The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
Proud to be independently owned.

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Elementary W

New elementary school gets a name

By

The school formerly known as Elementary W now has a name.

Pasco County School Board members voted unanimously on March 15 to name the school Wiregrass Elementary.

Steven Williams
Steven Williams

The board chose the name after little discussion. They decided to go with a name that reflects the community where the school will open in August.

Board member Cynthia Armstrong made the motion for the school’s new name, saying she was recommending Wiregrass, rather than Wiregrass Ranch, to avoid potential confusion with the nearby Wiregrass Ranch High School.

Armstrong also noted that she prefers naming schools based on their location because it helps to build a sense of community.

She also noted that naming a school for a person can lead to problems later on. “Down the road, when we want to repurpose a building, we want to repurpose a program, it makes it very difficult to do so because people have very strong feelings, as well they should,” Armstrong said.

Melissa Bidgood
Melissa Bidgood

“I have always felt strongly that geographic names are the way to go,” agreed School Board Chairwoman Joanne Hurley.

The new school will be led by Principal Steve Williams and Assistant Principal Melissa Bidgood.

Williams joined Pasco County Schools in 2001, working as a literacy specialist, then assistant principal and then principal.

Most recently, he led the Office for Teaching and Learning, supporting K-12 learning in all Pasco County Schools.

Bidgood joined Pasco County Schools in 2004. She spent the first part of her career at Sunray Elementary School followed by Sand Pine Elementary as a classroom teacher.

She later became a literacy coach at Seven Springs Elementary School, interned at Sunray Elementary as assistant principal and, most recently, has served as an assistant principal at Seven Oaks Elementary School.

Published March 23, 2016

No shortage of ideas for school name

By

Pasco County School Board members have plenty of names to consider for Elementary W, a new school set to open in Wesley Chapel in August.

Forty-one names have been submitted for the board’s consideration. It is scheduled to vote on the issue at its March 15 meeting at 6 p.m.

Several of the names are variations on the same name.

For instance, there are three variations for a school to be named after the Godwin family, or a member of the family — a family with deep roots in the Wesley Chapel area.

Construction work continues on Elementary School W. The school is scheduled to open in the fall. The Pasco County School Board is expected to name the school at its March 15 meeting, at 6 p.m. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Construction work continues on Elementary School W. The school is scheduled to open in the fall. The Pasco County School Board is expected to name the school at its March 15 meeting, at 6 p.m.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

There’s also a couple of suggestions relating to the Porter family, one being Porter Elementary and the other, Porter Ranch Elementary. And, there’s a suggestion for Wiregrass Elementary, which relates to the name of the Porter family’s ranch, which is also the namesake for Wiregrass Ranch High School and Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. The high school and state college are just down the street from the new elementary school.

There are also suggestions to name the school after the nation’s current president Barack Obama Elementary, or to call it Challenger Elementary, in honor the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger’s explosion.

Other suggestions call for naming it for people who have contributed to community life, education or society. Those include naming it for: Dave Estabrook, a retired educator; Greta L. Adams, a retired educator; Harriet Hemenway, a  founder of what would go on to become the National Audubon Society; Heather Fiorentino, former superintendent of Pasco County Schools; the late Mike Olson, former county tax collector; Sandra and Max Ramos, retired educators; the late Wendell Krinn, former principal of Ridgewood High; and Susan Jordan, the Indiana educator who died while pushing children out of the way of a speeding school bus.

A couple suggestions submitted — Dempsey Elementary and Nancy Browning Elementary — were not accompanied by any details.

Some submissions suggest giving the school a name it could live up to, such as Acceleration Elementary, or Bright Future Elementary, or Growth Elementary, or Hope Elementary, or Love Elementary, or New Horizons Elementary, or Unity Elementary, or Whole Child Elementary, or Wonderful Elementary, or World Change Elementary.

One suggests Yankees Elementary. Another, Galaxy Elementary.

Others want to name it after places, or at least to give it a name that sounds like a place. Those suggestions are Chapel Falls Elementary, Gatorville Elementary, Long Ranch Elementary, Mansfield Elementary, Meadow Pointe Elementary, Ridge Elementary, Wilderness Elementary and Woodside Elementary.

Of course, board members could also come up with a few ideas of their own.

The board meets at the school district’s office complex, Building No. 3 North at 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

School name suggestions
–Acceleration Elementary
–Barack Obama Elementary
–Bright Future Elementary
–Brown Elementary
–Challenger Elementary
–Chapel Falls Elementary
–Dempsey Elementary
–Estabrook Elementary
–Galaxy Elementary
–Gatorville Elementary
–Jacob Godwin Elementary
–Godwin Elementary
–E.L. Godwin Elementary
–Greta L. Adams Elementary
–Growth Elementary
–Harriet Hemenway Elementary
–Heather Fiorentino Elementary
–Hope Elementary
–Long Ranch Elementary
–Love Elementary
–Mansfield Elementary
–Meadow Pointe Elementary
–Mike Olson Elementary
–Nancy Browning Elementary
–New Horizons Elementary
–Porter Elementary
–Porter Ranch Elementary
–Ramos Elementary
–Ridge Elementary
–Susan Jordan Elementary
–Unity Elementary
–Wendell Krinn Elementary
–Whole Child Elementary
–Wilderness Elementary
–Wiregrass Elementary
–Wiregrass Ranch Elementary
–Wonderful Elementary
–Woodside Elementary
–World Change Elementary
–Yankees Elementary

Published March 9, 2016

Names being sought for Elem W

By

Pasco County School Board members are seeking suggestions for a formal name for a new school being built in the Wiregrass Ranch area of Wesley Chapel.

Crews are bustling around the site, as construction work continues on the school, which has been known generically as Elementary W.

The school board is asking the public, district staff and students to suggest names so that it can select one before the structure opens.

Classes are scheduled to begin at the new elementary school in August.

Crews are bustling around the site of Elementary W, off Mansfield Boulevard in the Wiregrass Ranch area in Wesley Chapel. The Pasco County School Board is seeking suggestions for a permanent name for the school. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Crews are bustling around the site of Elementary W, off Mansfield Boulevard in the Wiregrass Ranch area in Wesley Chapel. The Pasco County School Board is seeking suggestions for a permanent name for the school.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The structure is being built on Mansfield Boulevard, across from John Long Middle School, and down the street from Wiregrass Ranch High School and Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

When it opens, it will give Wesley Chapel students the opportunity to attend kindergarten through college, along the same road.

School board policy encourages the community, educators and students to suggest names for district schools.

The school board prefers to name schools after the general location, features of the area, or historical information about the school’s location, and the suggested name must be descriptive and brief, according to a school district news release.

If the name of an individual is submitted, it should be of a person of prominence, recognized for his or her outstanding civic or educational contribution, the news release adds. The board will only consider naming a school after an elected official or school district employee has been deceased for two or more years, or has left public office or district employment more than two years ago.

Once a name is adopted, it is considered permanent unless the facility or its use changes.

If you would like to suggest a permanent name for the school now known as Elem W, submit your suggestions with a brief explanation for each school name by Feb. 29.

Email submissions using the Subject “Elementary W” to , fax them to (813) 794-2716, or mail them to: Linda Cobbe, Communications & Government Relations Department, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes, 34638.

Published February 3, 2016

 

Parents oppose proposed Elem W boundaries

By

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

 

Elementary W causes boundary shifts

By

The sight of a new elementary school under construction would seem to be a cause for celebration.

But, even when students can attend a new school, and even when the new school will reduce crowding at other area schools, the prospect of boundary changes for existing schools is often fraught with controversy.

“Folks don’t want to move. I can understand. Folks are loyal to their school,” said Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools.

Elementary W, being built off Mansfield Boulevard in Wesley Chapel, is slated to open in August 2016.

A sign lets passersby know that the construction of Elementary School W is being supported by Pasco for Penny funding. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
A sign lets passersby know that the construction of Elementary School W is being supported by Pasco for Penny funding.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

It will affect the current boundaries for Seven Oaks, Double Branch, Sand Pine and Denham Oaks elementary schools — if the Pasco County School Board approves a plan recommended by a school boundary committee.

Those who are interested in learning more or weighing in on the proposed boundaries are invited to attend a community meeting set for Nov. 19 at 6 p.m., at Denham Oaks Elementary, 1422 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz.

The proposed boundaries aim to reduce crowding and leave room for future growth in schools expected to experience the largest enrollment increases over the next few years, Williams said.

Under the proposal, students would be shifted out of Double Branch Elementary and Sand Pine Elementary into the new Elementary W, Williams said.

Then, some students from Seven Oaks would be assigned to Sand Pine, and others from Seven Oaks would be assigned to Denham Oaks, Williams said.

“Part of the rationale is that we don’t want to shift a whole huge amount of kids to Sand Pine and have to move a bunch of portables over there,” Williams explained.

The walls have gone up at Elementary School W, a new school being built off Mansfield in the Wiregrass area of Wesley Chapel.
The walls have gone up at Elementary School W, a new school being built off Mansfield in the Wiregrass area of Wesley Chapel.

“Denham Oaks has quite a bit of room now,” he added.

The boundary committee’s proposal is facing resistance, Williams said.

Although Williams was out of town recently, he said he’s heard that “the biggest opposition is coming from the Arbor Woods group. They’re the newest phase of the Northwood development. They don’t want to be zoned into Denham Oaks.”

Opponents would prefer to stay at Seven Oaks Elementary or move to Sand Pine Elementary, he said.

“Part of their rationale is that Denham Oaks is a lower-graded school. They’re concerned about that,” Williams said.

Opponents also are concerned about traffic through the interchange of State Road 56 and Interstate 75, especially with the recent opening of Tampa Premium Outlets, Williams said.

However, the committee has taken a look at the traffic issue, Williams said.

“They certainly have the ability to go down to County Line (Road) and traverse County Line (Road). By our measurement, so far, the drive times to get to Denham Oaks (Elementary School) from that area are not as bad as they made it out to be,” Williams said.

There’s no question that Seven Oaks Elementary needs relief, the planning director said.

“The car line at Seven Oaks is just madness because of how many kids we have there,” he said. “We just can’t continue to have that many kids at Seven Oaks Elementary.”

In addition to the upcoming community meeting, the public also can weigh in at two public hearings before the Pasco County School Board.

The first public hearing will be during the board’s 9:30 a.m. meeting on Dec. 1, and the second public hearing will be during the board’s 6 p.m. meeting on Dec. 15. The board meets at in the school district complex, Building No. 3 North, at 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Elementary W boundary meeting
What: Community meeting to discuss proposed boundaries for Elementary W, a school under construction in Wesley Chapel that’s expected to open in August 2016.
Where; Denham Oaks Elementary, 1422 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz
When: Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.
Who: All are welcome

Published November 18, 2105