The Pasco County school district plans to close Centennial Elementary School in Dade City and Marlowe Elementary School in New Port Richey, and reopen them as STEAM magnet schools.
The acronym STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
The conversion of the schools will begin at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year, based on an action approved by the Pasco School Board on April 6.
The staff allocations at both schools will be updated for the 2021-2022 school year to reflect these conversions and the newly approved STEAM teacher job description will be used at both schools, as well as at Sanders Memorial Elementary School.
Identified instructional staff members will begin professional development this summer and that will continue into the 2021-2022 school year, with implementation of STEAM curriculum and specialized instructional strategies occurring throughout the 2021-2022 school year.
The student populations and boundaries for both schools will remain status quo for the 2021-2022 school year, with proposed boundary changes to remove the school boundaries for both schools planned for the school board’s consideration and approval this fall.
The boundaries for Centennial and Marlowe will be absorbed into other nearby schools.
Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, the student populations at Centennial and Marlowe will be determined through the district’s Pasco Pathways process — with priority preference for attendance given to existing students at both schools.
The district is converting the schools to provide more choices to parents, Superintendent Kurt Browning said, during a previous discussion of the issue.
Board member Colleen Beaudoin said parents have been seeking the additional option.
Published April 14, 2021
