The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Alison Crumbley

Learning options go on, in Florida

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Parents will continue to have the choice of keeping their children at home for remote learning through the second semester of the school year.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran made that announcement during a joint news conference on Nov. 30.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning also discussed the state’s new executive order during the Pasco County School Board’s Dec. 1 meeting.

The order “does allow for the continuation of the mySchool Online learning model,” Browning said. “It also does hold school districts harmless, financially, and I would add, with some caveats. We are still working through the details of the order, as it relates to the financial matters.”

The district must submit a plan to the state by Dec. 15, which outlines how it will identify struggling students and provide learning supports.

“Needless to say, staff is working feverishly to not just submit a report, or a plan, but submit a plan that represents how we’re going to support all of our students, and especially the struggling students,” Browning said.

“The plan will require specific steps for progress monitoring,” the superintendent added.

The plan will cover how the district plans to take “even more aggressive steps” in identifying students that are not having success, Browning said.

The district will be making contact with those parents, who then will have a choice between sending their student, or students, back to the traditional brick-and-mortar model, or to continue on with mySchool Online.

If they want to continue remote learning, they must make that affirmative choice.

“That is going to add another level of complexity,” Browning said.

“I will tell you, there will be a district-wide approach to this. There will not be different procedures in different schools,” the superintendent said. The procedure for identifying struggling students and notifying parents will be the same, he explained.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin asked the district to provide additional support for secondary teachers who are in schools where a significant number of notifications will have to be made.

Browning responded: “That is one of the issues that we’re trying to figure out.”

The district also is working on the best approach for notifications to parents.

“Do we send a certified letter home to moms and dads, with a return receipt, so we have written confirmation that they received it. Do we make phone calls? Who makes those phone calls? What information are we sharing with them? What is the measure of success?

“Those are all issues that we’re having to deal with, with guidance from Tallahassee,” Browning said.

While the district works this out, some other district tasks are being put on hold, he added.

Beaudoin said her perception of the press conference was that the state would like to get students back into traditional classrooms.

Browning agreed: “We do know that the Commissioner (Corcoran) was pretty clear yesterday, in his assessment about kids that are struggling: They need to be back in bricks-and-mortar environment.”

But, Browning said he’s pleased the state is continuing to give parents the choice.

“I will tell you that I understand, with where we find ourselves with COVID, particularly on Dec. 1, 2020, I understand why there are parents that do not want to come back into a bricks-and-mortar environment,” he said.

The superintendent went on: “The numbers, because of the measures and steps that we’ve taken as a district, have been relatively low.”

In fact, the number of positive cases among students is about ½ of 1%, he said.

In large part, the cases on campus are not resulting from spread at school, but are originating elsewhere, Browning said.

At one high school, for example, about a dozen students were sent home that were directly tied to a birthday party, he said.

“You go to parks and ballfields, and you will see full parks and ballfields — and I might add, with no masks, or very few masks,” the superintendent said.

Browning also noted that he’s been in constant contact with Mike Napier, the health officer for the Florida Department of Health — Pasco County.

“He’s concerned about the direction that we’re headed — not we, as a district, but we, as a community, are headed with COVID cases,” Browning said.

Board member Beaudoin urged parents to help ensure their children’s success.

Browning said the district needs to give assurances to Tallahassee that it is adding additional supports, and those supports, he said won’t be cheap.

“Miss (Olga) Swinson (chief finance officer), and I, and others — we talk about the funding piece and how we are going to be able to get the dollars that we’re going to need to have in order to provide these supports that the department expects us to provide to these students,” he said. “It’s a sticky wicket.”

School board member Alison Crumbley said the district needs to analyze why students are struggling. “We need to break it down,” she said.

Published December 09, 2020

Elected leaders take oath of office

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Swearing-in ceremonies were held earlier this month, for elected leaders.

Pasco County Commission members Jack Mariano, Ron Oakley and Kathryn Starkey, who were reelected to new terms, and Christina Fitzpatrick, newly elected to the board, each took the oath of office.

Mariano’s swearing-in ceremony was in the board’s New Port Richey chamber, while the other commissioners were sworn-in at the board’s Dade City chambers.

The Pasco County Commission is expected to have its organizational meeting, where the chairman is selected on Dec. 9, after The Laker/Lutz News press deadline.

At Pasco County Schools’ district headquarters in Land O’ Lakes, reelected Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning took the oath of office, as did reelected board members Colleen Beaudoin and Alison Crumley.

Meanwhile, in Hillsborough County, newly elected Hillsborough County Commissioners Harry Cohen and Gwen Myers, and reelected Commissioner Pat Kemp, each took the oath of office.

And, on the Hillsborough County School Board newly elected members Nadia Combs, Jessica Vaughn and Henry “Shake” Washington were sworn-in, as was Lynn Gray, who was reelected.

Published December 09, 2020

USF urged to continue preparing teachers

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The Pasco County School Board has adopted a resolution urging the University of South Florida to continue teacher preparation programs at all of the university’s campuses.

Board members adopted the resolution at their Nov. 3 meeting, after they and Superintendent Kurt Browning weighed in on the issue.

“We think that it would just be devastating to our programs across the Tampa Bay area for them to close that program down,” Browning said, noting he had joined superintendents from Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota for a community conversation to discuss USF’s proposal to end the program.

“I don’t think people on the outside of education fully understand the impact that this is going to have on our district,” Browning said. “We are direct recipients of great teachers who come out of USF.”

School board member Alison Crumbley characterized USF’s decision as “short-sighted.”

Like Browning, she said the district relies on USF’s program.

“Thirty percent of our teachers come from USF,” she said. “It’s just a huge disappointment to me, and letdown for the school districts and taxpayers in the Tampa Bay area that this is the situation,” Crumbley said.

Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin, who herself is a teacher, added: “It’s unfortunate that there’s been a decline nationally, in the number of people pursuing degrees in education. That is the root of the problem.

“What we’re discussing here could be a result of the excessive state mandates, testing, evaluation system and lack of respect teachers are given,” she said.

She added those factors could be deterring people from pursuing a career in education, which Beaudoin described as “a noble profession” that creates “lifelong learners and productive citizens.

“Being a teacher is rewarding and fulfilling. I’ll support anything that provides a pathway for students to enter the career,” she said.

School board member Megan Harding, a graduate from the USF College of Education, said she hopes the college will reconsider.

“Not only does this affect teachers, but it’s also going to affect the children,” her Facebook page says. “We already have a teacher shortage.”

Harding read the resolution, which the board adopted.

The resolution notes that Pasco County Schools hires approximately 525 teachers annually, and the USF undergraduate teacher preparation program contributes more than 30% of those teachers. The resolution also points to the existing statewide teacher shortage.

The resolution asserts “USF’s action will harm not only the school districts in the Tampa Bay region, but also the larger communities they serve, including families sending children to our schools and the business communities served by the graduates of our schools.”

The resolution concludes by pledging the Pasco school board’s support for any and all efforts to maintain USF’s undergraduate teacher preparation programs at all of its campuses, and encourages the college to work closely with Pasco County Schools, and other stakeholders and partners to find an alternative to closing the programs.

Browning said the resolution will be forwarded to the president of USF, the provost and acting dean.

Published November 11, 2020

Boundary process beginning soon for Starkey K-8

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Construction of the new Starkey K-8 school is well underway, and Pasco County Schools has begun notifying families that may be affected by the boundary changes that will be required to assign students to the school.

The school — part of a complex that includes a theater, library and cultural center — is scheduled to open in the 2021-2022 school year.

Significant progress has been made on the construction.

“I drove by Starkey K-8 the other day and it is just incredible how that building has come up out of the ground,” Superintendent Kurt Browning told Pasco County School Board members at their Sept. 1 meeting.

“It is a phenomenal facility,” Browning said. “It’ll be a huge addition to the Starkey Ranch development, so we’re excited about that.”

But, whenever a new school opens, the district must draw new boundaries — a process that can sometimes become controversial.

Browning told board members that the district is preparing to begin the boundary process for Starkey K-8.

“We’ll be communicating with potentially impacted families currently attending Odessa Elementary School, Longleaf Elementary School and River Ridge Middle School, regarding the timeline and the process,” Browning said.

“Our plan is to open the K-8, as a K-7, its first year, and then become a K-8, in its second year,” Browning said, noting that district staff would be sending out communications in the afternoon. following the board meeting.

“I wanted the board to know about it, first,” he said.

Watergrass and Wesley Chapel elementary schools also may see some boundary shifts, Browning said, but he added there are no students currently in the areas that would be affected.

“Proposed maps will be developed this month and a parent night workshop is planned for Oct. 6, at Odessa Elementary School,” Browning said. “The public hearing for the boundaries proposal is planned for Nov. 17 at 6 p.m., with final school board action on Dec. 1.

“We’ll continue to communicate with potentially affected families throughout this process and provide opportunities for feedback. And, this time, we’ll be relying heavily on our ‘Let’s Talk.’”

In other news, Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd shared information regarding the district’s inventory of surplus sites that are available for future construction of schools, as the district grows.

There was a time when the district didn’t have any land for future schools, Gadd said, describing how he would drive around the county in his pickup truck searching for acreages with for sale signs.

When he found one, he’d have Chris Williams, the district’s director of planning, check it out.

Over time, the district has acquired a number of sites, through purchases and as part of development orders that require sites to be dedicated for schools, as part of development approvals.

“We now have very tight procedures for receiving land from developers,” Gadd explained to board members.

“We are well-positioned for the future, in terms of building schools and preparing for future growth in this county.”

School board member Alison Crumbley applauded Gadd and other district staffers who have addressed this issue, noting she remembers when the district faced significant challenges in securing affordable land.

Meanwhile, the Pasco County Planning Commission recently took an action that relates to a planned district school site.

Planning commissioners voted on Aug. 27 to recommend the school district’s proposed site for the Kirkland Academy of Innovation, on a 104.4-acre site, southeast of the intersection of Curley Road and Kiefer Road.

The planned project will consist of two buildings, totaling 228,458 square feet.

No one spoke in opposition to the request at the planning commission’s meeting.

Published September 09, 2020

Voter turnout higher in 2020 Primary Election

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Voter turnout for the 2020 Primary Election was higher than it was in the 2016 Primary, in both  Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

In Pasco, 21.03% of registered voters cast ballots in the 2020 primary, compared to 18.64% in the 2016 primary.

In Hillsborough, the number of registered voters participating was 25.38%, compared to 19.1% in the 2016 primary.

Voters made their choices in some key races in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

In a universal primary in the race for Pasco County Commission District 4, Christina Fitzpatrick won the election, with 32.6% of the vote, compared to the second-highest vote-getter, Gary Bradford, who received 31.52%.

Alison Crumbley won another term on the Pasco County School Board. Candidates Gabriel Papadopoulos and Catie Mansfield fell short of their bid for county commission and county judge, respectively (B.C. Manion)

Jeff Miller and Gabriel “Gabe” Papadopoulos also ran in the four-way race to fill the vacancy that was created when Mike Wells decided to seek the post of county property appraiser, which Wells secured.

All voters were eligible to vote in the universal primary for the District 4 seat because the winner faced no opposition in the general election.

In the Republican primary race for superintendent of Pasco County Schools, incumbent Kurt Browning captured more than 64% of the vote, defeating David LaRoche. He will face Cynthia Thompson No Party Affiliation in the Nov. 3 general election.

In the nonpartisan Pasco County School Board District 4 race, Alison Crumbley won reelection with more than 65% of the vote, defeating challenger Joshua Stringfellow.

In Hillsborough County, four school board seats were up for grabs and all four are heading to run-offs in the Nov. 3 general election.

In District 1, Nadia Combs was the top vote-getter, receiving 44.56% of the vote, and she will face incumbent Steve Cona, who received 33.30%.

District 3 drew five candidates. Mitch Thrower led the pack, with 25.15% of the vote, while Jessica Vaughn came in second, with 24.49%.

Four candidates competed in District 5, with Henry “Shake” Washington receiving 44.45% of the vote compared to incumbent Tammy Shamburger, who drew 23.70% of votes cast in that race.

A quartet of candidates sought the District 7 seat, with Sally Harris emerging with a slight edge over Lynn Gray. Harris hauled in 28.40% of the vote, while Gray received 27.85%.

Rain fell steadily, at least for a while, on 2020 Primary Election Day in Pasco and Hillsborough counties. Here are some of the political signs near an intersection in Lutz.

In the Republican primary race for Hillsborough County Sheriff, incumbent Chad Chronister received 62.39% of the vote, defeating challenger Charles Boswell. Chronister will face Democrat Gary Pruitt and Ron McMullen No Party Affiliation in the general election.

In the Democrat primary race for Hillsborough County Tax Collector, Nancy Millan received 61.07% of the vote, defeating April Griffin. Millan will face Republican TK Mathew in the general election.

In the Republican primary race for Hillsborough County Commission District 1, Scott Levinson received 55.61%of the vote, defeating Tony Morejon.

Levinson will face Democrat Harry Cohen, who received 54.24% of the primary vote, defeating Jen McDonald.

In the Democrat primary for Hillsborough County Commission District 3, five candidates competed to fill the seat being vacated by term-limited Les Miller. Gwen Myers was the top vote-getter with 26.52%, edging out Thomas Scott, who received 25.68%. Myers will face Republican Maura Cruz Lane in the general election.

In a universal primary, Hillsborough County voters selected Cindy Stuart as the county’s next Clerk of the Circuit Court. Stuart received 53.44% of the vote, defeating Kevin Beckner.

Election officials took care to make polling places safe. They asked voters to wear masks and maintain a social distance from other voters, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley said “vote by mail was way up from the 2016 primary, while early voting in person was down considerably.”

Election day operations went smoothly, he added.

“I’m so blessed to have an amazing team and dedicated poll workers who pulled off a sense of election normalcy during a pandemic,” Corley said.

Pasco County
Registered voters: 378,157
Ballots cast: 79,538
Voter turnout: 21.03%

Source: Pasco County Supervisor of Elections

Hillsborough County
Registered voters: 897,689
Ballots cast: 227,843
Voter turnout: 25.38%

Published August 26, 2020

Pasco voters to weigh in on key races

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The Primary 2020 ballot is not long in Pasco County, but there are some key races in the election set for Aug. 18.

Some voters will make their way to the polls to cast their ballots on Election Day, but many will have already voted, or mailed in their ballots.

It remains unclear how concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic will affect voter turnout, but election supervisors in both Hillsborough and Pasco counties have reported efforts to ensure the safety of both poll workers and voters.

Such measures include social distancing and ongoing cleaning. As a result, lines at the polls could be longer, the supervisors in both counties have said.

In Pasco County, all voters will be able to cast ballots in the universal primary contest for the Pasco County Commission District 4 race.

The candidates are competing to fill the seat that was vacated by Mike Wells, who ran for County Property Appraiser and was elected.

In universal primary contests all voters can participate, because all of the candidates in the race are from the same party, and there is no opposition in the general election.

Those vying for the Pasco County Commission District 4 seat are Gary Bradford, Christina “Fitzy” Fitzpatrick, Jeff Miller and Gabriel “Gabe” Papadopoulos.

In another race, Republican voters will choose whether they want Kurt S. Browning or David LaRoche to represent the party in the Nov. 3 general election.

Meanwhile, voters will have a choice between Alison Crumbley or Joshua Stringfellow, in the nonpartisan race for the District 4 seat on the Pasco County School Board.

The polls will be open on Aug. 18 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Some seats have already been settled in Pasco County.

Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles and Sheriff Chris Nocco each will serve another four years — since no opponents came forward to challenge them by the qualifying deadline in the 2020 election.

Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley also will serve another four years, as his opponent withdrew. And, Wells has been elected to Pasco County Property Appraiser, since his opponent Gary Joiner did not qualify.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley will serve another term in District 1, because opponent Christopher King withdrew. And, Pasco School Board District 2 incumbent Colleen Beaudoin has won another term because her opponent Adrienne G. Wilson withdrew.

A number of other races will be decided in the Nov. 3 general election, including the District 3 and District 5 seats on the Pasco County Commission.

Other races on the ballot will determine who will represent Florida’s 12th congressional district and who will represent District 36, District 37 and District 38, in the Florida House. A special election also will be held to choose a new representative in the Florida Senate, District 20.

To find out early voting locations or for other election information, visit PascoVotes.gov.

Pasco Active Registered Voters*
Republican: 151,859
Democratic: 115,807
No Party: 106,532
Minor Party: 5,723

Total: 379,921

*As of 08/09/2020
Source: Pasco County Supervisor of Elections

Published August 12, 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

Pasco schools to open Aug. 24

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Pasco County Schools has delayed the start of school for two weeks, but controversy continues over how the district should deliver instruction once the new school year begins.

The Pasco County School Board on July 21 unanimously approved changes in the school calendar to delay opening day from the original date of Aug. 10 to the new date of Aug. 24.

Board members also approved an Aug. 17 start date for employees, also a two-week delay from the originally planned Aug. 3.

Pasco County School Superintendent Kurt Browning recommended the two-week delay in the midst of rising COVID-19 cases in Florida.

Browning said the district plans to comply with the state directive that requires it to open all schools for five days a week, to provide a face-to-face learning option for students. It also will offer two online options.

Delaying the start date will require the district to make up for lost time, Browning said.

His staff has developed a plan that adds 18 to 20 instructional minutes to each school day, and will forego early release days during the fall semester, he said.

The board’s decision to delay reopening until Aug. 24, but to keep the brick-and-mortar option, came despite concerns raised by Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco, the union representing teachers and school support staff.

Peace said the directive by Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran is “an overreach.

“You, as a board, should be the ones that determine the safest way to return to teaching and learning, but your authority was usurped by one man,” Peace said.

The state’s directive is being challenged, Peace added.

“Yesterday, in a court in Miami, the Florida Education Association filed suit against his order (Corcoran’s), labeling it ‘arbitrary and capricious.’ They further claimed that returning to brick-and-mortar now, with COVID numbers on the rise, would be unsafe for students and employees,” Peace said.

The union president also noted that a USEP survey of district employees found that “over 75% of those replying felt that the only safe way to return now is distance learning.”

He told board members that he expected the union to take a formal position on the issue soon.

But, School Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin said the district can’t take an online-only approach.

“A lot of people are saying they want to start online and on time. That is currently not an option.

“One thing that is crystal clear is that we must follow statute to receive funding or nobody gets paid and our students lose out,” Beaudoin said.

School board member Alison Crumbley said delaying the school start provides more time for more information and more preparation.

“It gives us all a bit more time to see where the local trend of the virus is going,” Crumbley said.

It also gives parents more time to reflect on options, and schools more time to prepare, she said.

“The challenge of balancing student achievement with safety is a daunting one,” Crumbley said.

School board member Cynthia Armstrong said a delay of two weeks allows the district to end the first semester before the holiday break, which she thinks is important.

A longer break would not allow that possibility, she said.

The district’s union since has taken a formal position on the reopening of schools.

According to the union’s website, USEP will strongly advocate for distance learning only until there is a 14-day downward trend in positive COVID-19 cases.

Published July 29, 2020

Some 2020 races decided; others up for grabs

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Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles and Sheriff Chris Nocco each will serve another four years — since no opponents came forward to challenge them by the qualifying deadline in the 2020 election.

Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley also will serve another four years, as his opponent withdrew. And, Mike Wells has been elected to Pasco County Property Appraiser, since his opponent Gary Joiner did not qualify.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley will serve another term in District 1, because opponent Christopher King withdrew. And, Pasco School Board District 2 incumbent Colleen Beaudoin has won another term because her opponent Adrienne G. Wilson withdrew.

Seats in other political races remain up for grabs.

Pasco School Board District 4 incumbent Alison Crumbley faces Joshua M. Stringfellow.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning is being challenged by David P. LaRoche and Cynthia Thompson.

Republican Kathryn Starkey incumbent in the race for Pasco County Commission District 3 faces Democrat challenger Jessica McCoy Stempien.

In District 4, an election is being held to fill the seat that’s being vacated two years early by Wells, who decided to run for county appraiser. Four Republican candidates are vying for the seat: Gary Bradford, Christina M. Fitzpatrick, Russell “Jeff’ Miller and Gabriel (Gabe) Papadopoulus.

Pasco County Commission District 5 incumbent Republican Jack Mariano faces challengers Brandi Geoit, a Democrat, and Victor Rodriguez, with no party affiliation.

Meanwhile, at the state level, another familiar face has stepped forward.

Republican Danny Burgess, of Zephyrhills, is competing with Democrat Kathy Lewis in a special election in Senate District 20. They are vying to fill the seat of Tom Lee, who stepped away from the seat early.

Published June 24, 2020

Pasco schools brace for tough budget

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Pasco County Schools is gearing up for a tough budget year.

“We have been working on budget,” Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning told school board members at a May 5 virtual school board meeting.

“It’s not a so-rosy picture of a budget. We’re working with department budgets and the district budget as a whole. We know that it’s going to be tight, and we’re very cautious going into this next budget and school year, not knowing what the Legislature is going to do, or possibly do, as it relates to any special session.

“I just wanted the board to know that we’re having some very, very, very serious discussions about the budget,” Browning said.

Pasco County School board member Allen Altman tells board members that the district is likely to encounter a tough budget year. (File)

Board member Allen Altman told his colleagues that they need to be forward-thinking about the possibility of budget cuts.

He said having to make cuts during the Great Recession was “the worst experience of my elected career.”

“I can tell you that I’ve talked to a couple of directors of state agencies in the past week, who have quietly been told to look at what a 20% cut would do. And, I looked today at the sales tax figures for Florida for month of March and they were down $770 million, and April is expected to be even worse.

“We don’t need to start jumping out of ships yet, but I think that it would be prudent for us to be cognizant of the situation that the state and other local governments may be in and consider that, as we make decisions going forward,” he said.

He also told board members he had met with the Value Adjustment Board and the county’s tax roll will be certified at about $27.4 billion for 2019. That compares to slightly more than $25 billion for 2018.

But, he said, “there is some fear going forward that commercial real estate, especially in retail and boxes, could see upwards of a 20% decline.”

Board member Cynthia Armstrong said she listened to a webinar hosted by the Florida School Boards Association that featured three chief financial officers talking about what to expect, and what school boards should be doing.

Revenue figures for April will be released on May 25, which should give the district an idea of what it will be looking at, she said.

During the webinar, the CFO said  “to expect that it’s very possible that the Legislature might go into special session, say in November, and adjust the budget, and we definitely could have some drawbacks,” Armstrong said.

“So, when we do our budget, we’re going to have to think about that, that it’s very likely that the budget could be cut, partway through the year, and we need to make sure that we’re planning for that,” she said.

“It’s going to be a very tough budgeting year for us,” she said.

She also noted that supporting the pay raise that’s in state legislation may require the district to reduce its staffing allocations.

Armstrong also urged the board to return to a face-to-face board meetings, to the degree possible, as soon as possible.

She said that fosters better communications at a time when important conversations must be had.

School board member Alison Crumbley agreed that discussions are more effective when they are done in person, to the degree possible.

“Hopefully, we’re going to get to that point really, really soon,” she said.

School will feel different, going forward
Don Peace, president of United School Employees of Pasco (USEP), commented on distance learning and what to expect in the future.

“Some students have found that they are better suited to this manner of learning. Still others long to be back in the traditional classroom, interacting with teachers and classmates,” Peace said.

“Maybe there’s case to be made that a hybrid of sorts could be utilized for future learning, capturing the best of both worlds,” Peace added.

“Whatever the case, I think we better have some options available next fall.

“However next year plays out, whether we start on time, or after Labor Day, it will definitely not be the same scenario that we left before Spring Break.

“Families may decide it not best for their student to return to a brick-and-mortar building for either real, or imagined, fears.

“Some of our teachers may elect not to return for their own reasons.

“I think that next year is going to be really trying for all of us, in matters other than just financial.

“I am asking the district to keep USEP in the communication loop, regarding any future plans, as we certainly are all in this together,” Peace said.

Published May 20, 2020