The Laker/Lutz News

Hillsborough County School Board

COVID-19 cases are straining hospitals, health care workers

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Hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 continue to rise, adding to the strain already being experienced by local hospitals.

Admissions for patients with COVID-19 are at their highest levels since the start of the pandemic in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon and Washington, according to statistics kept by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Things are so serious that Pasco County Fire Rescue Fire Chief Scott Cassin and EMS Division Chief Paula Coleman have issued a video, asking residents and guests to avoid using the 911 system unless they are experiencing a true emergency.

“Hospital emergency rooms are currently being inundated with patients, and the time it takes to be seen in an emergency room is skyrocketing across our community,” the fire chief says in the video.

“Many hospitals are at, or over, capacity and ambulances are currently holding patients at hospitals for hours at a time, due to a lack of available beds and hospital staff.

“This is causing an ambulance shortage across the county, and is causing long wait times for our 911 callers,” Cassin says.

Coleman adds: “Please help us provide lifesaving interventions for those who truly need them. If your 911 call is not an emergency that needs immediate medical attention — such as chest pain, shortness of breath, stroke symptoms, serious trauma or other life-threatening illnesses or injury — please consider contacting your primary care physician, or utilizing a walk-in clinic or urgent care center. This will get you the help you need in a timelier manner, while at the same time assist an overtaxed health care system,” she says.

“Let’s all do our part to save the ambulances and ER visits for those who urgently need those services,” Coleman says.

Michael Weiss, epidemiology program manager for Florida Health-Hillsborough County, gave a big-picture look at Hillsborough County’s COVID-19 situation during an Aug. 18 emergency meeting of the Hillsborough County School Board.

“Right around June into July, we started this steep increase,” Weiss said.

“We are trending upwards. We are at 1,622 cases per day in our county. Positivity is around 22%. During the pandemic, this is the highest for both of those values.”

“This recent increase has coincided with a few things. In July, we had relaxed community mitigation measures, and we also saw the introduction of the delta variant into our community.

“These two things combined really increased the case transmission and the case rate in our community,” Weiss said.

“Hospital visits and hospitalizations both related to COVID are both at the highest levels seen at any point during our pandemic — during the entire pandemic. Hospitals are recording twice the number of COVID patients they saw in 2020 winter peak,” the epidemiologist said.

“Pediatric hospitalizations are also increasing. They represent a small percentage of the overall COVID hospitalizations, but they are also increasing. We are seeing both admissions and emergency department visits for pediatric cases increasing.

“Hospitalizations generally lag behind the case increases, so we expect the hospitalizations to continue to increase in the near future,” he added.

“Across all of these age groups, the hospitalizations are overwhelmingly in the unvaccinated population. Hospitals are reporting anywhere from 80% to 90% of cases are in unvaccinated individuals,” Weiss said.

Hospitals are making adjustments as the COVID-19 caseloads increase.

AdventHealth has halted elective procedures at AdventHealth Carrollwood, AdventHealth Dade City and AdventHealth Zephyhrhills, and at its AdventHealth Sebring facility, according to a media advisory issued Aug. 20.

“This decision allows us to further plan for the increased need for hospital beds, resources, and advocate for patients and team members. Patients will be notified if their procedure will be canceled,” the hospital chain announced.

AdventHealth “continues to see a significant increase in COVID-19 cases at its facilities across West Florida and has far surpassed its highest peak at any point in the pandemic,” the advisory adds.

The hospital system’s 10 hospitals in its West Florida Division had 600 currently admitted COVID-19 positive patients, according to the Aug. 20 advisory.

BayCare, another health care system in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, paused all of its elective surgeries and procedures at its hospitals in Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties, regardless of whether they require an overnight stay, effective Aug. 14, according to the hospital’s website.

“This will help reserve resources for the urgent and emergent needs of severely ill patients,” the posting says.

“COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased 10-fold since the beginning of July, and today we have more than 1,000 COVID positive patients in our 14 acute care hospitals across the Tampa Bay area,” Glenn Waters, chief operating officer for BayCare, said in a website post.

“We’re making these operational adjustments to be sure we can continue providing safe, high-quality care to the recent influx of COVID patients, in addition to hundreds of other people in our hospitals with unrelated, serious medical issues,” Waters said.

In a new development, Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference last week to announce the opening of local sites to provide a new monoclonal antibody treatment for patients who are 12 years old or older. The treatment can prevent hospitalization or death in COVID-19 patients.

DeSantis presided at the opening of the site at the Fasano Hurricane Shelter, at 11611 Denton Ave., in Hudson.

Another site has opened in Hillsborough County at King Forest Park, at 8008 E. Chelsea St., in Tampa. The only access into the park is off Orient Road just north of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to a Hillsborough County news release.

Both sites will be open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For additional details, call the Florida Department of Health Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Support Line at 850-344-9637.

COVID-19 statistics: Aug. 13 to Aug. 19

Florida
New cases: 150,118
Positivity rate 19.8%

Hillsborough County
New cases: 11,161
Positivity rate: 22%

Pasco County
New cases: 4,223
Positivity rate: 26.4%

Source: Florida Department of Health

COVID-19 symptoms
Symptoms of COVID-19 may include:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Published August 25, 2021

Controversy continues over school mask mandates

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Leon County Judge John Cooper was scheduled this week to conduct a three-day hearing involving a lawsuit that challenges the legality of an executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In the executive order, DeSantis stands firm on his position that parents —  not school boards — have the right to decide whether their children should be required to wear masks on campus.

But a group of parents has challenged the governor’s legal authority to make that call.

This week’s Tallahassee court hearing, set to begin Aug. 23, comes after attorneys for DeSantis attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed.

The judge refused to toss the lawsuit, but refrained from any assessment on the merits of the case, according to numerous published reports.

In addition to DeSantis, the Florida of Board of Education has weighed in on the mandatory mask issue.

The board of education has created options for students who are in districts that mandate masks, but do not wish to comply. Instead of complying, those students can obtain a scholarship through the state to attend a private school, or can attend school in a different district.

Also, the state has warned districts that if they defy the governor’s executive order, they can face reduced funding in an amount equivalent to the sum of the superintendent and school board members’ salaries, according to numerous published reports.

President Joe Biden has countered that by pledging the federal government could fill that funding gap — if one arises — by using American Rescue Plan dollars.

“We’re not going to sit by as governors try to block and intimidate educators protecting our children,” Biden said, on national television.

DeSantis, at another news event, countered: “We believe this is a decision for the parent.”

As the debate plays out, individual school boards continue to impose face mask requirements.

During an emergency meeting last week, the Hillsborough County School Board adopted a 30-day mandatory face mask requirement for students and staff, allowing an opt-out with a medical note.

School boards in Mami-Dade, Alachua, Palm Beach, Broward and Sarasota counties have taken similar actions.

The divisiveness of the mandatory masking issue was on full display during the Hillsborough school board’s hearing.

Board Chair Lynn Gray said the surge in the delta variant of COVID-19 created an emergency for the board — not only in terms of the number of positive cases being reported on campus, but also of the numbers of students and staff being forced to quarantine.

She said action was needed because the situation was unsustainable.

Passions ran high at the meeting.

Dozens of speakers on both sides of the issues made passionate 1-minute arguments, either for or against.

“Our K-5 children cannot get the vaccine, but at the same time, you’ve given them no option to do e-learning, no required social distancing and no required masks,” one parent said, urging the board to take action.

Another put it plainly: “I am very concerned for our vulnerable children.”

A third observed: “If you can mandate masks 100% last year, you can mandate masks this year. Your actions today can save lives.”

Other speakers presented a different point of view.

“Those that are living in fear, if they want to wear a mask, let them wear a mask. Put on a visor. Put on a second mask. But don’t force our children to wear masks if they don’t want to,” one speaker said.

Another put it this way: “Leave the mask policy as is, with parents deciding what’s best for their children.”

A third challenged the school board’s authority: “You work for us. We are not subservient to you. My children will not spend the rest of the year, or another minute, wearing a mask.”

Board members listened to hours of public testimony. Medical experts offered data and answered questions. Board members discussed the issue, too.

Ultimately, the mandatory mask decision passed on a 5-2 vote, with members Nadia Combs, Jessica Vaughn,  Henry “Shake” Washington, Karen Perez, Board Chair Gray voting yes; and members Stacy Hahn and Melissa Snively voting no.

Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Addison Davis recommended that the board follow DeSantis’ executive order, but said he would support the board, whatever the vote’s outcome.

Hahn and Snively spoke against defying DeSantis’ executive order.

It remains unclear how the mandate, which remains in effect in Hillsborough public schools through Sept. 17, will be enforced.

Contact tracing can’t keep up
Meanwhile, in Pasco County public schools, masks are optional.

Dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 and the delta variant in this new school year, has not been easy, Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning told the Pasco County School Board at its Aug. 17 meeting.

“We are drowning. We are struggling to stay afloat,” Browning said. “It’s like bailing out a sinking ship with a thimble.”

The district can’t keep pace with the contact tracing that’s required, Browning said.

That’s problematic because by the time the contact tracing can be completed, the quarantine period has expired, he said.

“You may have positive cases, asymptomatic positive cases, in the classrooms,” the superintendent explained. “At this point, there is nothing we can do about that, unless they start showing symptoms. Then, as soon as they are symptomatic, they will be sent home.”

There’s another issue that’s compounding the problem, the superintendent said.

“What we’re having, and this is not a news flash, we’re still having some parents sending their sick kids to school,” Browning said.

School board member Alison Crumbley had this message for parents:  “If your kid has a symptom, they don’t need to be showing up at school. Period. Done.”

“I can’t even imagine sending a kid to school that’s sick and you know they’re sick. We cannot be doing that right now.

“We’ve got to keep these number down, we’ve got to keep these numbers down,” Crumbley emphasized.

School board member Megan Harding said the district should provide COVID sick time for all teachers, not just those who have been vaccinated.

Browning disagreed: “It is a statement of fact that the costs for unvaccinated employees are higher.”

The district has already spent $12 million in COVID-related claims, and the district’s insurance fund is running at a $4 million deficit, Browning said.

School district statistics: 2021-2022 school year, to date*

Hillsborough County
Student cases: 2,310
Staff cases: 648

Pasco County
Student cases: 897
Staff cases: 196

*As of the evening of Aug. 22

Published August 25, 2021

Hillsborough Schools plans deep cuts to avoid state takeover

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Numerous speakers criticized the district’s planned reductions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Planned cuts include:

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

Published April 21, 2021

Elected leaders take oath of office

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Swearing-in ceremonies were held earlier this month, for elected leaders.

Pasco County Commission members Jack Mariano, Ron Oakley and Kathryn Starkey, who were reelected to new terms, and Christina Fitzpatrick, newly elected to the board, each took the oath of office.

Mariano’s swearing-in ceremony was in the board’s New Port Richey chamber, while the other commissioners were sworn-in at the board’s Dade City chambers.

The Pasco County Commission is expected to have its organizational meeting, where the chairman is selected on Dec. 9, after The Laker/Lutz News press deadline.

At Pasco County Schools’ district headquarters in Land O’ Lakes, reelected Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning took the oath of office, as did reelected board members Colleen Beaudoin and Alison Crumley.

Meanwhile, in Hillsborough County, newly elected Hillsborough County Commissioners Harry Cohen and Gwen Myers, and reelected Commissioner Pat Kemp, each took the oath of office.

And, on the Hillsborough County School Board newly elected members Nadia Combs, Jessica Vaughn and Henry “Shake” Washington were sworn-in, as was Lynn Gray, who was reelected.

Published December 09, 2020

Ringing in the 2020-2021 school year

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Students streamed back to Pasco County school campuses last week to begin the 2020-2021 school year, while Hillsborough County students headed to that district’s campuses this week.

The beginning of a new school year often is steeped in tradition, but this year is a year of new routines — in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students are arriving on campuses wearing masks, and teachers standing near open classroom doors to greet them are wearing masks, too.

Ten-year-old Veronika Patterson walks with her family to Bexley Elementary School. She’s accompanied by her mother, Melissa, her father, Mike, and her little sister, Izzy. (Randy Underhill)

Lunch tables have been moved outdoors, to reduce crowding in cafeterias and to accommodate outside classes.

Signs remind people to keep their distance, and bottles of hand sanitizer are within easy reach to encourage everyone to keep their hands clean.

And, there are protocols.

Lots of protocols.

They spell out what schools should do when there’s a confirmed case of COVID-19 and what to do when one is suspected.

In Pasco County, a partnership has been forged between the school district and the Florida Department of Health’s Pasco office.

Health department staff members are working in two portables on school district property, so they can respond quickly to COVID-19 cases.

The district also has spent substantial money, time and energy to prepare campuses for the arrival of students and staff; and, it has ramped up cleaning schedules to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Hillsborough County school district also has increased cleaning efforts, to reduce potential spread of the virus.

Both districts also are using special care to disinfect school buses.

Pasco County Schools activated its dashboard last week, and as of 11:30 p.m. Aug. 28, the district had reported three student cases, one each at Fivay High School, Gulf High School and Moon Lake Elementary; and one employee case, at Lake Myrtle Elementary. (For more recent information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/news.

Hillsborough superintendent Addison Davis said that the district also will have a dashboard to keep the public informed.

The district just opened campus, on Aug. 31, so it was still too early to tell what kind of impact in-school classes would have, when The Laker/Lutz News went to press

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, an educational professional for decades said: “This is definitely my first year like this.

“I think we’re going to have a great first day,” Gadd said, as he showed off Cypress Creek Middle School, on its inaugural opening day for students.

“I think our schools are well-prepared, and we’re looking forward to getting started and making the best of it,” Gadd said. But, he added, “I’d be lying, if I didn’t say I wasn’t worried about Day 2, Day 3.”

There were complaints about buses and technology on the Pasco school district’s Facebook page, but overall the district seemed to be off to a relatively smooth start.

Face-to-face instruction began this week in the Hillsborough school district, after a week of online only.

Parents line up in both directions, to drop their kids off on the first day of school at Pine View Middle School, 5334 Parkway Blvd.

Based on social media chatter from last week, it looks like there were some complaints about problems with technology.

This week offers the first real test of the district’s preparations, as it welcomes the arrival of students and staff.

Hillsborough plans to work closely with its medical partners at the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital, the superintendent said, during a recent school board meeting.

Like Pasco, Hillsborough has adopted numerous protocols intended to limit the spread of COVID-19 and to respond to known or suspected cases that arise.

Both Hillsborough and Pasco delayed their initial opening from Aug. 10, until Aug. 24.

Pasco chose to offer all three of its educational options on Aug. 24.

Hillsborough’s reopening plan shifted.

Initially, the school board adopted the superintendent’s plan to offer three learning options, starting on Aug. 24.

Then, after listening to a panel of medical experts, the board voted on Aug. 6 to delay implementation of Davis’ already state-approved plan, and instead offer online learning only for the first four weeks of school.

State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran reacted to that plan by telling the district that it had to justify any closing on a school-by-school, grade-by-grade and classroom-by-classroom basis, or jeopardize state funding.

Davis went to Tallahassee, in an attempt to find a compromise. The state rejected his proposals and, ultimately, the district opted to open online for one week and then to offer all three options, including brick-and-mortar instruction, at all of its schools beginning Aug. 31.

But then, Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson ruled on a lawsuit brought against the state by the Florida Education Association, which was consolidated with other lawsuits brought against the state.

Dodson agreed with FEA’s contention that the state’s action — to require districts to open all brick-and-mortar schools by Aug. 31, was unconstitutional. Dodson said local school boards should have the power to make that decision.

The state appealed Dodson’s ruling, which automatically stayed his injunction, unless he decided to lift it. Dodson did lift it, essentially giving decision-making authority back to local school boards.

That decision prompted an emergency meeting of the Hillsborough County School Board on Aug. 28. Board members voted at that meeting to rescind their previous decision to open online only for four weeks, and instead to proceed with Davis’ most recent plan.

Meanwhile, the case between the FEA and the state continues on, and another lawsuit, filed by the United School Employees of Pasco, is pending.

Published September 02, 2020

COVID-19 complicates school start

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Students in Pasco and Hillsborough counties are set to begin a new school year on Aug. 24, but not all of the students will be headed to campus.

In Pasco County, students have three options for learning — amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Some students are expected to arrive at Pasco campuses on Aug. 24, while others opt for two versions of online learning. In the mySchool Online version, students are connected virtually to their assigned schools. With Pasco eSchool, they have more flexibility in the schedule and pace of learning.

In Hillsborough County, classes begin on Aug. 24, with all students beginning the school year through online learning only, until campuses open for students on Aug. 31. Like Pasco, Hillsborough is offering three learning options — face-to-face instruction and two virtual approaches.

Pasco and Hillsborough county students are set to return to school on Aug. 24, either in-person or virtually. (B.C. Manion)

Of course, there’s nearly a week before school begins, so it’s not inconceivable that these plans could change again.

As of press deadline for The Laker/Lutz News, there were two legal actions pending over whether school districts must comply with Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s Emergency Order that requires a face-to-face learning option on public school campuses.

The school year is already starting later than initially planned, with both Hillsborough and Pasco starting on Aug. 24, rather than Aug. 10.

The Hillsborough County School Board then voted to begin the district’s school year with four weeks of online-only instruction.

That decision came after a panel of medical experts advised against reopening schools until the COVID-19 positivity rate declined to about 5%.

Corcoran, however, rebuffed Hillsborough’s temporary online-only plan.

Corcoran said Hillsborough’s new plan was inconsistent with the reopening plan the district previously had submitted to the state that had been approved.

Hillsborough Superintendent Addison Davis then took a trip to Tallahassee, to seek middle ground.

That didn’t work.

After Davis returned, the district announced that “state leaders rejected two different phased-in models our district proposed that would have delayed our brick-and-mortar opening while ensuring our most vulnerable student populations were served in a face-to-face capacity.”

So, Hillsborough’s school year will begin with one week of online, with brick-and-mortar campuses opening on Aug. 31, for students choosing that option.

Meanwhile, in Pasco County, the school district plans to follow its Aug. 24 opening plan.

However, the United School Employees of Pasco has filed a lawsuit, seeking return to online learning only, until the COVID numbers come down, per the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning and the Pasco School Board have stood behind the district’s reopening plan. Not following that plan, they have said, would jeopardize state funding.

The Florida Education Association’s motion for injunctive relief from Corcoran’s Emergency Order has been scheduled for mediation Aug. 18, and if necessary, for court hearings on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20.

The decisions being made at the state and school board levels have caused parents and teachers to make a variety of personal decisions.

Ben Langston, of Long Lake Ranch in Lutz, said he and his wife, Rene, decided to enroll their children, Connor and Avery, in a private school.

The Langstons had been planning to send the children to Oakstead Elementary, but switched those plans because of the uncertainty with what will happen with public schools.

They want Connor and Avery to have an in-school experience, rather than online, because they believe it offers a superior form of learning.

Cindy Smith, an art teacher at Land O’ Lakes High School, on the other hand, has made a different decision: She’s retiring after 31 years in Pasco County Schools.

“It was very difficult. It took me months to decide it,” said Smith, who taught Art 1 through Advanced Placement.

“I didn’t feel like it was wise to go to school and expose myself to the possibilities of COVID, at my age,” Smith said.

She doesn’t think that virtual teaching is effective for secondary art classes, although she said it would be a safer option until COVID-19 cases decline.

The teacher said she’ll miss teaching and her students.

“I’m sad about it. I’m sad for my friends. I’m sad for my students. How horrifying to think any one of them could die because of one person, or a few persons’ decisions,” Smith said.

She added: “I’m concerned that parents may not be taking this seriously enough.

“I don’t think they understand the hazards and the dangers and the concerns that we, as teachers, have. We love our students, we love our jobs, but to put us in a danger, death-threatening kind of situation is unreasonable,” Smith said.

Despite the focus on COVID-19, there also are other developments associated with beginning the 2020-2021 school year, and that includes the opening of Cypress Creek Middle School.

The new school, on Old Pasco Road, will serve students in grades six through eight.

Students who have been housed in a portion of Cypress Creek High School now will be moving to Cypress Creek Middle.

Other students previously assigned to John Long Middle, will join them, providing long-needed relief from crowding at John Long Middle.

Students from Wiregrass Ranch High also have been reassigned to Cypress Creek High, but the full effect of that boundary change won’t be immediately felt because the school district grandfathered the junior and senior class at Wiregrass Ranch.

Two new public charter schools also are opening this year, in Wesley Chapel — Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel and Innovation Preparatory Academy in the Connected City area of Wesley Chapel.

Published August 19, 2020

Union seeks ‘online-only’ school option

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Pasco County Schools is continuing its plans to offer face-to-face instruction as one of its options when school resumes on Aug. 24 — but, the union representing teachers and other school district employees is continuing its efforts to block that.

In a posting on the United School Employees of Pasco’s website, union officials inform their members that they are continuing efforts to seek an injunction that would prevent a return to brick-and-mortar classrooms when school begins.

The union is waiting until this week for formal actions to avoid interfering with efforts by the Florida Education Association, which is pursuing legal action on behalf of educators across the state, the posting says.

This latest USEP announcement follows a rally by teachers and parents at school district headquarters on Aug. 4, seeking to persuade the Pasco County School Board to adopt an online-only opening of schools, until the number of positive COVID-19 cases declines.

Don Peace, president of USEP, appeared at the school board’s meeting that day, again urging the board to only open schools online.

“We are not saying we don’t want a return to brick-and-mortar. We are saying we don’t want to return to brick-and-mortar now,” Peace said.

“Pediatricians and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) are saying that we should not be heading back to schools at this time.

“When the positivity rate shows a downward trend and is below 5%, which is the level that ironically triggered the stay-at-home order back in April, then and only then would it be prudent to have a conversation on returning in a face-to-face format,” Peace said.

Peace said the district should rely on the data, in determining if students, teachers and staff return to schools.

“We have the means to use technology, in order to save lives,” Peace said.

Speakers offering public comment also told board members that they don’t think it’s safe to return.

Patrick Connolly, of Zephyrhills, said that there will be significant problems with staffing, if staff members apply their self-screeners with fidelity. And, he said, “if we don’t apply these screeners with fidelity, we will have the virus running rampant in our community.”

Jeremy Blythe, a Pasco teacher for five years, said he wishes he was excited to begin a new school year. Instead, he said, ““I’m afraid, I am angry and I’m sad.

“Being a teacher has prepared me to do many things, but what I cannot prepare for is the idea that I will have to bury a colleague or a student. I don’t want my family to have to bury me, either, if we head back to campus before it is safe,” Blythe said.

Superintendent Kurt Browning reiterated the district’s stance of reopening, with three options for parents: bricks-and-mortar, mySchool Online and Pasco eSchool.

“We are between that proverbial rock and a hard place, where we find ourselves with that emergency order,” Browning said.

“There’s been a lot of discussion, comments made out there about funding.

“The fact remains that when you read the emergency order, it is very clear that funding is tied to the fact that school districts need to open with bricks-and-mortar.

“You have to truly connect the dots, but if you want funding, and you want to be held harmless from funding reductions, then the expectation is that districts will open bricks-and-mortar.

“If we do not get funding from the state, our teachers do not get paid. Our bus drivers do  not get paid. Staff, in general, does not get paid.

“It’s going to be tough to keep lights on,” Browning said.

Browning said district staff is doing everything it can to ensure safety.

However, he added: “We’re not going to prevent it, but we are in the business of trying to minimize the impacts, or the spread of COVID,” the superintendent said.

He noted: “Even after all of the news reports, the data that’s out there — we still have 66% of our families that are wanting to return to bricks-and-mortar.

“By virtue of that, we need to be able to staff and provide that for them,” Browning said.

School Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin said one of her chief concerns involves the inability to provide social distancing in secondary classrooms.

“We cannot ensure social distancing in every secondary classroom,” she said, noting district employees are aware of that, but she’s not sure that parents know that.

Beaudoin did call attention to Pine View Middle School’s efforts to maximize  the space between its students, by clearing the room of extra furniture, extra tables, extra filing cabinets — to increase the distance between desks.

Beaudoin also said that if at some point, the district was to go remote, she wants the public to know that the district staff has been exploring multiple options.

“None are guaranteed, but we have been looking into ways to support families with child care and tutoring, to be able to continue to feed our students and families, and keep our employees working,” the school board chairwoman said.

While Pasco plans to return to school campuses, the Hillsborough County School Board has voted to begin the school year with online-only instruction — a position being rejected by Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.

To be on the safe side, parents are encouraged to check for the most recent updates on the school district websites and social media platforms, to be sure they have the latest information. The Pasco school district’s website is Pasco.k12.fl.us.

The Hillsborough school district’s website SDHC.k12.fl.us.

Published August 12, 2020

Hillsborough reopening embroiled in controversy

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The Hillsborough County School Board last week voted to begin the school year on Aug. 24, operating online only for the first four weeks of classes.

Within a day of that decision, however, Florida Education Commission Richard Corcoran notified the district that “this blanket, district-wide decision directly contradicts the district’s reopening plan, which was approved because it was consistent with the state’s emergency order.”

In a statement shared with The Laker/Lutz News, Corcoran said, ““The Hillsborough County School Board needs to follow the law, it’s that simple.

“The whole reason the Department created the emergency order was to grant districts maximum flexibility to do what is right for parents and schoolchildren.

“We will not stand idly by while they trample over the majority of parents who want to do right by their children.

“What they did yesterday (Aug. 6) completely eliminated the flexible options for their families and students, and ignored how harmful it can be for students who are experiencing violence, abuse, and food insecurity in their homes, many of whom are already struggling to close achievement gaps. These are urgent circumstances and we cannot, and will not, ignore it,” Corcoran concluded.

Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis issued a response to Corcoran’s letter, indicating the district had received it and was reviewing it with its legal team.

Addison also issued this statement: “Yesterday (Aug.6), the School Board made an informed decision after receiving data and hearing from the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, along with hearing the advice of other local infectious disease and public health authorities.

“The Board acted after serious deliberations and with all due diligence. Our district understood the possibility that such a response from the state might come and it has been clear that the district could face negative implications. We will use this information to have discussions about where we go from here,” Davis said.

Both Corcoran and Davis’ statements came after a special Aug. 6 Hillsborough County School Board meeting that included hours of public comment, and testimony from a panel of medical experts.

During that meeting, the board voted 5-2 to start the school year with online options only. The board also determined they would look at the issue again at its Sept. 8 meeting.

Board members Karen Perez, Lynn Gray, Stacy Hahn, Steve Cona and Tammy Shamburger voted for those actions. Board Chairman Melissa Snively and board member Cindy Stuart dissented.

The board’s vote came after School Board Attorney James Porter told the board it could not change the reopening plan submitted by Superintendent Addison Davis, but could delay its implementation.

Addison’s plan calls for three learning options: Face-to-face instruction and two online choices. After gaining initial board approval, it was submitted to the state and approved. When making that initial vote, though, board members said they wanted to hear from medical experts.

Passions run hot, on both sides
The issue of whether to reopen school buildings has been a flashpoint of controversy.

A parade of speakers urged the school board to either reopen school campuses for face-to-face instruction, or to keep them closed for now.

Speakers wore masks to the meeting, and a district employee disinfected the podium and microphone after each person spoke.

So many people showed up, their comments were limited to 1-minute each. Many exceeded the limit and there were instances when the microphone was muted when people talked too long.

Speakers were passionate on both sides of the issue.

Some staff members said they have medical conditions and are afraid to return to school. Others said they have family members who are medically vulnerable.

Many said the number of COVID-19 cases is simply too high to return to school.

But, those arguing against online only cited a digital divide based on family incomes. They said families need child care, and that mothers, in particular would be forced to quit their jobs so they can oversee their child’s online instruction.

They also cited other issues, such as impacts on mental health, a need for personal instruction, a need to provide services for special needs students and the need to provide food for students who rely on schools for meals.

Members on the medical panel, however, told school board members that the positivity rate of COVID-19 is too high to safely return to school.

One medical expert said he would not support reopening schools as of that day, but might feel differently on Aug. 24, because he expects the positivity numbers to decline.

Dr. Douglas Holt, who leads the Florida Health Department in Hillsborough County, said he was at the meeting to provide technical assistance. He did not take a position on the issue.

School board member Gray said she’s not comfortable reopening campuses at the current COVID-19 positivity rate.

“I personally think that the spread rate of 10-11% is way too high and 3-5% is where we need to go,”” Gray said.

Chairwoman Snively said she didn’t want the board to only focus on the aspect of epidemiology. Having schools open helps bring to light issues such as children who are suffering from child abuse or have mental health, nutritional and other needs.

Because this situation continues to evolve, those interested in staying abreast of the latest developments should check the Hillsborough County School District’s website and its social media channels. Its website is SDHC.k12.fl.us.

Editor’s Note: The Laker/Lutz News received the following statement, after our newspaper went to press:

“Our district explicitly followed the state’s executive order. The order provides school districts the option of not opening brick and mortar “subject to advise or orders of the Florida Department of Health, (or) local departments of health”. Last Thursday, our School Board made an informed decision after hearing from the local public health authority and local infectious disease experts. The panel was asked if we should open our doors and not one medical professional could recommend opening today. The state’s order goes on to say the day-to-day decision to open or close a school always rests locally.”

Tanya Arja – Chief of Communications

Published August 12, 2020

Hillsborough primary includes key races

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Hillsborough County voters will go to the polls on Aug. 18 to make their voices heard, in the 2020 Primary Election.

Of course, some voters will take advantage of early voting before then, and others will cast their ballots by mail.

It remains unclear how concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic will affect voter turnout, but election supervisors in both Hillsborough and Pasco counties have reported efforts to ensure the safety of both poll workers and voters.

Such measures include social distancing and ongoing cleaning. As a result, lines at the polls could be longer, the supervisors in both counties have said.

In Hillsborough County, the Clerk of the Circuit Court race is a universal primary, meaning all voters can vote in this election, regardless of party affiliation. Candidates Kevin Beckner and Cindy Stuart are vying for that seat.

On the ballot for Democrats, voters will be selecting candidates for the District 1 and District 3 seats on the Hillsborough County Commission.

Harry Cohen and Jen McDonald are vying to be their party’s choice in the race for Hillsborough County Commission, District 1.

In the race for District 3 on the county board, there’s a five-way race among Ricardo “Rick” Fernandez, Gwen Myers, Frank Reddick, Thomas Scott and Sky U. White.

In the race for Tax Collector, it’s a face-off between April Griffin and Nancy C. Millan.

On the Republican ballot, Charles Brian Boswell and Chad Chronister are competing to be their party’s nominee in the race for Hillsborough County Sheriff.

Scott Franklin and Ross Spano are vying for District 15, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In the Hillsborough County Commission, District 1 seat, Scott Levinson is facing off against Tony Morejon.

There are four nonpartisan seats up for grabs on the seven-member Hillsborough County School Board.

Competitors in District 1 are Nadia Combs, Steve Cona, Ben “Floridaman” Greene and Bill Person.

In District 3, the candidates are Alexandra Gilmore, Leo Haggerty, Mitch Thrower, Jessica Vaughn and Rick Warrener.

Those competing in District 5 are Elvis Piggott, Tammy Shamburger, Selena Ward

and Henry “Shake” Washington.

In District 7, the candidates are Lynn Gray, Sally A. Harris, Jeffrey Alex James Johnson and Angela Schroden.

There also are a number of nonpartisan judge races on the ballot.

Voters have the option to vote early at 24 locations through Hillsborough County. The early polling sites are open through Aug. 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Voters can also drop their Vote By Mail ballots off at Early Voting sites during Early Voting hours.

Go to HillsboroughVotes.org, for more election information and for early polling locations.

Hillsborough County Registered Voters*
Democrats: 356,390
Republicans: 281,115
Others: 264,061
Total: 901,566

*As of 08/09/2020
Source: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections

Published August 12, 2020

Hillsborough schools delay start

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The Hillsborough County School Board has delayed the reopening of schools, as recommended by Superintendent Addison Davis.

In adopting Davis’ plan, the board also said it would reconvene in two weeks to look at the COVID-19 data, to see if the plan sticks, or if the board will change its plan.

The board took the action in a special meeting on July 23.

Under the approved plan, teachers and district staff will return to schools as planned, on July 31.

The board also approved a new student calendar and a new bell schedule, to ensure that students make up for lost time and have the required amount of time in their courses.

Under the approved calendar, the first day of school is Aug. 24, the first semester ends on Jan. 15 and the last day of school is May 28.

The board’s actions followed considerable public comment and discussion by board members.

Members of the public urged board members to consider the safety of students and staff, in adopting their back-to-school plan.

Board member Tamara Shamburger said, “this is not about parent choice.

“This is about the greater duty of the superintendent and this board, to ensure safety in this school district.

“Until we can guarantee student safety, there is no viable choice for brick-and-mortar,” Shamburger said.

But, board member Cindy Stuart said the district was obligated to get a plan in front of Tallahassee.

“Let’s talk about a two-week period, where we continue to watch what is happening,” she said.

“We may have to pivot one way or another,” she said.

Hillsborough County isn’t the only school district struggling with the challenges of reopening schools in the midst of a pandemic.

Pasco County Schools also has delayed the start of school until Aug. 24.

The Pasco School Board also approved an Aug. 17 start date for employees, also a two-week delay from the originally planned Aug. 3.

Delaying the start date will require the district to make up for lost time, Superintendent Kurt Browning said.

His staff has developed a plan that adds 18 to 20 instructional minutes to each school day to make up for the lost time, and also calls for foregoing early release days during the fall semester.

Don Peace, president of United School Employees of Pasco, called Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s directive “an overreach.

“You, as a board, should be the ones that determine the safest way to return to teaching and learning, but your authority was usurped by one man,” Peace said.

Corcoran’s directive is being challenged, Peace added.

“Yesterday, in a court in Miami, the Florida Education Association filed suit against his (Corcoran’s) order, labeling it ‘arbitrary and capricious.’ They further claimed that returning to brick-and-mortar now, with COVID numbers on the rise, would be unsafe for students and employees,” Peace said.

The union president also noted that a USEP survey of district employees found that “over 75% of those replying felt that the only safe way to return now is distance learning.”

Peace said USEP urging the Pasco County Schools to adopt a distance-learning model, until the rate of positive COVID-19 cases has been on the decline for 14 days.

Published July 29, 2020