site.
  • Approved an agreement between the county and the Sixth District Medical Examiner relating to reimbursement of service fees. The agreement takes effect on Oct. 1 and continues until terminated or at the option of providing a 90-day notice from either party. The compensation to the Medical Examiner for services will be based upon the fees outlined in the agreement. Since the Medical Examiner’s compensation depends on the demand for services, the county’s Office of Management and Budget estimates that $1.8 million in funding will be needed for fiscal year 2023.

Published September 28, 2022

Setting Pasco County’s historic record straight

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There’s a sign outside the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City, which shares facts about the county’s creation.

The historic marker, erected this spring, says Pasco County was formed on June 2, 1887.

This sign stood outside of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse for 60 years, sharing a slice of the county’s history. The problem is — May 12, 1887 — is not the day Pasco County officially formed. Bill Dayton, former president of the Dade City Historic Preservation Advisory Board, once told a Tampa Tribune reporter that whoever did the sign, ‘just did a sloppy job.’ (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

It replaces a sign — that stood for 60-odd years  — that was inaccurate.

That one said that Pasco was created by splitting off a portion of Hernando County, on May 12, 1887.

The incorrect sign was erected in 1961 by the Florida Board of Parks and Memorials, on the west lawn of the county’s red brick courthouse.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley requested this new sign, which sets the record straight. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

No one knows where the inaccurate date came from.

This column is a follow-up from my previous column published in The Laker/Lutz News on Dec. 1, 2021.

The previous column, which traced the origins of the county’s creation, was suggested by Jeff Miller, a longtime Pasco historian, who passed away this summer.

Jeff and I were trying to figure out how an incorrect date ended up on a historic marker in such a prominent place.

In my Dec. 1 column, I reported that J.A. Hendley, a prominent attorney from Blanton, had written about Pasco County’s early history in a 1943 account.

Hendley was the last surviving member of the Florida Constitutional Convention of 1885.

In recounting the history of Pasco‘s formation, he described residents of southern Hernando County meeting together for the purposes of forming a new county in May of 1887.

“We agreed in convention assembled to make an effort to get away from Brooksville,” Hendley writes.

There was “unanimous sentiment” that was later recalled by Dr. Richard C. Bankston in a letter dated Nov. 25, 1927: “We all were weary of traveling the sand trails of Brooksville, the county seat, to attend court, or transact other business of varied nature.”

Bankston and Hendley were appointed to lobby for the new county in Tallahassee.

Jeff Miller, a longtime member of the West Pasco Historical Society, suggested a column be written about the sign’s mistaken date. The long-time historian passed away this summer and did not see the new sign. (Courtesy of Gulf High School)

They were successful only after seeking the support of Florida’s newest senator, Judge Samuel Pasco.

At the height of his popularity, Pasco agreed to have the new county named after him.

What followed next took only four hours on June 2, 1887, when Gov. Edward A. Perry signed into law “A Bill to Divide the County of Hernando and make therefrom the Counties of Citrus and Pasco.”

My column wasn’t the first to notice the discrepancy between the posted sign at the courthouse and the actual date of the county’s formation.

The erroneous information also came to light during the Pasco County centennial celebration held in 1987.

Eddie Herrmann, a member of the Pasco County Historical Preservation Committee, traveled to Tallahassee to specifically learn more about why the historic marker cited May 12, 1887 as the date of the county’s formation.

At the time, Herrmann told Carol Jeffares, a reporter for The Tampa Tribune, “I researched the dates and there’s nothing there as why that date ties in.”

At least two sources also reported the May 12, 1887 founding date.

One is a book that listed all of the historical markers provided by the Secretary of State at the time, and another is a 1920s brochure promoting Pasco County.

Another incorrect founding date — July 18, 1887 — was published in 1962 by Ralph Bellwood’s “Tales of West Pasco.”

Commission Record No. 1 (1887-1903) shows that appointments were made for the county clerk, county treasurer, county tax assessor, county sheriff, county judge, county school superintendent and the county surveyor on July 18, 1887. (Courtesy of Florida Pioneer Museum & Village)

Bellwood wrote a newspaper column on local history and was the executive secretary of the New Port Richey Chamber of Commerce.

It turns out the July 18, 1887 he cited is actually the date of the county board’s first meeting, when county officers were appointed. That’s according to minutes on file at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village.

The incorrect date of the county’s creation also appears in The Florida Almanac. It turns out that mistake was due to a typographical error, an almanac editor said.

More confusion arose in 1973, as proponents of a Split Pasco movement wanted the eastern portion of the county to be called Burnside County, in honor of Stanley C. Burnside and his father, Archie J. Burnside.

Between them, the Burnside men served 68 years as the clerk of the circuit court in Pasco.

Burnside County never came to be.

And now, when people visit courthouse square in Dade City, they can check out the new historic marker.

After learning about the error on the old sign, Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley suggested pursuing the acquisition of a new sign and his colleagues agreed.

Oakley, who represents East Pasco, brought the issue to the attention of Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, who lives in Trilby.

Then Simpson got involved.

Others who played a role in getting the new sign erected were Michael Hart, with Florida’s Division of Historical Resources, and Ryan Hughes, with Pasco County’s media relations office.

Now, when visitors read the historic sign, posted outside what’s arguably Pasco County’s most iconic building — they’ll read about the actual day when Pasco took on an identity of its own.

Plus, now, everyone involved in the effort to accurately preserve history can keep a clipping of this column, as a keepsake.

Published September 28, 2022

Pasco approves commercial land use change over planners’ objections

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a land use change that will clear the way for consideration of a wide variety of commercial uses on two lots totaling 3.47 acres at Galen Wilson Boulevard and Ridge Road.

The board approved the request at its Sept. 20 meeting, despite its planning staff’s recommendation for denial. Planners based their recommendation on an effort to preserve the land for future industrial uses, rather than strip commercial development.

In rejecting the planning staff’s rationale, the county board followed the lead of the Pasco County Planning Commission’s recommendation, which also disregarded the planners’ recommendation and voted to approve the request.

Planning staff cited a number of county land use policies in recommending denial.

They argued that the current light industrial designation should be preserved because it has the prospect of producing more and higher-paying jobs than commercial uses would generate.

But Steve Booth, an attorney representing the applicant, noted that as it stands now, the land already can be used for support commercial uses, as part of the industrial development.

The problem is that the current list of potential uses in the support commercial category doesn’t mesh with market demand, Booth said.

By changing the future land use category to commercial, the list of potential uses would be broader, he said.

Booth also argued that since commercial already would be permitted under the current designation, the planning staff’s argument about preserving the land for industrial uses doesn’t hold up.

Nectarios Pittos, the county’s director of planning and development, said: “There are uses in C3 (support commercial) and in I-1 (light industrial) that can locate on the two parcels that are before the board today.

“The developments that are happening to the south in the same industrial park are the same size buildings that you might expect on the two parcels that are the subject of this proposal.

“The key thing to remember is that while the corridor itself is overwhelmingly commercial, there is limited industrial in the West Market Area, in general, and in this particular area.

“The Harbors Redevelopment Plan calls for the need to prevent further retail strip development along major corridors and to provide a healthy mix of uses and create a community destination,” Pittos said.

“The conversion from IL to COM would reduce the mixture of uses along the corridor, and Ridge Road has to be thought of as a corridor because it does connect now to the strategic intermodal system, which is the Suncoast Parkway and beyond to U.S. 41, eventually.

“This area is sort of key now to the West Market Area and the preservation of industrial land,” Pittos said.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley said, “I understand that this board gave staff a direction for these kind of properties — and not to lose anymore industrial.

“This board actually gave them direction that we didn’t lose employment,” Oakley said, which is why the staff is opposed to the proposed change.

Booth told the board there currently are deed restrictions on the land that prohibit it from being developed as apartments, a service station or for storage uses.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey said, “The one thing that gives me a little heartache is the school district next door and the amount of traffic that some uses might generate.”

But she added: “The chances of you getting industrial up front there, I don’t know. And, they’re allowed to do commercial anyway, so my thought might be to make sure … I would be in favor of making sure it’s not the commercial uses that take a lot of traffic.”

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder asked Booth if his client would be willing to restrict commercial uses, but Booth made no commitment to do so.

Steinsnyder told the board: “Once this site is granted commercial, it’s granted commercial. When you change the future land use from IL to COM, it’s COM.”

Commissioner Mike Moore weighed in: “I like the deed restrictions that are already there. You can’t put a service station there, anyway. You can’t put residential. If you want to put a McDonald’s in there, go for it. It’s right next to Home Depot. Go for it, giddyup.”

No one from the public commented on the request.

The land use change clears the way for the applicant to seek a rezoning to accommodate whatever type of commercial use that is permitted under the county’s commercial category of its long-range plan.

Published September 28, 2022

Guv’na gives out the goods

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The new Guv’na of Lutz has taken his first official action.

Newly “elected” Lutz Guv’na Atlas Cortecero kicked off his term on Sept. 13 by distributing funds raised by himself and his two opponents — Stacee Campbell and David Penzer — in the race for the honorary title.

In a well-attended gathering at the pavilion in the back of the Old Lutz School House, Cortecero donned his Guv’na sash and doled out checks to local charities, clubs and organizations — totaling $25,079.07.

Newly ‘elected’ Lutz Guv’na Atlas Cortecero kicked off his term by distributing the $25,079.07 raised in donations during this year’s campaign season at a well-attended gathering at the pavilion in the back of the Old Lutz School House on Sept. 13. (Mike Camunas)

“It’s amazing to know how many people worked to the benefit of this city and to, even now, learn (more) about the work that people put into their community, either as people or businesses,” Cortecero, who hails from São Paulo/Brazil, said. “And it’s all for Lutz — but now that I’m Guv’na and I know about (other charities and organizations), I can help make more money for them.

“So it’s just incredible, and I’m looking forward to working for this community for my whole year,” he said.

Cortecero is the first new Lutz Guv’na since Amy Lancaster claimed the title in 2019.

She held the title longer than the traditional one-year reign because a worldwide pandemic interfered with the Lutz Fourth of July festivities.

Announcing the winner of the Guv’na’s race traditionally has been a regular feature of the community’s Independence Day celebration.

That’s when the final counting is done and organizers announce who brought in the most money in a race where the victor is determined solely on the basis of who raised the most cash to help community causes.

Typically, the total amount of contributions adds up to thousands of dollars, which are then distributed to help about 20 nonprofit Lutz groups.

This year, Cortecero led in fundraising with $11,919.11.

Candidates then earmark 10% of what they brought in for a charity of their choice.

Stacee Campbell, center, was presented with a plaque after raising $2,135.96 during her campaign. She is seen here with First Baptist Church of Lutz Administrative Pastor Paul Vahue and 2015 Lutz Guv’na Jennifer Rankin.

Fittingly, this year’s Guv’na had his first assembly at the Old Lutz School House, which also is where he sent his 10% — identifying the Citizens For The Old Lutz Building 501(c)(3) nonprofit as his charitable cause.

The money will be used for renovations to the building.

The schoolhouse, built in 1927, is considered a community icon. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Aug. 15, 1996.

“I want to get a big thermometer (sign) to put it out in front of the building (facing U.S. 41) and just work to get it filled red,” Cortecero said. “For now, I have to discuss with the people at the Lutz School House how much it will cost, but as soon as I know, I will let Lutz know.

“I just want to make the place beautiful again, so as people, when they pass here and see this school, see just how beautiful it can be.”

Cortecero also took time to pass out checks to the benefactors of all the money raised.

Penzer, who raised $11,024, gave his 10% to the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club. Campbell, who raised $2,135.96, gave her 10% to the Lutz Leaguerettes.

Here’s a list of recipients from this year’s Guv’na race proceeds:

  • GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club
  • Hillsborough Fire & EMS Museum
  • Old Lutz School House
  • Lutz Train Depot Decorations Fund
  • Learning Gate Community School
  • Boy Scout Troop 339
  • Lutz K-8 PTA
  • GFWC Little Women of Lutz
  • Boy Scout Troop 212
  • Boy Scout Troop 12
  • Steinbrenner Future Farmers of America
  • Cub Scout Pack 12
  • Maniscalco K-8 PTA
  • First Baptist Church of Lutz
  • Lutz Leaguerettes
  • Lutz Chiefs
  • Tighten The Drag Foundation
  • Civil Air Patrol – North Tampa Lutz-Cadet Squadron.

Cortecero, who is married to 2007 Guv’na Michele Northrup, says he wants to host more events at the Old School House.

Some events already are scheduled, including Autumn Day on Oct. 19, Pioneer Day on Oct. 8 and Christmas at the School House in December — but he would like to do even more.

“I want to do something like a winter festival, with vendors and live music — a big festival,” said Cortecero, who generated the third-highest amount of contributions in the history of the Guv’na race. “I want to do something else (beside the trees and lights), so maybe in January or February. People can come here and hang out with the lights — like a block party, with food trucks,” he said.

“It can be to help raise money we’ll need for the renovations and then the brand new Guv’na can meet everyone from Lutz!”

Published September 28, 2022

Zephyrhills begins rebranding efforts

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The City of Zephyrhills has begun an initiative to rebrand the community —  an effort that’s expected to take months, and will involve everything from the town’s logo, slogan and perceptions about the community.

The city, which is now the largest municipality, has partnered with North Star Place Branding + Marketing to assist in the effort, according to a news release.

This is a view of downtown Zephyrhills. The city has embarked on an initiative to rebrand itself and is seeking the community’s help in those efforts. (Mike Camunas)

The Jacksonville-based consulting firm will conduct research within the community to uncover how Zephyrhills is perceived, attitudes that people have about it and will explore the city’s unique offerings.

The rebranding effort is aimed at increasing interest and investment in Zephyrhills from residents, entrepreneurs, companies and visitors, the release adds.

The city is looking to “rebrand” itself beyond being widely known as a great place for skydiving and for winter residents. The effort also includes rewriting the city’s current “The City of Pure Water” slogan.

As part of the initiative, North Star has created a community engagement/brand story site to serve as an online tool to direct traffic of residents and stakeholders who are interested in learning more about the rebranding project and getting involved, according to the release.

Those who are interested can take part in the research stage or can become a brand ambassador to help launch the city’s new brand, which is expected to happen in mid-2023.

“Now is an exciting time for the City of Zephyrhills to undergo a rebranding effort amid a period of rapid growth and development,” said Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe, in the press release. “We want to ensure we’re telling the right story and have a unified message across all city departments, as well as with our dedicated community stakeholders, to foster a vibrant, distinguishable future for our wonderful town.”

North Place Branding + Marketing has worked with over 200 communities in 44 states over the last 20 years, including Marshall, Minnesota; Gallatin, Tennessee;  Johnson, Tennessee and others.

For more information or to sign up as brand ambassador, visit AuthenticZephyrhills.com.

Published September 28, 2022

Town of St. Leo approves $4.1 million budget

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The town of St. Leo has adopted a budget of $4.1 million for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

Founded in 1891, the Town of St. Leo is the oldest incorporated municipality in Pasco County. The town has an estimated population of 2,362 and is approximately 858 acres in size. (Mike Camunas)

This year’s budget represents slightly more than $200,000 higher than last year, which translates into an increase of about 5%.

The St. Leo Town Commission approved the budget in a commission meeting on Sept. 21.

The town is expected to generate total general funds in about $1.2 million through sales and use taxes, licenses and permits, intergovernmental and miscellaneous revenues.

St. Leo also has $2.1 million in reserves.

Expenditures are estimated at just over $2 million, stemming from general government, public safety, physical environment, human services and other non-operating uses.

General government has the highest expenditure at $318,731.

The Town plans on spending $173,500 of special revenue on transportation and special projects.

Founded in 1891, St. Leo is the oldest incorporated municipality in Pasco County. The Town is approximately 858 acres in size, much of which is Lake Jovita. The most recent population estimate is 2,362.

The five-person Town Commission consists of Donna DeWitt, Mayor Vincent D’Ambrosio, Mayor Pro Tem James Hallett, Curtis Dwyer and William Hamilton.

For more information about the town, its commission, permits, applications and other issues, visit TownOfStLeo.org.

Published September 28, 2022

Pasco seeks to expand cultural and arts opportunities

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The Pasco County Commission has created a new advisory council aimed at providing a greater focus on cultural arts and resources within the county.

County board members took action on Sept. 20 to appoint the inaugural members of the Cultural Advisory Council.

The Library Service Administration recommended these appointees, who were selected by the county board. The credentials of the appointees were detailed in the county board’s agenda packets.

The first appointees to the Cultural Affairs Advisory Council are:

  • Lauren Murray, executive director of Pasco-Hernando State College’s Instructional Performing Arts Center, former director of the Columbus (Georgia) Symphony, former music chair at the Patel Conservatory at the Straz Center.
  • Maureen Murphy, employed by Life Enrichment Center in Tampa, as well as former chair of the North Tampa Arts League, juror for Art of the Florida State Fair, juror for Carrollwood Cultural Center
  • Izaura Spence, co-director of Reitz Union Board Entertainment Bands Committee (University of Florida) and chair of Generation M (Moffitt Cancer Center); supervisor, research financial analyst (Moffitt Cancer Center); member of Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay.
  • Charles Zider, adjunct instructor, Pasco-Hernando State College, background in archaeology and museum studies
  • Abeer Abu Judeh, lawyer, with over 18 years of legal experience, able to support the Cultural Affairs Advisory Council in grant applications and other writing materials and presentations, involved in the Tampa Bay Wave and Women’s Association of Lawyers

Members of the advisory council “should be advocates for the arts and culture by encouraging the study and presentation of arts and cultural activities, making Pasco County a cultural destination,” according to materials in the county board’s agenda packet.

In addition to the appointed members of the council, there will be a liaison from each of these county departments: Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources; Florida’s Sports Coast; and Library Services.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey raised the possibility of creating a cultural affairs advisory council during a previous board discussion.

She said it would help put a focus on opportunities in arts and culture for Pasco residents.

The initial term for the appointed council members will be staggered, so two of the members were appointed for one year and the others were appointed for two years.

Published September 28, 2022

Pasco utilities engineering director appointed

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Adolfo Gonzalez has been named utilities engineering director for Pasco County, effective Oct. 3.

The Pasco County Commission confirmed the appointment during its Sept. 20 meeting.

Gonzalez, whose annual salary will be $140,000, is replacing the previous utilities engineering director who resigned from the county in May 2022.

Gonzalez was selected from a number of applicants, as the best candidate for the position.

He has more than 30 years of engineering experience managing a variety of transportation, drainage, water and wastewater projects in both the public and private sectors, according to the board’s agenda packet.

During the course of his career, Gonzalez has led teams of professional engineers and technical staff to deliver capital projects for his employers and clients.

In addition to his professional design and project management experience, he also has served as the district engineer for the Central Broward Water Control District since 2010.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is a registered professional engineer in the state of Florida.

Published September 28, 2022

Board seeks to end human trafficking

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Kathryn Starkey

Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey has been selected to serve on the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking.

She has been appointed for a three-year term.

Starkey was appointed by Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls, according to a Pasco County news release.

In a letter to Starkey, Sprowls congratulated the chair for her involvement, the news release says.

“It is a pleasure to appoint you to serve as a member,” Sprowls said. “Thank you for your willingness to serve on behalf of the Florida House of Representatives.”

According to the release, Starkey said: “We need to end human trafficking in Florida, and I’m ready to help with this important mission. If we’re engaged and focused, we can put a stop to this horrible crime.”

The Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking is a nonprofit organization created by the Florida Legislature to provide funding, support and assistance to the statewide efforts to end human trafficking. Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor of commercial act. Florida ranks third in the U.S., in human trafficking cases reported, according to the Alliance.

Published September 28, 2022

‘Safe Space’ stickers are barred from Pasco Schools

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Pasco School Superintendent Kurt Browning is standing behind his decision to order the removal of rainbow-colored “Safe Space” stickers throughout the school district.

He also has made it known that the school system does not condone the practice of its personnel engaging in private, personal conversations with students.

Browning made those positions clear — after a number of public speakers addressed the ‘Safe Space’ issue — during the Pasco County School Board’s Sept. 12 meeting.

The stickers came about because several organizations and school districts began posting stickers “to let students know they could talk to a trusted adult, if they had a sensitive topic they needed to discuss,” according to Steve Hegarty, public information officer for the school district.

Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning has ordered that these stickers be removed from district schools. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

“Clearly, it included LGBTQ youth, but is not limited to them,” Hegarty explained, via email. “Rather than posting stickers that promoted one organization or another, we created our own with the district logo,” Hegarty said.

Browning sent out an email to district staff on Sept. 1 alerting them the district would no longer be designating safe spaces and the stickers would be removed.

Several speakers appeared before the school board, expressing their concerns about that decision.

Heather Adams, who said she has been an educator for 13 years, told board members: “I rise today in support of the Safe Space stickers.

“I believe that our schools should foster diversity, inclusion and acceptance. Safe Space stickers are an infinitesimally small measure that let all of our children know that they are welcome in our classrooms.

“They are not symbols designed to disenfranchise any part of a group of students who may dislike what the rainbow symbol stands for. Those stickers are a symbol that people who are different, who don’t think, dress, act or love like the majority of other students are just as welcome in our schools.

“A sticker is a small thing, but it is a symbol that we, as educators, will accept and treasure all our students, regardless of their beliefs.

“What is not a small thing is the 45% of the LGBTQ students, almost one in two, who will seriously consider suicide this year.

“This suicide prevention month, I implore you to consider what message the removal of these stickers sends to the at-risk youth, who view them as a reminder that they are valued in our community.”

Jessica Jucusko Wright, a former district educator, told the board: “We need to have systems in place that protect our kids, that they know there are adults they can go to, that they can report to, and that those reports will be heard, that they will not be mocked, that they will not be lost and that action will actually be taken.

“It does not matter how our staff may identify from a religious standpoint. We serve the public and we serve all of the public, regardless how we may feel behind closed doors. It does not matter,” the Land O’ Lakes woman said.

Beverly Ledbetter, a former district teacher, also weighed in:  “We like to think of our schools as a safe place for students to find structure and protection, but there are multiple reasons why a student might not feel accepted or understood at school.

“Safe Spaces helped the students who felt unaccepted for whatever reason regain their sense of belonging, where they can talk to other students who feel the same emotions. Safe Spaces can help those students feel empowered to speak up and receive the support they need to believe and to achieve. It gives them a sense of belonging and support, and not just support from the teacher, but from fellow students who come together as a kind of community.”

Ledbetter added: “A Safe Space sticker on a teacher’s door is a signal that bullying and harassment will not be tolerated.”

Others said the sticker conveyed a tone of acceptance and helped instill confidence in students, who sometimes are unable to be authentically who they are at home.

But Rebecca Yuengling, a frequent critic of the school district had a different point of view.

She spoke against the Safe Space stickers.

“No teacher has the right to tell my child to keep secrets. My child will decide. I will decide. Not the teacher, with my child, in private. They’re my children. I decide what they’ll be. No teacher is going to do that. Nobody in this district is going to do that. You don’t have that right, it’s out of your bounds, and thank God for the laws,” Yuengling said.

Superintendent Browning told those listening: “There’s decisions made by the state and then there’s decisions made locally. This decision, in large part, was made in Tallahassee.

He added: “I guess I wasn’t clear enough when I sent my email to district staff. So, let me see if I can clarify my email to district staff.

“This district has no choice, has no choice, because the law says, under the Parent’s Bill of Rights, that there are no such things as ‘safe spaces,’ as we’re defining safe spaces.

“Teachers are not permitted to have private, personal conversations with students any longer.

“Now, I know that runs counter to a lot of us. It runs counter to a lot of us,” he said.

But the superintendent said those who object to the law need to take their opposition to another venue.

“Who you ought to be talking to, about this law, are members of the Florida Legislature. You need to be talking to the governor of the state,” Browning said.

“Because for anyone to think that this district can pick and choose what laws we’re going to enforce and which laws we’re not going to enforce — that isn’t the way it works.

“Whether you agree or whether you disagree with the law, the law is the law, until it’s overturned by the Legislature or by a court of competent jurisdiction,” Browning said.

“Does this mean that we don’t care, because we’ve taken a sticker off a door? That we do not care about kids that identify as gay, or transgender, or lesbian?

“No, that is not what that means.

“All we want is for teachers to understand is they are prohibited by state law of having those private, personal conversations, with students,” the superintendent said.

School districts, and individual teachers, are subject to potential litigation — and the legal fees that arise — if they violate the law, Browning said.

School board member Alison Crumbley said “I understand the passion here and I understand how people feel, on all sides … But this district went through this for two years.

“Every school board meeting, we were bombarded and harangued and we stood for all of our students,” she said.

Parents and guardians are looking to the board “every single day to protect their students, every single day, regardless of their sexuality, anything.”

She then cited a paragraph in the district’s bullying policy that she believes shows the board’s commitment to providing safe, supportive schools for every student.

“The five of us and the superintendent … we really mean this, for every kid. And I know sometimes it doesn’t feel that way, but we really do.”

Published September 21, 2022