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 … [Read more...]
School remains in session, online
April 28, 2020 By
Students aren’t returning to campus, but leaders in the Pasco County school district are encouraged by the progress students are making online. The district went to online learning on March 31, after Gov. Ron DeSantis closed school campuses until at least April 15, due to concerns about the threat of the spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). DeSantis has since announced that school … [Read more...]
New East Pasco school gets a name
February 26, 2020 By
A new high school that will focus on technology, STEM and business programs on the east side of Pasco County will be called the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation. The Pasco County School Board approved that name unanimously during the board’s Feb. 18 meeting. The school is located at Curley Road and Keifer Road in Wesley Chapel on the former Kirkland Ranch property. Program plans for … [Read more...]
Political Agenda 01/29/2020
January 29, 2020 By
Corley issues warning Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley has issued a warning that The Voter Participation Center (VPC) again has launched a voter registration mail campaign targeting Pasco County voters, according to a news release from Corley’s office. The mail campaign contains “inaccurate information that is often alarming and confusing,” the release says. Previously, … [Read more...]
School district expands mental health services
September 18, 2019 By
The Pasco County school district has been ramping up training and tapping into outside sources, in its quest to build a better mental health support network for students. Statistics from across the school district underscore a compelling need for increased services. District figures show that more than 1,200 suicide assessments were done last year of students in elementary, middle and high … [Read more...]
Pasco to open K-8 school in fall 2021
September 11, 2019 By
The groundbreaking last week for Starkey Ranch K-8 School was celebrated in grand fashion — at a gathering that included a high school jazz band and color guard, preschoolers, a private developer partner, elected leaders and government officials. The school is the second phase of a partnership between Pasco County Schools, Pasco County government and Wheelock Communities, the private … [Read more...]
‘Engage’ kids: Improve attendance
August 7, 2019 By
Students typically don’t decide to drop out of school overnight. And, there’s typically more to the story, when a student starts missing school on a regular basis. At least those were a couple points of discussion last week during a Pasco County School Board workshop on the topic of school attendance. “Attendance is really a symptom of something else that is happening with our … [Read more...]
Project needs outpace funding in Pasco County Schools
July 31, 2019 By
As Pasco County Schools heads into a new school year, the district faces a perennial issue: There’s not enough money to cover district construction and maintenance needs. “Our current debt is about $525 million,” Chris Williams, director of planning told Pasco County School Board members during a workshop last week. Pasco’s rapid growth continues to create demand for new or expanded schools, … [Read more...]
Pay raises elusive in Pasco schools
August 1, 2018 By
Pasco County school officials are still searching for ways to provide some sort of raise for district employees — although the prospect did not appear promising at a board meeting last week. At the board’s July 24 meeting, numerous teachers and other support personnel took turns urging the Pasco School Board to make employee pay a budget priority. The current budget proposal does not include … [Read more...]
Raises unlikely this year in Pasco County Schools
June 27, 2018 By
Pasco County School Board members have expressed a desire to give teachers a raise, but according to Superintendent Kurt Browning, there’s no money available to make that happen. Browning’s remarks came during a budget workshop last week in the board room at the district’s headquarters in Land O’ Lakes. Olga Swinson, the district’s chief financial officer, provided a run-through of budget … [Read more...]
