Pasco County School Board member Colleen Beaudoin is asking the superintendent’s staff to consider adding more school choices in Central Pasco.
“I’m a big supporter and believer in neighborhood schools and we have fantastic neighborhood schools across our county. But families want choices,” Beaudoin said.
“As we start planning for our summer budget meetings, I’d just like to ask staff to please explore the feasibility of adding some Cambridge Programmes, a fine arts magnet and/or some other advanced academic opportunities in our Central Pasco elementary schools.
“I want to reiterate that I am hearing from people in our community that are looking for these opportunities for their elementary children.
“Parents are going to be given more and more choices, and I believe public schools — Pasco public schools — are the best choice and we have the opportunity to expand on the great work already being done,” Beaudoin said, during the school board’s Feb. 21 meeting.
In essence, the Cambridge Programme is a rigorous academic program that uses an international curriculum and seeks to develop learners who are reflective, confident, engaged, responsible and innovative. It is already offered at some schools in East Pasco and West Pasco.
School board member Alison Crumbley said she was glad that Beaudoin raised the issue because she, too, supports expanding the Cambridge Programme into some Central Pasco schools.
On another topic, Megan Harding, the board’s chairwoman, asked Superintendent Kurt Browning to continue working to address behavior issues by elementary students who are disrupting classrooms.
“I’m still getting messages and phone calls every day about extensive behaviors that are occurring at the elementary level,” Harding said.
For instance, she said, “It’s hard when a child throws a water bottle and then they’re brought back into the classroom. The teacher doesn’t feel supported.
“I know that we have zero tolerance at the secondary level, but maybe we need to talk about that tiered plan at the elementary level, that we mentioned before,” Harding said.
“I just hope that we can continue those conversations,” Harding said.
Published March 08, 2023
