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Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Zephyrhills discussing 911 dispatch

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The City of Zephyrhills has proudly operated its own police and dispatch for over a century, dating back to 1914 to be exact.

Some of this autonomy could be altered in coming years, however.

With technology advancements and rampant growth on the East Pasco town’s doorstep, local leaders are evaluating the existing operating model for public safety.

Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The Zephyrhills Police Department (ZPD) and other city officials are considering various ways to upgrade and improve its 911 dispatch communications and records management technology.

At least one possibility includes consolidating and integrating those services with Pasco County, in an effort to improve efficiency and public safety, among other reasons.

The Zephyrhills City Council conducted a 90-minute workshop presentation on the issue last month.

Council members reached a consensus that it’s time to proceed with a feasibility study to account for cost factors, planning and transition of a 911 systems merger.

Some possible routes for such study are via the Police Executive Research Forum, through an academic institution such as the University of South Florida, or with the help of a consulting firm.

“This is a big deal, so we need to know what we’re getting into,” said Zephyrhills Council President Charles Proctor.

Here’s how the communications system currently works: The municipality’s central dispatch handles all landline 911 calls and other non-emergency calls within city limits.

But Pasco County Emergency Communications, based in New Port Richey, answers 100% of wireless cellphone 911 calls, even those within Zephyrhills.

After a briefing with the wireless caller, county dispatchers transfer the call to ZPD dispatch. Dispatchers at ZPD proceed to ask a similar line questions from the 911 caller — such as exact location, name and phone number — and determine whether to send an officer on scene.

Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer acknowledged this multi-step verification and county-to-city wireless call transfer creates “some redundancy” and at times becomes “a very lengthy process,” often due to voluminous confirmation protocols required by the county.

The police chief underscored the issue by mentioning that a local wireless 911 caller sometimes may be asked to confirm his or her name three times or more, even before identifying their particular emergency or situation.

Said Brewer: “I can understand if you’re going through those protocols as a 911 caller and you’re going through an emergency, and then having to get transferred, they’re probably upset, that they just want an officer or EMS or whatever.”

Another shortfall with the current model — there’s the chance of wireless call transfers getting dropped in transit between county and city dispatch.

The Zephyrhills Police Department (ZPD) will remain in place, even if the city merged its 911 dispatching services with Pasco County. The local law enforcement agency has 34 sworn officers.

Multiple options on the table
Zephyrhills leaders previously considered dispatch consolidation in 2012.

The plan wasn’t implemented due to potential costs and a view by stakeholders that a merger with the county wouldn’t be beneficial at the time.

But with marked increases in cellphone usage, surging residential growth and corresponding cutting of landlines, city leaders are again considering the possibility of an operational overhaul.

Since 2012, wireless transfer calls have increased from about 55% to 62%, and the figures are only expected to increase in coming years, officials say.

Brewer introduced three options for city leaders to consider:

  • Remain status quo — continue to operate in the same manner
  • Hybrid consolidation — create a mixture of a centralized and localized system. The city would remain as a standalone communications center but would share a common CAD/RMS (computer-aided dispatch/record management system) with Pasco County.
  • Full consolidation — consolidate into a centrally located communications center for all emergency personnel and shared CAD/RMS system, to eliminate 911 calls being answered by dispatches from different agencies and the need to transfer callers

A full dispatch consolidation model would mirror what’s now in place at the Dade City Police Department (DCPD), which joined Pasco’s 911 system in 2015.

Under this setup, the county handles all 911 calls, prioritizing calls by importance and dispatching city or county units accordingly, on the same radio frequency. At the same time, Dade City police employees answer all non-emergency calls.

When there’s a municipal landline call requiring assistance, Dade City police call-taking employees simply enter information into a shared CAD/RMS system. From there, the county dispatches the closest unit, whether it’s Dade City police, sheriff’s deputies, or both.

Benefits to dispatch consolidation
Brewer outlined multiple benefits associated with a communications merger — particularly the improved safety for law enforcement officers and the general public.

A consolidated system between city and county may prove particularly useful when responding to critical incidents, he said.

The Zephyrhills Police Department is considering alternatives to its central dispatching services, including a possible merger with Pasco County Department of Emergency Services. Presently, city dispatchers answer all landline 911 calls within city limits, while local wireless 911 calls are answered by the county then transferred to city dispatchers.

“All (city and county) officers would have the same information simultaneously and would allow for greater situational awareness,” he explained. “I think being able to respond in a coordinated manner would certainly provide better safety for our citizens.”

The police chief shared various examples of high-profile emergency response communication failures, like the 2018 Parkland school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which claimed the lives of 17 students and school faculty members.

In this particular case, Brewer detailed how the Broward County and Coral Springs Police Department were operating on different communications systems at the time, causing delays in the transfer of 911 calls. The calls overloaded the 911 system and overwhelmed staff. Meanwhile, officers and deputies on scene were unable to merge radio traffic, thus preventing information exchange of the shooter’s location and description. Also, the antiquated radio system became impaired at one point, further impeding communication among units.

Removing redundancy and improving efficiency, along with interoperability, enhanced mapping capabilities and shared costs would be other plusses under a merger, Brewer said.

Cybersecurity enhancements would likely result, too.

“They (Pasco County) have layers upon layers upon layers of protection over there to protect themselves from cyberattacks,” Brewer said. “While I think we do a good job as a municipality, I don’t think we have the protections that they do.”

Moreover, ZPD is also working toward seeking police accreditation, whereby “there will be expectations for certain protocols, certain technology that we’ll have to take into consideration,” Brewer said.

Drawbacks to dispatch consolidation
Reservations regarding a consolidation model include the loss of local control and the required levels of data sharing between city and county law enforcement, particularly as it pertains to internal investigations and confidential information.

“There’s a lot of different circumstances where we’d want to have control over our own information,” Brewer said.

“I have a lot of pride where I work and I feel like we provide a good service to our citizens, and losing some of that control scares me a little,” he said.

While response times to emergencies may be improved in some instances, the comprehensive level of service Zephyrhills residents and businesses have been accustomed could take a hit, if the county is put in charge of dispatching all units.

That’s because the city’s team of dispatchers — many who’ve accrued long tenures in their role —  have a heightened familiarity with community members and landmarks to quickly discern where to send units, even with limited information, officials say.

Also, besides handling pressing matters, ZPD “pretty much responds to everything” including vacation house checks and neighborhood noise complaints, Brewer said.

In these scenarios, county dispatchers may opt to not deploy units, given their lower priority level.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe highlighted this dynamic during the workshop: “I will tell you that the sheriff’s office cannot provide the same level of service that ZPD provides the citizens of Zephyrhills. They cannot do it. The calls that we respond to, they say, ‘Thank you, but we’re not coming.’ — so the level of service would just not be matched.

“If somebody goes on vacation and says, ‘Hey I think I left my door unlocked.’ We respond. The sheriff’s office says, ‘You better call your neighbor or family member, have them go check.’ That’s just an example of the level of service that we provide.”

Published March 03, 2021

Pasco school system continues to improve safety

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Efforts to improve the safety and security of Pasco County Schools continues, as the district works to reduce potential threats on school campuses.

The district recently submitted a plan to the state’s Office of Safe Schools, outlining steps it is pursuing to make its campuses safer.

That submission came after a briefing on the efforts, presented to the Pasco County School Board, on Oct. 20.

Entry buzzers have been installed at schools across Pasco County. Visitors push the doorbell and are buzzed in, individually. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Michael Baumaister, the district’s chief of security and emergency operations, gave the briefing, after a closed-door session between the school board, district staff and representatives from local law enforcement agencies. That session was private because of the need for confidentiality, relating to security issues.

The safety upgrades that have been done, are in the works, or are planned, are in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy and laws that changed with it, Baumaister said.

The 2018 Valentine’s Day shooting spree left 17 dead and 17 injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

The public outcry, including persistent student protests, prompted state legislators to mandate safety upgrades on school campuses across Florida.

The district’s recent safety assessment was required by state law.

During its review of the district’s current measures and practices, the goal was to

“use our resources smart, do tangible security improvements that actually have meaning,” Baumaister said. “They’re (upgrades) not there just for show.”

Initially, the district responded to the state’s mandate by ensuring that security improvements — such as a hole in a fence, or a sign down — were addressed and completed through work orders.

“I visited many of the schools and, I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t seen many issues that are still out that need to be addressed,” said Baumaister, who joined the district in July.

Part of the district’s current plan involves security cameras.

Some schools don’t have any cameras, or have too few, or have them in the wrong places.

The plan is to make sure that schools lacking cameras receive them, and that those that need more get them, and that those needing relocation are moved, Baumaister said. That work is being done in phases.

The district also is adding window security film in some places.

The film provides tinting and mirroring, and also hardens the glass.

“If something punctures the glass, the glass doesn’t fall apart. It stays together. You might have a hole in the glass, but it will stay together and it will keep people out,” Baumaister said.

Improvements also are being made to ensure that school safety guardians at elementary schools can communicate directly with law enforcement.

Improving communications
There are some dead areas on some campuses, where the radio system doesn’t transmit. Those areas are being mapped out, and bi-directional antennas will be used to correct the problem.

The district also is evaluating where it needs to add perimeter fencing at some schools.

This is a screen shot from our CrisisGo app. Principals can use it to report a problem immediately to everyone who needs to know. The app helps avoid multiple phone calls, and when certain buttons are pressed, the recipients receive a tone that’s extremely loud and impossible to ignore.

“We’re also looking to put a video doorbell at each front door of every school,” Baumaister said. “Someone hits the bell, someone from the inside can see who’s coming and they get let in.

“This way, there’s a stop point. You can’t just directly enter schools. It’s important. The installation of that has been going on for the last year and it should be completed, probably, by the end of the year — give or take a little bit,” he said.

The district also is using its “human tools” to help improve security.

“We’ve increased our ‘See something, Say something’ campaign. It creates an ability for our students, if they hear about a threat, to let us know about a threat,” Baumaister said.

“Fortify Florida is very heavily implemented in the schools,” he added. “It’s like an early warning system. So, if a student hears about something, they can let us know, anonymously, if they’d like to, so we can jump ahead on it.

“Our Crisis Go app has been implemented fully, in all of schools this year. We’re doing all of our drills through Crisis Go. What Crisis Go is, is basically an alert system. You hit a button and help will come on its way.

“If an intruder is walking across the campus, they can hit the alert on their computer or on their cellphone, and it will notify the authorities and help can come to them,” he added.

Student Crime Watch programs are encouraged, and the district has fully implemented its Threat Assessment Teams, Baumaister said.

Those teams include law enforcement, mental health, guidance and administration.

The goal is to provide intervention early — to help avoid bigger issues, the security chief said.

Keeping schools safe
The district is pursuing several ways to enhance campus security, which include:

  • Adding more security cameras
  • Installing window security film, with tinting/mirroring. This allows students and staff to see out, but makes it harder to see in. Plus, the glass doesn’t shatter, making it harder for intruders to break in.
  • Installing video doorbells.
  • Promoting programs such as, ‘See something, Say something,’ Student Crime Watch, Crisis Go and Behavioral Threat Assessment Teams
  • Providing perimeter fencing at more schools
  • Adding bi-directional antennas in some places, to improve communications through radio transmissions
  • Adding signs, to make it easier for responders to identify specific buildings where help is needed
  • Posting no trespassing signs, to reduce potential threats on campus.

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published November 04, 2020

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

The Laker/Lutz News claims 18 awards in state contest

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The Laker/Lutz News brought home 18 awards from the Community Papers of Florida 2018 Awards for Excellence competition.

The annual statewide contest recognizes outstanding work in advertising, writing and photography.

On the advertising side, The Laker/Lutz News design staff garnered 11 awards in these categories:

  • Advertising campaign: First place, Stefanie Burlingame and Matthew Mistretta, The Lakes Floral & Gifts; and Second place, Stefanie Burlingame, New Age Medical Center
  • Professional Services Advertising – less than half page: First place, Stefanie Burlingame, Evolution; and Second place, Stefanie Burlingame, Pet Point Animal Hospital
  • Self-promotion: Stefanie Burlingame, First place
  • Theme promotion: First place, Matthew Mistretta, Faith and Worship; and Second place, Matthew Mistretta, Home Section
  • Automotive advertising: Third place, Matthew Mistretta, Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube
  • Real estate advertising – half page or more: Third place, Stefanie Burlingame, Advantage Real Estate Services
  • Real estate advertising – less than half page: Third place, Stefanie Burlingame, Allen Collins Realty
  • Spot color: Third place, Stefanie Burlingame, Treasured Pets Resort & Spa
The Lakes Floral & Gifts ad campaign garnered first place for Stefanie Burlingame and Matt Mistretta in the Community Papers of Florida 2018 Awards for Excellence competition.

The judges provided comments only for entries receiving a first place honor.

For the Evolution ad, one judge wrote, “this ad looks three-dimensional. The blurry Christmas tree in the background makes everything in the foreground stand out. The use of space and offer is perfect.”

For the Faith and Worship Theme Page, a judge noted “the overall layout and presentation of this page gives the reader several easy-to-find church services in the community. Each ad is clean and easy to read.”

In the Advertising Campaign category for The Lakes Floral & Gifts, one judge commented, “These ads are in full bloom! The use of color and composition make the ad series consistent and appealing to the reader. Well done.” Another judge pointed out “the color really makes this campaign POP!” Another judge noted, “A consistent look with strong, dominant artwork and vibrant colors makes for an effective campaign.”

Diane Kortus, the newspaper’s publisher, received third place recognition for a personal column she wrote about Valentine’s Day. The column observed that Valentine’s Day is not just an opportunity to celebrate romantic love, but also love for family, friends and colleagues.

The editorial team of Fred Bellet, Christine Holtzman, B.C. Manion, Kevin Weiss and Randy Underhill received honors in four categories.

  • News Story: First place
  • Best Original Writing: Third place
  • Best Original Photographic Spread: Second place and Third place
  • Best Independent Photo Feature: Two second-place honors

Manion won first place for her news story about local students at Wiregrass Ranch High School, in Wesley Chapel, joining a national walkout in the wake of the Valentine’s Day shooting spree that left 17 dead and 17 injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida.

One judge said the piece was “well-sourced” and called it “a descriptive narrative of this event.”

Weiss won third place for his profile about a reality show featuring the Bellamy Brothers, their music and their life on a 200-acre ranch in Darby.

Holtzman took home two second-place photography honors in the best independent photo feature category. One was for her photograph of a small child blowing a bubble and the other for an appearance that Mr. Tommy made at a local library.

Bellet received second place in the Best Original Photographic Spread Category for his collection of photos of a softball team for players with special needs. Underhill captured third place in the same category for his photos of a father-daughter dance at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

Published October 17, 2018

Pasco Schools plan to beef up security

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Pasco County Schools is seeking state approval of a plan that calls for adding security cameras in schools and changing locks on doors at schools throughout the district.

The district wants the state to approve the plan, so it can use about $2 million in state money to pay for the security improvements.

The security upgrade aims to comply with a mandate that school districts across the state assess the safety of their schools and produce a plan to improve it. That requirement came in response to the Valentine’s Day shooting spree that left 17 dead and 17 injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Christopher Stowe, director of safety and security for Pasco County Schools, recently outlined the district’s proposed plan to upgrade security at schools throughout the district. (B.C. Manion)

Pasco County Schools worked with law enforcement officials from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the New Port Richey, Zephyrhills and Dade City police departments in assessing their school campuses, according to Assistant Superintendent Betsy Kuhn.

After completing those assessments, the district identified themes it could address using the state grant money, said Christopher Stowe, the school district’s director of safety and security.

It decided to use the state money to “raise the security of all schools in the county, rather than kind of pinpoint one or two.

“We want to make equitable use of the funds that we’re going to be getting with the grants, to make sure all of our schools are going to be increasing their security,” Stowe said.

Much of the work focused on determining how the district could improve security using existing work orders, Stowe added, noting improvements, such as repairing or trimming landscaping to improve sight lines on campuses, can be achieved by district staff.

The grant money would be used to ensure that all Pasco County Schools have security cameras and that door locks will be changed so that teachers will not need to go outside of their classroom to lock the door.

Equipping the schools with security cameras will cost more than $800,000.

The new locks ensure that doors are locked at all times. People can leave a room without a key, but can’t enter without a key, unless someone lets them in.

It will cost about $1.2 million to change the locks on 3,000 doors.

During a presentation on the plan before the Pasco County School Board last week, Superintendent Kurt Browning noted: “I want to make sure that it’s clear that the funds that are being discussed here are funds that have been specifically appropriated for this purpose.

“These are not funds that could be used for raises. These are not funds that can be used for other things,” Browning said.

School board member Allen Altman thanked local law enforcement officials for their help on the effort to assess the district’s schools and share their expertise.

“In talking to other school districts around the state, they do not have the level of cooperation that we have had, and they are struggling to get this done,” he said.

“The fact that this has been a true team effort, and that they have communicated and worked together has been extraordinary — when you talk to other people around the state,” Altman observed.

He also noted: “It does make parents and staff feel better to know that everybody is on the same page and working together, and we don’t have the turf battles that have gone on in other places in the state.”

School board chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong also expressed her appreciation to local law enforcement agencies for their help.

“We very much want to keep that line of communication open,” Armstrong said.

No timetable has been established for the security improvements, Kuhn said. The district must await approval of state grant money for its plan before proceeding to have the work done.

Published October 10, 2018

Students ring in the 2018-2019 school year

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As a new academic year begins, students heading to Florida public schools will be welcomed to campuses that are now protected by armed security.

The Florida Legislature mandated the armed guards at public school campuses across the state in response to the Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that left 17 students and staff members dead, and 17 others injured.

But, the additional security is just one of many changes awaiting students at schools across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Some students will be heading to entirely new campuses.

The North Tampa Christian Academy, is opening at 5619 E. County Line Road in Wesley Chapel. It will serve students from age 2 through 12th grade.

Union Park Charter Academy, a charter public school, is another new school. It is opening, at 32775 Oldwoods Ave., in Wesley Chapel. It is a kindergarten through eighth grade school, but this year will be serving only students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Meanwhile, in Land O’ Lakes, students and faculty arriving at Land O’ Lakes High School will continue to see a campus in the midst of a major makeover. There’s still a considerable amount of work left to do, but the project involves a substantial upgrade of the facility.

Students and staff at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills will find a campus that has already undergone a massive makeover.

And, while it’s not noticeable yet, Zephyrhills High School is gearing up to begin a renovation that also will breathe new life into the facility.

There are changes on the academic front, too.

Cypress Creek Middle High School, in Wesley Chapel, for instance, will have its first senior class.

And, Pine View Middle School, at 5334 Parkway Blvd., is starting the new school year as Pasco County’s first authorized IB Middle Years Programme World School.

The middle school has worked long and hard to achieve the distinction, dating back to May of 2015 when it became an IB candidate school.

In addition to that new distinction, Pine View also has been named a magnet school, which means that students who live outside of the school’s attendance zone can apply to attend the school.

On another front, Pasco County Schools offers a variety of enrichment programs before and after school for elementary-age children.

The district’s afterschool enrichment department also manages five other programs.

Two of those programs are funded through 21st Century Community Learning Centers federal grants. Those programs are the STAR Academy, for elementary students; and DELTA Academy, for middle school students, according to the district’s website. Both are free and are aimed at academic enrichment.
The STAR Academy programs are located at Gulf Highlands, Quail Hollow, and Rodney B. Cox elementary schools. The DELTA Academy programs are located at Gulf, Hudson, and Raymond B. Stewart middle schools.

Two afterschool fee-based programs also are being offered at some district schools.

Beyond the Bell is an afterschool program for middle school students that incorporates homework assistance, sports, music, dance, leadership development and community service activities, the district’s website says. It will be offered at Charles S. Rushe Middle School, in Land O’ Lakes and River Ridge Middle School in New Port Richey.

Explorations will be offered at Wiregrass Elementary School, in Wesley Chapel. The program operates Monday through Thursday, from 4:10 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. The program includes a variety of enrichment activities for children, such as coding and robotics, dance, Spanish, and sports drills and skills.

School’s back in session: Drive safely
As school bells ring in another academic year, motorists and pedestrians are reminded to be cautious to help keep everyone safe.

Here are some tips for drivers from AAA, North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization:

  • Observe the speed limit. School zone speed limits are purposefully set low. Children are unpredictable, and may have difficulty gauging the distance and speed of an approaching car.
  • Look for AAA School Safety Patrollers. They’re a sign you are approaching a school zone.
  • Stop completely at intersections with stop signs.
  • Always stop for school buses that are loading or unloading. Going around a stopped school bus is not only dangerous, it’s against the law.
  • Eliminate driver distraction. Keep your eyes on the road. Put your phone down, and keep an eye out for other drivers and pedestrians.
  • Plan Ahead. Build in extra time for congestion.

Published August 8, 2018

Pasco school district adopts new mental health plan

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The Pasco County School Board has approved a plan that allocates additional funding provided by the Florida Legislature to address youth mental health needs.

The Legislature’s decision to provide more money to address mental health issues came in response to the Valentine’s Day shooting spree at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools

The Pasco school district was allocated slightly more than $1.7 million in mental health funding, according to Melissa Musselwhite, director of student support programs and services for the district.

Ninety percent of the funding must be spent to provide mental health services and 10 percent can be spent on prevention, she said.

So, the district has designated $1.4 million for services for at-risk youths and slightly more than $150,000 for prevention services. It also has allocated $123,000 for public charter schools.

The district’s plan calls for contracting with Central Florida Behavioral Network to help the district manage access to mental health services and help the district with data reporting.

It also will help the district with wraparound services for students.

“Many times we refer kids out and parents don’t go. We need to be sure that we’re diligent about tracking those kids and following up,” Musselwhite told the Pasco County School Board during a workshop on July 24.

The district’s plan, which required school board approval, was due to the state by Aug. 1.

Board members approved the plan at their evening meeting on July 24.

“There hasn’t be a comprehensive approach to referring kids out for services and support, and the follow-up and the wraparound with the family,” Musselwhite said, noting she would spend close to $100,000 in general fund money every year for a limited number of students.

By working with Central Behavioral Florida Network, the district will be expanding its reach to community resources that it didn’t know about before, Musselwhite said.

The mental health plan also includes:

  • Contracting with behavioral analysts to work one-on-one with students most at risk
  • Training in youth mental health first aid
  • Training in trauma-informed care
  • Training in Positive Behavior Intervention
  • Increased funding for alternatives to suspensions program
  • Additional adult assistance to help with students who are severely at risk for various reasons
  • Increased data collection to help the district make more informed decisions
  • Refining threat assessment procedures to be sure the law enforcement and district personnel are speaking the same language
  • Adding a high-performing school nurse, school psychologist and school social worker who will serve in a coaching/mentoring role for district staff

The district also plans to incorporate Social Emotional Learning across the curriculum, to help kids to learn how to effectively deal with anger, disappointment and difficult situations that arise.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent, is a proponent of the approach.

Social Emotional Learning helps kids “deal with the emotions of maybe not being the best player on the team, or not being able to play nine innings every game, or maybe having to sit on the bench for the good of the team,” Gadd said.

“Those things are upsetting to some folks, but how do you learn to handle that because those things that happen in life.

“SEL is trying to help teachers understand how to help kids to build foundational skills so they learn to manage those troublesome behaviors,” Gadd said.

Musselwhite said the district is looking for ways to embed SEL across the curriculum, “so that it’s not something stand-alone, and that it can be holistically done throughout the district, not in one subject or during your time with your school counselor.”

Gadd put it like this: “What we need is more SEL and less people with guns. If I had my choice, I would have rather have seen the Legislature fund a lot of SEL programs all around the state to help kids build those foundational skills so they never get to a point where they want to shoot people.”

Also, the district plans to add another Crisis Intervention Team.

It has four teams and will be adding a fifth.

“There was a huge increase, a 46 percent increase, in our crisis callouts for the crisis intervention team over the last year,” Musselwhite said. “It was pretty taxing last year on the four teams that we had.”

The teams are voluntary and are made up of student services team members and school counselors, who receive additional training to respond to crisis situations throughout the district.

Published August 1, 2018

Wilton Simpson reflects on Parkland in Dade City visit

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More than five months removed from being one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history, the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland is still a considerable talking point for legislators statewide.

At least that — and the state’s ensuing school safety actions — was at the forefront of discussion in State Sen. Wilton Simpson’s recent stop in Dade City.

Speaking before a standing-room-only crowd at The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce July monthly breakfast meeting, the Florida Senate majority leader talked extensively about the Valentine’s Day shooting, where a lone gunman killed 17 students and staff members, and injured 17 others.

State Sen. Wilton Simpson was the featured guest speaker at a Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce July 17 breakfast meeting at Florida Hospital Dade City. (Courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

In response to multiple questions from the audience, the state senator outlined several “failures” that may have prompted the school shooting — which have been reviewed and investigated through the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission.

Simpson blasted the Broward County school district’s diversion program called PROMISE, which offers alternatives to arrests for some misdemeanors.

That initiative, he said, “did not use law enforcement appropriately to deal with children with bad behavior and bad activities.”

As an example, Simpson noted the accused gunman and former student, Nikolas Cruz, was visited by police “around 30 to 40 times” over the course of several years prior to the Feb. 14 Parkland shooting massacre.

“You had a child who was clearly mentally deranged in a school system that was causing major problems — they didn’t trust him to bring a backpack to that school — and we allowed him, as a society, to stay in that school. We allowed that. We put everybody at risk because of this one person’s rights to be in that school. We gotta rethink that, probably,” said Simpson, who represents Hernando and Citrus counties, and parts of Pasco County.

Simpson bluntly called out Broward school leaders and local law enforcement for not appropriately vetting all tips related to the alleged gunman’s continually disturbing behavior.

“The sheriff should’ve been fired, the superintendent of schools should be fired, (and) those school board members probably will be replaced in this election,” Simpson said.

He added: “When you look at our responsibility as adults in society, we failed, on so many levels, the Parkland kids.”

Simpson also set the blame on a lack of parental responsibility in the case, and other similar instances that have occurred nationwide: “(Many) parents don’t do anything anymore, don’t raise their kids. Kids get home, they get on a video game; they’re on a video game all day — and that’s what’s raising our kids,” he said.

Simpson also discussed the state’s response efforts in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting.

He, along with incoming Senate President Bill Galvano, visited the Parkland school the day after the massacre.

Simpson told the audience: “We saw the destruction — a very tragic incident. We had to work through that issue and make sure that doesn’t happen again, right?”

Out of it came the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which enacts several measures, including requiring all Florida school districts to provide one or more safe-school officers at each school facility beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.

In addition to permitting a school guardian program, the $400 million spending package allocates nearly $100 million apiece for mental health assistance, and improving and hardening the physical security of school buildings.

The legislation also tightened gun laws.

The new minimum age to purchase a firearm is 21, up from 18, with a few exceptions. A three-day waiting period is now required for most gun purchases. And, it’s now illegal to sell or possess “bump stocks,” which allow semiautomatic rifles to fire faster.

Simpson defended the legislation on the whole: “I think what we did was come out with something that I think will be long-lasting. Not perfect, but substantially good public policy to protect our kids and our school system, so we’re very proud of that.

“We were really working 20 hours a day on this stuff. We had folks coming from all over the state — families of the victims, sheriffs all over the state, counselors from all over the state. We were working day and night, putting those together and vetting those things.”

Also in response to the Parkland school massacre, Simpson noted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has added a group of staffers whose sole job is to take and investigate complaints about possible suspicious or troubling behavior in schools, via a mobile app unit.

“A student now can go right into the system at FDLE and say, ‘This kid has got serious problems and is threatening gun violence or something in our schools,’” Simpson said.

The state lawmaker also touched on Florida’s economy during his speaking engagement.

He mentioned a handful of funding projects the Florida Legislature has tackled the last several years related to improving public education and transportation infrastructure, and also deepwater seaports and waterways — all of which he believes puts the state in an enviable position, long-term.

“Florida’s trajectory is much better than, I believe, the rest of the country, because of that economic investment that we’re making in our future,” he said.

Simpson also highlighted the state’s AAA bond rating, pointing out the state has paid off about $7 billion in debt over the last six years, while also cutting nearly that same figure in taxes during that period.

Published July 25, 2018

A trip to Ireland helps to inspire a 17-year-old in Land O’ Lakes

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Amanda Finn would be the first to admit she’s more than a wee bit shy.

But, the young woman from Land O’ Lakes said that a trip to Ireland last summer has helped to build her confidence, and now, the teenager is off on her second trip to the Emerald Isle.

She won scholarships both last year and this year for the summer leadership camp in Galway through her participation in the Florida Junior Rose of Tralee program.

Seventeen-year-old Amanda Finn has won two trips to Ireland, and hopes to make another trip to the Emerald Isle and then onto India in the spring. She said she also wants to raise money for a scholarship so another young woman can travel to Ireland next year. (B.C. Manion)

The program promotes Irish culture and involves an annual international competition in Ireland, where the Rose of Tralee is selected at a festival held at the town of Tralee in County Kerry.

This year, the Land O’ Lakes teenager was the first recipient of the Cara Loughran Memorial Scholarship, created in honor of the young woman who lost her life during the Valentine’s Day shooting spree at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

The 17-year-old Finn said one of her goals during the coming year is to raise money to support a second scholarship, to provide the opportunity for another young woman to take part in the leadership camp in Ireland.

Finn, who is a member of the Irish Young American Leaders, said her trip to Ireland last year gave her a chance to explore the way of life in another country, and also helped her to become more outgoing.

The leadership camp offered the chance to learn about Irish history, sample Irish foods and dip into the country’s culture, she said.

During last year’s travels, she learned about international trade issues involving Ireland and America; she visited EA Games, a company where computer games are produced; and she spent some time doing volunteer work at a mental health home for adults.

The group also met the Mayor of Galway and spent time with some high school students who were preparing to compete at the International Science Fair in America.

They also visited a farm where they observed how a typical Irish family spends a Sunday afternoon. And, they listened to live music and tasted traditional Irish stew.

Other parts of the trip included hiking Croagh Patrick and riding bikes around the Aran Islands.

Not only was last year’s trip the young woman’s first international foray, it was the first time she boarded an airplane.

The airplane trip was just her first encounter with many unfamiliar experiences, but Finn said she wanted the chance to learn new things, and the trip fulfilled that desire.

She also had a chance to see some Irish countryside, while traveling down narrow roads.

“We went up some mountains. They were very narrow. We were in a gigantic bus. It was so scary,” she said. “We (passengers) were holding onto each other.”

Her host family provided many American foods, but they also made brown bread and scones every day, Finn said. She also noted that she drank lots of tea, but no coffee.

“So, she did get a little spoiled because for the first two weeks after she came back, she asked for scones every morning,” said Tina Finn, her mom.

She said the trip to Ireland was a wonderful experience for her daughter, in many ways.

“She learned to be on her own and to be assertive in asking for things.

“Since we’ve been doing college visits, we’ve been flying around. I don’t have to tell her what to do. She knows what to do,” Tina Finn said.

After returning from this trip, the teenager, who will be a senior in Pasco eSchool this fall, plans to be busy working on two fundraisers. One would support the trip to Ireland for another young woman.

The second is raise $3,000 to support a trip she wants to take back to Ireland, then to India, in the spring.

Initially, she would be part of a group learning first-aid skills in Ireland, then they would travel to India where they would work to help children living on the streets and in slums in India, and poor families, too.

“It’s to promote immediate and lasting change in their lives,” the young woman said, noting a portion of the time would be spent in a hospital, which would be excellent experience for her because she aspires to become a midwife.

To find out more about the Florida Rose of Tralee, visit the group’s website at FloridaRoseofTralee.com.

Want to help?
If you would like to help Amanda Finn raise money so she can take a trip to Ireland and India in the spring to help the underprivileged in India, or if you would like to help support a scholarship so another young woman can travel to Ireland next summer, please email Amanda Finn at

Published July 18, 2018

Training underway for Pasco school safety guards

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Bang. Bang. Bang.

The echoing sound of simulated rounds of ammunition permeate throughout Rushe Middle School in Land O’ Lakes on a recent late June afternoon.

One by one, school safety guard trainees, with 9mm pistols drawn, carefully and methodically traverse stairwells and hallways, checking classrooms, searching to take out a fake assailant armed with an AR-15.

Safety guard training began in June, with a goal of having the guards prepared for duties by August. (Kevin Weiss)

As each active scenario unfolds, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office instructors, such as Sgt. Christopher Squitieri, bark out directives: “Get going, gotta get going! …Know your terrain, where you’re trying to search! Where that gun goes, you go!”

Brice Hayes, a fit 26-year-old with a security background, was out of breath and sweating heavily after one such drill.

When the drill was over, Squitieri debriefed him on the effectiveness in clearing the school, and in assessing and responding to the threat.

Hayes said he pursued the school safety guard position to offer “a helping hand to kids that need help, whether it’s active shooters or a permanent threat in the schools.”

To him, the active shooter drills felt like the real thing, his mind racing throughout.

“You’ve gotta lot of things going through your head, ‘Where’s this guy at? Where’s this guy at? I gotta get to him and kill this guy,’” Hayes said. “There’s no ifs ands or buts about it, no questions — you’ve gotta take the threat out.”

The Pasco County School Board in May approved Superintendent Kurt Browning’s proposal to hire a director of safety and security, and 53 school safety guards, for the district’s elementary schools.

The school board’s action came in response to a 2018 bill passed by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Scott, in the aftermath of the Valentine’s Day shooting that left 17 dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

The guards must go through at least 132 hours of training that includes mastering various active shooter drills, where guards must search and take out a fake assailant, and render first aid to shooting victims.

The law requires all school districts to provide security at all schools beginning in the 2018-2019 school year. Pasco County Schools has School Resource Officers in its middle and high schools who will continue to be stationed there.

The school safety guards — which are a less expensive option — will be posted at the district’s elementary schools. The guards, who won’t have arrest powers, will make $20 per hour.

Safety guard training began in June, with a goal of having the guards prepared for duties by August.

Before they are stationed at schools, the guards must receive at least 132 hours of training with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

The main objective: respond and neutralize on-campus threats, particularly in the event of an active shooter.

“We pray to God this never happens, but we’re training for worst case,” said Pasco Sheriff’s Capt. Jared Hill, an ex-green beret who leads the agency’s emergency management division and oversees the guard training program.

Besides active shooter scenarios, guards have been instructed on defensive and less lethal tactics, weapon retention, first aid and CPR. They’ve also undergone diversity training, which was handled by the school district.

“Basically, we’re looking for someone’s that cognizant,” said Pasco Sheriff Sgt. Richard Jones, who helps supervise the guard training program. “We’re looking for proficiency on the range, we’re looking for proficiency in defensive tactics, and, the ability to save lives during the medical portion of the training.”

A Pasco County Sheriff’s deputy plays the role of an assailant armed with an AR-15 in an active shooter training scenario at Rushe Middle School. During the drills he fired simulated ammunition rounds, similar to a paintball or BB gun.

Jones said the guards’ biggest strides have come in its 10 days on the firing range.

“We’re shooting nonstop. We’re shooting upwards to 1,600 rounds, and they’ve improved quite a bit,” Jones said.

In addition to guards being stationed at all Pasco elementary schools, private and charter schools in the county have hired their own guards and have taken advantage of the sheriff’s office training.

Jones said 77 guards are undergoing training this summer with the law enforcement agency. Each has passed background checks, physical and psychological exams, and drug screenings.

Many, like Chuck Balderstone, have an extensive background in either military or law enforcement.

A 28-year veteran of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Balderstone retired from the agency in 2013, as a lieutenant and commander of the agency’s vice and narcotics unit.

Becoming a school guard was “a no-brainer” for him.

“When you do something like law enforcement for 28 years, you kind of miss it,” Balderstone said. “I certainly didn’t want to be full (time), right back into being a cop again, but this gives me a chance to go back and work with the most important part of our community — our kids.”

Hiring armed guards in all schools, while unfortunate, is necessary in today’s society, Balderstone said.

Pasco Sheriff’s Sgt. Christopher Squitieri, left, debriefs school safety guard Chuck Balderstone following an active shooter drill scenario at Rushe Middle School in Land O’ Lakes.
Balderstone, a 28-year law enforcement veteran, is one of 53 armed guards Pasco County Schools has hired to be stationed at the district’s elementary schools beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.

“I think it’s crazy that its come to that point and we need this, but you know what, times are changing and the bottom line is, we do need it,” he said.

“I think the biggest thing is you never want to see your schools turn into some kind of stockade-type situation,” he said.

There needs to be a balance, he said: “Hey, we’ve got to keep this place safe, but we don’t want to scare these kids.”

The former sheriff’s lieutenant is confident the county’s schools will be in good hands when it comes to campus safety.

Balderstone said he knows many of the people he’s in class with and knows they have many years of experience.

“I know that a lot of us have had as much, if not more training, than a lot of these young deputies working out there now,” Balderstone said.

School safety
The Pasco County School Board in May approved Superintendent Kurt Browning’s proposal to hire a director of safety and security, and 53 school safety guards, for the district’s elementary schools, in addition to the School Resource Officers who work in the district’s middle and high schools. The school board’s action was in response to a 2018 bill that the Legislature passed and Gov. Rick Scott signed into law. That law requires all school districts to provide security at all schools beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.

Published July 4, 2018