The Laker/Lutz News

Ray Gadd

Moffitt and Pasco Schools have big plans

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Pasco County Schools and Moffitt Cancer Center envision great possibilities of working together when the school district builds its planned 6-12 magnet STEAM school on land near Moffitt’s planned campus in Land O’ Lakes.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, recently updated the school board about a meeting between school district and Moffitt staff members.

“We had our first real, live, meeting with the administrative staff of Moffitt Cancer Center. And, it went really very, very well,” Gadd told the school board on Oct. 5.

“On the Angeline property, as the crow flies, is kind of back behind Land O’ Lakes High School, Moffitt is putting in a hospital and a big research center, and we have a school right across the street,” Gadd said.

“That school, we’ll start construction on that, I think, about mid-October. We’ll probably be the first building up out there. And, we are currently working with Moffitt and Pasco-Hernando State College to develop a very unique school setting.”

The campus will serve students in grades six through 12.

“More than likely, the upper classmen will have an opportunity to interact in the Moffitt hospital, with Moffitt researchers; (and) participate in apprentice programs and internships.

“It would be something that is very unique to the Pasco school system,” Gadd said, noting that Dr. Kim Moore, assistant superintendent who oversees the district’s career and technical programs, was at the meeting, as well as Dr. Monica Ilse, assistant superintendent for high schools, and Steve Hegarty, public information officer.

“We had a very, very positive reception from the Moffitt folks,” Gadd said.

In remarks to her school board colleagues, Cynthia Armstrong said it’s exciting “that we’re going to have a magnet school right next to their campus, which is going to be huge. So, we’re very excited about that.”

That meeting was a follow-up to a previous session between Gadd and Dr. Patrick Hwu, president and CEO of Moffitt.

Gadd previously briefed school board members about his meeting with Hwu.

During that briefing, Gadd told board members that he’d “heard through the grapevine that he (Hwu) was a big supporter of education, public education.”

But Gadd added: “My meeting with him was beyond expectations. I went there with a few ideas and he had hundreds of ideas about how our new STEM magnet in the Angeline area could be a partner with Moffitt.”

Gadd noted: “We’d have to work through all kinds of legal issues, as he and I discussed, but having students actually sit in, participate in procedures, surgeries, internships. Having graduate students and doctors actually come to the school building and teach courses and work with us, district-wide on virtual programs for kids, who are in nursing programs, health programs, biomedical engineering and those kinds of things.

“He was exuberant, and we made arrangements to connect my staff with his staff. I am really looking forward to the potential we have to work with Moffitt,” Gadd said.

Funding for the construction of the district’s planned 6-12 school in Land O’ Lakes was approved on Oct. 5, when the school board adjourned, then reconvened as the Pasco County School Board Leasing Corporation to approve $85 million in financing that will pay for the lease‐purchase financing of that school, and projects Hudson and Gulf high schools.

The new Angeline mixed-use community — which is being billed as a wellness-themed community — will be developed on thousands of acres of land, east of the Suncoast Parkway and south of State Road 52.

Moffitt plans to create a massive research and corporate innovation district.

Site entitlements for Moffitt’s project, which encompass 24 million square feet, include plans for a hospital, research and development space, office, manufacturing, laboratories, pharmacies, educational facility/university, hotel, and commercial space. The multiyear, multiphase project is expected to create 14,500 jobs.

The school district’s new school in Angeline will be designed for 1,694 student stations, which at 90% capacity translates to about 1,530 students, according to a previous report in The Laker/Lutz News.

The school board hired Ajax Building Company at its Sept. 15, 2020 meeting to do pre-construction work at the 6-12 STEAM school site.

The school is planned on an 18.8-acre site within Angeline, south of State Road 52, north of the future Ridge Road extension and west of Sunlake Boulevard, according to Ajax’s website.

“Campus plans include a one-story administration area, a one-story dining and multipurpose area with a full kitchen, two-story media, band and art areas, and a four-story classroom wing, with all areas connected by a one-story and two-story atrium/central corridor, the website post says.

The site development also includes “walkway canopies, aluminum shade system, fencing, walking trail, sidewalks, chiller/generator plan, site lighting, underground utilities, landscaping and irrigation,” according to information posted by Ajax.

Harvard Jolly is the architect on the school district project.

Published October 13, 2021

Pasco School Board wants in on redistricting talks

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Pasco County is in the midst of its redistricting process and the school board is interested in being involved.

On Oct. 5, the school board asked its attorney, Dennis Alfonso, to reach out to the county to let them know of their interest.

The request came after Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent, said he’d had some discussions with members of the Pasco County Commission and learned “they are actively involved in redrawing those boundaries.”

Redistricting occurs every 10 years, following the completion of the United States decennial census.

Changes to district maps are made based on changes to the population, but the way the lines are drawn in redistricting can have a significant influence regarding whom is elected to a particular office. So, those interested in the political process tend to keep a close eye on redistricting.

When the redistricting issue surfaced at the school board meeting, Alfonso noted: “Just to remind the board that we’re not bound by whatever redistricting is done by the county, but as a historical practice, it’s been practical for the board to just accept those districts.

“It’s not required by law, so the board, could in fact, draw its own boundaries, if it chose to do that.

“Either way, I’ll at least reach out and speak with the county attorney’s office to say, ‘Hey, we’re aware of this and we want to know whether or not we’re invited to participate in the discussions,’” Alfonso said.

School board chairman Allen Altman responded: “We went through that process 10 years ago. We cooperated together,” and noted that historically that’s been the case.

Altman told Alfonso: “If you would reach out to them on behalf of the board, let them know that we’d like to see what they are working on and participate in the process.

“My understanding is that they are the recipient of the (U.S. Census) information, and that it flows through them. And, we have heard nothing, so communication would be appreciated,” Altman said.

School board member Alison Crumbley added: “As I recall, 10 years ago, we had a co-meeting with them.”

Altman responded: “We did. So, we will go to work on that.”

Superintendent Kurt Browning announced that the district just completed its reaccreditation process, which occurs every five years.

It will be receiving the full report in coming weeks, but the district has been informed that it will recommend a continued system accreditation, Browning said.

“It is all about continuous improvement, how we become a better district,” he added.

In his remarks to the school board, Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco, noted that negotiations continue between the union and the district.

“We are hoping to be able to finalize the $1,000 payments to those employees who are not covered by the state (Gov. Ron DeSantis’ COVID-19 bonus plan) very soon,”  Peace said.

The union also hopes that negotiations will include how the district can move toward “addressing longtime teachers and raising the ceiling on teacher salaries, as these are the leaders and role models we desire to keep in front of our students.”

The union also is interested in lessening the amount of required paperwork.

“Let’s work together to streamline data where we can,” Peace said.

On another topic, the board approved additional spending for extra instructional time to help close achievement gaps for students and to help support students who are below grade level.

In keeping with the grant requirements, the program targets students who are performing below grade level in one or more academic areas, according to agenda background materials.

The extra instruction will be provided from Oct. 18 to March 11.

The elementary extended school day program will focus on reading and mathematics. The secondary extended day program will focus on core content courses.

A total of 11,500 instructional hours will be devoted to elementary students; 2,628 for middle school students and 9,824 hours for high school students.

On another issue, board member Colleen Beaudoin reminded parents that the district’s school choice program, known as Pasco Pathways, will be hosting virtual expos soon to familiarize parents with the various education options available in the district.

The virtual expo for West Pasco is scheduled for Nov. 15 and the virtual expo for East Pasco is set for Nov. 18. Each expo is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Beaudoin said she wanted to draw attention to the expos, to help ensure parents will be able to take advantage of them.

“I frequently have parents say they didn’t know there were certain programs available at schools,” she said.

“I would like to encourage parents to please attend the (virtual) expos and then you’ll learn all of the things that are offered at the different schools, and then you make informed decisions for your students for the year.

“Pasco Pathways is talking about all of the different pathways that your students can take to go through our schools, pre-k through 12. That is school choice.

“That’s a chance to learn about the programs, the opportunities that we have.

“And then, the window to apply for school choice, is Jan. 6, 2022 to Jan. 20,2022, which will be here before you know,” Beaudoin said.

The expos provide a tremendous opportunity for parents to find out about their options, Altman agreed.

“They (school district staff) did an outstanding job putting it (expos) together last year,” Altman said.

The notification and acceptance window for the district’s choice program is Feb. 23 to March 4.

For more information, visit the school district’s website and then go to the Pasco Pathways page.

Published October 13, 2021

Traffic concerns cause rezoning delay

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Saying they want to make sure they get the planning right, the Pasco County Planning Commission continued a rezoning request by Darrell A. and Karen Renner for a proposed 108-home development in Land O’ Lakes.

The request was continued until Nov. 4, when the planning board is scheduled to also consider another nearby rezoning request known as the Clark master-planned unit development (MPUD).

There’s a connection between the two because some right of way is available in the Clark MPUD that could help resolve a traffic circulation concern.

The Renners have requested a rezoning that would allow a new subdivision on 50 acres, on the south side of Bexley Road, about 1 mile west of U.S. 41 and Wisteria Loop.

The site presently is occupied by a residence and some agricultural pursuits, and its current zoning allows a maximum of 19 residences, according to the county’s planning staff.

County planners have recommended approval of the Renner’s request.

They said the proposed density is in keeping with the county’s future land use designations for the area. They also recommend a number of conditions. One condition requires improvements on Bexley Road and Wisteria Loop — to bring both of these substandard roads up to the county’s standards.

Under those conditions, the improvements would be required on Bexley Road, from the project driveway to Wisteria Loop, and on Wisteria Loop, from Bexley Road east to U.S. 41.

Area residents, however, urged the planning board to require a different solution to traffic issues.

They want a realignment of Wisteria Loop, which they say is part of the county’s vision road map.

Ray Gadd, who lives on Wisteria Loop, explained the current scenario to the planning board and what area residents would like to see.

“As it stands now, they (motorists) come to the curve in Wisteria (Loop), and they can go right to Tower (Road) or out to Wisteria Loop,” Gadd said.

If the realignment is constructed, the traffic flow would change.

“What it (vision road) accomplishes is that it essentially makes Bexley a continuous road. So that people coming from the applicant’s property, people coming from the Bexley property, or the future Angeline property would hit Bexley and have a continuous route, without a stop sign, until they hit (U.S.) 41, where they would make a right turn,” Gadd said.

Requiring that approach would be “effective planning,” Gadd contends.

If the planning commission wants to recommend approval of the Renner request, it should require the developer to acquire the right of way needed to make that improvement, Gadd said.

That land is within the proposed Clark MPUD.

Gadd is deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, but made it a point to announce that his appearance was as a private citizen, not in his official capacity.

Jeremy Couch, another Wisteria Road resident, told the planning board: “I feel that the staff’s conditions are completely inadequate for what they want to do.”

He characterized the Renner’s requested development as being “premature.”

Chris Nocco, Pasco County’s sheriff, also spoke at the public hearing. Like Gadd, he announced he was there as a private citizen, not in his official capacity.

Nocco urged the planning board to take a long view when considering the application.

“We want the community, Land O’ Lakes to grow, but to grow smartly,” Nocco said.

“Start those vision roads,” he said, because without them, existing communities are at risk.

“As we start building out Angeline (a massive development planned in Land O’ Lakes), let’s start seeing how it’s going to affect everything else because we don’t want to destroy the communities that are already in place,” Nocco said.

Matthew McClain, who lives on a 3.5-acre property just east of the proposed rezoning, raised issues regarding compatibility.

“My concern is, this will destroy that rural nature. Everything around it is large lots,” he said.

With the proposed rezoning, McClain said, “You’re going to cram 100-plus homes on 34 (upland) acres, in an area where there’s 3-, 5-, 10-acre plots of land. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Shelly Johnson, the attorney representing the applicant, said her client can make the improvements required in the conditions, or can complete the realignment that’s being proposed.

But it can’t do both, she said.

Johnson asked the planning board to recommend approval and to send the request to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction on land use and zoning issues.

“From our perspective, we’re doing everything that we’re required to do that other developments do. When you have a road that’s substandard, you bring it up to standard, and that’s what my client agreed to do,” Johnson said.

“We are absolutely doing everything that we can, and that the code requires us to do, in terms of doing improvements to Wisteria Loop, which right now is our access. That’s our way in and out to (U.S.) 41.”

Planning Commission Chairman Charles Grey told his colleagues, the board needs to be sure “that when we do this, we do it right — we have the proper things in place.

“We can’t let an artificial date define how we handle these neighborhoods. I think traffic flow here, is extremely important,” Grey said.

Planning Commissioner Chris Poole agreed.

“We need to get the planning right on this. This is a particularly difficult area that we’re dealing with here,” Poole said.

After additional discussion, the board voted to continue the request until Nov. 4, the same day it is scheduled to consider the rezoning request for the Clark MPUD.

Published October 13, 2021

Ray Gadd named to state task force

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Ray Gadd

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, has been named to a state task force seeking solutions to address mental health and substance abuse issues.

Gadd told members of the Pasco County School Board, at their Oct. 5 meeting, that he had been appointed by Senate President Wilton Simpson to serve on the Senate Commission on Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

“It’s made up of people that represent education and community mental health from all across the state. We meet about once a month for the next two years,” Gadd said.

The task force has high hopes for improving the coordination of efforts by school systems and community mental health organizations in taking on these problems, rather than using a silo approach, he said.

“I’m hopeful that some really good things will come out of that task force,” Gadd said.

He also invited board members and district staff to bring issues to his attention that he can present in task force discussions.

Published October 13, 2021

Debate over masks continues, as a new school year begins

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Students streamed back to school campuses this week to start the 2021-2022 school year in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

And, much like last year, the debate continues over mandatory face masks.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a firm stand on the issue. He signed an executive order banning school districts from imposing mandatory mask requirements — instead letting parents make the call regarding whether their child wears a mask to school.

The Florida Board of Education also has adopted an emergency rule that allows a child to transfer to a private school or another school district, under a Hope Scholarship, “when a student is  subjected to harassment in response to a school district’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols.”

Masks are optional for students and staff in Pasco County’s public school district.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning repeatedly has said the issue is closed, based on the governor’s actions.

In Hillsborough County, there’s a mandatory mask policy for students — but that policy allows parents to exercise an opt-out option for their children.

Masks are optional for the Hillsborough school district’s staff.

In media interviews, Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis has said he believes the district complies with the governor’s executive order because parents can choose to opt out their children from the requirement.

Meanwhile, at least two lawsuits have been filed challenging DeSantis’ executive order, according to media reports.

While those debates play out, the Hillsborough and Pasco school systems have been busy preparing protocols for the school year.

During the Pasco School Board’s last meeting, on July 27, Browning said he and his staff had spent considerable time going over the COVID protocols for the coming year, in terms of athletics, fine arts, social distancing, cleaning protocols and so on.

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd also told the school board that the district plans to have procedures that are “going to be considerably looser, as opposed to tighter than they were last year” as they relate to facilities, events and athletics.

Gadd told the board: “It’s only looking back, we’ll know if that’s a mistake. But going forward, we’re going to loosen up a little bit, so folks can attend ball games and dances, and things like that.”

Regarding procedures for quarantining students and staff, Browning said those rules are set by the Florida Department of Health and will remain the same this year as they were last year.

“All symptomatic cases will be sent home for 10 days. If you’re not vaccinated and you have come in contact with a positive case and the health department has made the determination that you’ll quarantine, then you’ll quarantine.

“If you are vaccinated and come in contact with a positive case and you are asymptomatic — not showing any signs — then you can remain in school, either as a student or as a teacher,” Browning said.

The district was still working out the details regarding how to handle sick time for teachers, if they have to quarantine because of COVID.

In Hillsborough, the district has posted its protocols for visitors on school campuses or district offices. In short, it prefers visitors to have a scheduled appointment.

It also requires visitors to practice social distancing, and all in-person meetings must allow participants to be able to maintain a 6-foot social distance.

Visitors also must complete a self-check before entering a school building.

They should check themselves for these symptoms: Fever or chills, fatigue, sore throat, cough, muscle or body aches, congestion or runny nose, shortness of breath, headache, nausea or vomiting, difficulty in breathing, diarrhea or new loss of taste or smell.

Also, those who are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, or who have a known exposure to COVID-19, should not visit the district’s campuses or offices, according to the district’s website.

Published August 11, 2021

Schools reopen, amid COVID concerns

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The debate over whether masks will be required in Pasco County Schools is over, in Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning’s mind.

“That issue has been settled. The governor (Gov. Ron DeSantis) has taken that issue on, as his issue. The governor has made that decision. There is no local decision-making regarding masks. And, he has said there will not be a mask mandate. We understand that,” Browning said.

The issue of quarantining people who have been exposed to COVID-19, however, is another matter.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said the debate is over, regarding making masks mandatory in Pasco County Schools and offices. Masks will be optional. (File)

“I know there’s been a lot of questions about quarantining,” Browning said at the July 27 Pasco County School Board meeting.

He told board members that he and members of his staff met with Mike Napier, administrator for the Florida Department of Health-Pasco County, and members of Napier’s team.

They discussed issues relating to COVID and the coming school year.

“As far as quarantining goes, that was the main issue that staff wanted to talk about yesterday (during that meeting),” Browning said.

“We know that is probably one of the more problematic issues, the more challenging issues, pressing issues — as you see COVID numbers dramatically increasing,” Browning said.

The superintendent noted that the COVID situation is at “about the same place as we were in December, which is frightening, if you will, particularly as we approach the start of a school year.”

That being said, Browning added: “The quarantine rules will remain the same. The quarantining rules are not made by this superintendent, this board or the superintendent’s staff. The quarantining rules are set by the state. They’re the health experts.”

Browning said until he’s directed by the Florida Department of Health in Tallahassee, the quarantining rules will remain the same.

“All symptomatic cases will be sent home for 10 days. If you’re not vaccinated and you have come in contact with a positive case and the health department has made the determination that you’ll quarantine, then you’ll quarantine.

“If you are vaccinated and come in contact with a positive case and you are asymptomatic — not showing any signs — then you can remain in school, either as a student or as a teacher.

“We take the direction from the state department of health. They’re the ones who set these rules. We do not set these rules,” Browning said.

The superintendent also told board members that a Florida Department of Health grant will provide funding for the school district to hire, on a contract basis, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses, to perform contact tracing.

The district will have little to no involvement in that effort, he said.

“I want to make sure that our school nurses are in fact back in schools, doing their jobs, as school nurses — providing health services to our kids,” Browning said.

Browning also told board members that he and his staff had spent considerable time going over the COVID protocols for the coming year, in terms of athletics, fine arts, social distancing, cleaning protocols and so on.

When the district was gearing up for a new school year, Browning said, “I did not think we would have the positivity rate that we have today, two weeks ago, but we do.”

Board members told Browning that parents and staff must be kept informed.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin said she thinks the health department should be taking the lead in providing information about how quarantines will be handled.

“I feel like we’re being put in a position of having to be a spokesman for the health department. Really, that’s not our job,” Beaudoin said.

School board member Alison Crumbley said, “I think it’s important that we get the picture to the parents as soon as possible about what the quarantine is going to look like for their kids.”

“Parents want to know how kids will be able to continue with their education, if they’re quarantined,” she said.

School board member Megan Harding wants the district to do what it can, to keep healthy kids in school.

“I’m worried about their academic success and their mental health,” Harding said.

Harding added: “I’m getting a lot of questions from teachers now, that if they have to quarantine, what that is going to look like for their classrooms.

Teachers are worried that if they’re forced to quarantine that it will take away from their sick time. She asked if the district is making provisions for that.

Kevin Shibley, assistant superintendent for administration, said discussions must be held with the union before any specific actions can be taken.

Harding said she’s also receiving inquiries about how the district will handle sports, the arts and other activities.

Browning said the district will be sending out procedures to schools soon, outlining how it will address various COVID issues.

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd put it like this: “The procedures you’re going to see are going to be considerably looser, as opposed to tighter than they were last year.

“So, as it relates to use of facilities, athletics, various events, they’re going to be looser.

“It’s only looking back, we’ll know if that’s a mistake. But going forward, we’re going to loosen up a little bit, so folks can attend ball games and dances, and things like that,” he said.

Published August 04, 2021

Pasco health grant will help with return of students to school

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The health department in Pasco County recently received a $12 million grant from the Florida Department of Health, that is intended to help with the return of students to school, according to Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools.

“This is a very broad grant,” Gadd said, during a school board meeting last month. “It’s allowing us to purchase canopies, picnic tables and various supplies that will help us kind of separate kids during lunches and cafeteria time, to help mitigate the impact of COVID in the new school year.

The grant will support more health professionals, nurses and other personnel — allowing district nurses to focus on their nursing duties, which involve screenings and of other activities with students, Gadd said.

“Also, as part of this grant that we have with the department of health, we’ll be continuing to offer testing services to kids and staff, although the department of health will be running those testing programs.

“They’ll be doing it with a mobile bus on the east and the west side of the county. We’ll still have this location here, in the center of the county, but the department of health will be running it, as opposed to the school system.

“In addition, we are offering vaccinations through Health Heroes, and this is strictly voluntary,” Gadd said. That program provides free vaccinations for youths age 12 and older.

Published July 21, 2021

Districts await word on ‘remote’ learning funding

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When schools began this fall, state officials required that school districts open each of their campuses — but also allowed districts to offer parents a new remote learning choice —  without financial penalty.

Now, the state is considering how to handle the funding issue for the second semester of the school year.

State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran met last month in a virtual meeting with representatives of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and said the state needs to have a clearer picture of enrollment data, and how that could affect second semester funding. He expects the state to be able to make that determination by mid-November, or Thanksgiving at the latest.

Corcoran said students receive a better quality of education when they receive in-person instruction. He said that having students on campus also helps with societal issues, such as providing meals, mental health and other services for students.

The issue came up at the Pasco County School Board’s Nov. 3 meeting.

“We’re still waiting to hear from the department,” Superintendent Kurt Browning told board members.

“We’ve been told it’s going to be mid-November before we get direction from the department as to whether or not they’re going to continue funding the virtual option. So, that being said, this district is planning as if we’re going to have the virtual option, moving into the second semester,” Browning said.

“I know that FADSS — the Florida Association of District School Superintendents — sent a letter Friday to the commissioner (Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran).

“I know I’ve had personal communications; Mr. (Ray) Gadd has had personal communications, with the commissioner,” Browning added.

They are pressing for a decision.

“If we wait ‘til mid-November, there are three weeks that have to come out of that equation. One for Thanksgiving break, and then the two for Christmas break.

“I really don’t want our principals working over Thanksgiving or Christmas, trying to get the massive amounts of work done, if the state so chooses not to provide the funding for the virtual option,” Browning said.

He wants the state to continue to support the remote learning choice.

“COVID is still out there, and not just for the kids, but my concern is also for the staff. We have staff members who have chosen to teach in the virtual realm, simply because health concerns, elderly parents, those kinds of things.

“It’s about the kids, but also about our teachers and staff,” Browning said.

Board chairman Colleen Beaudoin added: “And, about the kids’ families — the whole community.”

Board member Cynthia Armstrong said that removing the funding support could hurt the district.

“It’s about having choice for the parents. Some parents who really believe that they need to be online, if they don’t get it here in the district, they will go elsewhere,” Armstrong said.

Browning responded: “Those concerns have been conveyed.”

Erin Malone, spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Schools, put it this way: “Our district knows the importance of parents having options, especially during this uncertain time.”

Published November 11, 2020

New schools coming to Pasco County

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A groundbreaking was held Sept. 9 to begin work on a new career and technical school off Curley Road, in East Pasco County, across from a sizable development called Epperson.

Then, at the Sept. 15 Pasco County School Board meeting, a contract was approved for preconstruction work on a new 6-12 School in the emerging Angeline community in Land O’ Lakes.

Dignitaries gather to fling shovels of dirt during the ceremonial groundbreaking for Kirkland Academy of Innovation, which is scheduled to open for the 2022-2023 school year. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Meanwhile, work continues on the construction of the new Starkey Ranch K-8 in the Starkey Ranch development, a growing Pasco County community.

During the groundbreaking ceremony and at the board meeting, Pasco School Board members and school district officials expressed enthusiasm about expanding educational opportunities for district students.

The 184,000-square-foot Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, being built at 9100 Curley Road, is expected to serve 1,000 students and is scheduled to open for the 2022-2023 school year.

The school will prepare students for high-salary, high-skill careers in high-demand areas such as digital multimedia, engineering and robotics, biomedical sciences, building construction, and cyber security, according to district officials.

School board member Allen Altman is delighted with the new school, as he has been pushing for years to expand educational opportunities in East Pasco.

“That just warms my heart,” Altman said, at the board’s Sept. 15 meeting.

“I can’t tell you how many years that I’ve tried for that. The Recession kind of put us behind,” he said, then it was one thing after another.

The new facility, he said, is “just a tremendous thing for the entire county, but especially that community.”

After pushing for years to expand opportunities for East Pasco students, school board member Allen Altman is delighted about the construction of Kirkland Academy of Innovation, a new high school being built off Curley Road.

In a video of the groundbreaking, posted on Twitter, Altman put it like this: “Things came together, I believe, in almost divine intervention, with the right property, at the right time, with the right people in place to make this a success.”

In the same video, Superintendent Kurt Browning said “you know, technical education is so important. We’re excited for what it means for our students and our community.”

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd, who also made an appearance in the video, said: “The school will sit right here, on top of this big hill, overlooking the ponds below and the oak trees. And then, behind us, on the back side of the property will have a K-8 STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Academy, at some point, opening probably in ’24. This school will open in ’22.

“We’re literally going to put a technical school right in the middle of what will be a future suburbia for Pasco County,” Gadd said.

While the district proceeds on construction of Kirkland Academy of Innovation, it also is embarking on another project for a school known on as School LLL, which is planned for Central Pasco County.

At its Sept. 15 meeting, the board approved a $235,000 contract with Ajax Building Company for pre-construction work relating to a new 6-12 school planned for the Angeline community of Land O’Lakes.

The school will be designed for 1,694 student stations, which at 90% capacity translates to about 1,530 students.

The school will be designed on an 18-acre site within Angeline.

Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2021, with substantial completion expected in July 2023.

Meanwhile, the district has begun the boundary process for the new Starkey Ranch K-8.

A parent-night workshop is planned for Oct. 6  from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Odessa Elementary School, 12810 Interlaken Road in New Port Richey. New boundaries must be drawn to assign students to the school.

A public hearing for the boundaries proposal is planned for Nov. 17 at 6 p.m., with final school board action on Dec. 1.

Published September 23, 2020

Boundary process beginning soon for Starkey K-8

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Construction of the new Starkey K-8 school is well underway, and Pasco County Schools has begun notifying families that may be affected by the boundary changes that will be required to assign students to the school.

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

Significant progress has been made on the construction.

“I drove by Starkey K-8 the other day and it is just incredible how that building has come up out of the ground,” Superintendent Kurt Browning told Pasco County School Board members at their Sept. 1 meeting.

“It is a phenomenal facility,” Browning said. “It’ll be a huge addition to the Starkey Ranch development, so we’re excited about that.”

But, whenever a new school opens, the district must draw new boundaries — a process that can sometimes become controversial.

Browning told board members that the district is preparing to begin the boundary process for Starkey K-8.

“We’ll be communicating with potentially impacted families currently attending Odessa Elementary School, Longleaf Elementary School and River Ridge Middle School, regarding the timeline and the process,” Browning said.

“Our plan is to open the K-8, as a K-7, its first year, and then become a K-8, in its second year,” Browning said, noting that district staff would be sending out communications in the afternoon. following the board meeting.

“I wanted the board to know about it, first,” he said.

Watergrass and Wesley Chapel elementary schools also may see some boundary shifts, Browning said, but he added there are no students currently in the areas that would be affected.

“Proposed maps will be developed this month and a parent night workshop is planned for Oct. 6, at Odessa Elementary School,” Browning said. “The public hearing for the boundaries proposal is planned for Nov. 17 at 6 p.m., with final school board action on Dec. 1.

“We’ll continue to communicate with potentially affected families throughout this process and provide opportunities for feedback. And, this time, we’ll be relying heavily on our ‘Let’s Talk.’”

In other news, Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd shared information regarding the district’s inventory of surplus sites that are available for future construction of schools, as the district grows.

There was a time when the district didn’t have any land for future schools, Gadd said, describing how he would drive around the county in his pickup truck searching for acreages with for sale signs.

When he found one, he’d have Chris Williams, the district’s director of planning, check it out.

Over time, the district has acquired a number of sites, through purchases and as part of development orders that require sites to be dedicated for schools, as part of development approvals.

“We now have very tight procedures for receiving land from developers,” Gadd explained to board members.

“We are well-positioned for the future, in terms of building schools and preparing for future growth in this county.”

School board member Alison Crumbley applauded Gadd and other district staffers who have addressed this issue, noting she remembers when the district faced significant challenges in securing affordable land.

Meanwhile, the Pasco County Planning Commission recently took an action that relates to a planned district school site.

Planning commissioners voted on Aug. 27 to recommend the school district’s proposed site for the Kirkland Academy of Innovation, on a 104.4-acre site, southeast of the intersection of Curley Road and Kiefer Road.

The planned project will consist of two buildings, totaling 228,458 square feet.

No one spoke in opposition to the request at the planning commission’s meeting.

Published September 09, 2020