The Laker/Lutz News

Lake Myrtle Elementary

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

Area responds to Hurricane Dorian victims

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As the death toll grows and residents of the Bahamas continue to grapple with the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian — local groups are stepping up to find ways to help those who are suffering.

Dorian made landfall on Sept. 1 as a Category 5 Hurricane, flattening homes and causing massive flooding, according to national news reports.

Jessica Cooper, who teaches in the Culinary Arts Academy at Land O’ Lakes High School, has been coordinating a supply drive to support victims of Hurricane Dorian. Her husband, LeRone, who grew up there, planned to deliver the supplies to family members and others suffering in the aftermath of the Category 5 hurricane. (B.C. Manion)

The official death toll stood at 50, with an estimated 2,500 still missing as of last week, according to national news reports. Officials expect the death count to rise, as search-and-rescue crews dig through the ruins of Grand Bahama and Abaco islands.

While recovery work continues, groups are rallying to do what they can here.

At Land O’ Lakes High School, Chef Jessica Cooper — who teaches in the school’s Academy of Culinary Arts — put out the word that she was collecting supplies that would be delivered by her husband, LeRone, who grew up in Freeport, the main city on Grand Bahama.

Some of the supplies will be provided to LeRone’s family members who still live there, and the rest will be distributed in an open forum he will be having at an office building, Cooper said.

She let people know that she would be collecting supplies at the school from Sept. 9 to Sept. 11 and, by the second day, so many items had been donated, she had to rent a mini-van so she could transport the contributions to her South Tampa home.

The family also rented a Penske truck, so her husband could make the trip to South Florida, to load the supplies on a ship, which he would take along with the supplies to Freeport, and he lined up two trucks to help him transport the goods once he got there.

People who live in the Bahamas are no strangers to hurricanes, but the massive storms usually blow through the area in a matter of hours, Cooper said. This time, the hurricane stayed for 24 hours — something that’s never happened before.

Initially, family members went to Cooper’s sister-in-law’s house because she lived in the middle of the island, which had not flooded before. But that area flooded, so the family retreated to her niece’s apartment building.

This is just a fraction of the food, cleaning supplies and other items collected at Land O’ Lakes High School to help Bahamians who are struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

“My sister-in-law lost her home,” Cooper said, and her brother-in-law’s home was damaged.

As of last week, there was still no water or power, and none of their family members had been able to return to work.

Cooper said the outpouring of help for her family and other Bahamians, has been humbling.

“To be completely honest, I am so overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone,” Cooper said, on Sept. 10. “The faculty here, the students who are helping, then the parents who started posting on social media to their communities.”

She appreciates help from other sources, too: “My godmother came over the night before last. I had another cousin come over last night. To organize and  pack.

“I didn’t expect any of this, to be this big. But, I am so grateful for it,” Cooper said, noting some people still want to help, and her husband is planning a second trip in October.

The supply drive at Land O’ Lakes High is just one of several efforts happening across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

At Sunlake High School, in Land O’ Lakes, the Junior States of America Club collected donations through Sept. 13. And, Wiregrass Ranch High School, in Wesley Chapel, collected donations through Sept. 12.

Saint Leo University, in St. Leo, has nearly 150 Bahamian students, with 64 members in the class of 2023, according to a news release.

The college had a candlelight vigil on Sept. 5 and a prayer service at Saint Leo Abbey, prior to the student Mass.

Saint Leo University has been responding to support its Bahamian students who lost family members, or whose family members lost their homes, businesses, personal possessions or suffered other losses from Hurricane Dorian. One show of support was a candlelight vigil at the university’s campus in St. Leo. (Courtesy of Eric Mutschler/Saint Leo University)

Some Saint Leo students have lost family members. And, some students’ families have lost businesses, employment, homes, cars and all of their personal possessions.

The college is providing individual counseling and check-ins with their Bahamian students, the release says.

The university also has placed donation bins around campus to collect supplies to transport to the Bahamas. Items they are collecting include: nonperishable food items, snacks, flashlights, batteries, diapers, baby wipes, water containers, disposable razors, lotion, work gloves, garbage bags, soap, deodorant and portable chargers.

The donations bins will remain on campus until further notice. Also, Lake Myrtle Elementary, in Land O’ Lakes, and Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, in Spring Hill, are hosting partnership drives, so the university’s donations will be able to help more people and pets in the Bahamas, according to Jen Shaw, vice president of student affairs for the university.

The Diocese of St. Petersburg also is raising money to help people affected by Hurricane Dorian.

Hillsborough County Public Schools and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office partnered in their efforts to collect hurricane relief supplies.

Meanwhile, at Goodwill Industries-Suncoast stores, shoppers are being invited to round up their purchases to help raise money for Hurricane Dorian relief. The organization planned to launch the campaign on Sept. 5 and run it through Sept. 19, with the goal of raising $25,000 to help people in the Bahamas. The organization decided to collect cash, rather than items, because of the difficulty in getting donated items to people in need, according to a news release.

Others involved in Hurricane Dorian Relief efforts include The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel, in conjunction with Rotary District 6950 and AdventHealth Center Ice.

All of the supplies will be trucked to Miami on Sept. 30, then shipped to the Bahamas and distributed throughout the Island by Bahamian Rotarians, according to the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel’s website.

AdventHealth Center Ice, 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will be accepting donations from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., during the drive.

Donations also may be dropped off at the Make A Difference office, 12311 U.S. 41, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, 38550 Fifth Ave., in downtown Zephyrhills. The chamber is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hurricane Dorian relief items
Rubber gloves
Bleach
Cleaning supplies
Flashlights
Propane tanks
Matches
Coolers
Sheets and blankets
Hammers
Latex gloves
Clorox wipes
Brooms
Large garbage bags
Tarps, all sizes
Portable grills, lighters
Pillows
Roof paper, roofing nails
Portable cellphone chargers
Generators
Work gloves
Face masks
Buckets
Cleaning rags
Shovels
Sterno camp stoves
Candles
Portable cots
Towels
Feminine hygiene products
Adult diapers
Toilet paper
Soap
Shampoo
Diapers
Paper towels
Detergent
Baby wipes
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Baby formula
Canned goods
Can openers
Nonperishable food
Pet food

Published September 18, 2019

Boundaries recommended for Elementary B

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A boundary committee has recommended boundaries for a new elementary school being built in Bexley, a new subdivision being built in Land O’ Lakes, off of State Road 54.

The committee has selected an option that would include Ballantrae, Suncoast Meadows, Suncoast Pointe, Hayman/Fuentes, Meadowbrook/Sierra Pines, and all of Bexley, which are east of the Suncoast Parkway.

The new elementary also would include Swan View Townhomes, Ivy Lake Estates and Toscano at Suncoast, which are west of the Suncoast Parkway.

Courtesy of Pasco County Schools This rendering depicts what the exterior view of a new elementary under construction in Bexley, will look like.
Courtesy of Pasco County Schools
This rendering depicts what the exterior view of a new elementary under construction in Bexley, will look like.

The proposed boundaries would reduce crowding at both Odessa and Oakstead elementary schools, and would provide additional students for Lake Myrtle Elementary.

Students that would be shifting from Oakstead to Lake Myrtle live in these areas: Morsani, Woodville Palms, Cambridge/Lake Linda, Oakstead Area South, Cypress Cove/Village on the Pond, Meadowview/Country Close and Foxwood/Lake Heron.

While the committee recommends the boundaries, the Pasco County School Board has the final word on where the lines should be drawn.

Elementary B is expected to open in the fall, for the 2017-2018 school year.

It will have a capacity of 878 students, and is expected to have 706 students.

Oakstead, which had 1,095 enrolled students is expected to have 765 students, under the proposed boundaries. Odessa, which had 1,000 students, is expected to have 780, and Lake Myrtle, which had 587 students, is expected to have 616.

A parent meeting has been scheduled for Nov. 1, from6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria at Oakstead Elementary,11925 Lake Patience Road.

At that meeting, staff for Pasco County Schools, will explain the proposed boundaries and will invite those attending to ask questions and provide feedback.

While the school district needs to draw boundaries for new schools, the issue is typically controversial. Some parents complain that they deliberately moved into the area because of the school they believed their child would attend. Others are happy with the school and don’t want their child’s education disruption. Potential issues with childcare, after-school activities and the parents’ ability to be involved at the school are other common complaints.

Dave Skanga, area superintendent for Central Pasco schools, said he understands that parents have concerns, especially about the unknown.

However, Skanga said, the district will do what it can to reduce parental concerns about having their children zoned to a different school.

He expects the principal of the new school to be named in November. He also noted that many of the teachers will be coming from schools whose students are being shifted into the new school, Skanga said.

“This is going to be a beautiful building,” Skanga said. It will be well equipped, too, he said. “It’s state-of-the-art when we open a new school.”

The school board is scheduled to hold its first public hearing on the proposed boundaries on Dec. 20 and its second public hearing on Jan. 17, when it is expected to make the final decision on the issue.

Published Oct. 19, 2016

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

 

Denham Oaks is celebrating 20 years

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The year was 1995.

Bill Clinton was in the White House.

Forrest Gump won Best Picture.

The San Francisco 49ers won the Super Bowl.

And, Denham Oaks Elementary School opened in Lutz.

The school, which will celebrate its 20th birthday on Oct. 30, has been the home of thousands of school children over the years — and has had six staff members since the beginning.

They stayed because they felt a sense of connection with the school, the staff and the students.

From left, Karen Anair, Kristen Eales, Shannon Presson, Mary Jane Kranendonk, Cathy Cohen and Susan Green have been on Denham Oaks Elementary School’s staff since it opened 20 years ago. The school plans a pep rally and birthday cake on Oct. 30 to celebrate. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
From left, Karen Anair, Kristen Eales, Shannon Presson, Mary Jane Kranendonk, Cathy Cohen and Susan Green have been on Denham Oaks Elementary School’s staff since it opened 20 years ago. The school plans a pep rally and birthday cake on Oct. 30 to celebrate.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“It’s a sense of family. I am comfortable here,” said Kristen Eales, a first-grade teacher, who spent most of her time at the school teaching kindergarten.

“It feels like home to me,” added Susan Green, who is now the school’s bookkeeper.

“I definitely feel a sense of ownership. We put the desks together here. We saw the walls. We came in construction. You always just felt like it was your school,” said Shannon Presson, who teaches fourth grade.

Mary Jane Kranendonk, the school’s physical education teacher, marvels at the beauty of the school’s setting.

“It’s a nature’s paradise out there. We’ve had owls, hawks,” she said.

Cathy Cohen, the school’s custodian, lives in Carpenter’s Run. She enjoys living near enough she can walk or bicycle to school.

“I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else,” said Karen Anair, who teaches children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

All of those staff members, except Green, have had their children educated at Denham Oaks Elementary, at 1422 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz.

“Having my children go to school here, I always knew they were going to get phenomenal teachers,” Kranendonk said.

The elementary school began classes at its Lutz campus on Oct. 31, 1995.

Denham Oaks began the school year on double sessions with Lake Myrtle Elementary because of issues between the school and Mad Hatter Utilities.

The yearbook cover from Denham Oaks' first year, 1995. (Courtesy of Meagan Rathman)
The yearbook cover from Denham Oaks’ first year, 1995.
(Courtesy of Meagan Rathman)

The opening day at the new campus was particularly memorable for Cohen’s twin sons, who were 8 and were going into third grade.

“It was their birthday, Halloween,” she said.

The area around the school has changed enormously, the six women said.

State Road 54 was a two-lane road.

Oak Grove Boulevard didn’t exist.

And, there were no large commercial ventures anywhere nearby.

But, there were cow pastures and plenty of critters.

“The first year, the cows escaped, and they went across our whole campus. Cow poop everywhere!” Kranendonk said.

Snakes slithered into classrooms, and there was even a 5-foot alligator that got into a classroom.

“Not only did we stir up the wildlife with the school being built, but homes started being built,” Eales said.

Many other changes have occurred, as well.

In those early years, the majority of parents would pack their child’s lunch, Cohen recalled.

And Rosie Capehart, the lunchroom manager, was known for her tasty meals and for her bread, which not only tasted delicious, but also filled the campus with the aroma of freshly baked bread.

“I have great memories of Rosie’s lunches,” Kranendonk said.

Over the years, scores of happy memories have been made, the women said.

There have been field trips to Sea World and to the Ford/Edison Estates, and a Renaissance festival at the school.

There are also school traditions, including the annual Fall Festival and the Storybook Parade.

And, there have been changes, too.

The age of accountability has meant more structure and testing.

Technology has made impacts, too.

Now, the school can make automatic calls to parents, and can use Facebook, Twitter and its website to communicate what’s happening.

It was a lot different, when Green was working as a secretary in the school office.

“When there were notes going home, you’d have to make a 1,000 copies for these kids to take home,” she said.

Of course, many students have come and gone, and staff members have changed through the years, too.

When the school opened, Ruth (Biggs) Reilly was the principal.

And, she’s expected to attend the school’s celebration.

She’ll be among hundreds of students, staff members and invited guests for the festivities, which call for a pep rally, a birthday cake, a slide show and most likely, a rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

It promises to be a big day.

Published October 21, 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