Board reappointment
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the reappointment of John Mitten to the Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) District Board of Trustees (DBOT). His term will run through May 31, 2023.
Mitten, of Brooksville, is the franchise owner of Chick-fil-A in Spring Hill and a former chairman of the Hernando County Commission.
He is active in his community with the Greater Hernando Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Hernando County, YMCA of Hernando County, Hope Children’s Home, and Jericho Road Ministries.
Mitten earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University.
“We are very pleased with the reappointment of John Mitten as a board member and look forward to his continued leadership and commitment to higher education in our communities,” Dr. Timothy Beard, PHSC president, said.
The reappointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
Early release days
During the second semester, Pasco County Schools will implement a two-hour early release day every month, each day falling on a Wednesday. There will be no early release day in May.
The early release days, which were implemented for the first time last school year, provide teachers with an opportunity to complete professional development and experience training that will help increase effective instruction and ultimately will benefit students.
Students who are registered in the district’s PLACE program will be able to stay the extra two hours with no additional charges. School buses will operate two hours earlier during early release days. The routes and bus stops will not change.
Upcoming early release days are Feb. 3, March 3 and April 7.
The bell times, including the early release times for each school, can be found at Pasco.k12.fl.us/site/pcs_bell_schedule, or on the Pasco County Schools’ Facebook page.
Student achievements
- Christina Carroll, of Lutz: Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
- Trevina Jason-Vikram, of Wesley Chapel: Dean’s List at Normandale Community College, Bloomington, Minnesota
- Weiman Jiang, of Lutz: Dean’s List at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York
- Elijah Johnson, of Odessa: Master of Public Health, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
- Kelly McDermott, of Lutz: Bachelor of Arts in Communications & Information Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
- Joshua Oldenburg, of Odessa: Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
Vaccines for school employees
Pasco County Schools is partnering with the Pasco County Department of Health and the Pasco Department of Emergency Management to provide COVID-19 vaccines to school district employees who are age 65 and older, according to a news release.
The first of the two vaccine doses is scheduled for Feb. 7. A second dose is scheduled for March 7.
The vaccinations, which are by appointment only, will take place in New Port Richey and in Land O’ Lakes.
Due to a limited supply of vaccines, the state has made it a priority to vaccinate Floridians age 65 and older. Additionally, the Pasco Department of Health has made the vaccine available to the school district’s medical first responders.
The vaccinations will be administered by teams of nurses from both the Department of Health and the school district.
Federal loan tip
Students who will borrow money for college using federal student loans must complete entrance counseling, if they are borrowing for the first time, according to the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA).
Entrance counseling helps students understand the financial commitments they agree to when they receive their loan.
The U.S. Department of Education requires borrowers to complete the counseling before students can receive loan funds. The counseling will teach users how to borrow responsibly without taking out more loans than are needed.
The department offers online counseling at StudentAid.gov, under the Complete Aid Process tab. Counseling should take between 20 minutes to 30 minutes.
Borrowers should check with their college to see if the federal counseling session is accepted, as some schools have alternate counseling program requirements.
The KHEAA is a public, nonprofit agency established in 1966 to improve students’ access to college. It also provides information about financial aid and financial literacy at no cost to students and parents.
For more about KHEAA services, visit KHEAA.com.
St. Anthony open house
St. Anthony Catholic School, 12155 Joe Herrmann Drive in San Antonio, is scheduled to open a new VPK program in August. Enrollment for new families will begin on Feb. 23.
The school will host an open house on Feb. 4 from 9 a.m. to noon. Small tours will be given due to the current COVID-19 health and safety circumstances.
St. Anthony is a private K-8 school founded in 1884 and dedicated to providing students with quality and Christ-centered education that addresses a child’s needs spiritually, academically, socially, emotionally and physically.
For information and to learn more about the school’s VPK program, K-8 openings, or to schedule a tour, call 352-588-3041, or visit StAnthonySchoolFl.org.
SAT School Day
The District School Board of Pasco County will provide the SAT School Day free of charge to all juniors on March 24, according to the Pasco County Schools Facebook page.
The district will register all juniors for the test; it is not necessary for students to register on the College Board website.
For more information, students should contact their respective school counselor.
