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Watergrass Elementary

SWFMD executive director wins geology alumni award

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When Brian Armstrong received the 2020 Geology Alumni Society Award from the University of South Florida — he was both surprised, and humbled by the honor.

Armstrong, who is executive director for the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMD), knew that he was going to play a role at the Jan. 30 awards banquet, but didn’t know whether it would be to bestow, or receive, an award, he said.

Brian Armstrong, executive director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, received the 2020 Geology Alumni Society Award from the University of South Florida. Winners are selected by members of the USF GAS and the USF Program in Geology/School of Geosciences. Armstrong said he’s aware of previous recipients of this award and was humbled by his selection. (Courtesy of Southwest Florida Water Management District)

Upon learning that he was the recipient, Armstrong said he felt humbled because he realizes the caliber of the previous winners of this award.

Plus, Armstrong noted, it felt a bit odd to receive an individual award.

“I almost feel a little bit guilty, in that, I know all of the people who have helped me along the way,” Armstrong said.

In his role at the helm of SWFMD, Armstrong leads a team of 574 full-time equivalent employees, plus some student interns.

The district includes all or parts of 16 counties, including Pasco and Hillsborough counties within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area. Its four areas of responsibility are water supply, flood protection, natural systems and water quality.

The district manages those areas of responsibility in various ways, including its regulatory and cooperative funding programs, Armstrong said.

In the cooperative funding program, the district and its cooperators build projects together — pooling resources to create alternative water supply projects or complete restoration projects, for example, he said.

The district also collects a tremendous amount of data, Armstrong said, “so we can keep an eye on the resources, in the areas of water quality, water levels, rainfalls.”

The SWFMD executive has great respect for the work his team does to carry out the district’s  mission.

“We have a brilliant group of scientists who are able to take that data, interpret it for us and help us make recommendations for the board,” Armstrong said.

The district’s greatest challenge — as it has been for the past 20 years — is water supply, he said.

“We’re trying to develop alternative supplies,” he said, such as surface water, desalination plants and reservoirs.

When he’s not working, Brian Armstrong, of San Antonio, enjoys the great outdoors. Here, he shows off a success in fishing. (Courtesy of Brian Armstrong)

“Matter of fact, you know, we’ve had tremendous population growth over the past two decades, but our actual groundwater use has gone down and the actual use per person has gone down. That is something we’re really, really proud of at our district,” Armstrong said.

The use of reclaimed water also has increased, and he expects that resource to play a greater role in the future.

On a personal level, Armstrong said he gets enormous satisfaction from doing work that is so closely related to his interests.

“I am an avid outdoorsman. I love nature. And, when I was able to connect science to my passion, that was it for me. I found something that I could do, and also help protect the resources that I love in Florida,” he said.

Initially, his goal was to be an engineer, like his father.

But he decided to pursue geology, instead, after finding out more about it from his brother-in-law, Tony, a geologist.

Armstrong is delighted to be able to combine his love for mathematics, science and nature in his work.

He and his wife, Pam, have two sons — 12-year-old Noah, who attends Centennial Middle School, and 14-year-old Dillon, who attends Pasco High School. Pam teaches first grade at Watergrass Elementary.

The family lives in San Antonio now, but will be making a move to an area off U.S. 98, between Dade City and Zephyrhills, Armstrong said.

“Everywhere I move just starts to explode (with growth), so I just keep moving.”

Published February 24, 2021

Boundaries set for Starkey Ranch K-8

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The Pasco County School Board has set boundaries for the new Starkey Ranch K-8 school under construction in the Starkey Ranch development.

The school — part of a complex that includes a theater, library and cultural center — is scheduled to open in the 2021-2022 school year.

The board adopted the boundaries during it Dec. 1 board meeting.

Starkey Ranch K-8 will have a capacity for 1,500 students, and initially will open for kindergarten through seventh grade, allowing students entering eighth grade to remain at their current school.

The new school will draw students from Longleaf and Odessa elementary schools, as well as River Ridge Middle.

The school also will be a magnet school, attracting students from beyond its assigned boundaries.

In addition to adopting boundaries for Starkey Ranch K-8, the board made some minor adjustments involving the boundaries of Watergrass and Wesley Chapel elementary schools.

That change is being made as a result of the Epperson Ranch subdivision, Williams said.

No one from the public spoke for or against the boundary changes during the board’s meeting.

Published December 23, 2020

Boundaries to be set soon for Starkey Ranch K-8

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The Pasco County School Board is scheduled to set boundaries for the new Starkey Ranch K-8 school at the board’s Dec. 1 meeting.

The school — part of a complex that includes a theater, library and cultural center — is scheduled to open in the 2021-2022 school year.

The board held a public hearing on the proposed boundaries during its Nov. 17 meeting, with no one stepping forward to offer public comment.

“Starkey Ranch K-8 is built to house about 1,500 students. Initially, the school will open with kindergarten through seventh-grade students. The plan is to grandfather rising eighth-graders to their existing school,” Chris Williams, the district’s planning director told the school board during the public hearing.

“Staff put together a plan to rezone about 450 students from Longleaf and Odessa elementary schools to Starkey Ranch.

“In addition, approximately 100 students from River Ridge Middle School are proposed to be rezoned to Starkey Ranch,” he said, noting the students assigned to Starkey Ranch K-8 live in the development.

“With the Starkey Ranch development continuing to build houses for the next couple of years, we expect growth of about 200 K-8 students per year, so with growth, we anticipate approximately 750 K-7 (kindergarten through seventh grade) zoned students upon opening.

“That leaves quite a few seats open for magnet school. However, we will be working to make sure we keep seats available and open for growth, in that area,” Williams added.

District staff had an open house to explain the boundary proposals, and also accepted comments via the district’s Let’s Talk portal, Williams said.

Six comments were received via Let’s Talk.

“One person requested Asturia to be zoned for Starkey Ranch; one requested the Woodlands neighborhood of Longleaf to be zoned for Starkey Ranch. Others had questions about Starkey Ranch registration and grade configurations,” Williams said.

The district also is recommending a slight boundary shift affecting the Watergrass and Wesley Chapel elementary schools.

The change is being made as a result of the Epperson Ranch subdivision, Williams said.

“That area of Epperson Ranch being developed goes all of the way up to Tindale Road.

“You’ll also notice a small sliver above Tindale Road that has a few houses. Originally, when we were developing this plan, there were no elementary children who lived there who were attending the zone of Wesley Chapel elementary, but come August, one student did move into that area. We’ve been talking among ourselves. They will be rezoned to Watergrass Elementary, but if they choose to remain at Wesley Chapel Elementary, we plan on accommodating them,” Williams said.

Additionally, Superintendent Kurt Browning does not intend to reset school choice for any of these schools that are affected by the boundary changes and grandfather children in with transportation.

The final public hearing on the proposed boundary changes for Starkey K-8, as well as Watergrass and Wesley Chapel elementary, is set for 9:30 a.m., on Dec. 1, in the board chambers at district headquarters, 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Published November 25, 2020

Grades slip at numerous local schools

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The Florida Department of Education has released its annual school grades, and the news was not good for numerous Pasco County schools in The Laker/Lutz News’ coverage area.

“As soon as I saw the information, I was pretty distraught,” said Pasco County School Board member Alison Crumbley.

“This has to really be broken down,” she said, noting she has requested a school board workshop to address the issue. “We need to pick this apart. This is priority one — priority one, to figure this out.”

The district needs time to analyze the results, Crumbley said, so she requested the workshop be held following the board’s Aug. 2 meeting.

Overall, 10 central and east Pasco elementary schools slipped by one letter grade. Six elementary schools maintained the same grade as last year, and two improved by a letter grade. Pine View Elementary had the biggest drop, slipping from an A to a C. Sanders Elementary, which opened last school year, received a B. Quail Hollow, which reopened last year, received a C.

All seven middle schools, meanwhile, maintained the grades they received last year, including three As, at Rushe, John Long and Pine View.

But, the news was not as good at the high school level. Four high schools in east and central Pasco dropped a grade, while two remained the same.

No Pasco high school within the newspaper’s coverage area received an A grade. Last year, Wiregrass Ranch High, Land O’ Lakes High and Sunlake each received an A, but this year, they each dropped to a B. Wesley Chapel High, which had a B last year, dropped to a C.

Meanwhile, each of the Pasco charter schools, serving the newspaper’s coverage area — Academy at the Farm, Countryside Montessori and Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes —received an A, mirroring the score they each received last year.

Crumbley said she’s trying to understand why some schools performed at the same level, or even improved, while others slipped.

“Nothing is really straight up, cut-and-dried, in this business, and I do know that,” Crumbley said. “But by the same token, we have to get to the bottom of this. We have to. Period.”

School board member Steve Luikart also expressed concerns.

“Some of the schools slipped and the district slipped. We went from B to C,” Luikart said.

On one hand, Luikart said, “it’s hard to throw mud at something, when you’ve got a change of criteria every year … It’s impossible to nail down data, when the criteria is not consistent.”

On the other hand, he continued: “We’re still competing with everyone else in the state,” he said.

“We’re going to have to look at what we’ve got to do differently to head it back in a different direction. There’s no doubt about that,” he said.

“I’m definitely concerned. It’s very disappointing,” Luikart said.

This chart provides scores for east and central Pasco County schools.

Elementary schools
Centennial Elementary                         2016: D           2015: C
Chester W. Taylor Jr. Elementary                   2016: C           2015: C
Connerton Elementary                         2016: C           2015: B
Denham Oaks Elementary                               2016: C           2015: B
Double Branch Elementary                             2016: B           2015: A
Lacoochee Elementary                         2016: D           2015: F
Lake Myrtle Elementary                                  2016: B           2015: A
New River Elementary                                    2016: B           2015: B
Oakstead Elementary                                       2016: A           2015: A
Pasco Elementary                                            2016: D           2015: D
Pine View Elementary                         2016: C           2015: A
Quail Hollow                                                  2016: C           2015 (Not open)
Rodney B. Cox Elementary                             2016: D           2015: F
San Antonio Elementary                                 2016: C           2015: C
Sanders Elementary                                        2016: B           2015 (Not open)
Seven Oaks Elementary                                  2016: B           2015: A
Veterans Elementary                                       2016: B           2015: A
Watergrass Elementary                                    2016: C           2015: B
Wesley Chapel Elementary                              2016: A           2015: A
West Zephyrhills Elementary                          2016: D           2015: C
Woodland Elementary                         2016: D           2015: C

Middle schools
Centennial Middle                                           2016: C           2015: C
Charles S. Rushe Middle                                2016: A           2015: A
Dr. John Long Middle                                    2016: A           2015: A
Pasco Middle                                                  2016: C           2015: C
Pine View Middle                                           2016: A           2015: A
Raymond B. Stewart Middle School               2016: C           2015: C
Thomas E. Weightman Middle School            2016: B           2015: B

High schools
Land O’ Lakes High                                       2016: B           2015: A
Pasco High                                                      2016: C           2015: C
Sunlake High                                                  2016: B           2015: A
Wesley Chapel High                                       2016: C           2015: B
Wiregrass Ranch High                                    2016: B           2015: A
Zephyrhills High                                             2016: C           2015: C

Charter schools
Academy at the Farm                                      2016: A           2015: A
Countryside Montessori Academy                  2016: A           2015: A
Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes                   2016: A           2015: A

Published July 20, 2016

 

Using technology to enrich learning

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There was a quiet buzz around the room, as teachers conferred with their colleagues.

They were working in teams, planning projects they will use in the coming year that will infuse technology into their daily teaching.

The 20 teachers, from across Pasco County, were part of the Teacher Technology Summer Institute that recently wrapped up at the University of Saint Leo, near Dade City.

Kristen Fuqua and Alyse Buckalew, teachers at Pine View Middle School, both took part in the Teacher Technology Summer Institute at Saint Leo University. The institute aims to help teachers harness the power of technology in their classrooms. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Kristen Fuqua and Alyse Buckalew, teachers at Pine View Middle School, both took part in the Teacher Technology Summer Institute at Saint Leo University. The institute aims to help teachers harness the power of technology in their classrooms.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

They were there on their own time — eager to learn how they can take advantage of technology to improve student learning.

In selecting teachers for the technology institute, the university wasn’t looking for evidence of “tech wizardry” in the applications, said Holly Atkins, associate professor of education at Saint Leo. Rather, it was seeking “teachers who are very student-centered, and really eager and open to learning more.”

Saint Leo fully understands the value of infusing technology in classrooms, Atkins said.

“We have a foundation of people who have the idea that the best use of technology is when it moves from the teacher’s hands to the students, so that they are engaged and they are creating,” she said.

“We not only encourage, we require, our student teachers to really become proficient at using the technology,” Atkins said.

But, the university has noticed it students often face a different scenario when they begin their student teacher experiences.

“Some of these students (student teachers) said, ‘My teacher doesn’t know how to use the tools. My teacher doesn’t let me use the tools,’” Atkins said.

The technology institute is part of the university’s service to the community, Atkins said.

“But, it also serves our education department and our own students, because the teachers that are in there (the institute) right now, almost all of them have received clinical instructor training. This enables them to host a student teacher,” Atkins said.

Teachers at the institute each could choose a technological tool to take back to their classroom. Their options were a class set of Virtual Reality headsets, a Microsoft Surface Pro, an iPad or a MimeoTeach, which is a toolbar that turns any whiteboard into an interactive whiteboard.

The institute addresses the four elements that teachers need to be successful at infusing technology into their teaching, Atkins said.

Teachers need the technological tool, they need training, they need time to practice using it and they need teams — so they can encourage and help each other enhance their skills.

“A teacher’s toolbox today should be broadening, rather than shrinking,” Atkins said. “So, it should be filled with chart paper and markers and all that good stuff, and also iPads and interactive whiteboards. It’s not an ‘either/or’ it’s an ‘and.’,” she said.

Like any other tool, technology needs to be used when it’s appropriate, Atkins said.

“So, just like any kind of skilled craftsman, the accomplished teacher looks at student learning needs, opens up his or her toolbox and says, ‘What’s the best tool to make this happen?’”

Atkins said.

This year’s crop of 20 teachers came from schools including Pine View Middle School, Pine View Elementary and Sanders Memorial S.T.E.A.M. Magnet Elementary in Land O’ Lakes and Quail Hollow Elementary in Wesley Chapel.

They were enthusiastic about the opportunity to build on their technological skills.

“Being at Sanders, we’re very fortunate. We already have a 1-to-1 ratio with devices,” said Megan Bender, a third-grade teacher.

But she was delighted to learn more about various apps and websites, and to hear the creative approaches used by other teachers.

“Getting all of these ideas is so exciting,” Bender said.

Mitzi Whitaker, another Sanders teacher, noted that both teachers and students came to the magnet school from across Pasco County.

So, they arrived there with various levels of technical knowledge, Whitaker said.

Even with a year of experience behind them, technology is constantly evolving, she said.

“We’re going to always be changing up our game,” Whitaker said.

This is the third year that Saint Leo has hosted the technology institute, which was paid for with grants the first two years and from the university’s budget this year.

The university also added a Teacher Technology Leadership Institute, also paid for through university funds.

The leadership institute involved 10 teachers who had completed the technology institute, Atkins said.

As part of their leadership development, those teachers will serve as mentors during the coming school year to the teachers who just finished the technology institute.

The teachers in the technology institute will be conducting a research project throughout the school year, measuring the success of a particular technology tool in connection with student learning.

They’ll convene at the the end of the school year to see how the research went.

Jennifer Ippolito and Desi Krell, teachers at Pine View Middle, welcomed the chance to work on teams for the research.

They said they already work together on projects, and the institute has helped them take that collaboration to the next level.

Julie Saez, a teacher at Watergrass Elementary School, was thrilled when she was selected to be part of the leadership institute.

She said she knew it would be worthwhile because of her positive experience at the technology institute.

“The collaboration with everybody was exactly what I needed,” she added, noting that she formed lasting friendships and established valuable professional relationships.

“We’re like-minded people — always looking for new, upcoming technology,” Saez said.

Published July 13, 2016

Summer programs feed kids

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Children who normally eat lunch at school when classes are in session have a free alternative during the summer months.

Both Hillsborough and Pasco counties are participating in a summer food service program that provide free lunches and afternoon snacks at numerous sites around each county.

The program begins on June 13 and concludes on Aug. 3.

The sites are situated in areas where at least half of the children qualify for free or reduced price meals during the school year. The meals and snacks will be offered at local parks and other community locations to all children under 18 in the area.

No applications are required and summer camp registration is not required.

The Summer Food Service program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Here are some sites that are providing free lunches and snacks. Check with the sites to find out hours of operation.

Hillsborough County (partial listing):

  • Northdale Recreation, 15550 Spring Pine Drive
  • North Tampa Boys and Girls Club, 2313 Yukon St.
  • North Tampa Recreation Center, 8608 12th St.

(For more Hillsborough sites, go to HillsboroughCounty.org/SummerFood)

Pasco County (partial listing):

  • Arbours Mobile, 12861 Stately Oak St., Dade City
  • Centennial Middle, 38505 Centennial Road, Dade City
  • Cypress Farms Mobile, 38727 Patti Lane, Dade City
  • Farm Workers Self-Help, 37124 Lock St., Dade City
  • James Irvin Civic Center, 38122 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dade City
  • Lacoochee Elementary, 38815 Cummer Road, Dade City
  • Lake George Mobile, 15246 Davis Loop, Dade City
  • Lewis Abraham Lacoochee Unit, 38274 Mudcat Grant Blvd., Dade City
  • Pasco Elementary, 37350 Florida Ave., Dade City
  • Pasco High, 36850 State Road 52, Dade City
  • New River Elementary, 4710 River Glen Blvd., Wesley Chapel
  • Quail Hollow Elementary, 7050 Quail Hollow Blvd., Wesley Chapel
  • Thomas Weightman Middle School, 30649 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel
  • Watergrass Elementary, 32750 Overpass Road, Wesley Chapel
  • Wesley Chapel High, 30651 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel
  • Chester W. Taylor, 3628 Morris Bridge Road, Zephyrhills
  • Crystal Springs Mobile, 1655 Partridge Blvd., Zephyrhills
  • East Pasco YMCA, 37301 Chapel Hill Loop, Zephyrhills
  • R.B. Stewart Middle, 38505 10th Ave., Zephyrhills
  • Thomas Promise, 6851 Wire Road, Zephyrhills
  • West Zephyrhills Elementary, 37900 14th Ave., Zephyrhills
  • Zephyrhills High, 6335 12th St., Zephyrhills
  • Land O’ Lakes Recreational Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes
  • Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
  • Odessa Park Community Center, 1627 Chesapeake Drive, Odessa

For additional information, check the Pasco County Schools website at Pasco.k12.fl.us.

Published June 15, 2016

 

Watergrass girls on the run

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Watergrass Elementary school counselor Meredith Ward joined forces last year with third grade teacher Amanda Hoffman to start a girls running club.

Since Watergrass doesn’t have organized school sports, they felt it was a good way for their students to get active and develop interpersonal skills.

The Watergrass Elementary Owls Run Club is for fourth grade and fifth grade girls. They meet every Thursday afternoon and are preparing for a 5K race in March. (Photos courtesy of Watergrass Elementary)
The Watergrass Elementary Owls Run Club is for fourth grade and fifth grade girls. They meet every Thursday afternoon and are preparing for a 5K race in March.
(Photos courtesy of Watergrass Elementary)

“I had heard about how girls running groups really helped promote empowerment and that kind of girl power mentality, and I just thought, ‘Well, this would be really cool if I could start this here at Watergrass,’” Ward said.

The Watergrass Elementary Owls Run Club — for fourth grade and fifth grade girls — promotes healthy choices, and tries to build positive self-esteem and teamwork. It also focuses on setting goals and developing perseverance, as the girls begin their transition to middle school.

The club has provided an outlet for Watergrass students to socialize, outside of the regular school day.

“I’ve had some girls who’ve said, ‘I’ve made some new friends since being part of the group,’ and that’s important,” Ward said. “We’re focusing on positive relationships with other girls, and how we need to work together and build each other up.

“It’s kind of a byproduct to the health and fitness, and goal setting that we’re doing,” she said.

Ward, an avid runner in her own right, was initially surprised in the amount of interest the afterschool club generated.

She had hoped to attract about 15 students or so. But, the club wound up with double that, at 30 members last year. Currently, it has 33 members.

“We weren’t really sure what we were going go get, but we were thrilled to have so many fourth (grade) and fifth grade girls who wanted to come out and do this,” she said. “The response from the parents has been great, too.”

Through business donations, the club was able to create a pink T-shirt that says, “I Run Like a Girl, Just Try to Keep Up.”
Through business donations, the club was able to create a pink T-shirt that says, “I Run Like a Girl, Just Try to Keep Up.”

The Owls Run Club meets every Thursday after school, exercising in various open areas, as well as in nearby neighborhood communities.

It welcomes all skillsets—no matter how fast or how slow.

“We have a varied ability level,” Ward explained. “We have some girls that, maybe, without this group wouldn’t be very active, and then we have some that are already running a couple of miles a couple of days a week.”

Watergrass fifth-grader Elizabeth Parsons said the club is “really fun” because “we get to have more exercise.”

“I recommend (other schools) have running clubs, because it’s really good for you,” said Parsons, who’s in her second year with the club. “Some think that girls are not strong enough to run something, so we try to build up our self-esteem, and we encourage people.”

The encouragement aspect of the club is especially important for students going through personal issues, Ward added.

“Sometimes we’ll do mini-sessions before we start running where everyone shares a compliment or shares something positive that has happened during their week,” the school counselor explained. “Some of our kids may be going through family changes or may have experienced some kind of a loss.”

Ward said a few adult volunteers from the school have stepped up to help supervise the group, thereby accommodating the girls’ varied running and walking paces.

“We try to kind of break the groups down…where one of us will push up so the girls who are capable of running more consistently can do so, and this year we’ve had some other adults walk…forming a barrier in the back,” she said.

The presence of other adults has been a positive motivator for club members, Parsons said.

“They really encourage us,” the fifth-grader said. “For people that are behind, they say, ‘You can do it’ and ‘Keep up the good work.’”

The running club is currently training for the Watergrass Elementary Parent Teacher Association 5K on March 7.

Since the group meets just once a week, Ward said the training program is loosely based around the ‘couch to 5K’ program — jogging sessions at a comfortable pace, gradually adding more distance each week.

“Each week, we’ve been building our stamina…and the goal is for the girls to be able to participate in that race, and finish that race,” Ward said. “For some of them, it’ll be their very first 5K.”

After the race, Ward plans to scale down the club until October, bypassing the warm weather conditions at the beginning and end of the school year.

“It’d be nice to do it all year, but once it gets extremely hot, there are some concerns about overheating and hydration,” she said.

Published February 17, 2016

Pasco expands magnet options

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Pasco County Schools is expanding its magnet school options beginning next school year, and is holding a series of community meetings to explain the additional options.

Sanders Memorial Elementary School is Pasco County’s first magnet school. It offers a curriculum that focuses on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. The district is converting Centennial Middle School in Dade City into a science, technology, engineering and mathematics magnet school. (File Photo)
Sanders Memorial Elementary School is Pasco County’s first magnet school. It offers a curriculum that focuses on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
The district is converting Centennial Middle School in Dade City into a science, technology, engineering and mathematics magnet school.
(File Photo)

The district is converting Centennial Middle School, in Dade City, into a STEM Magnet School. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

A series of community meetings, with each beginning at 6 p.m., will give parents a chance to learn more about the new middle school magnet program.

  • Jan. 11 in the cafeteria at Raymond B. Stewart Middle School, 38505 10th Ave., in Zephyrhills
  • Jan. 12 in the auditorium at Pasco Middle School at 13925 14th St., in Dade City
  • Jan. 13 in the cafeteria at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School, at 30649 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel
  • Jan. 19 in the cafeteria at Dr. John Long Middle School cafeteria, 2025 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel
  • Jan. 20 in the cafeteria at Centennial Middle School, at 38505 Centennial Road in Dade City
  • Jan. 21 in the cafeteria at Chester W. Taylor Elementary School, at 3638 Morris Bridge Road in Zephyrhills

Parents of sixth- and seventh-graders at the host schools, as well as parents of current fifth-graders that feed into those schools, are encouraged to attend.

Elementary schools feeding into Centennial Middle School are Centennial, Cox, Double Branch, Lacoochee, New River, Pasco, Quail Hollow, San Antonio, Seven Oaks, Veterans, Watergrass, Wesley Chapel, West Zephyrhills and Woodland.

At each meeting, Superintendent Kurt Browning, the magnet school principal and district staff will discuss the STEM magnet theme and programs that will be offered.

Parents also will hear about magnet school application timelines and options for transportation.

Fifth- through seventh-grade students may apply for acceptance to the magnet school during the magnet school application period, Jan. 18 through Jan. 31, 2016. Students and parents not listed are welcome to attend the meetings, but will need to apply for acceptance through the regular school choice period, which begins Feb. 1.

In addition to the new middle school magnet, the district also has an elementary STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) program at Sanders Memorial Elementary in Land O’ Lakes.

Parents of prospective students to Sanders are invited to tour the school, at 5126 School Road in Land O’ Lakes, on Jan. 8 at 10 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.

Parents will have a chance to learn more about the school’s programs, facilities and unique features.

Sanders has unmanned aerial systems, solar panels, and other high tech devices, as well as computers and iPads for each student.

Published December 30, 2015

Enrollment growth in Pasco highest since recession

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Drive through Pasco County and it’s easy to see the signs of growth.

New houses are popping up in subdivisions. New apartment complexes are being built, and land is being cleared for more development.

And now that school is back in session, some of that growth is beginning to show up in classrooms, too.

These children are among the 718 students who arrived at Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet Elementary School on the first day of classes in the 2015-2016 school year. This is the Pasco County school district’s first magnet school. (Courtesy of Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School)
These children are among the 718 students who arrived at Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet Elementary School on the first day of classes in the 2015-2016 school year. This is the Pasco County school district’s first magnet school.
(Courtesy of Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School)

For the first time since 2007, the enrollment figures for the first day of school in Pasco County Schools increased by more than 1,000 students compared to the first day of school during the previous year.

Countywide, the district’s enrollment was 66,059, on the first day of classes, not counting four schools that had not yet submitted enrollment figures.

District schools gained a total of 1,138 students, while charter schools operating in the county picked up 441 — bringing the total to 1,579.

The increased enrollment exceeded the district’s expectations. Officials had projected an increase of 1,490.

Elementary schools experienced the biggest gain, picking up 672 more than last year. Middle schools experienced a slight decline, tallying seven fewer students than the previous year, and high schools gained 526.

The district’s education centers also saw a slight decrease, dropping by 53 students.

Some schools experienced increases, while others saw declines across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

The opening of Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School, with 718 students, in Land O’ Lakes had an impact on enrollments at several area schools.

Connerton Elementary School’s first day enrollment was 770, down from last year’s first-day count of 890.

Oakstead Elementary also experienced a decline from its enrollment of 1,123 on the first day of school last year, compared with 1,000 this year.

Pine View Elementary, also in Land O’ Lakes, reported an opening day enrollment of 530, down 100 students from the prior year.

Lake Myrtle Elementary, also located in Land O’ Lakes, had a decline of 73 students, going from 639 last year to 566 this year.

Denham Oaks Elementary, in Lutz, saw its enrollment drop by 56 students, going from 669 last year to 613 this year.

Other schools experienced enrollment declines as Quail Hollow Elementary reopened in Wesley Chapel, with 380 students on its first day.

Watergrass Elementary School’s first-day enrollment of 592 reflects a decrease of 114 students from its first-day figure last year.

Wesley Chapel Elementary’s first-day enrollment dropped by 191 students, as compared to last year.

Two elementary schools reported enrollment gains of 50 students or more. Sand Pine Elementary, in Wesley Chapel, increased by 51 students and Woodland Elementary, in Zephyrhills, experienced an uptick of 83 students.

Most of the middle schools in the central and east portions of Pasco County saw changes that were within 25 students of last year, plus or minus.

Pine View Middle School was the only school that experiencing a bigger change. Its first-day enrollment decreased by 65 students, compared to last year.

Among high schools in central and east Pasco, those charting the largest gains were Land O’ Lakes High, with an increase of 155 students, Zephyrhills High, with a boost of 119 students, and Sunlake High, with an uptick of 78 students.

Charter schools in the newspaper’s coverage area also reported gains. Academy at the Farm picked up 119 students, Imagine School in Land O’ Lakes reported 50 additional students, and Countryside Montessori, also in Land O’ Lakes, increased its first-day enrollment by 29.

The largest elementary schools in the newspaper’s coverage area are Oakstead, with an enrollment of 1,000; Seven Oaks, with an enrollment of 1,065; and Woodland, with an enrollment of 929.

The largest middle schools in central and east Pasco are John Long, with an enrollment of 1,665; Rushe, with an enrollment of 1,299; and Weightman, with an enrollment of 1,102.

All of the high schools in east and central portions of the county having enrollments exceeding 1,450, with Wiregrass Ranch High topping the list, with an opening day count of 2,272.

Published September 2, 2015

Local schools add 1,000 students to rolls

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More students are walking through the front doors of area schools as communities in Pasco County continue to grow.

The 39 schools in east and central Pasco County added 1,000 students since this time last year, according to population numbers released by Pasco County Schools. On average, the student population growth in east and central Pasco would be equivalent to adding a classroom per school. The additional students bring the total public school population to 30,800 — a 3.4 percent increase.

Samantha Touriello, an incoming fifth-grader at Connerton Elementary School, gets some reassurance from principal Aimee Boltze while her mother Jessica Cottrell looks on during the first day of school last week. Samantha was able to wipe away her tears, and make her way to her new classroom. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
Samantha Touriello, an incoming fifth-grader at Connerton Elementary School, gets some reassurance from principal Aimee Boltze while her mother Jessica Cottrell looks on during the first day of school last week. Samantha was able to wipe away her tears, and make her way to her new classroom. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“We’re not exactly sure where they are coming from as we haven’t had a chance to analyze it just yet,” said Christopher Williams, director for planning services at Pasco County Schools. “There are certainly some new houses being built, but I’m not sure how much of that has impacted the schools.”

The biggest student population jumps came in Wesley Chapel, where Watergrass and Wesley Chapel elementary schools added 382 students, many of them coming from Quail Hollow Elementary School, which is closed this year for renovations. Both schools already taught more than a combined total of 1,000 students, but this year are operating with 1,438 — a 36 percent jump.

Also on the rise is Wesley Chapel High School, adding 206 students from this time last year, and increasing its student body by nearly 16 percent. Wiregrass Ranch High School was not far behind, adding 159 students to cross the 2,000 mark with an 8 percent jump.

“The Wesley Chapel and (SR) 54 corridor is where we’re seeing the most growth,” Williams said, adding there are still serious overcrowding issues at schools like Seven Oaks Elementary, Long Middle and Wiregrass Ranch.

And it will be that way, at least for the near future.

“We don’t have much of a budget for new schools, other than having enough money to build a new elementary school, in the next five years,” he said. “In the meantime, we’re doing what we can to help these schools.”