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Department of Health-Pasco County

Pasco schools seek ‘near-normal’

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As the Pasco County public school district wraps up an academic year that was anything but normal, Superintendent Kurt Browning hopes things will be different in the 2021-2022 term.

Browning discussed his hopes for the district, along with a full range of other topics, during a webinar hosted last week by the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce, as part of its Business Development Year series.

“This year has been incredibly challenging,” Browning told those listening.

“Whoever knew … when everything got shut down (in March 2020) that we would literally be shut down for the fourth quarter and that we’d still be dealing with COVID … more than a year later,” the superintendent said.

Browning praised district teachers, administrators and staff for making rapid adaptations to conduct the rest of last school year virtually.

Then, he said, the district made more adjustments before the 2020-2021 year began to create a new option called mySchool Online. That option has allowed students to learn virtually, following a normal school schedule — being taught remotely by teachers.

When the 2021-2022 school year begins, Browning said mySchool Online will be discontinued. Students will either return to school campuses for in-person learning or learn remotely through Pasco eSchool.

MySchool Online, Browning acknowledged, “had its challenges.”

“We’ve had some students that have been very successful on it. I will tell you that we’ve had some students that have not been very successful,” he said.

Concerns about students lagging behind prompted the district to make an all-out push in an effort to persuade parents of those struggling students to return them to campus.

Some parents simply refused, Browning said.

That’s concerning, the district leader said, because “the performance this year is certainly going to set them up for future success. We just want to make sure our kids are prepared, going forward into the next grade level.”

As of last week, details were still being worked out regarding the summer instructional program and the upcoming school year.

Browning wants to reintroduce activities that were diminished or curtailed by COVID-19.

“Kids need some sense of normalcy. They need to have their clubs. They need to have athletics. They need to have their dances. They need to have the social interaction with other students,” Browning said.

“And so, we are going to try to have as normal of a school opening as we possibly can, starting in August,” Browning said.

At the same time, the district will take guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and will work closely with the Department of Health-Pasco County, he said.

Social isolation, mental health
Browning said he doesn’t consider himself a “touchy-feely” type of guy. But added: “I have been very concerned about the mental well-being of our kids this year.”

When students are learning remotely, they don’t have the safety nets that schools provide, he said.

“Teachers can’t physically lay their eyes on these kids. They can’t see that they’re dirty.

“They can’t see that they’ve got bruises on their arms.

“They can’t see that they’re thinner because maybe they’re not eating.

“At least when they were face-to-face, they could see some things. Teachers could let their administrators know. We could make phone calls. We could do a wellness check with the family. We could provide food. We could provide clothing.

“Not only that, we could provide hope.

“What we found through COVID is that some parents have just not had any hope.”

“My heart just breaks when I hear about these kids that are struggling,” Browning said.

He then told those listening to the webinar about a call he received from a fellow superintendent — who told him two students in that district had committed suicide.

A few weeks later, Browning said, he learned of a Pasco student who had committed suicide and then, a couple of weeks later, another student did.

“I don’t know all of the underlying circumstances to what brought that kid to make that decision,” Browning said. Then, he reiterated: “I have been concerned about the mental well-being of our kids.”

Browning touched on some other topics, too.

In response to a question, he said he expects COVID-19 to have a negative impact on the district’s graduation rate.

He also told listeners that the district will be opening its Starkey Ranch K-8 school in the fall. Located in the Starkey community, off State Road 54, it is the district’s first school specifically designed for kindergarten through eighth-grade students.

The school is expected to have about 1,000 elementary school students and 600 middle school students.

The campus will have a facility that has been dubbed TLC, which stands for theater, library and cultural center.

The TLC will accommodate public library for patrons and students. It also will have a 250-seat theater and three makerspaces.

Michael Francis, conductor for the Florida Orchestra, has been helping the district with its arts planning for the campus, Browning said.

On another topic, the superintendent told the crowd that unlike many districts across the state, Pasco is projected to experience growth in the coming year.

The district also has been included in a 10-county intensive reading pilot project, which will allow the district to provide some intensive literacy help.

Although Browning expects the district to fare well, overall, in terms of the state budget, he said the district needs to improve salaries overall, but teacher salaries, in particular.

“It really is tough work out there, and with some of the other districts out there having additional sources of revenue that we don’t have, it makes it difficult to compete with those other districts,” Browning said.

Published May 05, 2021

Pasco School Board asks for reprieve from state accountability impacts

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The Pasco County School Board has passed a resolution asking for a reprieve from the state’s accountability standards this year, to avoid potential punitive consequences.

The board is seeking to avoid any negative outcomes on teachers, students or schools that could occur based on results of the Florida Standards Assessments, known as FSA for short.

Specifically, the board approved a resolution that requests the governor and commissioner of education “to provide safe harbor to students, teachers, schools, and districts, by pausing negative consequences of the accountability system based on statewide assessments for the 2020-2021 school year.”

The resolution was adopted on March 2, on a 4-0 vote, with Allen Altman, board chairman, absent.

The board’s action followed a discussion of the issue on Feb. 16, prompted by concerns raised by board member Alison Crumbley.

Crumbley said it wouldn’t be fair to use the FSA results for anything other than a diagnostic tool to identify strengths and weaknesses, because of COVID impacts.

Other board members agreed noting teachers shouldn’t be held responsible for testing results, especially for MySchool Online students who had failed to participate.

At the same Feb. 16 meeting, Crumbley questioned how school grades could be “considered accurate, during these COVID-related times.”

In other action at the March 2 meeting, the board:

• Renamed the James Irvin Education Center and Harry Schwettman Education Center. The new names will be the East Pasco Education Academy, James Irvin Campus and the West Pasco Education Academy, Harry Schwettman Campus.

These schools will begin offering voluntary placements options with diploma pathways for students. The Harry Schwettman complex will be relocated to the former Hudson Elementary School site. Additionally, the programs at Achieve Center of Pasco will be relocated to these schools.

• Superintendent Kurt Browning reported that the Department of Health-Pasco County had agreed to 2,500 doses of vaccine, expected as early as the weekend of March 6 and March 7, to vaccinate school district employees, who are at least 50 years old.

Those vaccines are in addition to the 500 second doses for district personnel, scheduled the same weekend.

Board member Cynthia Armstrong said she has been vaccinated, and encouraged others to get vaccinated when they can. “It brings you wonderful peace of mind, to go ahead and get the vaccine,” she said.

• Don Peace, president of United School Employees of Pasco, announced that both school-related personnel and instruction staff overwhelmingly approved this year’s contracts. The SRP contract passed with 98% approval; instructional passed with 95% approval, he said.

Peace thanked the superintendent and the board for their part in the negotiations.

“I think that the results show that this was a fair and equitable contract,” Peace said.

Published March 10, 2021

Parent questions school quarantine policy

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When Mike Kidd’s daughter was exposed to someone at Sunlake High who tested positive for COVID-19, the school called to inform the family that she would need to quarantine.

Kidd took it in stride.

After all, the district has been asking families to do their part to help stop the spread of the virus.

In fact, he told the school that there were two other girls in the family that attend the same school, so his family would keep them home, too.

Initially, the school official agreed.

But then, the family was notified that the two girls who had not been directly exposed were deemed as being absent from school.

When the family tried to explain they were keeping the girls at home because their sister had been exposed to COVID-19, they were told that wasn’t the district’s policy, Kidd said.

The district’s practice follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance, Steve Hegarty, a spokesman for Pasco County Schools, said via email.

The Department of Health — Pasco County also follows the CDC’s guidance, according to an email from Melissa Watts, spokeswoman for the health department.

But that doesn’t make sense to Kidd, who said if his daughter was exposed at school and came down with the virus, it was very likely that the virus would be spread to his other two daughters, since they are frequently in close contact with each other.

“Obviously if students wearing masks and “socially distanced” at school would need to quarantine, my other daughters who sleep in the same room, lay in the same bed/couch and watch movies, hug, etc., should also quarantine,” Kidd told The Laker/Lutz News, in a letter to the editor, he sent via  email.

It just seems practical to quarantine the student’s siblings, when another student in the family is required to quarantine, he said.

Hegarty explained the school district’s practice works like this: “The family would have received a call from the school, as well as an official letter from the Pasco Health Department informing them of the need to quarantine their daughter. That letter would not have instructed anyone else in the home to quarantine because there was no evidence that any other family members had been in close contact with a person who tested positive.”

Hegarty said the district requires quarantine only “for those students and staff members who were in close contact.”

He also noted: “What definitely would not be practical is requiring quarantine for anyone who came in close contact with a person who came in close contact with a person who tested positive.

The district has had thousands of students quarantining and the number would be much higher, if it followed the practice of quarantining all siblings, Hegarty wrote. In fact, that practice could result in entire school populations being sent home, in some cases.

A parent can decide to keep a student at home, Hegarty said.

“It will be marked as an absence. It could be an excused absence, but still an absence. It would be up to the school and the family to ensure that the students don’t fall behind academically – regardless of whether they are quarantined or simply absent,” the school district spokesman said.

Pasco County Schools, COVID numbers*
1,319 positive student cases; 16,999 students impacted
594 positive employee cases; 1,492 employees impacted
Impacted cases are those who were required to stay away from school due to a positive case that resulted in quarantine.

* As of Jan. 25

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published January 27, 2021

Vaccine demand continues to outpace supply

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Complaints about difficulties in registering for COVID-19 vaccine appointments in Pasco and Hillsborough counties have resulted in changes to those systems, but demand for vaccinations continues to outpace the supply of available vaccines.

Both Pasco and Hillsborough now are using the same registration system for vaccines.

Anyone age 65 and older who needs the COVID-19 vaccination must go to PatientPortalFl.com or call 844-770-8548 to create an account with CDR Maguire: Health & Medical (CDR Maguire).

Saint Leo University hosted the first COVID-19 vaccine distribution in East Pasco County on Jan. 15, at its campus in St. Leo. (Courtesy of Jason Longo/Saint Leo University)

An account with CDR Maguire is required to register for a vaccination appointment.

Those who have created an account with CDR Maguire must log into the patient portal to register for an appointment.

Pasco’s health department announced that it would hold four vaccination clinics this week. Registrations for the clinics began on Jan. 17. Appointments are mandatory to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

The health department planned to provide 400 vaccinations on Jan. 19 and 400 on Jan. 21, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Sears Auto Center in the Gulfview Square Mall, 9409 U.S. 19 in Port Richey.

There also will be 500 appointments on Jan. 20 and 500 on Jan. 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Saint Leo University, 33710 State Road 52 in St. Leo.

Those receiving the vaccinations should be sure to have a photo ID, when checking in for your vaccination appointment. If using the online patient portal, be sure to bring a printed or digital copy of the confirmation email you receive, containing the QR code.

Both Hillsborough and Pasco counties continue to have a fundamental issue with vaccine supply.

On the Hillsborough website, a health department note says: “Please understand that the vaccine is not widely available in Hillsborough County at this time and the distribution plans depend on vaccine supplies. Supplies are provided by the federal government and distributed to the states, which then allocate them to counties.”

Pasco County Commission members expressed frustrations about the vaccine supply problem at their Jan. 12 meeting.

Commissioner Mike Moore raised the issue, noting that Pasco’s health department was supposed to receive 3,500 doses on a particular day.

“They received zero, as we all know,” Moore said to his colleagues.

“Our current population, we’re guesstimating, is 560,000 —  I’m sure when the census comes out it will be closer to 600,000,” Moore said.

About a third of Pasco’s population is over the age of 65, he added.

If the county was to get 1,800 vaccines a week, it would take about 7 ½ years to vaccinate the population in Pasco County. At 3,500, it would take 3 ½ years to vaccinate the population of Pasco County, he said.

Moore said he’d been working on the problem with Dan Biles, county administrator; Andy Fossa, county director of emergency management; and Mike Napier, public health officer for the Department of Health — Pasco County.

Moore then reached out to Jared Moskowitz, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

“I was able to get him to send at least 1,000,” Moore said. “While I do appreciate that, that’s not enough.”

Moore said he and Commission Chairman Ron Oakley reached out to State Sen. Danny Burgess, and Burgess was able to secure another 500 vaccines.

“So, we ended up with 1,500 this week,” said Moore, who also expressed gratitude to Senate President Wilton Simpson and Rep. Randy Maggard, for their efforts.

But, Moore expressed his continued frustration about Pasco’s inability to get adequate vaccines.

“Every one of us (county commissioners) are getting the calls and the emails from our constituents. I know that each and every one of you, as well as I do, wish we could do more for them. Unfortunately, right now, the only thing that we can do is ask and beg. I really feel like I was begging yesterday, on behalf of our citizens. We need more vaccines in Pasco County,” Moore said.

Administrator Biles said “to be honest, the entire region is being shorted.”

“At the rate we’re getting it, it’s six-plus months, just to get the over-65 community,” Biles said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said “I’m trying to figure out why we’re getting shorted.”

She suggested sending a letter to the governor and state emergency management director, urging that “vaccines be distributed per capita, in a fair and uniform manner.”

The letter also should go to Senate President Simpson and Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls, Starkey suggested.

“Let’s get that letter off immediately and get our fair share,” she said.

Commissioner Jack Mariano weighed in: “I think we need to get a federal letter, too.”

Commissioners agreed with Starkey and Mariano’s suggestions, and approved separate motions to send both letters.

For more information on signing up for a vaccination and about the availability of appointments, visit the Pasco health department websites at Pasco.floridahealth.gov and the Hillsborough health department website at Hillsborough.floridahealth.gov.

Vaccines in Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order that outlines that providers can only administer COVID-19 vaccines to these groups:

  • Health care facility residents and staff
  • Those age 65 and older
  • Health care personnel with direct patient contact
  • Persons deemed to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by hospital providers

Keep wearing your mask
Even if you’ve had two vaccinations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there’s not enough information yet to say when it will stop recommending people to wear masks and to avoid close contact with others to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

While experts learn more, they recommend that people continue to:

  • Wear a mask over your nose and mouth
  • Stay at least 6 feet away from others
  • Avoid crowds
  • Avoid poorly ventilated spaces
  • Wash your hands often

Published January 20, 2021

Pasco County’s COVID-19 cases surpass 10,000 mark

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As Pasco County’s COVID-19’s positive cases surpassed the 10,000-mark, local officials continue to consider their best responses to the threats.

The Pasco County Commission and the Pasco County School Board were both scheduled to take up the issue during their meetings on Oct. 20, which occurred after The Laker/Lutz News’ deadline.

Pasco County commissioners were expected to hear an update on local COVID-19 conditions, from the health officer for Department of Health-Pasco County, during the board’s morning session.

Efforts continue to come up with a vaccine to provide protection from COVID-19. The United States has recorded nearly 8.1 million positive cases and more than 218,000 deaths. (Courtesy of metrocreativeconnection.com)

During a September update, Mike Napier, the public health officer for Pasco County told the board he realized there was significant interest on when it would be appropriate to lift mask mandates and social distancing restrictions.

At that time, he told them the best time would be when a vaccine was available, or medication was available to treat it.

From a practical standpoint, though, he told commissioners that the positive cases would need to be lower — and he said he would report back in October.

Napier also told commissioners that he’s on regular conference calls with health officers and county officials around the region, and they were leaning toward trying to come up with a regional response to the issue of face coverings.

The idea is to come up with a consensus on the numbers and benchmarks to use, and to consult with academics to determine the approach, Napier said.

Presumably, the presentation at the board’s Oct. 20 meeting provided an update on those issues.

Meanwhile the Pasco County School Board was set to take up the issue of masks and other personal protective equipment during its afternoon workshop on Oct. 20.

Board members were expected to consider a proposed rule change that would require mask or face coverings for everyone on a school campus, through the end of the 2020-2021 school, in the interest of protecting the health and welfare of students, staff and visitors.

The proposed rule also calls for observing social distancing, washing hands frequently and using other personal protective equipment, as may be necessary.

The workshop session is a discussion only, the issue will come back for a formal vote at a later meeting.

The local government boards are considering these issues at a time when Pasco County reported 10,238 positive cases and 224 deaths, as of the latest information available on the morning of Oct. 19.

Pasco’s public school district reported 170 student cases and 68 staff cases, requiring 3,225 students and 338 staff members to be quarantined, as of the same time.

Also, Hillsborough County reported 45,290 positive cases and 751 deaths, and its public school district reported 741 cases, including 337 staff cases and 404 students.

Meanwhile, the number of positive cases across Florida stood at 756,727 cases, with 747,183 being Florida residents. The death count stood at 16,021 resident deaths and 201 non-residents, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Nationally, nearly 8.1 million positive cases have been reported, with 218,511 deaths recorded, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Wear a mask
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you wear a mask in public settings, when you are around other people and not able to maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet.

  • Wear masks with two or more layers to stop the spread of COVID-19.
  • Wear the mask over your nose and mouth, and secure it under your chin.
  • Masks should be worn by people age 2 and older.
  • Masks should not be worn by children younger than 2, by people who have trouble breathing, or people who cannot remove the mask without assistance.
  • Do not wear masks intended for health care workers, for example, N95 respirators.
  • CDC does not recommend the use of gaiters or face shields. Evaluation of these face covers is ongoing, but effectiveness is unknown at this time.

The CDC also recommends you choose masks made of two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric. Be sure your mask completely covers you nose and mouth. Be sure that your mask fits snuggly against the sides of your face and don’t have gaps.

The best prevention is to avoid exposure.
Older adults and people with underlying conditions, such as heart disease, lung disease or diabetes, are at greater risk of a severe illness from COVID-19

Reduce your risk of becoming infected by wearing a mask, staying socially distant and frequently washing hands your hands with soap and water.

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Published October 21, 2020