The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Voting during the time of COVID-19

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Supervisors of election in Pasco and Hillsborough counties both have reported how they will proceed with carrying out the Primary Election on Aug. 18, during the midst of a global pandemic.

Local elections supervisors gear up for the Aug. 18 primary. Early voting has begun in Hillsborough County and begins soon in Pasco County. (File)

Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley has announced his office will be using safety measures in accordance with guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to ensure the well-being of poll workers and voters.

In a news release, Corley said his office strongly encourages voters to consider voting by mail, but added voting by mail, in-person early voting and Election Day voting will be available. Early voting in Pasco is Aug. 8 through Aug. 15.

The Pasco Supervisor of Elections also noted that those choosing to vote in-person should expect longer wait times as his office uses precautionary measures, such as limiting the number of people inside the polling room and continuous cleaning of equipment and surfaces.

“With advanced notice, the expectation is that voters will be understanding and remain patient while waiting in line,” the news release adds.

Pasco’s safety measures include:

  • Mandatory masks and/or face shields for poll workers
  • Availability of single-use styli for electronic signature pads
  • Optional use of reusable ballot secrecy sleeves
  • Hands-free check-in with Florida driver license and Florida ID cards via 2D barcode readers
  • Option to use personal blue or black marking pens to mark ballots
  • Available disposable masks for voters, which is strongly encouraged per the county directive and may be required at some voting locations
  • Social distancing while in line outside and inside the polling place
  • Minimization of touch point contamination through ongoing cleaning of surfaces, voting pens, voting machines, etc.
    Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer also has detailed his plans for in-person and Vote By Mail for the upcoming 2020 elections.

“As always, we will offer no-excuse Vote By Mail, postage-paid return envelopes for Vote By Mail, and the maximum number of Early Voting days for Hillsborough County voters,” Latimer said, in a website posting.

“And while some of our Election Day polling places are unavailable to us, the large majority have been confirmed and will be open.

Hillsborough County will have 24 Early Voting sites, and during early voting, curbside tents will be outside each of those sites, for voters who wish to drop off a Vote By Mail ballot. Early voting in Hillsborough is Aug. 3 through Aug. 16.

Vote By Mail ballots also can be dropped off at any of the four elections offices in Hillsborough County.

On Election Day, 239 locations will be open, which includes a loss of 21 locations that became unavailable due to COVID-19. Voters who will experience a polling change will be notified by mail, by Latimer’s office.

Like Corley, Latimer expects in-person voting to take longer than usual because of safety precautions aimed at protecting voters and poll workers.

For more information about voting in Pasco County, visit PascoVotes.gov.

For more information about voting in Hillsborough County, visit VoteHillsborough.gov.

Published August 05, 2020

Dade City commissioners set tentative tax rate

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The City of Dade City has set its tentative millage rate at 7.14 mills for fiscal year 2020-2021 — the same property tax rate established the past several years.

Dade City commissioners voted unanimously to set the rate at a July 28 virtual meeting.

At 7.14 mills, ad valorem tax revenues in the city’s general fund are anticipated to generate about $2.04 million — an increase of $106,710 from last year, due to new construction, higher values due to property improvements, and so on.

Under state law, once a tentative millage rate has been set, the city cannot raise it before the start of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The commission does, however, have the option to reduce the rate before then.

Traditionally, the commission has voted to use the rollback rate as the proposed millage, while instructing city staff to later set a lower rate for a particular fiscal year; the rollback rate is the millage rate that would collect an equivalent level of ad valorem taxes in the next fiscal year as in the current fiscal year.

However, this year’s rolled-back rate  — 6.354 mills — is lower compared to prior years.

In effect, by setting the tentative millage rate at the higher 7.14, the city is able to help make up ground after a hospital property was taken off the tax rolls, which decreased the general fund upwards of $95,000 last year, explained Dade City Manager Leslie Porter.

Porter said the 7.14 millage rate “will help bring us back to where we were (revenue-wise) a couple of years ago.”

What usually is a rather laborious process to get commissioners to agree on a tentative property tax rate was a cut-and-dry scenario this time around, Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez pointed out.

“Traditionally, this has been a very long conversation because the numbers didn’t look like they do here this evening,” Hernandez said.

Meanwhile, commissioners have scheduled virtual workshops on Aug. 11, Aug. 18 and Aug. 25. Each meeting will begin at 4 p.m.

A tentative budget public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 10 at 5:30 p.m.

Milestones recognized
Commissioner Scott Black was informally recognized a few months ago for his 30th year serving on the Dade City Commission.

Dade City Police officer Pete Emerson was recognized for 25 years of service. (Courtesy of Dade City Police Department)

The Florida League of Cities (FLOC) have since acknowledged Black’s milestone, sending a formal letter to the municipality, as well as mailing him a resolution and a service pin.

Normally, a FLOC representative will make a presentation during a commission meeting, but not this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Black, who’s been on the commission since 1990, thanked his colleagues for the additional recognition. “It’s been a pleasure to serve,” he said, “and it seems like just yesterday I started.”

Another career milestone also was shared during the meeting — as Dade City Police officer Pete Emerson was recognized for 25 years of service with the city.

Emerson is currently in his second stint as a school resource officer (SRO) at Pasco High School. He was the school’s SRO from 1997 to 2002, then returned to the role last year after having served in other department roles, including detective.

Underscoring Emerson’s longevity — newly sworn-in Commissioner Knute Nathe noted he was a student at Pasco High when Emerson was SRO.

The mayor took time to congratulate both Black and Emerson on their respective accomplishments: “Those are huge numbers and something very special and to be proud of, so thank you for your service to your community, and in Emerson’s case, keeping our young people safe over there (at Pasco High).”

Published August 05, 2020

Lawmaker talks state budget cuts, COVID-19

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State Rep. Randy Maggard made a special appearance at a Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month — updating constituents on issues that included state budget cuts, the COVID-19 pandemic, return-to-school plans and more.

During his talk, Maggard, who represents District 38 in the Florida House of Representatives, bluntly said East Pasco was fortunate to secure state funding for two projects.

Randy Maggard represents District 38 in the State House of Representatives. He spoke on a number of issues, during a special appearance last month at a Zephyrhills City Council meeting. (Courtesy of Florida House of Representatives)

Those projects survived, while other projects fell by the wayside as a result of $1 billion in budget cuts, achieved through line-item vetoes by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The governor made those cuts because state revenues were lower than expected, due to the economic impacts of COVID-19.

The approved $92.2 billion budget, however, does include about $5.5 million for the Lacoochee industrial area right of way improvements and about $2.3 million for intersection improvements at U.S. 301/Pretty Pond and Medical Arts Court.

“We’re just happy to get what we did,” Maggard said. “At the end of the day, we felt we fared well compared to most (other districts).”

Other budget wins in Maggard’s book included the $500 million to increase teacher salaries across the state and the approval of the most comprehensive water bill in Florida history. That water bill includes: $322 million for Everglades Restoration; $50 million for springs restoration; $160 million for targeted water quality improvements; $40 million for alternative water supply; and, $25 million to combat harmful algal blooms and red tide.

Maggard said he hopes the state doesn’t need to undergo yet another round of budget cuts due to COVID-19, hurricane season or some other setback. Luckily, state reserves could help withstand some expected shortfalls, he said.

Maggard said the Legislature’s foresight to build up a reserve in the past has come in handy now.

He added: “What we’re praying is that we don’t have a bad hurricane season. Just having another knockout punch would not be good for our economy, and that’s what we’re concerned about, at the time.”

On the COVID-19 front, Maggard acknowledged the pandemic “just seems to be dragging on,” but noted a sliver of a silver lining.

The positivity rates for COVID-19 through Florida have hovered in the 10% range to 12% range, while experiencing marked decreases is some instances.

Maggard said Florida made headlines across the country when it recorded nearly 15,300 new coronavirus cases on July 12. That set a national record for any one-day period.

What media outlets failed to mention, Maggard said, is about 142,900 people were tested — representing a positivity rate of about 10.7%.

A few days before that, the state had reported 11,343 positive COVID-19 cases among 93,500 tests — correlating with a higher positivity rate of 12.1%, he said.

“It was a big number that dropped, but we’re testing more,” Maggard said, regarding the July 12 report.

“If you look at just the pure numbers, you would think, ‘Wow, this thing is spreading worse, and we’re in trouble,’” he said.

But, when “you look at it percentage-wise,” he said, “it’s not growing like the numbers sometimes show.”

And, that, he said, represents “a little bit of good news.”

The freshman lawmaker added the “largest spread” of the coronavirus comes from Florida bars and small breweries, so temporarily closing down those institutions was “just something that had to be done,” he said.

He also acknowledged the economic impact the decision had.

“It is affecting small business, and we understand that,” he said.

Maggard also emphasized  the importance of mask wearing and social distancing: “If you talk to your doctor, they will tell you. If we can just keep that practice, we can get over this hurdle, we really can just get it to stop. I think we can get out of this mess, and then we just need to pray for a shot like we do for the flu, then I’ll think a lot of this will just go away.”

On the much-debated topic of return-to-school plans, Maggard assured state leaders are studying “the smartest way” to handle an ever-changing situation, adding decisions are “based on science and numbers, and not emotion.”

However, he added there’s been “overwhelming” support to reopen brick-and-mortar school campuses for the 2020-2021 school year, particularly among Florida high schoolers.

“It’s funny, the majority of high school students we’ve reached out to are like, ‘Yeah, we want to go back to school,’” Maggard said. “Maybe staying at home with parents is not as fun as it used to be at the time; high school students are definitely for it.”

He also addressed one of the more well-documented issues that surfaced early in the wake of COVID-19: the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s difficulty in managing the massive volume of unemployment benefit claims.

Many of those problems have been resolved, Maggard said.

“There’s some people out there we’re still dealing with, but overall that number’s dropping, which has been good for us,” he said.

Published August 05, 2020

Kumquat Festival changes date

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In this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce and other Dade City officials have decided to move the 24th annual Kumquat Festival to March 27, according to a chamber news release.

The Kumquat Festival is attended by tens of thousands of visitors each year. (Courtesy of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce)

The festival, typically held the last Saturday in January, will be a spring event this year.

“We felt it prudent to exercise extreme caution and move the date of the festival to ensure the health and safety of our attendees, our vendors, our sponsors, and the hundreds of people it takes to make this annual signature event a success,” John Moors, executive director of the Dade City chamber, said in the release.

The March 27 festival will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in Dade City, around the iconic Historic Pasco County Courthouse. Admission is free. Shuttles will be provided from two satellite parking areas.

As in previous years, historic Downtown Dade City will be transformed into an open-air marketplace, featuring local businesses, hundreds of specialty vendors, an interactive Kids’ Corral, a car and truck show, dozens of partner sponsors, and the friendly, authentic Old Florida experience that the annual Kumquat Festival has come to represent.

The chamber extends its thanks for past support and continued enthusiasm for the 2021 annual Kumquat Festival.

Published August 05, 2020

Pasco Schools passes preliminary budget

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The Pasco County School Board has given first-round approval to a total school district budget approaching $1.5 billion.

Superintendent Kurt Browning detailed some of the budget’s highlights, during the board’s first public hearing on the budget, held on July 28.

The board approved the tentative tax rate and budget, following a public hearing. There was no public comment. The final public hearing on the budget is set for Sept. 15 at 6 p.m., in the board room at the school district’s headquarters, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Browning covered some of the budget’s high points.

The proposed total tax millage for 2020-2021 fiscal year is 5.922 mills, which is a decrease of 0.179 mills, Browning said. A mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of assessed taxable value.

“Under the proposed rate, a homeowner of a $175,000 home, after the deduction of the $25,000 homestead exemption, would pay $26.85 less per year than last year,” Browning said.

Olga Swinson, the district’s chief finance officer, explained the reduction.

Each year, the state sets a required local effort amount that local districts are mandated to levy, she said. This year, it was 3.664 mills. Last year, it was 3.853 mills.

“Had we been able to keep the same millage that we did last year, we would generate about an additional $6.3 million, in fiscal year 2020-2021,” she said, but that is not an option.

The district’s proposed budget, a 7.3% increase over last year’s budget, includes a general operating budget of $699 million and a proposed capital budget of $415 million.

“The district received additional funds totaling $24.1 million in state funding to accommodate a predicted growth of 1,933 students,” Browning said.

He detailed how the $24.1 million will be spent:

  • $10.1 million is set aside for School Choice, including charter schools and scholarships
  • $4.9 million will go for retirement increases
  • $2.1 million will go for insurance increases
  • $3.3 million will be used for 68.91 staffing allocations for schools and 5.7 staffing allocations for the district
  • $1.2 million will go for specific academic program initiatives, including programs aimed at supporting educational equity
  • $500,000 will go for property insurance, utilities and School Resource Officer contract increases

The district’s proposed operating budget includes allocations and operating costs for the opening of Cypress Creek Middle School, and mid-year expenses for the Starkey Ranch K-8 school.

The district’s budget also allocates funds to raise the minimum teacher salary to about $45,000, in accordance with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ requirement to improve teacher pay.

It is not clear yet what kind of raises will be provided for other district employees.

“Salary increases for additional instructional personnel and other staff will be provided as funding permits,” Browning said.

“The proposed capital budget is $415 million, an increase of $73.5 million over last year, Browning said.

Big-ticket items in that budget include the construction of Starkey Ranch K-8 and the construction of the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation.

Other projects included in the capital budget include a new bus loop at San Antonio Elementary School, renovation and remodeling at Zephyrhills High School, cafeteria renovations, replacement of HVAC systems, infrastructure upgrades at various schools and lease/purchase of computers and school buses.

Published August 05, 2020

Pastor is ‘Birthday King’ for a day

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Members of St. John Missionary Baptist Church recently helped to celebrate the Rev. Harold Thomas’ 85th birthday, and his 37th year of leading the church.

In the midst of COVID-19, the church couldn’t host the gathering it wanted, so it adapted to the times, according to Bermice Thomas, the pastor’s wife, who provided information about the event.

Pastor Harold Thomas celebrates his birthday, seated next to his wife, Bermice Thomas. (Courtesy of Bermice Thomas)

Church members outfitted Thomas with a “Birthday King” robe and crown, and had a surprise luncheon — adhering to COVID-19 social distancing.

Festivities included a parade of law enforcement officers from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the Dade City Police Department — complete with lights and sirens, the pastor’s wife reported.

Pastor Thomas has “humbly served” at the church, located at 14549 Eighth St., in Dade City, his wife said, via email.

She thanked ANA’s Devine Events for providing beautiful decorations for the church’s dining area.

She said the pastor’s birthday was on July 21, but members decided it would be more of a surprise if they had the party on July 19 — the same day as church service.

Festivities included a parade by members of the Dade City Police Department and Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, complete with lights and sirens. The law enforcement officers couldn’t stay for the party, but they posed with the pastor for a photo. From left: Pasco Sheriff’s Lt. J. R. Law, Dade City Police officer Jose Felix, Pastor Harold Thomas, Dade City Police officer Devon Greenwald and Dade City Police Sgt. Rob Tungate.

Those attending the morning service were invited to share in the lunch.

The luncheon foods came from Olive Garden and Wingstop.

Bermice Thomas said her husband rode with her to Wesley Chapel to pick up the chicken wings — one of his favorite foods.

His wife said she drove slowly deliberately, to ensure they arrived at the church close to the arranged time of the law enforcement parade.

The pastor became somewhat suspicious when she got of the car quickly, to go into the church.

“The cars were waiting to proceed at 1 p.m. sharp starting at the corner of Sumner Avenue and 10th Street,” she reported. “As the sirens got closer, Rev. Thomas, as well as everyone, came out to the covered sidewalk to see what was going on and why the sirens were so close.

“When the officers turned into the church parking lot with all the bells and whistles, my husband asked what was going on.

“The officers got out of their vehicles and those gathered began singing Happy Birthday, and each officer came up to congratulate him on 85 years,” Bermice Thomas’ email says.

Even though the officers could not stay to enjoy lunch, the pastor’s wife said, “I’d like to thank Chief Walters and the Dade City Police department for sharing in this wonderful blessing.”

She also appreciated the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office for being there.

Pastor Thomas was moved to tears by the touching tribute, her email says.

Published August 05, 2020

The church hall was decorated for a party, celebrated with COVID-19 social distancing.
Rev. Harold Thomas dons a cape and crown, as he celebrates his 85th birthday.

Zephyrhills sets tentative millage rate

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Zephyrhills property owners won’t see an increase in their ad valorem tax rate for fiscal year 2020-2021.

The Zephyrhills City Council on July 27 unanimously voted to set the tentative millage rate at 6.35 mills — a rate the municipality has maintained for several years.

Public hearings on the proposed property tax rate have been scheduled for Sept. 14 and Sept. 28.

Under state law, once a tentative millage rate has been set, the city cannot raise it before the start of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The council does, however, have the option to reduce the rate before then.

A mill represents $1 in tax for every $1,000 worth of a property’s taxable assessed value.

In Zephyrhills, maintaining a rate of 6.35 mills would levy about $5.32 million in property taxes — a revenue increase of nearly $380,000 compared with last year.

The figures are based on the total city’s property value of nearly $838 million, an increase of $63.8 million over last year. Of that increase, $28.7 million is attributable to new construction.

The city’s tentative budget is typically set by Aug. 1 each year. However, staff requested to delay the deadline until Aug. 7, because the city is awaiting various revenue estimates from the state.

In other news, council members received an update on the Sarah Vande Berg Foundation’s outreach plans, in the midst of COVID-19.

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road, won’t open its doors until mid- or late September, but inroads are being made to grow the sport among local youth.

The outreach will be done through the Sarah Vande Berg Foundation, a nonprofit that subsidizes tennis equipment, lessons and afterschool programs to underserved community youth, in partnership with the forthcoming tennis facility.

Nick Walton, the foundation’s program director, explained that the foundation had partnered with West Zephyrhills Elementary School to offer an afterschool tennis program in the spring, but that the program had to be postponed until the fall because of the pandemic.

In addition to partnering with individual schools, including West Zephyrhills Elementary, Walton said the nonprofit also will host a series of free afterschool programs available to all youth in the community during the 2020-2021 school year — regardless of whether students attend brick-and-mortar schools or take virtual classes.

The afterschool program likely will be held around 3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m., on weekdays, Walton said.

“We’ve secured enough funding right now to secure us through the entire school year, so you guys will be seeing me, hopefully trying to raise more, and get into more schools and have more programs running,” Walton told the council.

The nearly $5 million tennis complex features 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts, as well as a state-of-the art indoor health and wellness center, among other amenities.

The facility is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor serving as the facility’s CEO.

Virtual meetings set for audio upgrades
In the last several weeks, Zephyrhills city government meetings have mostly returned in-person amid COVID-19, but citizens still have the opportunity to listen and participate through a telephone call-in number.

The Zephyrhills City Hall council chambers is being outfitted with a new computer system to enhance audio quality for broadcasting virtual meetings. (File)

As staffers and council members have begun conducting semi-virtual meetings at the City Hall council chambers, some audio quality issues have arisen for those who listen in on the phone in real time.

That’s because the chamber room’s communications system wasn’t originally designed to accommodate in-person meetings that could also be broadcasted remotely.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said those issues should be sorted out in time for the next scheduled council meeting on Aug. 10, as the city’s IT department is working to retrofit a new computer system that will provide for better sound processing.

“We’ve heard complaints about people being able to only hear every third word or being muffled,” Poe said. “Hopefully, we’ll have something in place, and hopefully it’ll work for the next meeting.”

With that, council president Charles Proctor expressed his appreciation for Mike Panak, the  city’s IT director, for helping set up a virtual meeting system on the fly, over the course of the shutdown.

“I’m sure this has been difficult for him to run all of this, and get all this, and I’m sure this has been a nightmare for him, and I really appreciate the fine job done, especially when we were meeting virtually,” Proctor said.

The council president also thanked the city’s entire staff for its dedication and its work to keep the municipality running over the last several months.

“This has been one of the most difficult times in our country’s history, and we have such an amazing group of employees that are so faithful. They show up to work, do an amazing job, even through all this nightmare that we’ve all been living.

“From the guy on the back of the truck to our police and city manager, I’m just so thankful that we have such an amazing team,” Proctor said.

Published August 05, 2020

Symbolic funeral procession

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Members of Citizens Against Discrimination and Social Injustice, the Pasco County chapter of Black Lives Matter, and the Pasco Young Revolutionaries organized a peaceful ‘funeral procession’ protest on a rainy July 18 afternoon on Beardsley Drive near Meadow Point Boulevard, in Wesley Chapel. A procession was held, instead of a march or rally, because of concerns about COVID-19.The simulated funeral procession included a hearse, provided by Wilson Funeral Home , located in Tampa. The protest was meant to draw attention to black lives lost to police actions taken across the United States. The procession headed north along Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to State Road 54 and concluded at Walmart, at 28500 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel.

Maya King, left, and Christina Boneta, both of New Port Richey, display a sign representing Black Lives Matter. The women are affiliated with the Pasco County chapter. (Randy Underhill)
Marlowe Jones, of New Port Richey, president of Pasco Young Revolutionaries, organized the peaceful protest, in concert with the Pasco County chapter of Black Lives Matter and Citizens Against Discrimination and Social Injustice.
Diane Scott, of Wesley Chapel, an advocate of Black Lives Matter, places a sign on her vehicle, while preparing to take part in the procession.
A protest parade, intended to simulate a funeral procession, made its way down Beardsley Drive in Wesley Chapel, on a rainy afternoon on July 18. Those taking part included members of Black Lives Matter of Pasco County, Pasco Young Revolutionaries and Citizens Against Discrimination and Social Injustice.

There is still time to help make Pasco count

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PLEASE NOTE: The U.S. Census Bureau has issued a statement updating its “plans to collect and process 2020 Census data…to accelerate the completion of data collection.” The new self-response deadline is now Sept. 30, and not Oct. 31 as originally published in the 08/05/2020 edition of The Laker/Lutz News.

The United States Census has extended the 2020 Census self-response deadline to Sept. 30, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Census is a nationwide population count taken every 10 years, and an accurate count allows states to be fairly represented congressionally, and allows local jurisdictions a fair share of funding for programs and services that residents rely on.

As of the beginning of July, Pasco County had counted about 60% percent of its households, according to a Pasco County news release.

Pasco County’s goal is 100% participation, as it has seen exceptional growth over the past decade, and needs the funding to support the communities and citizens it serves, the release says.

An undercount can result in millions of dollars of lost federal funding Pasco County services, including libraries; schools and school meal programs; hospitals and health programs; housing assistance; fire departments; roads and highways; community centers; and public transportation.

The Census survey collects basic statistical information. It does not ask for Social Security numbers, citizenship status, or any other sensitive personal information.

Census responses are secure, confidential and protected by law – no personal information can be shared with anyone, including other government agencies.

For additional security information, visit tinyurl.com/y74uu2ym.

It takes about 10 minutes to answer the survey.

The Census is available online at My2020Census.gov, over the phone and by mail, making participation easy.

Published August 05, 2020

Pasco schools to require masks

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The Pasco County School Board has made it official: Students, staff and visitors must wear face coverings on school campuses and in district buildings.

The board on July 28 unanimously adopted the emergency rule, proposed by Superintendent Kurt Browning.

The rule has been described as being “temporary” and is accompanied by guidelines for implementation.

School board member Megan Harding thanked Browning for proposing the rule.

“This is one more layer of safety for our students and staff, and visitors that come to our schools,” Harding said.

She asked district staff to provide additional guidance to teachers, to help them handle situations that arise, such as students needing mask breaks.

“I just hope we can give our teachers in school some scripted language that they can use from a social-emotional approach,” Harding said.

She also appealed to parents: “Parents, we’re going to need your help. Please start now, teaching your child how to properly and safely put a mask on.

“For the little ones, make it a game. Start by wearing the mask for 10 minutes and then gradually increase the time.

“For our older students, make it an appropriate fashion statement,” Harding said, noting she has seen many online stores selling masks in fun and fashionable designs.

School board member Alison Crumbley underscored the fact that the emergency rule is temporary, and is subject to change, as conditions change.

“We are carefully balancing the health and safety of our teachers and students, at this time, with student achievement,” Crumbley said, along with consideration for students’ social and emotional well-being.

School Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin reiterated her support for requiring masks.

“I made a commitment to our students, teachers and staff that I would support a mandate to require face coverings, in an effort to protect all members of our Pasco Schools’ family.”

“I’m pleased there is the opportunity to give mask breaks, when social distancing can happen, and I hope we’ll be able to provide regular breaks to do just that.

“Please keep in mind that this is temporary. If we can start with this in place and the public follows CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines outside of school, then we can help drive down the COVID numbers and lift this emergency rule,” she said.

Published August 05, 2020