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Florida Department of Education

Hillsborough Schools plans deep cuts to avoid state takeover

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Hillsborough County School Board members spent much of the day and evening of April 13 discussing the district’s need to make deep cuts to avoid losing financial control of the district.

“Hard decisions have to be made to protect this organization,” Superintendent Addison Davis told board members, and the public.

If the district doesn’t reduce its expenses, the Florida Department of Education will take over, and the cuts it makes will be less surgical in nature, Davis said.

The state will tell the district “what to do for every cent and dollar,” Davis said, essentially stripping the board and superintendent of their financial power.

Board members and Davis discussed the need to make more than $100 million in cuts during a board workshop in the morning and a board meeting in the evening.

Davis said he came to Hillsborough County with the mission of improving the district’s academic performance.

His 13-month tenure in the district, however, has been dominated by dealing with budgetary shortfalls.

“I didn’t know that Hillsborough was in any type of a financial deficit,” the superintendent said.

“We’re losing students, which is equivalent to losing leaders, teachers, district staff and support staff. That’s a reality,” Davis said.

Numerous speakers criticized the district’s planned reductions.

“As a career Hillsborough County educator, who loves this district, I am thoroughly disappointed and disheartened by where we stand today. These cuts are not good for students, schools, employees, or our communities,” said Rob Kriete, president of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.

“The cuts that you are going to bring are going to destroy what little morale is left,” another speaker said.”

Others questioned the district’s plans to cut its number of assistant principals and reduce staffing levels at individual schools.

“Don’t balance the budget on the back of our schools,” a speaker urged.

“There is a lot of talk about transparency, but there’s not a lot of evidence of this,” a speaker said.

Davis said if anything, he has over-communicated the district’s financial situation. “It hasn’t been a secret,” he said, noting he’s done media tours and given talks to numerous groups about the district’s dire financial straits.

He also told board members: “We gave every school a staff allocation model for their schools. We didn’t change anything that hasn’t historically been in Hillsborough County. We’re just implementing that model.”

The district’s plan, however, reduces the number of assistant principals.

That decision has prompted concerns about how the reduced staffing will affect student safety and behavior.

As one speaker put it: “Our already overwhelmed assistant principals are going to become even more overwhelmed, coming off a very difficult year.”

School board member Nadia Combs told Davis: “I do believe that we are top-heavy in this district. I do believe that the cuts need to come from the top and go down.”

The district needs to find a landing place for the assistant principals affected by the cuts, Combs said.

“When people are identified as an assistant principal, it’s because they’ve done a great job as a teacher. They’ve gone above and beyond, as a teacher.

“I strongly believe that we need to look at every single one of our assistant principals and make sure they have a landing somewhere.”

“Some of these assistant principals just found out on Friday that they are going to be let go. Some of them have been in this district for 25 or more years.

“We have 24,000 employees. I think we can find a place for those 50 people,” Combs said.

Davis responded: “I would love to guarantee every assistant principal a job.

“I have a contract that I have to follow. Teachers have the first right in that contract.”

Davis added that master schedule reviews will continue during the summer to determine how many positions can be regained, based on the newest enrollment projections.

He also noted that while the college and career counseling position may be eliminated, 23 of the district’s 28 career counselors are certified to be counselors and will move to those positions.

Of the remaining five, he said, one has retired and two have found new positions, leaving the district down to two.

School board member Jessica Vaughn asked if the district could use federal CARES Act money, to help address the shortfalls to give the district more time to find long-term solutions.

But, Ro Johnson, the district’s new chief financial officer, said the district should not use one-time money to support staffing because ultimately the personnel would need to be cut once that money ran out.

School board chairman Lynn Gray and school board member Henry “Shake” Washington said principals need to play a key role in deciding what happens at their schools — because they are in the best position to know what the school needs.

Davis told board members he understands the educational sacrifices that the district is having to make.

“As a superintendent, I would never make these decisions, if our back were not against the wall,” Davis said adding, “I don’t want to be one of the leaders that kicks this can down the road.”

Hillsborough County School Cuts
Hillsborough County Public Schools must make budget cuts to avoid being taken over by the Florida Department of Education.

Planned cuts include:

  • 1,000 positions (It is not known yet how many people the district will cut)
  • Furlough days: Each administrative position will be required to take furlough days
  • Fewer assistant principals: The district expects to trim about 47 AP jobs
  • Elimination of college and career counselors; those services will be provided by school counselors

Published April 21, 2021

Pasco schools to drop mySchool Online option this fall

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Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning has announced that the school district is dropping its mySchool Online option in the fall.

Browning explained the district’s decision in a video and the district issued a news release, as well, to explain the coming change.

“Based on recent positive trends, we expect that there will no longer be the need for (the) mySchool Online option next school year,” Browning said, in the video. “We expect the vast majority of students to be back in the classroom for in-person learning and for our employees to return to the classroom or office.”

The superintendent also shared the district’s rationale for its decision.

“First of all, the Florida Department of Education only authorized Florida school systems to offer mySchool Online-type options for the 2020-2021 school year,” he said.

“Current indications are that such programs will not be authorized by the state for the 2021-2022 school year. In addition, the number of positive COVID-19 cases, involving our students or staff, have decreased dramatically, since the high mark of January,” Browning said.

He added: “We continue to monitor the numbers closely, both in our schools and in the community, at large.

“Finally, we have been very aggressive in making the vaccine readily available to our staff,” he said.

Because of the district’s partnership with the county health department, it has been able to vaccinate thousands of its employees, the superintendent said.

Browning also noted that the number of students choosing the mySchool Online option has been steadily declining.

Initially, 60% of the district’s students chose the in-person, bricks-and-mortar option this school year. That figure has increased to 76%. Twenty-one percent of the district’s students are enrolled in the mySchool Online option; the other 3% attend Pasco eSchool, according to district statistics.

Browning also noted: “Despite our best efforts, our data show that many students who opted for mySchool Online are not succeeding academically and would benefit from a return to in-person learning.

“There’s also a growing body of evidence regarding the mental health benefits of attending school in person, with classmates.”

Browning also addressed the issue of masks.

“We’ve all been looking forward to the time when we can all get back to something close to normal. That raises a question about masks.

“I know we are all looking forward to doing away with the masks. Right now, I can’t say for sure whether masks will be required or optional, or some other status.

“We will provide clear guidance on masks, when we have a better idea of what is possible.

“At this time, we expect we’ll be able to get back to normal in the fall,” Browning said.

Published April 07, 2021

Reaching out to help those with special needs

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Even in the best of times, navigating through government bureaucracy can be challenging.

But for people with special needs, that becomes even more daunting during a global pandemic.

A virtual town hall hosted on April 29 by Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore and Pasco County School Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin aimed at helping individuals and families find the resources they need, while managing life under new circumstances.

They were joined in the virtual town hall by panelists:

  • Dr. Monica Verra-Tirado, chief of the bureau of exceptional student education and student services at the Florida Department of Education
  • Darcy McDowell, director of student accessibility services at Pasco-Hernando State College
  • Celeste Kellar, principal at Pepin Academies Pasco campus, a school that specializes in serving students with special needs.

Pasco Commission Chair Moore addressed issues of concern relating to services available from county government, while the other experts focused on education and related services.

Pasco County School Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin offered reassuring words for parents who are struggling to help their special needs children, during this time of distance learning. (File)

Beaudoin offered reassuring words for parents.

“Some families have expressed concern about keeping the instructional momentum going at home and fear that their students will regress,” Beaudoin said. “Please try not to worry. There is a plan in place to address that.

“Pasco County Schools is prioritizing compassion and grace. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teachers, if your family is feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. We all want what is best for all of our students. There is a lot of support that’s available to students and families.”

Questions also have been raised about how special services are being provided now, during this time of online learning.

Verra-Tirado addressed that issue.

She said the state has been clear that students are expected to continue to receive the special services they would receive in a traditional setting.

“The good news is that we’ve got a lot of new technologies that allow for the use of platforms, such as telehealth, in order for our teachers and therapists to provide a wide range — a continuum of services — in this very unique time,” Verra-Tirado said.

Kellar said Pepin Academies students  “are still getting their necessary services that they need, through the tele-therapies. We are making sure that their accommodations are met,” she said, just like they would be in the classroom.

McDowell said Pasco-Hernando State College also is providing accommodations for students online.

“We have used Zoom a lot for our courses,” McDowell said, noting that allows face-to-face interactions.

Beaudoin said the Pasco school district is reaching out to families, individually about their services and therapies.

“I can say that my son did get his speech therapy this week, via Zoom,” she said.

If for some reason a family hasn’t already heard from their school, they should contact their school, she said.

The panelists also addressed the issue of parents trying to balance tele-working and the special education needs of their son or daughter.

Verra-Tirado addressed that question: “I can tell that’s been the main comment that I’ve received from parents during this time.

“My advice to them is that they need to balance what they’re doing with what their children are doing.

“It takes them being scheduled, just like their children are being scheduled.

“Schedule the more difficult work their child is doing, when their workload is not as heavy.

“That’s real stressor for a lot of our families. I’ve told them, it’s not worth stressing out for. We’re going to try to balance it as best we can.”

McDowell, who has a daughter with autism,  offered this advice: “Take breaks.”

“We’ve just taken it one day at a time, and honestly, what’s really worked for me is reaching out to friends and family,” McDowell said, noting she belongs to a Facebook group for moms with kids with special needs.

Beaudoin advised parents to break down the work into manageable chunks, and to schedule the work in a way that works best for them.

“Keep in mind, we have a lot of flexibility. Just reach out to your child’s teacher. Our administrators and our teachers know that they have flexibility, and they’re going to work with families.

“Don’t wait until you’re feeling so frustrated and upset. Just reach out and you can make adjustments,” Beaudoin said.

She also recommended seeking out support groups, which can provide excellent information about resources that are available.

Provide opportunities to ‘virtually socialize’
Others asked for guidance on how to keep kids motivated, and how to create opportunities for them to interact with friends, while away from school.

As for socializing, McDowell said her daughter Skypes with friends and in-laws, and plays online games.

Her daughter also interacts with others via phone, Chat, Zoom and FaceTime.

Having ways for students to see each other and their teacher is important, Kellar said.

“That social aspect of education is a huge part, that you forget about it sometimes, you’re so concentrated on getting the curriculum,” she said.

Verra-Tirado agreed:  “We’re hearing that all over the state. That can completely change a youngster’s day.”

When students are able to see teachers and friends, it’s reassuring to students, she said.

If parents or grandparents don’t know how to work the technologies, they should reach out to their schools. They can help families, the education experts said.

Another question was posed regarding whether students can repeat the grade.

The experts said that requires a close evaluation before a determination could be made.

Beaudoin put it this way: “That is a major decision and one that should not be made lightly.”

Commission Chairman Moore touched on some issues of interest to the elderly, and also regarding people requiring a special needs shelter, in the event of a hurricane.

He responded to a question relating to senior citizens who have disabilities who do not have access to a computer for ordering groceries.

“We have a nonprofit here in Pasco County called CARES and they’re offering grocery service for seniors over 60 years old. The service itself is free, but the senior prepares a grocery list or a loved one at home helps prepare that grocery list, and they do pay for their groceries. They’re also providing care packages and toiletries,” he said.

To find out more, call (727) 862-9291.

Moore also told viewers that Pasco County Senior Services also provides meals.

The commission chairman also said: “It is getting close to hurricane season. Now is the time if you or a loved one or a child has special needs, to go ahead and register for the special needs program when it comes to evacuations.”

To find out more about having groceries delivered, call (727) 862-9291.

To find out more about senior services, call (727) 834-3340.

To register for special needs evacuation, go to the county’s website at PascoCountyFl.net.

Resources for families with special needs
Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System (FDLRS) is a valuable resource for students with disabilities. The main page is http://www.fdlrs.org

Within FDLRS there are virtual webinars parents can attend and there are also recorded webinars posted:  http://www.fdlrs.org/virtual_webinar_resources

Here’s the parent toolbox and live chat options with FDLRS:  http://www.livebinders.com/b/2646931

Here’s the parent toolbox for Pasco:  http://www.livebinders.com/b/2646931

Melissa Musselwhite, director of student support services in Pasco County Schools, has recorded a video specifically for families of students with disabilities. It can be found at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyGBas2jsAo

All school District videos are here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg2EPgrZtxyZPdaprLgSqpQ

Other helpful resources:

Published May 13, 2020

Cancellation of spring sports leaves many dejected

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There was at least a glimmer of hope the 2020 Florida high school spring sports season would resume, even amid concerns about coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

But, optimism vanished when the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) on April 20 announced it would cancel all FHSAA-affiliated events.

The cancellations include the state series and championships events, for spring sports.

Due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) on April 20 announced it would cancel all FHSAA-affiliated events, including the state series and championships events, for spring sports. (File)

The statewide sports organization also announced no additional eligibility will be granted for spring sport athletes, including seniors, “under the guidance of the Florida Department of Education regarding grade level retention, and upon review of Florida Statutes and FHSAA Bylaws.”

And, just like that, high school senior athletic careers have come to an end.

It happened months sooner than expected, with no clue for athletes that a game, match or meet around mid-March would officially be their last.

The reality has left many local senior athletes feeling dejected, including Sunlake High’s Gianna Levy.

“It was really hard on me,” said Levy. “I cried. To be honest, I cried a lot.”

The prep track and field season offered Levy a final chance to boost her stats and times, to get on the radar of NCAA Division I college programs, as a heptathlete. She’s still holding out hope of being able to compete on the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) circuit this summer to get those college looks, but even that’s no guarantee.

“It definitely is really taking a really big toll on me,” Levy said. “This was a lot of people’s out ticket (to college) and now we don’t have that out ticket.”

Levy was only able participate in a couple track events before the varsity season came to a screeching halt. She was nursing a hip injury, which arose in February after she won a state title in girls weightlifting.

Though she’d already been a three-time state track and field qualifier and holds the school’s 400-meter dash record, Levy was dogged to put forth a banner senior campaign. “I just had so many goals in mind,” she said.

Other seniors had similar ambitions for their high school swan song.

Land O’ Lakes High senior Courtney Piltaver is a two-time Sunshine Athletic Conference East Girls Tennis Player of the Year. She was poised again to shine in her final high school tennis season, coming off a district title and state finalist.

From left: Wiregrass Ranch High softball seniors Kailey Riddlesworth, Cassidy Eason, Lexi Gaiefsky and Loryn Finn. These athletes only played nine games of a 27-game regular season schedule, due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Courtesy of Tyler Finn)

“I was pretty upset because it was my senior year, and it really sucks that I didn’t get to enjoy the full season with my team and my coaches, and kind of just close out,” said Piltaver, who’s signed with NCAA Division II University of Montevallo in Alabama.

The tennis standout added that not having the typical ceremonial senior night celebration, “was kind of heartbreaking, because that was something I was really looking forward to since my freshman year.”

Senior infielder Loryn Finn was in the midst of her best hitting season on the Wiregrass Ranch High softball team, sporting a .360/.467/.440 slash line through nine games.

The team captain also was chasing the 100 career hit milestone — a possibility with 18 regular season games remaining on the schedule, until athletics activities were scrapped.

Finn won’t be playing college ball. She hasn’t quite come to grips that a March 11 loss to Wesley Chapel High is perhaps the final time she’ll pick up a bat, ball and glove competitively.

“It’s definitely hard. I’m kind of in shock,” Finn said, bluntly.

Aside from game action, Finn still longs for those last few “bus rides to games, and just jamming to music with players and teammates.”

With a tinge of despair in her voice, Finn labeled her four-year softball experience as “just always been fun.”

Wiregrass Ranch assistant softball coach Tyler Finn feels for his senior daughter and the many other players on the team: “It’s really just not the seniors, it’s freshmen, it’s everybody. It’s tough on them, too. It affects every player, all of them; their season was cut short.”

He also observed his daughter’s high school athletics career coming to an abrupt halt.

Besides softball, Finn was a three-time All-Conference golfer: “She’s gotten to the point where she just wants to get into college and get the education going. She had a really good high school softball career and golf career. …She’s going to miss those kids that she played with since she was little — that’s the hard part.”

Though the traditional season is done, the assistant coach is looking for some way to hold a final showcase in the summer that would bring together various senior high school softball players countywide, assuming restrictions on parks and gatherings are lifted.

“The kids deserve it,” he said.

‘I knew it was coming’
Back on March 31, the FHSAA issued a statement that left open the possibility of a spring sports season, saying they could run from as soon as May 3 through June 30.

The FHSAA also had indicated if a spring sports season is canceled altogether, it was working on a solution to create additional athletics eligibility for students who were unable to participate.

FHSAA-sanctioned spring sports include baseball, flag football, lacrosse, softball, tennis, track & field, boys volleyball, water polo and boys weightlifting.

However, as days and weeks pressed on, many saw the writing on the wall that spring sports would not return this year, due to the pandemic.

Sunlake High senior track and field standout Gianna Levy was looking to get on the radar of Division I college athletics programs before the spring season was cut short. (Courtesy of Gianna Levy)

“I knew it was coming. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I didn’t want to accept it, but I knew it was coming,” said Academy at the Lakes (AATL) varsity baseball coach Ken Akins.

“Once the FHSAA said, ‘OK, we’re thinking about extending it into summer and deep into June,’ there was a little bit of hope there, but once you get into June you start messing with all the travel sports — baseball and softball are huge in the summertime.”

Academy at the Lakes athletic director Tom Haslam offered a similar take on the FHSAA’s decision: “We kind of knew this was coming, but we hated to hear the actual directive.”

He added: “It’s understandable, they have to do it, so we don’t disagree with it, we expected it.”

The directive came at a time when multiple AATL programs were hitting their stride.

The AATL baseball team was on its best start in program history, already matching its win total from 2019  —  thanks to contributions from four seniors.

The school’s boys tennis team, meanwhile, was expected to contend for a state championship, like the prior season.

Of course, the FHSAA’s salvo wiped out the Land O’ Lakes-based private school’s softball, track and field, and boys weightlifting teams.

All told, there were 17 seniors among those five teams.

“It affects everybody’s season,” Haslam said, “but the seniors, you really feel for it.”

He added, “It’s not just athletic seniors, but seniors in anything. You’re talking about proms and special events that just aren’t going to happen. It’s just sad. Sad’s the best word I have for it.”

Though much attention has been brought to how this year’s seniors are affected, and rightly so, the longtime athletic director also believes the canceled spring season could have major ripple effects for juniors looking to get recruited by various college programs.

Haslam put it like this: “It hurts a lot of the juniors, because not only are they putting stats on paper, but they’re also missing workout time, and it’s going to be hard to develop their skills as normal, because they can’t get in the cages and gyms, and there’s no spring ball, and there may not even be travel ball in the summer.

“It’s pretty far-reaching, so it doesn’t just affect seniors on that level. You can’t even go out in a park and shoot hoops,” he said.

Published April 29, 2020

Don’t Miss Feb. 14 Deadline for Enrollment Lottery at Union Park Charter Academy

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The deadline is coming up fast for area families wanting to enroll their students in the 2020-2021 school year lottery for Union Park Charter Academy, an A-rated charter school in Wesley Chapel.

The deadline for online applications is Feb. 14 for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Interested parents should go to UnionParkAcademy.org, and select the enrollment tab.

Union Park Charter Academy opened in 2018 for grades K-6, and last year added a seventh grade. The 2020-2021 school year will see the addition of an eighth grade, completing the school’s elementary enrollment of 765 students.

The school has received exceptionally positive reviews from parents, students and teachers, and, in its first year, received a grade of “A” from the Florida Department of Education.

“We are so proud of our students and teachers who work so hard and are so dedicated to our students’ individual success, and our school’s overall academic excellence,” said Principal Tracy Ware.

The school is conveniently located at 32775 Oldwoods Ave., across from the Union Park subdivision and east of Meadow Pointe Boulevard.

Global Citizens
Union Park Charter Academy is dedicated to preparing its students for the 21st century by teaching them skills they will need to be successful in the future.

“We believe that our students are global citizens who can play a huge part in the world, now and in the future,” explains Ware. “We believe it is critical that we begin to empower our students as future leaders to create a better world.”

The school’s curriculum has several initiatives to achieve this goal.

– Introduce students to different cultures and the impact we have on each other.

– Explore global issues we are currently facing, or will face in the future. This includes problem-solving and thinking critically about how students can make a difference.

– Students have started several charity and community programs on their own. From raising money for displaced animals to collecting pajamas for hospitalized children, every program is 100% student-created and student-driven.

– Empower students by helping them see that they are never too young to begin making a difference, and that this potential is inside each and every one of them.

Balanced Academic and Activities
Union Park Charter Academy offers programs that  include a variety of academic, performing arts, and sports programs to help students develop intellectually, emotionally and creatively.

— A curriculum that focuses on core fundamentals and empowers teachers to create motivation learning spaces, utilize research-based instructional strategies and tools, and develop each student’s ability to meet their learning goals.

–  A wide range of opportunities for students in performing arts through the school’s theater, chorus and Jr. Thespian clubs.

–  Afterschool activities, including soccer, basketball, DIY, art, cheerleading, flag football, track, cross-country, dance, cooking and community service.

– Community programs, such as IdeaLab, and Bricks4Kids, to let students explore their interest in engineering and science with robotics, science labs, drone development and other engineering programs.

Safe and Collaborative Learning
All grade-level teachers and students have the opportunity to work together every day. Students experience instructional styles of all teachers in their grade level, which aids in the development of the whole child.

– Top-of-the-line security cameras, double-locked door entrance, an on-site school guardian and ID check system for all adults entering the building.

– A policy of zero tolerance for bullying.

– Research-based programs to establish a safe and inclusive environment in which students learn healthy behaviors and skills that support engaged citizenship.

– Curriculum nights for parents to learn about standards-based instruction, the school’s grading and home learning philosophies, state assessments, and reading and math activities outside of the classroom.

– School-sponsored events and community-service projects provide parents with multiple ways to connect with students, staff, community members and other parents.

STEAM
A STEAM-focused curriculum provides one-to-one technology for all students in a digital learning environment.

– Students use iPads, laptops and SMART Boards, and are taught skills that include coding, robotics, data analysis, and traditional software knowledge.

– One-to-one technology allows students to explore and create individual works based on computational thinking to prepare them for college and career readiness.

– Technology is placed in the hands of students to support an interactive and motivating learning environment. Classrooms utilize the SMART Learning Suite, and most classrooms are equipped with SMART Interactive Flat Panels, which support teachers in designing more engaging lessons, including the ability to incorporate a gaming approach to instruction.

– Students are immersed in a highly interactive, student-centered learning environment that includes engineering, science labs and state of the art technology.

– Makerspaces for students that promote hands-on learning and everyday problem solving opportunities.

“We welcome all families interested in our unique approach to education to go to our website and enroll for the 2020-2021 enrollment lottery,” said Principal Ware. “Because we are a charter school approved by the Pasco County School Board, there is no tuition to attend our school, and we welcome families of all backgrounds to apply.”

School Enrollment Coordinator: (813) 358-7306, ext. 1008

To enroll in the 2020-2021 Lottery: csusa.schoolmint.net/welcome.

New, High-Performing Charter School Coming To Avalon Park West

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Families with school-aged children who live in Avalon Park attend some of Pasco County’s best public schools located within a few miles of their homes. Soon, they will have the option of going to a brand-new charter school at the community’s entrance.

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel is being opened by Pinecrest Academy Inc., one of the top charter school operators in Florida. In the past few weeks, the school’s walls were erected at the entrance to Avalon Park West.

“Now that the walls are going up, our dream of offering families a top-notch charter school is finally becoming a reality,” said Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing and community relations for the Avalon Park Group.

The walls are going up at Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, a new charter school being built at the entrance to Avalon Park West.

The new school will open in time for the 2020-21 school year with 650 students in kindergarten through sixth grade, and plans to expand to serve up to eighth grade. The school’s opening will coincide with the completion of the widening of State Road 54, which runs in front of the school.

Pinecrest Wesley Chapel will offer a core curriculum of English/language arts, mathematics, social science, science and electives, such as performing and fine arts, and world languages. Parents who are interested in the school can go to the website (PinecrestWesleyChapel.com) to fill out an interest form.

“Our goal is to have the very best school in the entire state,” said Lerret.

Pinecrest Academy Inc., received approval of its Wesley Chapel charter application in 2017 from the Pasco County School Board.

Judith Marty, founding board chair of Pinecrest, expressed enthusiasm at the school’s Wesley Chapel groundbreaking in June.

“Thank you for being here, and thank you for believing in us,” Marty told those gathered.

Marty shared with the crowd that Pinecrest has 16 schools and is opening more. Most of its schools operate in South Florida, but it also has four charter schools in Nevada and will be opening one more in August.

“All of the schools are high-performing,” Marty said. “For example, Pinecrest Prep High School is graduating 99 percent, with a population that is predominantly Hispanic. We also are placing 97 percent of those students in college. Once we commit to a community, we’re not going to let you down.”

The Florida Department of Education recently released school grades for the 2018 school year. All Pinecrest Academy schools earned an “A,” and one of the schools was the top-performing K-8 school in Florida.

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel is supported by Academica. Academica is an education service and support provider for nearly 200 schools across the country. Serving fourteen National Blue Ribbon schools, Academica is one of the nation’s longest serving and most successful charter school support organizations.

Beat Kahli, president and CEO of Avalon Park Group, spoke at the groundbreaking and told how in the mid-1980s, he invited two dozen real estate agents to ask them for recommendations of what would be good to offer people east of Orlando, at what would become Avalon Park East.

Kahli suspected they would tell him to build golf courses, or a waterpark. Instead, they told him: “We want good schools.”

From that, he learned, “If you have a good school, everything else follows.”

Now, Kahli is involved in creating Avalon Park West.

When the master-planned community is completed, Kahli said, it “will be a town, where you never have to leave if you don’t want because you will be able to satisfy all of your needs.”

“It’s great to be here in Wesley Chapel,” he said. “Let’s build this downtown. Let’s start with the most important — the school.”

Interested families can visit PinecrestWesleyChapel.com to find out more.

Editor’s note: Portions of this story were previously published in the June 19, 2019 issue of The Laker/Lutz News.

Published July 24, 2019

Browning talks school safety, other issues

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More than a year since the Parkland school shooting claimed the lives of 17 students and faculty members, ensuring school safety remains a forefront priority for Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning.

Browning discussed that, and a number of other school issues, as the featured guest speaker at the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce March breakfast meeting at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus in Wesley Chapel.

“Parkland kind of rocked our world,” Browning said, during the breakfast meeting. “It really shook everybody’s core about the magnitude of what our responsibility is about making sure that our kids are safe in our schools.”

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning was the featured guest speaker at the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce March breakfast meeting. (Kevin Weiss)

Browning said Pasco Schools have made a number of sweeping changes to enhance school safety, in the wake of the February 2018 tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida.

Among the most noteworthy, Browning said, was the district hiring around 60 armed school safety guards to place in elementary schools — in addition to school resource officers at all middle and high schools — to comply with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, also known as Senate Bill 7026. The district’s safety guards are required to have a minimum of 10 years of experience in the military or law enforcement.

Browning explained the safety guards have quickly made a positive impact on school campuses, by taking on a mentoring relationship with students, which, in turn, has led to fewer discipline referrals districtwide.

“These men and women are kicking it,” Browning said. “Just having that presence on the campus has been significant, has been incredible for this district, and also provides a sense of security, and, it does provide security.

“We’re much more tight about who’s on campus. If you don’t have a (identification) badge on, they’re going to ask you where you are from or what you’re doing on campus.”

As another safety measure, Browning said district schools are getting upgraded door locks, thanks in part to a security grant from the Florida Department of Education, whereby classroom doors can lock from the inside when they are closed.

“There’s no getting back in that room unless you have a key,” said Browning. “Whether teachers or principals like it or not, those doors are going to lock, and you better have a key on your body if you want to get back in a classroom, because your kids need to be safe and they need to be protected.”

The school district is also “installing a lot more (security) cameras,” Browning said.

Browning also mentioned there’s a districtwide policy requiring gates and classroom doors to be locked and secured during school hours.

Browning said the policy — put into effect a week after the Parkland shooting — received pushback from some teachers and administrators, who called it “inconvenient” at the time.

“I don’t want to hear about how inconvenient it is that you’ve got to wear a key on your lanyard to get back into your door,” Browning said of those complaints. “It would be inconvenient for me to have to stand before a bank of national TV cameras explaining how someone got onto our campus, and worse yet, got into your classroom. That’s what’s inconvenient to me.”

He continued, “Kids needs to be safe in our schools. Parents need to have the expectation when you drop your child off at our school that they’re going to be safe.”

Besides addressing school safety, the superintendent offered an update to some new school projects in East Pasco, including the new Cypress Creek Middle School being built next to Cypress Creek Middle High School, which opened in 2017.

“We have broken ground. We are tearing ground open. We are putting walls down at Cypress Creek Middle School,” Browning said.

The new middle school is set to open in 2020.

Once complete, the approximately 185,000-square-foot to 195,000-square-foot middle school will become Pasco’s largest middle school. It will serve more than 1,600 students in grades six through eight.

Related to that, Browning said the school district is set to undergo another redistricting either later this year or early next year, whereby students from Seven Oaks Elementary will likely be zoned to the Cypress Creek schools — a measure to reduce overcrowding at John Long Middle and Wiregrass Ranch High schools, respectively.

Browning also said moves are being made to bring a technical high school to East Pasco.

“We’re getting ready to break ground. We’re in the design stage now,” Browning said.

The superintendent explained that district officials are leaning toward having the unnamed technical school built on the recently purchased 104-acre Kirkland Ranch property, situated at the southeast corner of Curley and Kiefer roads.

The district has also considered the technical school for a 125-acre tract along Handcart and Fairview Heights roads.

Browning, however, said the Kirkland Ranch property may present a more desirable location once the new Interstate 75 interchange at Overpass Road is completed.

“It’s a good shot from Zephyrhills, a great shot from Wesley Chapel, and a great shot from Dade City,” Browning said.

Either way, Browning said a technical school would help relieve overcrowding concerns at Pasco, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills high schools.

“It will lower the numbers again in those schools, but also give kids in this area a technical education if that’s what they want to do,” he said.

Elsewhere, the superintendent touched on teacher salaries — and finding ways to boost them.

Browning said he’s having ongoing discussions with district staff about the possibility of holding a millage election “solely for the purpose of paying our teachers more money.”

“The mission we have in Pasco is paying teachers,” Browning said. “We’ve got to make an investment in our teachers.”

Published March 20, 2019

Organization offers hope through jobs for disabled persons

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Cindy Bray believes there’s a job out there for everyone, and everyone should have an opportunity for a job — especially those with disabilities.

As executive director of the Wesley Chapel-based nonprofit Hope Services, Bray’s job is just that: Aiding in finding employment opportunities for youth and adults who have disabilities.

She launched the organization by herself in 2003.

Cindy Bray, Hope Services executive director (Courtesy of Hope Services)

Since then, she and Hope Services staff have helped hundreds, if not thousands of people with disabilities find employment with local businesses, through its array of job search and training programs.

Upwards of 400 people have landed jobs through Hope Services in the last year alone, Bray said. Positions have been secured a variety of fields, including retail, food service, warehouses, the medical field and more, she said.

“We have people doing everything. We have people everywhere,” Bray said. “They’re not limited, and their disability does not limit them, either.”

Hope Services is a vendor for the Florida Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

It works from referrals and the support of families as a provider of vocational rehabilitation.

The organization aids in job coaching, on-the-job training, self-advocacy training, work readiness and more. That encompasses resume-building, learning how to find and apply for jobs online, interview techniques, developing socialization skills, understanding human resources requirements and documents, navigating public transportation and more.

Because its funding comes from the state of Florida, Hope Services programming is free to its clientele.

Hope Services itself has grown to over a dozen employees who service the Gulf Coast (Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties).

“It’s really growing,” Bray said. “Other employers want to be more involved in it because they’re seeing our people can make a difference in their employment.”

Bray said the organization’s staff of employment and vocational training specialists work to accentuate people’s abilities, rather than their disabilities.

In addition to assisting people with physical or learning disabilities, the organization helps find meaningful employment opportunities to those who have suffered life-changing injuries or illnesses, providing them “a second opportunity in life.”

Bray observed: “You find a lot of times, with the disabled population, they’re better employees because they’re serious about their jobs and they want to do their best to succeed with their employer, too.”

Each success story brings a feeling of warmth to Hope Services staffers.

“It’s a very rewarding job. It really is,” said Bray, who estimates over 90 percent of Hope Services clients have found success in employment.

In recent years, the organization has placed more focus on ramping up programs for the teenagers and young adults, those ages 15 to 22 that are still in school

Bray explained there’s a “huge need” for servicing that population, noting many have difficulty with the very basics of finding and keeping employment.

Said Bray: “We’re trying real hard to help those students, once they hit that 16, 17, 18-year-old age, to think ahead of employment, and also give mom and dad a ray of hope.”

To help with that, Hope Services will be offering free support group seminars each month that will bring clients (and prospective clients) and family members together, in a supportive and educational forum. The meetings will be guided by a licensed clinician, who will help participants celebrate successes, encourage each other through ongoing challenges, learn new techniques, and provide and receive feedback on their personal journey through life with disabilities.

Seminar topics will include the following:

  • Mindfulness & Goal Setting
  • Self-Awareness & Emotional Regulation
  • Time Management & Organizational Skills
  • The Challenge of Adjusting Expectations
  • Encouraging Fatigue: When the Helper Needs Help
  • Distorted Thinking: Brains don’t always tell the truth
  • Coping Skills: What helps & what hurts?
  • Communication Skills: The differences of what is said & what is heard

The first seminar will be on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m., at the Hope Services offices, 2406 Cypress Glen Drive, Suite 102, Wesley Chapel. Seminars will be held the first Monday of each month, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. They are free and open to the public.

For information, visit HopeGetsJobs.com, or call (813) 907-1903.

Published January 2, 2019

Zephyrhills economic summit puts focus on education

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Fostering educational opportunities in Pasco County was the primary focus of the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit.

Doing that begins with beefing up the Pasco County school district’s career and technical education programs, said Kurt Browning, superintendent of Pasco County Schools.

“We need to put our career academies on steroids,” said Browning, one of several guest speakers at the Oct. 24 summit, at the new Zephyrhills City Hall, that brought together local education, business and government stakeholders.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning was one of several guest speakers at the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit. The event focused on local educational and career opportunities in Pasco County. (Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Based on the region’s business profile, Browning said there needs to be greater emphasis on teaching trade skills — such as roofing and carpentry, plumbing, HVAC technicians, electricians and more.

“One of the things that we keep hearing a lot about is the trades. I’m continually amazed of the number of people that stop us and say, ‘I just need young men that can get up there and lay roof,’” Browning said.

To meet those demands, he called for increased state funding and greater collaboration with the Florida Department of Education to create industrial certifications for those fields. The district also needs to ensure opportunities for students, not destined for college, to have a chance to learn trade skills that can translate to high-wage job right out of high school.

Browning put it this way: “What we need to do is have training programs that meet the needs of all of our students, so if you’re going to be a plumber, you be the best plumber you can be.”

Browning also said the school district needs more input from local business leaders on the types of labor needed for the present and future.

“We need to do a better job of communicating, and we need to create a better relationship with our chambers, because the chambers are the ones that are really connecting, letting businesses know what we do and creating dialogues to help build that need,” the superintendent said.

Preparing tomorrow’s workforce
Browning was upbeat about some of the career and technical academies the district presently offers.

Pasco County School’s Career and Technical Education programs were discussed extensively at the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit. (Courtesy of Pasco Schools)

He pointed to Zephyrhills High’s aviation academy and Wesley Chapel High’s automotive technology academy, along with academies at other schools ranging from health and finance, to cybersecurity and culinary arts.

“I think we’re on the right path,” Browning said. “We’re working tirelessly trying to make sure our programs are relevant to meet the employment needs of our employers in Pasco County. We’re not perfect, and we’re not where we need to be. We’re still trying to figure out how to address the trades issue.”

Browning also mentioned the district is designing a technical high school in east Pasco that would likely open by 2022.

The district’s only two technical offerings — Marchman Technical College and Wendell Krinn Technical High School (which replaced Ridgewood High this school year) — are located in New Port Richey.

Plans call for the new school to be built on a 125-acre, district-owned tract of land along Fairview Heights and Handcart Road in the Dade City area.

It will help relieve overcrowding at Pasco, Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools, Browning said.

“It’s going to be uniquely situated in the right place, right spot, offering technical career education students are clamoring for,” he said.

The technical school is also something the manufacturing industry is pushing for, according to Tom Mudano, AmSkills executive director, another guest speaker at the summit.

Mudano said a tech school based in east Pasco could help lure more manufacturing business to the region, to follow in the footsteps of companies such as Mettler Toledo and TouchPoint Medical, which he said have already brought a combined 700 jobs to the county.

“We truly believe that we need a facility on this side of Pasco County,” Mudano said. “If you’re looking at bringing jobs here, having a workforce is important.”

Mudano pointed out Tampa Bay has the most number of manufacturers in the state. And, he said that many of those companies have expressed a great need for additional skilled and semi-skilled workers.

“A lot of people don’t even realize that there’s a lot of (manufacturing) opportunities out there,” he said.

Mudano also assured that those types of trade jobs aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

He cited information from the National Association of Manufacturers that projects there will be about 3.4 million jobs over the next 10 years, yet only 1.1 million of them will get filled.

The summit also featured a lengthy presentation from state Sen. Tom Lee, a Republican from Thonotosassa. Much of his talk centered on the state’s education system and the strides made during the last several years.

He pointed to the advent of charter schools and various opportunity scholarship programs as key reasons for boosting the state’s public education system on the whole.

“Everybody is more on their game today than they were 20 years ago. We have a rising graduation rate, better testing scores,” said Lee, who represents parts of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk counties in District 20.

He added: “We have created some competition for the public education system, and the public education system has responded well.”

Meanwhile, Lee suggested that going forward, the state legislature should “back off some of the micromanagement” of county school districts. He said school boards should instead have more control over district budgets and educational programs to “best meet the needs of the individual student populations of the schools.”

Lee also advocated for creating “fair competition” and “leveling the playing field” between public schools and alternative charter schools.

One way to do that, he said, includes loosening up some of strict building requirements of new public schools, called State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF), that cost school districts exponentially more than their charter school counterparts. He asked: “Why is it costing public education system 20 percent more to build a public school than it is a charter school?”

Other speakers at the summit included Dr. Keiva Wiley, Pasco County Schools director of Career and Technical Education; Angie Stone, Zephyrhills High School principal; Dr. Stanley Giannet, of Pasco-Hernando State College; Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley; Maria Reza, Career Source Pasco/Hernando business services consultant; Seta Ruiz, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills director of clinical services; and, Dr. Randy Stovall, Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce president.

The Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition presented the summit, in partnership with the City of Zephyrhills and The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Published November 7, 2018

First Year Successes at Bexley Elementary

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This Friday, 104 fifth-graders will graduate from Bexley Elementary in Land O’ Lakes, capping off an outstanding first year for the new school.

“I’m amazed at how fast this school year has gone by,” said Principal Vicki Wolin. “We’re so proud of our first graduating class, and excited about the many accomplishments achieved this year by our students, staff and parents.”

Wolin identified four successes she is particularly proud of.

  1. Established a chapter of the National Elementary Honor Society for fourth- and fifth-graders. Students were invited to apply, and 40 were selected based on their application, grades and citizenship efforts.

Along with the support of their teams, two teachers co-chaired this initiative; fifth-grade teacher Cynthia Zimmerman and fourth-grade teacher Katlyn Gamble.

“Not all elementary schools have National Honor Society, and our co-chairs did a great job making this happen,” said Wolin. “Establishing a chapter in our first year was important because we wanted to emphasize that the academic achievement of our students is a primary focus.”

  1. Organized a Safety Patrol Program for fifth-graders, with 25 youngsters selected, based on teacher recommendations, academics and good citizenship.

“Our safety patrol students monitor school activities, help out in the car loop and assist other students throughout the campus,” said Wolin. “They are our goodwill ambassadors who exemplify our school rules— Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Safe.”

  1. Recognized by the Florida Department of Education with a Golden School Award for promoting parent and community involvement. The award requires that the total number of volunteer hours equals twice the number of students enrolled at a school.

Bexley volunteers far surpassed this number, logging over 3,000 volunteer hours, or twice the number of hours required, based on its student population of 715.

  1. Established a Parent Teacher Organization to plan and support the school’s Booster-thon and Spring Carnival fundraisers.

“Our PTO was very involved, especially for a new school,” Wolin said. “Its fund-raising activities contributed to our outdoor beautification program with benches and umbrellas, and also supported our technology fund that we use to purchase iPads and laptops.”

Bexley Elementary Principal Vicki Wolin talks with first-grader Andrew Fowler and his brother, kindergartner Robert Fowler.

Wolin, who previously was principal for 14 years at Seven Springs Elementary in New Port Richey, was appointed Bexley’s principal in January 2017, eight months before the school opened.

“It was an incredible learning experience to be part of the school from the ground up,” said Wolin. “It allowed me to be proactive, and plan ahead to put in place the processes and procedures needed for the school.”

Designed for 900 students, Bexley is the largest elementary school in physical size in Pasco County. It ends the school year with 715 students, and is expecting an enrollment of 800 for the 2018-19 school year.

Much of this student growth is coming from children in primary grades, especially kindergartners.

“We had 120 children at our spring kindergarten roundup, and are growing from four kindergarten classes at the beginning of this year to eight classes next year,” Wolin said.

The doubling of its kindergarten class is reflective of the many families moving into Bexley, the master-planned community where the school is located.

Newland Communities, the developer of Bexley, anticipates selling 150 new homes a year in its community —many to families with young children. Newland will be building for several years, with an anticipated build out of 3,500 homes.

In addition, two large apartment communities are opening close to Bexley Elementary that will have many families with school-aged children — Lakeside Walk at Bexley with 300 apartments, and Mystic Pointe with 262.

“With so much growth at Bexley and the surrounding area, we expect to be at our 900-student capacity within two years,” said Wolin. “We also are seeing lots of local children transferring from charter schools to Bexley, and many families relocating from outside the state to Pasco County.”

Bexley Elementary is built on 18 acres donated by Newland Communities.  And, because of the generosity of this developer, there is room to construct an additional building on the school site in the future.

John Petrashek, director of construction services for Pasco schools, has praised Newland Communities for being “tremendous partners.” He explains that Newland ensured that the site was large enough to meet the district’s needs, and also made sure that needed infrastructure was available.

“We know that access to good schools is so important for families with kids, particularly when shopping for a new home,” said Pam Parisi, vice president of marketing for Newland Communities.

“That’s why we’re thrilled to have Bexley Elementary School located right within the community. Parents and kids love the convenience of being able to walk or ride their bikes to school.”

About Bexley Elementary

  • 726 students; projected 800 next August
  • Principal Vicki Wolin — 30-year Pasco educator
  • 84 employees, including 39 teachers
  • First graduating class – 104 fifth-graders
  • Golden School Award for over 3,000 volunteer hours
  • School Mission: Believe. Engage. Succeed. Every Bulldog! Every Day!
  • Located on 18 acres donated by Newland Communities

Published May 23, 2018