The Laker/Lutz News

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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

David Scanga

School remains in session, online

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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 campuses would remain closed for the remainder of the school year.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said that he supports keeping the campuses closed because he could not “in good conscience” reopen the campuses.

Still, the district remains engaged in online instruction, the superintendent said during the board’s April 21 meeting.

Vanessa Hilton, chief academic officer for the district, shared some statistics from the district’s foray into distance learning.

“We definitely have some trends in the data,” she told school board members, and those listening in on the meeting.

“Monday engagement is always higher for each week so far,” Hilton said.

But, she also noted: “We do have students engaged throughout the week. Even on Saturday and Sunday, we average 20,000 to 36,000 participation, which are actions of engagement.

“Overall, in Week 3, we had about 98% engagement of students,” she said.

School board member Alison Crumbley responded: “Wow — to those numbers you shared. Ninety-eight percent engagement is unbelievable to me.”

The school board member said that Pasco County’s efforts are vastly different than what’s happening around the country.

She said she recently listened to a call-in show, which involved people from around the country.

“Many kids have no devices. Some districts aren’t even doing anything,” Crumbley said.

Hilton also told board members that the district is in the process of issuing hot spots to some families to enable Internet access.

“Those will be prioritized initially for some of our homeless families and families that really are away where there would be infrastructure for Internet,” she said.

“Since Day 1, I wanted to let you know that we have had over 43 million page views and access of files, and just under 15 million modules of units of study.

“We had 7,278,753 assignments submitted; 4,438,379 engagements in discussions; and, 1,214,552 announcements — which are direct communications between teachers and leaders to the students and families, that we miss so much.”

Kevin Shibley, assistant superintendent for administration, provided an update regarding device distribution to students.

“We are just shy of 18,000 computers that we have issued to students, to aid them in distance learning. We are continuing to have schools enter devices that they have distributed to students, so I expect that number to continue to creep up in coming weeks,” Shibley said.

Hilton also told board members that the district is issuing hot spots to some families to enable Internet access.

Hilton also noted that some changes have been made.

“Through feedback of families and students — students themselves, very resourceful students themselves, and staff — we have made adjustments, particularly to our elementary workload, to minimize stress and ensure that learning continues,” Hilton added.

The district also has been creating weekly parent newsletters, teacher newsletters and periodic secondary student newsletters, she said.

Plus, she noted, “our teachers also have their own collaborative space on Facebook. It’s incredibly impressive, impressive evidence of their sharing and learning together across the district.”

Finally, she reported that on April 20, students submitted 111,150 assignments.

“We had almost 66,000 users working across the day, and at the peak time — which is about midday for us — almost 21,000 students were learning at the same time together,” Hilton said.

School board members heaped praise on the efforts of district staff, teachers and parents, grandparents and guardians.

Board chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin said she’s seen the collaboration taking place among teachers, and she recognized that the volume of student assignments being completed also means that a significant amount of grading is being done by teachers.

She also added: “I have seen our school-based teachers and leaders, and they are extremely creative in the ways they are connecting with the students and each other.

“Our principals and our teachers are really going all out. Their posts have been entertaining, inspiring, innovative and heartwarming.”

Marcy Hetzler-Nettles, assistant superintendent for middle schools, gave a shout-out to Rushe Middle School students who had been planning to put on the play, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

When the show was cancelled because of COVID-19, a student put together a video of cast members singing the song, “Happiness,” which he sent to drama teacher Jeff Roush.

Also, Tom Schimmer, author of “Grading from the Inside Out,” made a surprise pop-in visit during a Zoom book study group meeting of teachers, Hetzler-Nettles added.

Monica Isle, assistant superintendent for high schools, told the board about an act of generosity made by seniors from Sunlake High School. They made a donation to Keystone Community Church’s Second Serving program, after their trip to Grad Bash was canceled. They had raised the money to pay for buses to Grad Bash.

Isle also mentioned the band from Mitchell High School will be doing a virtual concert series.

David Scanga, assistant superintendent for elementary schools, told the board that elementary school principal Todd Cluff has been doing nightly readings for students from “Little House on the Prairie.”

Scanga added: “I thought that was an excellent book to choose, in terms of a family that’s rather isolated and dependent on themselves to entertain and survive.”

Scanga also observed that “teachers and administrators are finding fun ways to engage,” which he thinks offers a good way to build connections with families.

Board member Megan Harding also expressed appreciation for the dedication of the district’s teachers and to the help provided by parents and guardians.

She said she’s attended some teacher Zoom meetings with their students.

“I’ve been blown away,” Harding said. “Those students are engaged. They are excited to be there.

“They miss their teachers, their teachers miss them.”

Harding also praised the parents and guardians.

“I know this isn’t something that they signed up for. They’re trying to work from home and to try to help their child be academically successful, and they’re also trying to keep their household afloat while ensuring their children are doing their schoolwork. I want to thank them for their partnership. I want to  thank them for doing their best to balance it all,” she said.

Published April 29, 2020

School district expands mental health services

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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 schools.

The breakdown showed that 463 suicide assessments were reported at the elementary school level; 408 at the middle school level; and, 308 at the high school level.

There also were nearly 600 threat assessments across the district, with 278 reported at the elementary level; 134 at the middle school level; and, 186 at the high school level.

Jeannine Welch, Melissa Musselwhite and Vicki Papaemanuel are leading up efforts to expand mental health services within Pasco County Schools. (B.C. Manion)

District data regarding Baker Act cases reported 171 at the elementary level; 211 at the middle school level; and, 207 at the high school level.

Baker Act cases involve individuals who are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others who are referred for mental evaluation.

“We obviously have many students that need significant support from us, relating to mental health,” said Melissa Musselwhite, the district’s director of student support programs, during a school board session on mental health held this summer.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning pointed to the suicide assessments.

“Twelve hundred and sixty — 463 just in elementary school alone,” Browning noted.

He also observed there were more suicide assessments at elementary level, than in high school.

“The same with threats,” noted School Board Chairwoman Alison Crumbley. “It’s (threats) higher at elementary.”

Jeannine Welch, senior supervisor for student support services, told board members that it’s  difficult to pinpoint what the statistics mean. For instance, a suicide assessment could refer to a student who was assessed, but not in any danger.

Musselwhite also said more information is needed: “Do we have the same standard for kids we are referring, let’s say for suicide assessment?

“If the kid has scissors and says, ‘I’m going to stab you,’ or ‘I’m going to stab myself,’ do we have a common practice across the district how we respond to that?

“Those are questions. I don’t know. We really need to analyze the data more deeply,” Musselwhite said.

Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools David Scanga said the statistics are telling.

“It does reflect the stress level of elementary that probably 10 years ago we didn’t see,” he said. “So, the stress on the families, the stress on the communities, the stress within the building. I hear what Melissa is saying, but we also know and agree that there are things in elementary that we’re dealing with that are more frequent — not that they were never there — but they are more frequent than they were in the past.”

To help address the needs, the district has been collaborating with Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, which has allowed the district to expand its services.

Central Florida has worked out a memorandum of understanding with all of the providers, so the district doesn’t have to obtain a separate contract for a specialized service, Welch said.

Students receiving services are run through a voucher system.

That helps stretch the district’s spending capacity because if a child is eligible for Medicaid, or would be potentially eligible, those dollars are used first, Welch said.

The district has added key personnel and has expanded training efforts.

It has added mental health coaches to coach school-based student services staff regarding mental health initiatives.

The mental health liaison has been able to help analyze data, and also has provided “literally, someone to call instantly in order to be able to problem-solve with some of the situations we have within schools,” Musselwhite said.

The district is working to improve its supports for students.

When a student has been Baker-acted, for instance, the district wants to be sure it supports that student when he or sure returns to school.

“We want to make sure that it’s truly done as a safety net for them,” Welch said.

“We’ve had kids that have been gone for a week and come back, and said they’ve been on a Disney cruise. They weren’t on the Disney cruise,” Welch said.

The district has ramped up training.

“We are required to train staff and make sure they have first-aiders at schools. When this first came out, we had zero trainers,” Welch said. “This summer we’ve trained 688 staff members.”

The district continues to build on its capacity, she said.

“We spent this year building up trainers,” she said.

“It shouldn’t just be the administrator. It should be others that, these are embedded practices that live on, regardless of the leadership,” she said.

“The state has rolled out a new threat assessment  protocol that we’ll be training all student services and administrative staff, in the next month (by Oct. 1),” Musselwhite said.

“The majority of the day will be around the threat assessment, behavioral threat assessment that the state mandated, using a specific  tool and a training platform,” said Vicki Papaemanuel, who will be overseeing the training for the district.

“The second half of the day will be around threat to self or suicide assessment,” she said.

Threat assessments
Elementary: 278
Middle: 134
High School: 186
Total: 598

Suicide assessments
Elementary: 463
Middle: 408
High School: 308
Total: 1,260

2018-2019 Baker Act Data
Elementary: 171
Middle: 211
High school: 207

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published September 18, 2019

Creating safe and compassionate schools

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When you ask an open-ended question, there’s no telling what the responses will be.

But that’s the point, actually, in a process that Pasco County Schools used to gather different perspectives, regarding the emotional and physical safety of district students and staff.

District officials conducted a ThoughtExchange that allows participants to use technology to share their thoughts and ideas, which are then rated by participants on a five-star scale.

Assistant superintendents Betsy Kuhn and David Scanga led the efforts for the district, and they shared results of the exchange with the Pasco County School Board at a workshop in June.

Steve LaVare, an armed school safety guard, monitors the parking lot area at Sanders Elementary School in Land O’ Lakes, as parents drop off kids on the second day of school last fall. In a ThoughtExchange on school safety, Pasco County parents said they like to see armed guards in visible spots on campus. (File)

The ThoughtExchange attracted 3,416 participants who shared 2,290 thoughts.

Because of the nature of an open-ended question, participants touched on a wide range of topics, said Kuhn, assistant superintendent for support services.

“Some people viewed it very much on the building hardening topic, that I work mostly with —  and then a lot of other folks took it as the mental health type of approach,” Kuhn said.

One of the top thoughts overall was this: “Do not arm teachers. We cannot expect teachers to make the ‘right decision’ in the heat of the  moment.”

But that thought wasn’t universally shared, according to the ThoughtExchange. Another comment from community was this: “Allow the teachers to carry a gun. Not all teachers are cut out for it, but some are. Require training and qualifications, but it should be allowed, if the teacher wants it.”

A thought that resonated with parents was this one: “We need to take more action when bullying is reported. We need to listen to students and teachers. Bullying is at the core of many issues of mental health and violence.”

Another top thought in the parents’ category: “Keep the resource officer in a high visibility spot.”

Among students, improved bandwidth and longer lunch periods were among the most highly rated comments.

Staff comments gaining traction dealt with providing more support for teachers dealing with disruptive, disrespectful or potentially dangerous students.

And, this staff comment was rated highly, too: “The pay scales for staff need a major overhaul.”

Besides being broken down by stakeholder category, the ThoughtExchange was analyzed by region.

In West Pasco, for instance, a key concern related to traffic safety at River Ridge High School.

In East Pasco, concerns were raised about securing open campuses.

And, in Central Pasco, there were calls to increase the ways to report concerns anonymously, and for greater support of teachers.

When it comes to student safety, the district was encouraged to include bus drivers in those discussions.

“Bus drivers many times are the first people students see in the morning. Include them in all discussions regarding student safety, as well,” says a comment in the exchange.

The ThoughtExchange is intended to help inform the district’s work, provide feedback from the community and gather information to help the district advocate for additional support from the state legislature for safety improvements.

Kuhn told board members that the district is continuing to take action aimed at creating safer and more secure campuses.

On the facilities side, work on front office hardening continues. The district also is installing additional security cameras and is doing safety projects at strategic locations across the county, Kuhn said.

The work on door locks at all schools is expected to be completed before school starts in August, Kuhn said. The district also continues to collaborate with the sheriff’s office and municipal police departments.

On the mental health side, a theme that emerged in the ThoughtExchange was the request “for more people, more psychologists, more social workers, more assistance,” said Scanga, who is assistant superintendent for elementary schools.

“We know that’s something we need to explore and talk about. We know where that’s coming from, but it also runs up against our budget and what we can afford,” Scanga said.

Still, he added, “there’s room for us to consider how we utilize the people we already have in the system. What gap or what void can they fill to make sure we’re addressing student needs and family needs?”

The school board will explore that topic in deeper detail, when it has its workshop on mental health on July 23.

Published July 10, 2019

Bexley Elementary celebrates its formal dedication

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Bexley Elementary was formally dedicated last week.

Members of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce join administrators from Pasco County Schools and members of the Pasco County School Board during a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the formal dedication of Bexley Elementary School. (B.C. Manion)

It was a festive event, with Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning making some remarks, the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce marking the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the Sunlake High School band performing a few numbers.

There was cake, of course.

And, cupcakes, too.

The cafeteria was crowded with families celebrating the new school, and many of the guests took advantage of the opportunity to go on self-guided tours to see the classrooms and meet school staff.

The school, at 4380 Ballantrae Blvd., opened in August to relieve overcrowding at Odessa and Oakstead elementary schools. The formal dedication was on the evening of Oct. 10.

In a tour before the school open, Principal Vicki Wolin described Bexley’s emphasis on research, enrichment opportunities and collaboration.

Bexley, which is in a subdivision developed by Newland Communities, is the largest elementary school that Pasco County Schools has ever built.

Its design was the result of a collaboration between architect Harvard Jolly, four elementary principals and David Scanga, assistant superintendent for elementary schools.

Wolin was one of the principals weighing in on that design — which is intended to facilitate enriching learning opportunities for children.

Published Oct. 18, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collaboration is key word at Bexley Elementary

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When visitors step into the REC center at Bexley Elementary School, they won’t be surrounded by game tables or basketball hoops.

Instead, they’ll be in the new elementary school’s media center.

The REC center gets its name from three words — Research, Enrich and Collaborate. Those words emphasize the kind of learning experience planned for children attending the school, which is set to open in August, at 4380 Ballantrae Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

This worker is clearing off debris on the sidewalk of an interior courtyard at Bexley Elementary School. (B.C. Manion)

Bexley Principal Vicki Wolin described the school’s features and aspirations during a recent tour of the campus for Pasco County School Board members, district leaders and other guests.

When the tour-takers finished that visit, most of them drove across county to visit Cypress Creek Middle High School to get a sneak preview of that campus led by Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles.

Bexley — which will relieve overcrowding at Odessa and Oakstead elementary schools — is the largest elementary school that Pasco County Schools has ever built, said John Petrashek, director of construction services for the district.

Its design was a result of collaboration between architect Harvard Jolly, four elementary principals and David Scanga, assistant superintendent for elementary schools, Petrashek said.

That team told the district, “this is what we need to make this a very functioning, high-performing elementary school,” the construction services director said.

“We listened. We designed … They didn’t get everything they wanted, but just about,” he said.

The resulting elementary school is rich “for teaching, learning and for achievement,” Petrashek said.

The district aims to be as frugal as possible when building new schools, but doesn’t cut corners when it comes to the quality of construction and design, Petrashek said.

“This building is built to last. You can pay for a building and good design now, or you can cheapen this design and pay forever out of operational costs for maintenance and repair,” he said. “This building has a 50-year life expectancy.”

Petrashek praised Newland Communities, the developer of the Bexley subdivision, for being “tremendous partners.”

Newland ensured that the site was large enough to meet the district’s needs and also made sure that needed infrastructure was available, Petrashek said.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning is enthusiastic about the new school.

“We expect great things to come out of Bexley Elementary School,” Browning said. “It’s a beautiful place. It’s obviously very functional, and it will lend itself to a great learning environment for kids.”

Wolin noted the emphasis was on collaboration, efficiency of space and flexibility.

“We wanted something that was timeless, so it would be efficient in the future,” she said.

For instance, there are stools that can break apart into smaller seats, and also be adjusted so that they rock.

“We want to offer our students seating areas that best meet their needs for learning, instead of: “Sit down and sit still,’” Wolin said.

The building also is designed with spaces that can shrink or expand, allowing grade-level teams to work together and enabling teachers to tailor instruction to meet the varying needs of students.

The technology also offers flexibility.

For instance, the same piece of equipment can be used to show a video or to be an interactive tool, depending on what a teacher needs for a particular lesson, Wolin said.

Even the school’s large front office is designed with families in mind, the principal said, noting it is more spacious than the typical front office at an elementary school. The idea is to give families more room as they wait to take care of school business.

At Cypress Creek Middle High School, at 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel, Hetzler-Nettles led the group around the campus, which initially will serve students in grades six through 11.

Much of the furniture and equipment has yet to be installed, but, like Bexley, the school will have different types of seating and spaces that can be reconfigured for different uses.

Stops on the tour included a science classroom, the school gymnasium, the cafeteria, the weight room, locker rooms, a band room, a conference room, various other classrooms and a look at the athletic fields.

For parents and students who want to see for themselves, Cypress Creek Middle High will be holding two events, designed for students in different age groups. For details, visit the school’s website at CCMHS.pasco.k12.fl.us.

Bexley is planning an open house, too. For more information about Bexley, visit BES.pasco.k12.f.us.

Published July 5, 2017

New opportunities await at Cypress Creek Middle High

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Much of the furniture and equipment has yet to be installed at Cypress Creek Middle High School, but even without it, it’s easy to see that the school is designed to offer students a multitude of opportunities when it opens in August.

Cypress Creek Middle High Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles leads a tour of Pasco County School Board members, Superintendent Kurt Browning and other invited guests for a sneak preview of Cypress Creek Middle High School. (B.C. Manion)

Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles and members of her administrative team recently led Pasco County School Board members and Superintendent Kurt Browning on a tour around the campus at 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

Stops on the tour included a science classroom, the school gymnasium, the cafeteria, the weight room, locker rooms, a band room, a conference room, a variety of other classrooms and a look at the athletic fields.

The tour was similar to a walk-around that school board members and other guests took at Bexley Elementary, at 4380 Ballantrae Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, earlier in the afternoon. Bexley, built to relieve crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools, also is set to open in August.

Both schools have different types of seating and spaces that can be reconfigured to suit the needs of teachers and students. And, both are designed to foster collaboration among teachers and among students.

Cypress Creek Middle High will serve students in grades six through 11 its initial year and will add a senior class the following year.

During the tour of that campus, Hetzler-Nettles stopped in a classroom that was flanked by classrooms on either side.

“This is an area where we could put three teachers together, they could collaborate. You could open the doors to that classroom and could open up the wall (a sliding wall),” she said.

At the same time, the principal said she’s aware that parents have raised concerns about having middle school and high school students on the same campus.

To help relieve those concerns, the principal said, “they have separate locker rooms, and they will not be crossing paths (to get to the locker rooms).”

Cypress Creek Middle High also will offer high school academies in business management, criminal justice and engineering, and middle school academics in criminal justice and engineering.

Check out this water fountain at Cypress Creek Middle High. You can get a sip of water now and fill up your water bottle for later.

It also will have separate band programs for middle and high school students.

But, it will not have an agricultural program, at least initially, Hetzler-Nettles said.

Some of the features that stood out during the recent tour included water fountains that are designed to fill water bottles, similar to the fountains in some airports. Bathrooms without exterior doors, similar to those seen at airports and other public buildings.

The shower stalls in the boys’ locker room are individual stalls and are outfitted with curtains. There’s also a stall that’s designed to be accessible for a student with a disability.

And, there’s also a chiller farm near the athletic field — attesting to the big job it will be to keep the school cool.

During their visit to Bexley Elementary, board members and guests had a chance to walk around the largest elementary school that Pasco County Schools has ever built, according to John Petrashek, director of construction services for the district.

Its design was a result of collaboration between architect Harvard Jolly, four elementary principals and David Scanga, assistant superintendent for elementary schools, Petrashek said.

The elementary school was built to last, Petrashek said, noting it has an expected lifespan of 50 years.

Want to know more?
Cypress Creek Middle High is inviting students and parents in for a sneak peek before classes begin. For details, visit the school’s website at CCMHS.pasco.k12.fl.us.
For more information about Bexley Elementary School, visit BES.pasco.k12.fl.us.

Published July 5, 2017

Parents oppose proposed Elem W boundaries

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Scores of parents from the communities of Arbor Woods and Northwood are opposed to proposed school boundaries that would send their children from their Wesley Chapel community over to Denham Oaks Elementary, in Lutz.

About 100 people showed up at a community meeting on Nov. 19 to seek changes to the proposed boundaries for Elementary W, a new school being built off Mansfield Boulevard.

They told officials they understand that Seven Oaks Elementary needs relief from overcrowding, but they don’t want their children to be sent to a school in a different community.

They raised numerous concerns.

Vince Iglio, a parent from Arbor Woods, questioned the school district’s projections regarding future growth, particularly in the area of Denham Oaks Elementary. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
Vince Iglio, a parent from Arbor Woods, questioned the school district’s projections regarding future growth, particularly in the area of Denham Oaks Elementary.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

They don’t want to contend with the traffic on State Road 56, particularly near Interstate 75.

They don’t want their children to leave an A-rated school to go to one with a lower grade.

They want their children to have access to the same programs and services that they now enjoy at their current school.

They’re concerned about how the shift will affect which middle school and high school their children will attend.

And, they question the accuracy of the district’s projections.

They want district officials to change the boundaries so children in Arbor Woods and Northwood can attend Sand Pine Elementary, which is closer to where they live.

Elementary School W, now under construction off Mansfield Boulevard, is intended to provide some relief for Seven Oaks and Double Branch elementary schools. It also has some space available to accommodate anticipated growth, said Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools.

A boundary committee for Pasco County Schools has recommended a number of shifts that would affect the boundaries of Seven Oaks, Double Branch, Sand Pine and Denham Oaks.

Williams said the committee considers a number of factors when recommending school boundaries.

Those include school capacity, current enrollment and growth projections. The committee also attempts to avoid splitting subdivisions and considers traffic, he said.

Vince Iglio, representing Arbor Woods, said his neighborhood has just 25 students, which would have a negligible impact, if the students were assigned to Sand Pine.

Chris Williams, the director of planning for Pasco County Schools, explains the process used by a boundary committee to make recommendations regarding a school’s boundaries to the Pasco County School Board, which makes the final decision.
Chris Williams, the director of planning for Pasco County Schools, explains the process used by a boundary committee to make recommendations regarding a school’s boundaries to the Pasco County School Board, which makes the final decision.

But, Williams said, if Arbor Woods were assigned to Sand Pine, the district should also consider other parts of Northwood, which would yield an impact of roughly 200 students.

Iglio questioned the district’s projections for Denham Oaks. He said the school could become overcrowded as early as next year, given the development that’s springing up in the area.

Williams said he expects that all of the schools affected by Elementary W’s boundaries will continue to grow, but some areas are expecting greater growth pressures.

Jennifer Northey, president of the Parent Teacher Association at Denham Oaks, told parents gathered in her school’s cafeteria that she understood why they were fighting the move. She said she’d be doing the same thing if her school’s boundaries were being changed and her family was affected.

She said she came to the meeting to reassure the parents that good things are happening at Denham Oaks.

David Scanga, a district administrator who supervises numerous schools, including Denham Oaks, said he understands parent’s concerns. He told them that Denham Oaks has been making great strides in improving its performance.

Ali Soofi, a resident of Arbor Woods, detailed some of the concerns of the Arbor Woods community in an email to The Laker/Lutz News.

“All of us knew that eventually we would be rezoned to a different school,” Soofi wrote. “However, none of us realized that we would be moved to a different city.

“Zero part of our rationale has to do with any school ratings,” Soofi added. “We just want to stay in Wesley Chapel, where we spend all our time, money, and worship.”

The Pasco County School Board has the final word on school boundaries, and it is slated to consider the boundaries at public hearings set for Dec. 1 and Dec. 15.

Elementary W boundary hearings
What: Public hearings for proposed boundaries for Elementary W, a new school which will open next school year in Wesley Chapel.
When: Dec. 1 at 9:30 a.m., and Dec. 15 at 6 p.m.
Where: Pasco County Schools district complex, Building No. 3 North, at 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Published November 25, 2015