The Laker/Lutz News

Niko Tzoumas

Pasco schools spending ‘Penny’ wisely

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The Penny for Pasco Oversight Committee has submitted its annual report regarding the school district’s spending of Penny for Pasco tax proceeds.

The one-page report, dated Feb. 2, concluded that “the promises made by the school district to the voters of Pasco County have thus far been kept.”

The oversight committee receives reports from school district leaders of construction services, finance services, maintenance services, and planning services about student and population data, budgeting, funds collected and spent, and project status updates, the report says.

It notes that the district remains ahead of schedule and is ready to meet the needs of the district’s growing population.

“In this seventh year of the second cycle, revenue remains good, in spite of all the challenges presented by COVID 19. Current collections are almost 27% above calculated projections,” the committee reports.

“We are pleased to inform you that real progress is being made with several Penny projects. Zephyrhills High School and Northwest Elementary School will complete their remodeling this summer. Marlowe Elementary has a new wing and construction is now underway at Hudson Middle School,” the report adds.

The committee also “continues to assure voters and the community that the money collected is being prudently used for the purposes intended,” the report says.

In addition to receiving the oversight committee’s report, the Pasco County School Board, in a separate action, reappointed these community members who voluntarily serve on the committee for a two-year term: Gary Evans, Hugh Townsend, Olive (Tom) Massey, Niko Tzoumas and Paul McClintock.

They will serve for the calendar years 2021 and 2022.

Published February 10, 2021

Project prompts school board to hire land use attorney

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Project Arthur, a major development that’s been submitted to Pasco County for its review, has prompted Pasco County Schools to approve the use of a land use attorney on an as-needed basis.

In seeking the approval, district documents describe Project Arthur as “a new and unique development, which is proposing to use charter schools as a way to mitigate for future student impacts.”

Having that expert resource available, the document notes “will be beneficial to the Planning Service department” and will “help to protect the interests of the school district.”

The Pasco County School Board voted unanimously to hire Alan Zimmet, a land use attorney with the law firm of Bryant Miller Olive, to assist the district in reviewing the Comprehensive Plan, Development Order, and other documents.

“The law firm’s services will be used on an “as-needed” basis over the course of this fiscal year,” according to the school board’s action.

Project Arthur is a proposed development on nearly 6,951 acres of land known as Bexley South and Bexley North.

The proposal calls for a 24 million-square-foot corporate business park, plus 11,495 residences and other supportive uses in an area east of the Suncoast Parkway, west of the CSX rail line and south of State Road 52.

The attorney will represent the district in negotiations and discussions with the owners of Project Arthur, which at this time include Lennar Homes and Metro Development — regarding the placement, construction, purchase and ownership of school facilities within the development.

In other action, the school board:

  • Approved a two-year extension, for the 2019 and 2020 calendar years, for these members of the Penny for Pasco Oversight Committee who wish to serve an additional term: Gary Evans, Hugh Townsend, Niko Tzoumas, George Iwan, Tom Massey and Paul McClintock
  • Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the National Cyber Partnership regarding the district’s collaboration in the establishment and development of the Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security, and Tactics (F1RST) program, which aims to develop leading edge research. The agreement has no binding impact on the district, but would be helpful in applications seeking grants, according to the board’s agenda materials.

Published January 23, 2019