Weightman Middle School

Changes afoot, as school bells ring in a new year

August 9, 2017 By B.C. Manion

School bells are summoning students back to classes in Hillsborough and Pasco counties — and some students will be attending classes on entirely new campuses.

Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, a new public charter school in Hillsborough County, begins its inaugural school year on Aug. 10. It is located at 18681 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz.

Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, at 18681 N. Dale Mabry Highway, is opening this year as a new public charter school in Hillsborough County. The school, located in Lutz, will serve elementary and middle school students. (B.C. Manion)

Meanwhile, Pasco County is opening Bexley Elementary, at 4380 Ballantrae Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, and Cypress Creek Middle High School, in Wesley Chapel.

Students arriving at Land O’ Lakes High School will find reconfigured spaces, to accommodate a $29 million makeover.

At Sunlake High School and Rushe Middle School, there will be a new traffic pattern for student drop-off and pickups, and at Wiregrass Ranch High, the school will be back to operating on a seven-period day.

Those are just a few of the changes in store for the new school year, which begins in Hillsborough County on Aug. 10 and in Pasco County on Aug. 14.

Some changes, which are state mandates, affect public school students in both counties.

Other changes affect students at a particular school or within a specific county.

For instance, the Pasco school district is revising its crisis plans to give students and staff a better chance to survive an active threat on campus.

Meanwhile, Principal Vicki Wolin will lead the new Bexley Elementary School, in the Bexley subdivision off State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes. That school was built to ease crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools.

Bexley is also part of the school district’s feeder pattern for the Aviation Academy at Sunlake High School.

As such, Bexley will have drones, flight simulators and robotics. Its STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) lab is situated in its media center, which it calls its REC Center, which stands for Research, Engage and Collaborate.

Cypress Creek Middle High School, at 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel, will serve students previously assigned to Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel and Sunlake high schools and John Long, Weightman and Rushe middle schools.

Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles, previously principal at Wesley Chapel High, will recognize many of the students streaming onto the campus for their first day.

But, there will be many unfamiliar faces, too.

The school has been hosting events ahead of opening day to help students get acquainted with the school and to find out what it has to offer.

Cypress Creek Middle High will serve sixth- through 11th-graders its initial year and will add a senior class its second year.

The new high school’s curriculum runs the gamut from ballet to digital design to American Sign Language. It offers several certification programs, including Microsoft Office, QuickBooks and Autodesk Inventor.

Cypress Creek’s middle school curriculum includes Criminal Justice and Engineering academies, plus core classes.

The new schools aren’t the only places where Pasco County students will have a chance for new experiences.

The district also is expanding its Cambridge Programme to San Antonio Elementary School.

And, Zephyrhills High School is adding a new academy of Building Construction Technology and Public Safety Telecommunications 911 certification for the Academy of Criminal Justice.

A new public charter school also has opened in Pasco County, too, bringing the district’s total number of charter schools to 11. The new charter is called Pasco MYcroSchool and is located in New Port Richey.

Besides new schools and programs, Pasco County also has shifted some principals since last school year and promoted an assistant principal to the top post.

Those changes are:

Principal Scott Atkins has moved from Sand Pine Elementary School to West Zephyrhills Elementary School.
Christine Twardosz has transferred from Centennial Elementary School to Sand Pine.
Gretchen Rudolph Fladd has moved from Veterans to Centennial.
Melissa Bidgood, who was an assistant principal at Watergrass Elementary, has been promoted to the principal’s post at Veterans.

Parents wanting to know more about the upcoming school year should check out their school’s website.

School websites can provide a wealth of information. They generally list important upcoming dates for school activities, such as cheerleader tryouts, booster club meetings, school spirit nights and parent-teacher events.

The websites also often let parents know how they can get involved at school and how they can help their children at home.

Most schools also have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, and some post videos to YouTube, too.

Websites maintained by the Hillsborough and Pasco school districts can also provide useful information, too.

Free breakfasts
Pasco County Schools will serve free breakfasts to all students at these sites in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area during the 2017-2018 school year:

Elementary schools

Centennial Elementary
Chester Taylor Elementary
Lacoochee Elementary
Pasco Elementary
Quail Hollow Elementary
Rodney B. Cox Elementary
West Zephyrhills Elementary
Woodland Elementary

Middle schools:

Centennial Middle
Pasco Middle
Stewart Middle

High schools:

Pasco High
Zephyrhills High

Meal prices for Pasco County Schools
Reduced-price meals

Reduced-price breakfast: .30
Reduced-price lunch: .40
Full-price meals
Full-price breakfast
Elementary: $1.35
Secondary: $1.50
Charter, K-8: $1.50
Charter, high school: $1.60
Full-price lunch
Elementary: $2.50
Middle: $3
High: $3.25

Published August 9, 2017

School construction needs outpace funding

June 28, 2017 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County School Board has begun exploring the idea of asking voters to support a half-penny sales tax to help pay for school construction.

During a June 20 workshop on the district’s capital needs, School Board member Cynthia Armstrong asked staff to come back with a projection of how much the half-penny tax would generate in 10 years and a list detailing the types of projects the tax revenues would support.

Pasco County Schools would like to see more scenes like this around the district. The Pasco County School Board has asked district staff to research how much money a half-cent sales tax could generate and possible projects the revenues could support.
(File)

Her request came during a board workshop immediately after the Pasco County Commission’s first public hearing on a proposal to boost school impact fees.

The County Commission appears to be leaning toward an increase, but it’s not clear how much that increase will be, or when it will take effect.

Even if the full amount of the proposed impact fees is approved, the district construction needs far outstrip its expected revenues, said Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd. It is unlikely the money the district needs will be provided by the state Legislature, Gadd said.

The district has identified these projects to be partially supported by the proposed impact fees:

Cypress Creek Middle School
Starkey Ranch, kindergarten through eighth grade
A new high school
A new elementary school in the Wesley Chapel area
A new elementary school in State Road 54 corridor area

Those projects are based on current growth patterns, Gadd said.

Meanwhile, the newly built Cypress Creek Middle High School, off Old Pasco Road, is scheduled to open this fall. Initially, it will serve students in grades six through 11, but it will add grade 12 during the second year. Its boundaries affected Rushe, John Long and Weightman middle schools, and Sunlake, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass high schools.

Bexley Elementary School, 4380 Ballantrae Blvd. in the Bexley subdivision off State Road 54, also is set to open in the fall. It is intended to reduce crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools.

The district also is proceeding on massive remodeling projects at Land O’ Lakes High School in Land O’ Lakes and Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills.

Armstrong also urged supporters of the proposed school impact fee increase to show up to make their views known at the Pasco County Commission’s second public hearing on school impact fees. That meeting is set for July 11 at 1:30 p.m., at the historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

Published June 28, 2017

Pasco students showcase their talents

May 24, 2017 By Kevin Weiss

The talent was endless.

The applause was, too.

Special needs students from seven Pasco County schools displayed their unique skills on May 17 before more than 100 parents, peers and school faculty.

David Dixon, of Wesley Chapel High School, sings the national anthem during the eighth annual Showcase for Exceptional Talent on May 17, where special needs students from seven Pasco County schools displayed their unique skills.
(Kevin Weiss)

The eighth annual Showcase for Exceptional Talent was held at the Wesley Chapel High School Center for the Arts auditorium.

From dancing and singing/duets, to lip-syncing and comedy skits, there was no shortage of fun and entertainment.

The two-hour show featured more than 30 routines from dozens of exceptional student education (ESE) students.

Performers hailed from Wesley Chapel, Ridgewood, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills high schools; Seven Springs and Weightman middle schools; and, Watergrass Elementary.

On the main stage, students exhibited passion and confidence with each act.

The crowd responded with roaring applause and enthusiastic cheers.

Everyone seemed to be sharing an enjoyable time.

Wiregrass Ranch’s Nicholas Jones enlivened the audience as he jammed away at his guitar during a solo performance of “Wherever I May Roam” by Metallica.

Wesley Chapel High’s Regan Black left observers awestruck when she belted out the catchy sing-along tune of “Don’t Worry About a Thing” by Tori Kelly.

Acts such as a SpongeBob SquarePants reenactment and roaming “Comedy Chickens” generated hearty laughs.

During breaks, Wesley Chapel High’s Anthony Minnick and Shawn Zupnick served as emcees. They kept things moving with their dialogue and introductions, erasing any chance of a dull moment during the show.

Heather Farnsworth, a behavioral specialist at Wesley Chapel High, has coordinated the event for the past five years.

From her perspective, the talent show provides an “amazing” experience for special needs students countywide.

“It gives them a huge sense of community to come out and spend this time together,” Farnsworth said. “I don’t think they get the recognition that most of the other kids get; it’s something fun and exciting for them to do to showcase their amazing talents.”

Parent Dale Kimball expressed his appreciation for the annual event.

Kimball’s 15-year son, Paul, has autism.

His son was part of a Wesley Chapel High group ensemble that performed a remixed version of Randy Newman’s “You Got a Friend in Me.”

“This is the closest to a stage that most of these kids will ever get to,” Kimball said. “To me, it’s beautiful.

“Seeing ‘exceptional student’ and ‘talent’ in the same title puts a tear in my eye,” he added.

Kimball also credited Wesley Chapel High’s Exceptional Student Education department for encouraging reluctant students, like Paul, to participate in the event.

“They have a way of kind of building them up,” Kimball said, “even if it’s a very, very small thing.”

The ninth annual Showcase for Exceptional Talent is slated for sometime in mid-October.

Published May 24, 2017

Cypress Creek football presents ‘great opportunity’

April 5, 2017 By Kevin Weiss

In less than three weeks, a new high school football program will take the field in Wesley Chapel.

Like other Florida high schools, the Cypress Creek Coyotes are set to begin spring football practices on April 24.

Cypress Creek varsity football coach Mike Johnson speaks to prospective players and parents during a March 28 meet-and-greet at Wesley Chapel High School. Johnson, who was hired in January, is tasked with starting the school’s football program from scratch.
(Kevin Weiss)

But, the circumstances for this team are unique — particularly for new head coach Mike Johnson and prospective athletes.

The program faces logistical hurdles because Cypress Creek Middle High, which will pull students from both Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass high schools, is still under construction, off Old Pasco Road.

Current freshman and sophomores zoned for the school will be permitted to participate in spring football drills. But, those practices will be at Weightman Middle School, while Cypress Creek’s athletic fields remain under construction.

The weight room at the new school —measuring 2,273 square feet — likewise isn’t complete. Football equipment and protective gear hasn’t arrived, either.

Also, Johnson is the only paid high school football coach on staff. The six assistant positions have not yet been filled.

Cypress Creek Middle High, located 8701 Old Pasco Road, will have nearly 1,500 students in grades six through 11 next year. That means no seniors in its inaugural football season.

Cypress Creek’s new football coach sees an “exciting opportunity” for the upstart program, he said.

“I think it’s an absolutely great opportunity — walking into something where you get to put your mark on it,” Johnson said. “These kids have every opportunity to do what they want with it; they can make it what they want.”

Johnson, currently a physical education teacher at Taylor Elementary, will serve as a graduate enhancement teacher at Cypress Creek during the 2017-2018 school year.

An Illinois native, Johnson moved to Florida in 2010. He most recently coached at Stuart Middle School, where the team went undefeated in his lone season. He previously had a two-year stint as an offensive line coach at Wesley Chapel High school, under former head coach Ben Alford; Alford stepped down in 2012 after going 11-19 in three seasons.

During a meet-and-greet at Wesley Chapel High School on March 28, Johnson provided program updates, while fielding football-related questions from parents and players.

Johnson’s message was optimistic: “The sky’s the limit,” he said.

Throughout the meeting, Johnson outlined pillars for the new team, along with his expectations for football families.

Academics, he said, will be a major emphasis.

So, too, is winning games and helping players reach “the next level.”

“We want to set high standards,” said Johnson, a former defensive back at Division III Eureka College in Illinois. “I’ve got to have students-athletes that want to work hard every day, and want to come to practice every day.”

Moreover, he said the program’s foundation will conform to the “5C’s”— Commitment, Consistency, Courage, Communication and Compassion.

“We will definitely develop an atmosphere, that everyone will be proud of,” he said.

Regarding offensive and defensive schemes, Johnson was relatively vague, but noted he’ll gear the Coyotes playbook towards the strengths of his eventual roster and coaching staff.

“We’ll figure that out when (the players) get out there. You’ve got to be versatile to what you have,” he said.

That includes taking suggestions from players, through his “open-door” policy.

“I want the kids to be able to come in and talk to me. I don’t want it to be where a player is afraid to come talk to me,” Johnson explained.

He added: “I want the kids to have some say in their program, how they want to start it, and how they want to build it, so they’ll be proud of it when they graduate.”

One thing he won’t do, however, is “play favorites.”

“The whole playing favorites thing is out the window. I’m going to put the best 11 on the field, and we’re going to play football.”

Cypress Creek varsity football will be designated for Class 4A for at least its first two years, according to Tim Light, the school’s assistant principal.
The team’s 2017 schedule was put together by Matt Wicks, the county’s athletic director, Light said.

A “patchwork” slate, it features teams that struggled in 2016 (Gulf and Pasco high schools), along with some perennial powerhouses (Tampa Catholic and Sunlake).

In September, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) passed a new system that bases football postseason berths on a points system in Class A-4A. The new format, beginning this season, is designed to reward teams for winning records and strength of schedule.

In the FHSAA’s biggest four classes (5A-8A), the district champion still automatically qualifies for regionals, with the remaining 16 spots decided by points.
While Cypress Creek Middle High won’t have seniors on its inaugural football team, Johnson said the school will “mold these (younger) kids into the leaders that we want them to be.

“It’s just a really good opportunity to get down to very basic stuff and get them to learn that, and not skip over anything,” he said.

Another parent meeting is expected prior to the start of spring practice.

For more information, visit CCMHS.pasco.k12.fl.us.

Other coaches hired at Cypress Creek:
Anthony Mitchell: Boys Varsity Basketball and Boys Golf
Joseph Neale: Varsity Baseball
Stacy Hill: Girls Varsity Basketball
Eliza Pasardi: Girls Cross Country
John Hoffman: Boys Cross Country and Boys Varsity Track

Cypress Creek Middle High School
Mascot: The Coyotes
School colors: Green and yellow

High School Varsity Football Schedule – Cypress Creek is 4A-Region 3
Preseason Classic — at Fivay (5A) 7 p.m.
Week 1 — Gulf (5A) 7:30 p.m.
Week 2 — Ridgewood (5A) 7:30 p.m.
Week 3 — at Hudson (5A) 7:30 p.m.
Week 4 — at Pasco (6A) 7:30 p.m.
Week 5 — Land O’ Lakes (6A) 7:30 p.m.
Week 6 — Bye
Week 7 — at Sunlake (6A) 7:30 p.m.
Week 8 — Tampa Catholic (3A) 7:30 p.m.
Week 9 — at Springstead (6A) 7:30 p.m.
Week 10 — Mulberry (4A) 7:30 p.m.
Week 11 — at Anclote (5A) 7:30 p.m.

Published April 5, 2017

Boundaries approved for new schools

January 25, 2017 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County School Board has approved boundaries for the new Cypress Creek Middle/High School, despite considerable controversy.

The board also adopted boundaries for Bexley Elementary School, without any opposition from the public.

Boundaries have been set for Bexley Elementary School, which is under construction off of State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes. The school, scheduled to open in the fall, will help reduce crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Cypress Creek Middle/High School, being built off Old Pasco Road, is scheduled to open in fall 2017. Initially, it will be for students in grades six through 11, but it will add grade 12 during the second year.

There won’t be a senior class the first year because this year’s crop of juniors will be allowed to complete their high school career at their current school.

The board adopted Cypress Creek’s boundary on a 4-1 vote, with Steve Luikart dissenting. Luikart said he thinks the district can find a better way to reassign students that would avoid disrupting students’ lives.

“Have we done the very best we can in looking at rezonings? I have reservations there,” Luikart said.

But, board vice chairman Cynthia Armstrong, and board members Colleen Beaudoin and Alison Crumbley said they have to do what’s best for the majority of the district’s students.

Beaudoin said: “It’s our job on the board to look at the big picture.”

“No decision that we make is going to make everybody happy,” Armstrong said.

Crumbley said she doesn’t want to move students at all, but the district’s robust growth gives it no choice.

Board Chairman Allen Altman also noted he had received hundreds of emails and heard scores of proposals.

Altman added: The one thing they had in common is that no one suggested a plan that involved moving his or her own child.

Ultimately, the board adopted Superintendent Kurt Browning’s recommendation.

The boundary changes affect Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel and Sunlake highs schools and John Long, Rushe and Weightman middle schools.

The rezoning aroused deep emotions.

Most of the controversy stemmed from Browning’s support of an option to keep all of the Seven Oaks students at John Long and Wiregrass Ranch, and to move part of Meadow Pointe students to Weightman Middle and Wesley Chapel High.

Speakers alternately praised or skewered the superintendent, depending on where they live.

Some criticized Browning for failing to follow the boundary committee’s recommendation. They questioned his motives. They challenged the school district’s data.

Meadow Pointe parents urged board members to allow their children to stay at Wiregrass Ranch High.

Seven Oaks parents, on the other hand, praised Browning’s approach, saying it made the most sense.

Parents pleaded with board members not to disrupt their children’s lives. Students urged board members to let them stay at the school they love.

While Browning deviated from the boundary committee’s final recommendation, even the boundary committee changed its recommendation during the process.

In the end, though, the majority of board members rejected Luikart’s proposal to gather more information before voting, and agreed with Armstrong’s assessment that a decision must be made.

No one signed up to speak during the public hearing on the Bexley boundaries.

The elementary school, being built off State Road 54, is scheduled to open this fall. It is intended to reduce crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools. The proposed boundaries also provide additional students for Lake Myrtle Elementary.

Published January 25, 2017

Boundary proposals draw fire

December 14, 2016 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County School Board is in for a long meeting on Dec. 20, if parent meetings on proposed school boundaries are any indication.

Board members are scheduled to hold public meetings on school boundaries proposed for Bexley Elementary School, Cypress Creek Middle/High School and on rezoning changes affecting schools in West Pasco County.

Parents wore T-shirts to express opposition to Option 12, the option originally recommended for Cypress Creek Middle/High School.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

The board meets at the school district’s headquarters at 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Recommended boundaries for Bexley Elementary, which is being built in a new subdivision off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, appear to be the least controversial.

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

Controversy ratchets up when it comes to proposed boundaries for Cypress Creek Midde/High School, now under construction on Old Pasco Road.

The middle/high school initially will serve sixth- through 11th-grade students, and will add a senior class during its second year of operations.

Its proposed boundaries for Cypress Creek Middle/High affect Rushe, John Long and Weightman middle schools, and Sunlake, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass high schools.

The atmosphere was like a pep rally during a parent meeting at Wesley Chapel High School on Nov. 29, to discuss the boundaries initially recommended by a boundary committee.

Speakers line up to express their opinions and ask questions regarding the proposed boundaries for Cypress Creek Middle/High School during a Nov. 29 parent meeting in the gymnasium at Wesley Chapel High School.

At that time, the committee was recommending that Meadow Pointe students be moved from John Long and Wiregrass Ranch, while Seven Oaks students be allowed to stay at those schools.

Now, the committee is recommending a different option.

“Instead of sending the Meadow Pointe folks, they’re sending the Seven Oaks folks to Wesley Chapel (High)/Weightman (Middle),” said Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools.

The committee changed its original recommendation from Option 12, to Option 20. For more details, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/planning/rezoning.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what the reaction is now,” Williams said.

In addition to changes affecting Seven Oaks and Meadow Pointe, the committee has recommended changes affecting students in the Rushe and Sunlake attendance areas.

The students moving from Rushe would go ahead and move next school year, Williams said.

But the Sunlake students, in the affected area, would be phased into the new high school, Williams said. Only the freshmen in the affected area would attend Cypress Middle/High School next year. The sophomores, juniors and seniors in that area would be grandfathered in at Sunlake.

So many people showed up to a parent meeting regarding the proposed boundaries for Cypress Creek Middle/High School that Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools, could not face the entire crowd while giving his prepared presentation. He turned during portions of the presentation, to acknowledge the people behind him.

As the ninth-graders from the Sunlake area become sophomores, a new crop of freshmen from the affected area would move to Cypress Middle/High. Eventually, the phase-in will be completed.

That approach is considered necessary, Williams said.

“Because, essentially, if we move everything we say we’re going to move into Cypress Creek, Cypress Creek is going to be over capacity, right away,” he said.

Steps are needed to provide more capacity at Rushe and Sunlake because the schools are situated in high-growth areas, and they don’t have much space available to add portable classrooms, Williams said.

Phasing in Sunlake will create transportation problems, but the district also faces that issue when it allows seniors to be grandfathered to finish out high school, Williams said.

“It’s problematic, but it’s short term,” Williams said.

Williams said he cannot recall an instance when the district has grandfathered three grades at a school, but he said there is enough space at Sunlake to do that for now.

That’s different than the situation at Wiregrass Ranch High School, which has so many students it has been operating on a 10-period day to create additional capacity, the planning director said.

If the district just moved the ninth-graders from Wiregrass, it would have to remain on a 10-period day, he said.

Despite this year’s recommendations, Williams said it’s important for Meadow Pointe residents to understand there may be a day when not all of the community’s students will be able to go to John Long and Wiregrass Ranch.

“That (school zone) is going to have to continue to get smaller as more houses are built in Wiregrass,” Williams said.

Regardless of where their children are assigned, parents raised a number of issues during parent meetings.

They wanted to know the potential impacts to academic offerings and athletic opportunities. They voiced concerns about traffic hazards and hardships on children whose learning will be disrupted. Some parents also noted their children will be attending more than one high school because their siblings are seniors and are grandfathered in at their current high school.

School boundary hearing
When: Dec. 20, 6 p.m.
Where: Pasco County School boardroom, at 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
Why: New boundaries are needed to relieve overcrowding at some schools and to provide enrollment for others.
To be sure to have the most updated information, call (813) 794-2000, or visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/planning/rezoning/.

Boundary committees making recommendations on where the lines should be drawn for schools are asked to consider these factors:

Socioeconomic balance
School feeder patterns
Future growth and capacity
Transportation issues
Subdivision integrity
Planning integrity to provide stability

Boundaries for Cypress Creek Midde/High School
The new school, which will open initially for students in sixth through 11th grades, will affect the boundaries for Rushe, John Long and Weightman middle schools, and for Sunlake, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools.

Boundaries for Bexley Elementary School
Proposed boundaries for Bexley Elementary School would provide relief for Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools, and will provide additional students for Lake Myrtle Elementary.

Published December 14, 2016

Ideas sought for Pasco school names

September 7, 2016 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County School Board is seeking suggestions from the public for names for two schools the district plans to open in the fall of 2017.

One school, now known as Elementary B, is being built in Bexley Ranch, north of State Road 54 and east of the Suncoast Parkway.

Construction activity is well underway on a new high school on Old Pasco Road, which will open initially as a high school and a middle school. (Image courtesy of Pasco County Schools) — Construction activity is well underway on a new high school on Old Pasco Road, which will open initially as a high school and a middle school.
(Image courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

The new elementary school is expected to help reduce crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools.

The other school needing a name is now known as High School GGG. It is currently under construction on Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

The new high school is expected to affect the boundaries for Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel and potentially Sunlake high schools.

The new middle school is expected to affect the boundaries for Weightman, John Long and potentially Rushe middle schools.

Before any decisions are reached on the boundaries for the new schools, boundary committees will meet, parent meetings will be held and the school board will make the final vote.

Meanwhile, the school board has begun the naming process for the schools.

In its school naming policy, the board welcomes suggestions from the public, students and educators.

The board prefers to name schools after the general location, features of the area, or historical information about the school’s location. The suggested name must be brief and descriptive.

The board will consider naming schools after individuals, but those individuals should be of a person of prominence recognized for his or her outstanding civic or educational contribution. The board also will consider naming a school after an elected official or a school district employee, but only after that person has been deceased for two or more years, or has left public office or employment with the district two or more years ago.

Once the name is adopted, it is considered permanent, unless the facility or its use changes.

Those wishing to submit a suggestion should do so by Oct. 1. Suggestions can be emailed, along with a brief explanation supporting the proposed name. Submissions can be emailed to .

Please type “Elementary B” or “High School GGG” in the subject line. Submissions also can be faxed to (813) 794-2716.

Suggestions also can be mailed to: Deborah Hebert, Pasco County Schools Communications & Government Relations Department, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes, Florida, 34638.

Published September 7, 2016

Crews busy building schools in Pasco

July 27, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Wiregrass Elementary School is set to open this fall in Wesley Chapel.

Construction is well under way on a new high school on Old Pasco Road, which will open initially as a high school and a middle school.

That campus is expected to open in 2017-2018.

Construction also has started on a new elementary school that’s also expected to open in 2017-2018 in Bexley Ranch, off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

Meanwhile, a major renovation project is planned for 2017-2018 at Land O’ Lakes High, on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes, said Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools.

In addition to renovating the school, the project calls for adding a wing to increase the school’s capacity.

The district is still considering various options for where Land O’ Lakes High School’s students will be housed during its major renovation.

“Anytime you’re doing construction with students on campus, it gets more expensive. The project takes longer,” Williams said. “It’s harder to do.”

The school district continues to search for a high school site and an elementary site between Sunlake and Mitchell high schools, off of State Road 54.

As the district prepares to open new schools next year, it will begin holding boundary committee meetings in the fall, followed by parent meetings, and then eventually the Pasco County School Board, to determine the boundaries for the new schools.

This is what the new high school being built on Old Pasco Road is expected to look like, at completion. The school initially will be used for a high school and a middle school, because Pasco County Schools needs to accommodate more middle and high school students, but cannot afford to build schools for both.

The new high school is expected to affect the boundaries for Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel and potentially Sunlake high schools, Williams said.

The new middle school is expected to affect the boundaries for Weightman, John Long and potentially Rushe middle schools.

The new elementary in Bexley Ranch is expected to affect the boundaries for Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools. Meanwhile, the district may also consider shifting the boundaries between Oakstead and Lake Myrtle elementary schools, to provide additional relief to Oakstead and to help increase Myrtle’s enrollment, since it can accommodate more students, Williams said.

While the district needs new schools to provide a place for students to learn, the practice of drawing boundaries for them always sparks controversy. Passions run high, as parents outline the various problems they envision if their child is reassigned to a new school, or — in some cases — is not. Sometimes the complaints are about academic opportunities, but often they involve daycare or the ability to be involved in school activities.

Published July 27, 2016

Finding music within life’s difficulties

April 6, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Playing classical music is not the easiest feat — even when you’ve had formal training and are adept at reading sheet music.

For James Williams, it is even more challenging.

Not only does he lack formal training, but he also has had to overcome obstacles caused by his autism, a condition he was diagnosed with at age 3.

The now 18-year-old, who originally hails from London, said he began teaching himself to play piano when he was attending Weightman Middle School, in Wesley Chapel.

He had a simple motive: He wanted to win the school’s talent show.

And, he did.

Eighteen-year-old James Williams is a Florida finalist in the 2016 VSA Florida Young Soloist Competition. He now will compete for international honors. Shown here, he is playing on the grand piano in the lobby at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Eighteen-year-old James Williams is a Florida finalist in the 2016 VSA Florida Young Soloist Competition. He now will compete for international honors. Shown here, he is playing on the grand piano in the lobby at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Since then, he has continued teaching himself and recently he was named one of the state’s three top soloists in the ninth annual 2016 VSA Florida Young Soloist Competition.

Winning that contest means that he’s representing Florida in the VSA International Competition in Washington D.C., later this year.

The other two Florida finalists in the competition are Lyudmilla Fuentes, from Polk County, and Jacqueline Blanche, from Charlotte County.

The state finalists were selected through a strict adjudication process facilitated by Tampa Bay professors of music at the University of South Florida and at the Ybor City campus of Hillsborough Community College.

The Florida and International Young Soloist Program seeks to identify talented musicians, ages 14 through 26, who have a disability. The intention is to increase the musician’s likelihood of having a successful career in the arts, according to a news release from the VSA Florida, at the University of South Florida.

The program delivers opportunities for serious music students to showcase their abilities at venues throughout Florida.

In a partnership with the Florida Orchestra and Ashley Furniture, each winner will perform at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg in October at the orchestra’s annual Concert in the Park.

The international award is presented to four outstanding musicians, two from the United States and the other two from the international arena.

Winners of the international competition each receive a $2,500 award, professional development and the opportunity to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Williams has learned to play by listening to music and observing other pianists, on YouTube and in other venues.

He has performed at various events and in competitions.

One highlight so far was an appearance at a conference in Orlando for the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, where he performed before Temple Grandin.

Grandin is perhaps the most prominent author and speaker, who has autism. She didn’t speak until she was 3, and her parents, at one point, were told she should be institutionalized.

Williams’ mother — Stephanie Stevens — understands the frustrations that parents face when they have a child with autism.

Williams, like Grandin, was diagnosed at age 3.

“He wasn’t talking. He wasn’t progressing as quickly as he should,” Stevens said.

The doctors were not much help.

“People were very much in the dark about autism” she said.

She was raising her son as a single mother, doing shiftwork in London.

She decided to move to the United States in 2007 to join most of her family members, who were already living here.

Since then, she has married her husband, Ralph, who has been a tremendous source of support for her and her son.

She credits faith for helping her son succeed in music, despite his difficulties.

“People prayed over him, constantly. And, my belief is that it was that power of prayer that has helped him overcome these things,” she said, referring to challenges posed by autism.

Williams, who graduated from Wesley Chapel High School, said he plays piano daily, usually twice a day.

He handles all kinds of musical gigs — helping to raise funds for charities and to earn money.

He hopes to pursue a career that involves music, too.

One of his goals is to use his music to help raise awareness about autism, he said.

He’s also delighted to be named one of the top three soloists in Florida in the VSA competition.

“I felt quite special,” he said. “I was a bit surprised, actually.”

His mom is thrilled, too.

“For him to be where he is now, to me, is a blessing.

“It just shows what you can do, no matter what your difficulties or disabilities, or background – with the right kind of determination and encouragement, there is help, and there is hope,” she said.

She also wants to pass along a message of hope, to other parents who have seen their children struggle with autism.

“I’d say to any parent, any guardian: ‘Don’t be discouraged. There’s always hope,’” Stevens said.

Published April 6, 2016

School for grades six through 12, under way

November 11, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Drive down Old Pasco Road, and there’s not a lot of traffic to contend with — yet.

That’s likely to change when the combination high school-middle school being built by Pasco County Schools opens, slated for August 2017.

Crews have cleared the trees and prepped the land for a school now known as High School GGG, but it will actually serve students in grades six through 12.

Crews are doing earthwork at the new site, which will be home to a Pasco County school for grades six through 12. (B.C.Manion/Staff Photo) — Crews are doing earthwork at the new site, which will be home to a Pasco County school for grades six through 12.
(B.C.Manion/Staff Photo)

The district needs to relieve crowding at Wiregrass Ranch High School and Wesley Chapel High School, and may even send some students from Pasco High School to the new high school, once it opens, said Ray Bonti, assistant superintendent of support services.

But, it also needs to reduce crowding at John Long and Weightman middle schools.

Since the district can’t afford to build a new high school and a new middle school, it has decided to share the facilities at the new school, which will be located on the west side of Old Pasco Road, near Overpass Road.

The school is being built for 1,900 students and carries a price tag of $62 million.

A committee will be meeting in about a year to recommend boundaries for the new school.

The district has a couple of hundreds of acres at the site, so it has plenty of room to build a middle school there, once it has the money.

Crowding is so significant at Wiregrass Ranch High that it went to a 10-period day this year, to manage the number of students who are on campus at the same time.

Published November 11, 2015