St. Petersburg Times: Pasco School Pages

'After' key to school success
Extracurricular activities can go a long way toward determining how students do with the in-school curriculum, educators say.[8/3]

It's hard work opening new schools
Three new schools owe thanks to methodical planning and plenty of elbow grease.[8/3]

Homeschooling: Tuned to the individual
For two parents, teaching their youngsters has been an ongoing learning experience.[8/3]

Penny lesson plan runs into nettles
The principal of Sand Pine Elementary planned to use the Penny for Pasco campaign as a teaching tool, but an announcement sparks criticism.[8/2]

Bank robbery suspect tied to school scandal
A man arrested in the brazen holdup of a Largo Publix is also involved in a case of missing money at a Pasco charter school. [7/31]

School Board approves first look at next budget
The proposal is bigger than last year's budget, but the millage rate for property owners will be a faction lower.[7/30]

A time when schools were black and white
Bonded by pain and pride, alumni of Pasco County's last segregated school gathered again in joy [7/28]

Plan to buy land for high school stalls
The School Board also votes to switch to a cheaper employee insurance plan, losing open access. [7/23]

Record class tries out Saint Leo
Although the group of incoming freshmen is the school's largest ever, officials assure the new students they will be treated as individuals.[7/12]

Grateful grad gives a million thanks
Saint Leo University, attorney Glen Greenfelder says, gave him a chance when he couldn't afford school. Now he and his wife will give the school $1-million. [7/10]

Cut my pay, not class, teacher asks
Budget issues are forcing the closure of the Energy and Marine Center. Ken Ford is offering to take a $20,000 pay cut instead. [7/7]

Read, write, writhe
Pasco teachers' assessment of retained children was off the FCAT mark. Unlike the teachers, the state test did not consider a child's emotional development when handing out grades. [7/6]

Superintendent backs raised fees, shorter schedules
Pasco County School District superintendent John Long said Monday a minor reduction in athletic schedules should be enacted for the coming season and he doesn't believe athletic fee increases will keep students from playing sports. [7/1]

Charter school wins use of clubhouse
Dayspring Academy will absorb the building's costs, while the Embassy Hills group will continue to have access.

Saint Leo program ranks No. 1 in black graduates
The small school ranks first in business administration, with 334 African-Americans graduating last year. [6/26]

School's D seen as distress signal
Some worry Cox Elementary could lose students or face drastic restructuring under new federal rules. [6/20]

Schools to pay price for progress
The reward for improving FCAT scores may be a fresh round of budget cuts to pay for recognition money.

Most schools earn thrilling report cards
Almost half of Pasco schools better their state grade. No school slips a notch. And high schools make great strides. [6/19]

Marine center too vital to be cut from budget
Editor: I grew up in the Pasco County school system (kindergarten through 12th grade) and am now a graduate student at the University of Florida.

Schools trim $10.3-million
With mandated smaller classes taking most of the state money, other items, such as Energy and Marine Center, fall to the budget ax.

Fee hike proposal troubles coaches
The county school board meets tonight to consider not only raising athletic fees but charging for each sport rather than a flat rate. [6/17]

Elementary plan stirs anxiety in neighbors
Residents oppose a proposal to build the school near the retiree-dominated Forestwood subdivision.[6/9]

Stewart Middle earns $500 for good sportsmanship
For the sixth time in seven years, a Pasco County middle school is one of two across the state honored for sportsmanship by the Florida High School Activities Association. [6/5]

Shorecrest, CCC are good sports
Two county high schools have been selected to receive sportsmanship awards from the Florida High School Activities Association.

Parents protest later start time at school
San Antonio Elementary will start 20 minutes later to save money on busing. Parents say the change is bad for kids [6/4].

Schools revise shortfall estimate
Officials say the new state budget provides some help, but they will still be at least $10.3-million short. [5/30].

Tampa standoff ends peacefully
A neighborhood, including 300 students at a school, is evacuated after a man threatens to set himself on fire.

Pupils get pizza; school district gets heartburn
The last day of this year is a happy time for students, but officials and teachers worry about what damage all the budget cuts will do next year. [5/29]

School Board member wants home to be B&B
If New Port Richey approves, Kathleen Wolf and her husband would have the city's first bed and breakfast.

PHCC gets funds for library
NEW PORT RICHEY - With a state Legislature agreeing to a $3.6-million outlay this week, Pasco-Hernando Community College plans to begin designing an expanded library at its Ridge Road campus.

Junior journalists
Students reflect on friendship
"Friendship" was the theme for the Junior Journalist Young Expressionist Contest for last November.

Is school budget increase enough?
An expected surge in student enrollment means the district still will consider laying off some nonclassroom employees.[5/28]

Budget hits hard at school salaries
Pasco schools will receive $22-million more in state money, but growth and new class-size rollouts next year will devour most of it, leaving little for salary increases.

Amanda's garden
Seventh-graders plant flowers and release butterflies to celebrate the joyful spirit of a lost classmate.

A principal institution departs
Art O'Donnell of Ridgewood High was more often than not out of his office - at games, in the halls, sitting on benches or talking to students.[5/26]

Sisters share own kinds of success
When Hudson High's salutatorian describes success, she points to her sister, who has Down's syndrome.

A flash of fireworks, a new chapter
DADE CITY - The Class of 2003 might not always have it this perfect, but for one night everything was right. [5/25]

Jubilation tinged by protest
ZEPHYRHILLS - For a moment, you got the sense that J.J. Jivan, valedictorian, wouldn't be able to do it. He had worked so hard to earn the privilege of giving this speech, and now that the moment had arrived and he was standing before a standing-room-only crowd, the words wouldn't come.

Neither rain nor heels trip commencement ceremony
NEW PORT RICHEY - An hour before commencement, Jarrett Busa, donning his black gown and gold cum laude honors cord, warily checked the skies as he strode the outdoor walkways to the graduates' "holding spot" in the Community Building at Mitchell High School. Inside, career specialist Sue Griggs doled out hugs while keeping an eye on the Weather Channel.

Sharing a moment in sun with families
LAND O'LAKES - Family trumped frivolity Friday night at Land O'Lakes High School's ceremonial send-off of its 353 graduates.

World of 'endless possibilities' awaits graduates
HUDSON - Hudson High School's 292 graduates, decked out in red gowns, entered the school's gym in boy-girl pairs Friday evening. The girls held gold carnations.

Students reflect as future beckons
NEW PORT RICHEY - The crowded gym at Ridgewood High School teemed Friday night with all the bittersweet emotions graduation brings: the sated sense of accomplishment, the excitement of opportunities ahead, the sadness of goodbyes.

Teacher's spirit stays with graduates
NEW PORT RICHEY - The school activity center echoed with whistles, cheers and the warbling sounds of Pomp and Circumstance as the Class of 2003 filed inside.

School district warns of suit over city fees
The district says that if Dade City bills it for fire and street light service, the district will fight. [5/22]

Pleas to walk with class ignored
The Pasco County is one of a handful of Florida school districts barring seniors from graduation exercises when they don't meet all the requirements. [5/21]

Reading scores buck trend
Despite a high poverty rate, Anclote Elementary has a low failure rate on the third-grade FCAT reading test. [5/18]

FCAT shows reading, math gain
The test results also revealed a slight realignment among the county's top-scoring high schools.[5/16]

Saint Leo offers golf, tennis camp
ST. LEO - Saint Leo University will host the third annual Summer Days Tennis and Golf Day Camp for children June 2-20.[5/16]

Despite obstacles, students succeed
NEW PORT RICHEY - Amid great applause, 18-year old Michael Winans made his way to the podium to collect his award. He turned to his peers, held up the certificate, grinned and said, "See, you all didn't believe me. I told you." [5/14]

Nurturing, the natural way
Anclote Elementary students with behavioral issues learn responsibility and gain a sense of ownership tending a garden from scratch.

School district, family agree to 84-acre deal
Superintendent John Long says owners of Wiregrass Ranch will sell the district 84 acres for a high school. [5/13]

Saint Leo honors its graduates
Amid troubling times, the speaker offers words of hope for those joining an alumni group of more than 43,000. [5/12]

In school program cuts, look to field first
Somehow I wasn't surprised when I read that Pasco schools were talking about cutting music programs to save money. Not just music, but also guidance counselors, reading and computer specialists, cafeteria workers, secretaries and bus drivers. You know, all those superfluous little extras.[5/10]

Some Saint Leo grads see campus for the first time
ST. LEO - On Friday, Catherine Ellison visited Saint Leo University for the first time. Today, she will graduate with a degree in business administration.[5/10]

Students protest state test
They call the FCAT unfair, but spelling mistakes on their signs may fuel its supporters.[5/10]

Hundreds of school jobs in jeopardy
Facing a $16.8-million shortfall, the Pasco County School District might target 291 nonclassroom teachers and 598 support employees. [5/7]

184 seniors get answers today
Students who failed the FCAT find out today whether they will graduate this month. Special-education students still have a chance. [5/6]

Panel: Candidate for School Board violated election law
A former School Board candidate did not disclose an accounting of his assets, a state ethics commission finds.

Homeschooling: Drop the stereotypes
Parents merge resources in a rapidly evolving homeschool system. It's no longer just mom and the kids at a kitchen table.[5/4]

Woman finds time is right to earn degree
More than 30 years after taking classes at a community college in Ohio, a 64-year-old woman graduates from Trinity College - at the top of her class.[5/4]

Homeschoolers required to adhere to state regulations
Parents who teach their children at home have to register their students with the district.[5/4]

Fourth-graders post FCAT writing gains
Most still fall below state averages, but district officials are encouraged by the 10 percent improvement in elementary scores over last year.[5/3]

Reading test bears bad tidings
Third-graders from 36 schools have failed the FCAT reading section. It's uncertain if they will proceed to fourth grade.[5/3]

Alumni try again to play in Britt memorial game
After a rain out, Hudson and Ridgewood alums play at 7 tonight.[5/2]

Letters: Play should have a place in education
Re: Districts should put FCAT money toward education, April 30 letter.[5/2]

Judgment might lead to charter school's eviction
NEW PORT RICHEY - A judge on Tuesday entered a default judgment against Richard Milburn Academy, setting up the possibility that eviction papers soon could be served on the charter school. [4/30]

Schools may drop morning soda ban
Because teens have found ways to thwart vending machine timers, administrators want to extend the hours for soda sales, which funnel money into school programs. [4/24]

Bad news delivered: Schools face cuts
State budget proposals indicate sacrifices will have to be made. Also, the School Board initially supports dress code changes, which will go to a final vote next month. [4/23]

Center for kids breaks ground
The building will house before and after school programs for children in Tommytown. [4/21]

Handle with care: Students send troops support
Ridgewood High School joins other organizations sending care packages and kind words to troops. [4/16]

Hitting incident under review
School officials say no criminal charges will be filed, but the coach remains on leave until a district investigation clears him. [4/15]

Academy buys land to build school
Carrollwood's Independent Day School officials hope the private high school in Land O'Lakes will open by 2006. [4/10]

Nose to nose, trunk to trunk
Brittany Shinn, 10, and Morgan Drummond, 7, wait for their cue to go on stage Wednesday during It's a Jungle Out There, the PACE program's performance at Fox Hollow Elementary School. More than 53 kids, costumed as a variety of animals, performed in skits, songs and dance.Finance chief favored to lead schools
Chuck Rushe is described by many as cool under pressure and business savvy. But will his behind-the-scenes effectiveness translate to votes?[4/6]

Jazz concert makes a comeback
About 50 middle and high school students will perform at tonight's All County Jazz Concert, the first since 1988.[4/5]

School to regain financial control
Deerwood Academy receives a "trial period" six months after $115,000 in taxpayer money was found missing. [4/2]

Too much sun -- no fun
Students at Moon Lake Elementary School learn about sun safety. [4/1]

Open PHCC board seat gains scant interest
Only one Hernando County resident, Irvin Homer, has applied for the post. The deadline for applying is May 1.[3/29]

School sued by landlord for not paying building costs
Richard Milburn Academy says it will hold back part of its monthly rent payments until the dispute is settled.[3/29]

Charter schools pass scrutiny
One, however, Richard Milburn Academy, is embroiled in an eviction lawsuit with Counsel Square. [3/28]

2 compete for unpaid board seat at PHCC
Both Republicans, they are computer systems analyst Karen Wells and former school superintendent Tom Weightman. [3/26]

Student adds artistic touch to fest
The seventh-grader's logo, a girl in front of the skyline, appears on items for the Wesley Chapel Community Festival. [3/20]

Schools chief to depart in 2004
John Long announces that he'll retire and is supporting the district's chief finance officer as his successor. [3/19]

School: Students will read well or won't pay
Renaissance Academy says students will read at grade level or the school will refund tuition. [3/17]

Elementary schools to get new leaders
A chain reaction of principal reappointments will change leadership at three Pasco County Elementary schools. [3/14]

Schools chief coy on retirement plans
He won't say for sure if it's imminent, but he's thinking about it. And he has called a rare meeting next week. [3/13]

St. Leo joins university in bid for federal funds
The town agrees to send a letter of support for Saint Leo's $5-million application. [3/12]

Learning AIDS
Schools are stepping up efforts to discourage a new generation from casual sex.

Classification changes affect scheduling
The growth of some county schools makes conference matchups tough to accommodate. [3/11]

Teen boycotts FCAT: 'I'm not taking it'
"Two months ago we started reviewing for the FCAT ..." she says. "We weren't learning anything." [3/6]

Search yields two possible school sites
After searching for months, planners say the properties look promising. It's not a sure thing, but efforts are under way. [3/5]

Young dancers bring recital to students
Reaffirming a long relationship, Sally Blackwood's Dance Studio offers performances at Cox Elementary School.

When the purple people learn to share
The culmination of Mary Giella Elementary's multicultural unit teaches students about diversity.

Pasco High team in the know about nature
Five teenagers snag the county's top score in a regional science meet. And where better to have a quiz on animals, forestry and such than a wilderness park? [2/27]

Crash kills ex-high school star athlete
Football and track athlete Garion Pope of Dade City dies when he is pinned by his car in an early morning accident Tuesday. [2/19]

School Board approves child care fee increases
Full-time care this summer rises to $47 per week and enrollment in the Place program next school year will cost $37.

2 PHCC trustees to step down
James Yant will leave because of term limits, and Ed Collins expects to serve on unidentified state boards. [2/18]

Weightman teacher wins top honor
Freda Abercrombie puts in more than expected, her boss says, and commands the same from students. [2/14]

Robbery disrupts classes at school
Pasco High School is locked down for 90 minutes after a man is robbed at gunpoint nearby. Two other schools undergo less severe disruptions. [2/8]

At 75, Hudson resident a proud new graduate
Dave Thompson is among west Pasco's 300 GED graduates. Tonight, he will be at the ceremony and show off his diploma.[2/6]

Pasco schools get TV station
The problem now is what to put on the channel devoted to education programming. [2/5]

Woodridge parents win uncommon victory
LAND O'LAKES -- Parents of children in the Woodridge community did something Tuesday that many before have tried, but few have accomplished: They persuaded the School Board to change an elementary school attendance boundary, just for them.

A glimpse of another life
Nicaraguan orphans visit a Pasco County school as part of a ministry called Chosen Children.

State Web site offers help with FCAT
The senior from Hudson High School gets one more shot at the FCAT. If he fails this time, he won't be walking with his class in May, despite his A/B average.

Mentoring groups to cross county line
A program is being launched in Pasco to provide kids with an older friend for games and homework help. [1/29]

New principal to be appointed at Lake Myrtle Elementary
Expect John Abernathy to be the new principal at Lake Myrtle Elementary School in Land O'Lakes.

Literary-minded fun
Students at Genesis Preparatory School take on the personas of famous writers and book characters, delivering speeches and skits to underclassmen and faculty.

Super Bowl XXXVII: A rally heard in San Diego
Weightman students had a screaming good time Friday during a pep rally for the Buccaneers. [1/25]

Super Bowl XXXVII: Super Bowl fever infects even school
Marlowe Elementary kids sport their Bucs gear and talk plenty of trash, and the school joins the festive mood with a party at lunch.

New zones to shuffle pupils
LAND O'LAKES -- Pine View Elementary School, under construction in Land O'Lakes, is on schedule to open in August. Now, all it needs is students. [1/22]

Professor to test Aloha Utilities' water
In response to customer complaints, the Office of Public Counsel hires a USF researcher to audit its quality.

Saint Leo names associate dean
ST. LEO -- Saint Leo University has hired Randall Bowden, a professor specializing in management and business education, as its new associate dean of the school of continuing education.

The power of the pencil
A visiting artist holds students spellbound as he teaches them to bravely add depth and imagination to their drawings.

Art project brings together kids, seniors
Schoolchildren and seniors share autobiographies and self-portraits in an effort to create a "conversation with art to bridge the generations."

At high schools, squeeze is on
The district, already short 1,324 high school seats, struggles to accommodate the ballooning student body. [1/19]

Lost child triggers hero in schoolgirls
Two alert middle school students put a quick end to a 4-year-old's wandering on a cold morning. [1/18]

Pupils plant oak tree to honor forester
WESLEY CHAPEL -- For more than 30 years, Bill Schilling invested a lot of time talking to Pasco children about forestry. Whether Schilling was alongside Smokey Bear talking to tots, giving a presentation to the Future Farmers of America or teaching middle schoolers the scientific names of various leaves, the Pasco County forester inspired young people to take an interest in nature.

Plan may put freshmen in new time zone
A proposal to ease crowding at Land O'Lakes High delays the hour ninth-graders would start and finish classes. [1/15]

Virtual school offers a new avenue to learning
More students than ever are turning to Florida Virtual School as a way to take classes that meet their needs or schedule.

Not your typical teenage get-together
Students with crisp uniforms and smart salutes flock to River Ridge High School to participate in a Junior ROTC competition. [1/12]

Student realizes her goal online
Would-be students who are long on desire but short on time are turning to the Internet for their higher education. [1/9]

Veteran leader named principal at new school
LAND O'LAKES -- When several hundred students from Lake Myrtle Elementary School switch to the new Pine View Elementary this August, they'll see a familiar face at their new school. [1/8]

Educators attempt new private school
The Renaissance Academy is the idea of three teachers who tried to start Infinity School last year.

School shooting drill tries agencies' skill
Teams from four emergency response agencies work together in a trial run at Pasco High to be better equipped for a real threat. [1/3]

Gun safety classes form for Pasco kids
Education can prevent accidents, a volunteer says. "They see the 'bang, bang' on TV, and they don't have the education . . . 'Bang, bang' hurts." [12/28]

Duct tape, a reading incentive?
Yep, the Calusa Elementary principal will tell you as he hangs taped to a wall. The kids met their quota. [12/21]

7 found drunk near Ridgewood
The students, all freshmen, are accused of mixing beer, wine and vodka with marijuana and Xanax, a tranquilizer.

New principal charts course at Gulf Middle
Stan Trapp offers a simple formula for success: Make parents welcome and learning fun. [12/19]

Teachers link online with GED classes
A School Board project gives residents a chance to prepare for the test with help from district instructors. [12/18]

A lesson in giving
A Hudson Middle School class learns the value of helping sick and traumatized kids by making security blankets -- a la Linus.

Schools craft game plan for tax
Facing rising school costs and reflecting on a failed attempt in 1995, officials take notes from eight districts that have recently passed a sales tax increase. [12/15]

Students to cheer in TV spot
About 60 students from Deer Park Elementary will tout Bucs coach Jon Gruden on the NFL Today show. [12/14]

District, charters walk a fine line
The fiasco with Deerwood Academy spotlights how the county school administration has responsibility over a charter school, but not the authority. [12/8]

Land-use plan won't curb school crowding
School Board member Marge Whaley wants to hold up Orange County as a model for planning.

Gators losing beloved principal
Max Ramos, who knew every Land O'Lakes student's name and never missed athletic events which always drew "about 3,000" people, leaves to oversee the district's charter schools. [12/5]

School, not park, may fill 40 acres
The county considers giving land near Meadow Pointe to the district, which would build ball fields and a gym for public use.

Principal to tackle charter schools
The popular leader said he needed a challenge and will get one revitalizing the charter program.

Inquiry suggests counseling for school officer
A woman's claims that a Hudson Middle School resource officer called her at home and told her daughter that her mother was "hot" could not be substantiated, Pasco sheriff's investigators found.

Plan ties zoning to school capacity
A proposal would let commissioners count available school desks before voting on developments. [12/4]

Denham Oaks parents hear it first: reshuffle
And not all were happy. Many students will be shifted to other schools with Pine View's opening.

School Board sets boost in pay using old system
School Board members peg raises at what they would have been if the Legislature still set their salaries. [12/3]

Help, not just punishment, for angry kids
Seeing that suspension isn't the cure-all, Mitchell High School officials are starting aprogram to help kids with anger management as part of their disciplinary program. [12/2]

District bears down on charter applications
In light of recent difficulties at charter schools, district officials are getting tougher in checking details. [11/21]

Schools: 7 cents this way or that
A sales tax bump is crucial, John Long says, either with the support of all five county commissioners or just the School Board.

Playoffs are payoffs for schools
The added revenue from Pasco schools' football playoff games helps other sports survive. [11/14]

Council says no to med school
New Port Richey is not ready to spend taxpayer dollars to lure a school of osteopathic medicine despite its ties to another campus. [11/13]

Troll captures kids -- just in time for Book Week
For young students, storytelling can be the key to developing good reading skills. The kids don't seem to mind, either.

New college asks for $8-million
New Port Richey's city manager advises council members to say no to officials of the osteopathic school. [11/12]

Lessons from a Marine
A Vietnam veteran talks about life in the trenches, making the price of freedom clearer to some students. [11/11]

Money questions dog amendments
So, you want your children enrolled in a public prekindergarten program and to attend a school with no more than 18 children in each class until the third grade. [11/10]

School sparks traffic debate
Pine View Elementary, scheduled to open in August, could mean traffic hassles. The county wants the school district to help fix the problem. [11/8]

Couplets and coffee
Gulf High's Poetry Coffee House is popular among students who want to express themselves and those who just want to listen. [11/6]

For these teachers, school evokes memories
Seven teachers hired at Lake Myrtle Elementary School in the last two years attended the school themselves. Returning has been a sometimes disconcerting experience.

A pro enters stage right
River Ridge High's new drama coach, David O'Hara, comes aboard with considerable credentials. [11/1]

Kids caps history lesson with a feast
Lunchtime at Chester Taylor Elementary takes on a medieval flair, complete with noble titles and a lack of silverware. [10/30]

Lesson in a box
A tool to teach kids about water is donated to the school system by the company that designed and operates the new Surface Water Treatment Plant in Brandon.

School chips in for Sanders' cancer cause
LAND O'LAKES -- In September, Top of the Class featured a story about three students from Sanders Memorial Elementary School who started a fundraising drive to benefit cancer research and a popular teacher at the school who had been diagnosed recently with bone cancer.

One director, two schools mismanaged
Hank Johnson, just removed from Port Richey's Deerwood Academy charter school, also led Saint Leo's Ocala campus into turmoil. [10/27]

More school checks possibly fake
Some signatures were forged and some blank checks were cashed, Deerwood records appear to show. [10/25]

School's finance woes pile up
The Deerwood review turns up suspicious receipts and a $25,000 line of credit taken out from a bank. All but $200 was spent, but there's no record of how. [10/23]

A wild time
Gifted students at Lake Myrtle Elementary meet creatures of the rain forest during an outreach program by Lowry Park Zoo.

School's structure to change shape
District officials want to gain the majority of seats, and control, from Deerwood's board. [10/22]

Charter school fires 3
Those who lost their jobs at Deerwood Academy include the 19-year-old ex-bookkeeper, her uncle and husband. [10/19]

Teacher says drug paraphernalia in his truck was 'someone else's stuff'
The Chasco Middle School teacher says people who owe him money set him up and planted the pipes in his truck.

Bill a 'smoking gun' for school
An altered invoice reveals a fraction of the financial mess that has the Deerwood Academy charter school at its center. [10/18]
• The invoices: original and altered

Teacher arrested, charged
The middle school P.E. teacher faces a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Smoke brings firefighters to school
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Firefighters responded to River Ridge High School after school on Thursday and found smoke in a bathroom, Pasco County Fire Rescue officials said.

Charter school's director steps down
A district appointee will take over operations Monday. An accounting firm says school ledgers are in a shambles. [10/17]

Director of band is notable educator
HUDSON -- Two years ago, out of the blue, Hudson Middle School band director John Keon got a phone call from a former student he had taught in the early 1970s in Newburgh, N.Y.

Charter school's finances seized
As the state attorney launches an inquiry into Deerwood Academy, the school district considers a full takeover of the school and two of its employees resign. [10/16]

No vote, but plenty of voice
After months of research, Hudson Elementary fourth-graders speak on their choices in the November election.

Suspicion of school is growing
A contractor has raised doubts about money spent on air conditioning work at Deerwood Academy. [10/15]

Rule for teacher aides changing
Under a district proposal, additional training would be required only of those at low-income schools.

Charter school may face takeover
Unless an audit clears Deerwood Academy of wrongdoing, the school district might move in. [10/12]

Charter school's grant put on hold
District officials are withholding the $143,000 until Deerwood Academy explains its sketchy accounting practices. [10/11]

2 new charter schools hope to open next year
One would focus on high school dropouts; the other, on college prep. Neither proposal lists a location. [10/10]

Construction begins on new school
LAND O'LAKES -- Construction has begun on Pine View Elementary along Parkway Boulevard in Land O'Lakes, set to open in August as Pasco County's newest school. [10/9]

Enrollment increase follows renovations
Pasco-Hernando Community College's north campus students flock to upgraded programs. [10/6]

Schools want more training for aides
The district wants its aides to have an associate degree or 60 college credits. The union says that's too much to ask. [10/2]

Board to fine tune policy on dress code
School Board members ask principals what can be done to ease their burden in enforcing the rules while still holding to community standards.

Parents as pupils
Mom and Dad get a chance to see what a school day is like for their kids at Centennial Elementary's annual "Take Your Parents to School Day."

A sea of information
River Ridge Middle School sixth-graders soak up more than sun on a recent visit to the Pasco coastline.

A touch of discipline
For high schoolers in Junior ROTC, the program means learning leadership and organization skills. And wearing a nifty uniform. [9/29]

Busing funds go out, come in
The bad news: The Transportation Department owes the state $52,000. The good news: The state probably owes the district $290,000. [9/27]

Investigation clears principal of sexual harassment charge
For the second time, reassigned Woodland Elementary School principal Randall Belcher on Thursday was cleared of sexual harassment charges leveled against him by a Zephyrhills teacher. [9/20]

Catholic school's enrollment cap to rise
The county will raise the limit on the number of students at the new school from 425 to 650. [9/19]

A meaningful gesture
Moved by grief at the news that a popular teacher had cancer, a group of students searched for a way to help.

Charter schools: A solution to overcrowding?
LAND O'LAKES -- Each year, school enrollments in south and central Pasco County climb a little higher and the classrooms grow a little more crowded. [9/15]

Retiring? This time he says he means it
Ever wonder what became of Tom Weightman, the man who ran the Pasco County School District for 22 years?

Schoolteacher gives meaning to modern history
The girl in the rhinestone flag shirt summed up her classmates' feelings as she strolled into the classroom. [9/12]

At county schools, remembrance resounds
From moments of silence to articles in the school paper, students are getting their share of time to memorialize Sept. 11.

Schools see 3.4% bulge in students
The suburban expansion puts 1,774 more children in public schools this year. [9/11]

Parents question pupil shuffle
The school district discusses plans to reassign students in some elementary schools after a new one in Land O'Lakes opens in 2003. [9/10]

Teachers untangle Sept. 11 lessons
Most schools plan to commemorate the date. But the effect of the attacks on classroom instruction has varied widely. [9/9]

Gulf High teacher Tom Dale dies at 50
The well-respected science teacher had a sudden and massive heart attack. [9/6]

Charter chief's tirade brings tart response
Officials say Deerwood Academy's leader distorted facts in a complaint to the governor. [9/4]

19 county schools reap rewards
They will share more than $1.9-million in FCAT bonuses for improving scores. Few rules are attached on how to spend it. [8/31]

School teaches savory lessons
The culinary arts program at Moore Mickens Education Center prepares students for careers in food service. They help cook for their fellow students first. [8/28]

Take note of testing season schedule
Planning on furthering your education past high school? If so, it's time to mark your calendars and make plans to take the ACT or the SAT. Where you get in and whether you get a 75 percent scholarship or a full ride with the Florida Bright Futures program depend on these test scores. Interested students should contact their high school guidance counselors or check out the Web sites listed below.
Agreement means trainers can return to the football fields
Just in case anyone missed it, the impasse regarding volunteer athletic trainers between the Pasco County school district, the Florida Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine Center and other trainers is over.

Gulf High School band's trailer stolen from shop
Someone took the trailer, used to haul percussion equipment, from Smith's Auto Body, 5939 U.S. 19, New Port Richey. [8/27]

Getting in the groove
After grueling hot summer camps, high school bands jell and get ready for football season. [8/21]

Moats glad to be back at Pasco
DADE CITY -- Kirk Moats has Pasco coach Ricky Thomas as his homeroom teacher, and he had never been more proud to walk into class for the first day of school than he was last week. [8/20]

County ready to accept bids
The free athletic trainer service could be restored at six county high schools as soon as Friday.

Enrollment for extra classes drops sharply
LAND O'LAKES -- The plan was to ease overcrowding by having some students come to school late and stay late. [8/18]

School chief plans new pitch for sales tax hike
John Long may propose a boost to fund school, county and Sheriff's Office projects in 2004.

Policy targets arrested athletes
The county's new plan is intended to standardize the punishment handed down by administrators and coaches.

Starting teachers' pay set at $31,000
Under a tentative deal with the union, veteran teachers and other district employees would get a little more than 5 percent above what they made last year. [8/16]

School buses carrying too many
Buses on six routes serving middle and high school students exceed the maximum load. Students must stand in the aisles.

Safety has school district in a mess
Desiring equal coverage for all schools and sports has left six high schools without any athletic trainers at all as fall season begins.

It's day one for the parents, too
On opening day of school for youngsters, sometimes the parents feel the most stressed out. [8/13]

Opening day for county schools
The Sheriff's Office will do extra patrols to ensure children's safety on the roads their first day of classes. [8/12]

Newest school set to welcome start of classes
WESLEY CHAPEL -- Flexibility. [8/11]

If it ain't broke ...
For years, free trainers treated county athletes. Then the school district tried to get a better deal. Now there's no deal at all.

County to vote on sidewalk to school
Officials plan to add the sidewalk to Chasco Middle, then ask the School Board to pay half. [8/10]

Two principals drawn to an increased role
Next week, two educators eager to make a difference on a larger scale take the helm for the first time. [8/9]

District clears schedule for Sept. 11
Schools are asked not to schedule events on the anniversary of last year's terrorist attacks. [8/8]

Teacher shortage? Not exactly
Pinellas, for the most part, has what it needs. Hillsborough and Pasco counties still have openings. [8/7]

Principals moving to new jobs
On the school board's agenda for Tuesday are transfers of eight administrators and a first look at a new budget. [7/12]

Jury gives woman nearly nothing for 1993 accident
The school system likely will pay nothing to a woman injured in a crash with a van.

Garrett Pantano earns UCF degrees
HUDSON -- Garrett Lee Pantano, son of Patricia Sartor of Hudson and Charles Pantano of Garfield, N.J., received a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice and a bachelor of arts degree in political science during recent ceremonies at the University of Central Florida.

Training eco-teachers
Four Pasco teachers spend a week cavorting with, and caring for, animals at Busch Gardens. [7/8]

District approves charter school
Still, members worry the Language Academy in New Port Richey may not have enough students to open. [7/3]

Worries vented at town hall meeting
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Sandbars, schools and seniors were the hot topics of discussion during a town hall meeting Tuesday with state Reps. Mike Fasano and Heather Fiorentino.

Bulldogs unite behind old idea
For 33 years, Zephyrhills High alumni have held an annual reunion open to all who ever felt the tug of ties to the school's mascot. [7/1]

This week
TOOTING OUR HORN, an exhibit of art by teachers and students at Pasco Arts Center, at the center, 5744 Moog Road, Holiday, through June 26. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Admission is free. [6/21]

2 charter schools get board approval
But those schools and others approved earlier have much work to do if they hope to open by the start of the school year in August. [6/19]

Gulf graduate carries on standout tradition
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Belinda Hatch followed in the footsteps of former Gulf standout Laura O'Brien by breaking seven of her school records.

Coach, wrestlers off to Russia
A group of Gulf High wrestlers will sample culture and competitions in Russia. [6/16]

3 schools' grades will come late from state
A computer error leaves Mitchell High and Sunray and Chasco elementaries without letter grades. Also, the district is challenging another school's grade. [6/14]

County schools earn improved grades
No schools receive failing grades, while more than half are given either an A or B. Only three grade as low as D. [6/13]

Wildcat, Spartan simply the best
Wesley Chapel's Cristina Lucin dominated the county for four years. [6/12]

All county teams
GIRLS

Wildcat, Spartan simply the best
Saddlebrook's Jose Muguruza won a state title in his sophomore season.

Claims, denials fill file on principal
Accusations flew both ways as investigators looked into allegations against a Zephyrhills elementary school principal. [6/6]

New coach will recruit swimmers, bicyclists
SAINT LEO -- Cyle Sage is not just looking for runners. Saint Leo's new cross country coach wants them to swim and ride a bicycle as well. [6/5]

District probes school's promise to serve at-risk
Pasco School District officials say a new performing arts school might be enrolling too many gifted children.

Schools retain policy on grads
But to help seniors pass the state's graduation exam, the district will offer new, intensive remedial classes, train teachers and hire learning specialists.

Plan for school at risk in wildlife accord
In an agreement with Citizens for Sanity, a wildlife corridor must go through the proposed site for two schools. [6/1]

Combine school and park space, study says
A consultant says planning now can mean savings by combining land uses, especially in certain areas of east Pasco. [5/29]

Teams test mental powers at competition
Two teams of Pasco County students finished in the middle of the pack at a worldwide academic competition in Colorado last week. [5/28]

Principal will not face charge
There is not enough evidence to prosecute elementary school principal Randall Belcher on a sexual harassment charge, the State Attorney's Office says. [5/23]

Sposito takes act to college
HUDSON -- Joyce Sposito has a background in swimming and gymnastics, but there is no mistaking where her heart lies.

High schools facing budget crunch
County administrators may cut down the number of games to reduce each school's expenses by $5,000 next year.

Lions freshman named All-American
SAINT LEO -- The accolades keep rolling in for Denyve Duncan.

Garden helps students grow, open up
The behavioral therapist at Moore-Mickens Education Center takes students to work in the garden when they need to talk.

Stricter graduation rule gets 2nd look
The School Board takes another look at a policy that says only students who have met all graduation requirements can participate in commencement.

Board to rethink graduation participation policy
Faced with weeping parents and students not graduating Friday, the district says it will discuss the matter next month. [5/22]

Hands-on science is a hands-down winner
NEW PORT RICHEY -- When it comes to teaching science, Debbie Hunnell knows that if you rely on the book, well, the lessons can be downright boring. Then again, if you throw a hands-on activity into the mix -- say dissecting the contents of an owl pellet -- chances are the classroom will be charged with excitement.

Class notes
School Calendar

Elfers Christian School:
Valedictorian: Carolyn Cooper

Odyssey an effort in lofty thinking
Two student teams will compete this week in what is often called the world's grandest academic competition. [5/19]

Academy of Lakes salutes, sends off first 4 graduates
"Modern-day pioneers" at the school, which added a ninth grade four years ago, are lauded.

Academy at the Lakes to graduate first class
The four seniors had different reasons for coming to the school, but all found an atmosphere they liked and are now headed to college. [5/15]

Class scrambles to find best way to drop an egg
The parent-student teams devised inventive ways to protect a raw egg in a 20-foot fall. To the kids, it was no yoke. [5/15]

Balloons teach students lessons about science
Using all kinds of materials and lots of hot air, Gulf Middle School students learn that mass times lift equals fun. [5/15]

Pine View leads school names list
The School Board will look at 25 suggested names for the fourth elementary school in Land O'Lakes. [5/14]

Students see past at Pow Wow
Middle school kids attend the Mother's Day event, which is improved this year with tents to keep the sun at bay. [5/12]

Rotary honors Pasco High's finest
SAN ANTONIO -- In what has been a yearly tradition for 25 years, the Dade City Rotary Club on Thursday honored the best of Pasco High School's graduating seniors. [5/11]

Pupils suspended for posting 'hate list'
Two freshmen at Land O'Lakes High School publish a list of students and teachers they hate on the Internet. [5/9]

'Best of the best' receive honors
Students from 14 Dade City area schools are honored for commitment and persistence.

Students donate break to New York
East Pasco Adventist Educational Center teens use their April holidays to do service projects at ground zero. [5/7]

Hudson Middle gives, jazz band delivers
The musicians travel to New York to perform for P.S. 234, a school near ground zero for which students raised $1,600 in a day. [5/5]

Soulful sax
With the release of her new CD, Valerie Gillespie hones her dual skills as both teacher and performer. [5/1]

Kids learn techniques to sidestep trouble
Take a breath, consider the consequences, alternatives. Using those tools works wonders, say teachers

Low water pressure plagues two schools
Wesley Chapel High and Weightman Middle schools truck in water, and students use portable toilets after a dip in pressure.

Academy youths learn a little about love and abuse
LAND O'LAKES -- Bob Richardson is a successful real estate developer who says he loves his three kids, but no one would expect it from his background: a long bout with alcoholism, two divorces and bankruptcy. [4/27]

School impact fee rule needs revising
Forget Alan Greenspan's outlook. Inflation is alive and well, at least when it comes to public acquisition of private land. [4/24]

Book club generates appetite for reading
An advanced placement English class at Pasco High adopts the book club theme, taking on roles to discuss the books they are reading. They also bring refreshments.

Breakfast offers jump-start on reading
The Baby Breakfast targets babies and expectant parents of babies who would attend two elementary schools.

Top educators, employers focus on future workers
NEW PORT RICHEY -- As Pasco's educators and largest employers brainstormed Wednesday about how to work together, they didn't have to look very far to find successful formulas:

Gambling on 'Guys'
A high school drama department bets Guys and Dolls' great tunes and characters will make its first musical a winner. [4/10]

All the news that fits in Paw Prints
The award-winning high school newspaper keeps officials on their toes and students informed.

Wildcats make long-distance college trek
As the last day of school ended before spring break, four Wesley Chapel players piled into a van for a senior road trip to help decide where to continue their careers. [3/30]

Principal garners words of support
Some parents and faculty members hold the longtime Woodland Elementary leader in high esteem despite harassment claims. [3/22]

Tentative site chosen for school
Under a district plan, a new elementary school would be built across from Pine View Middle School in Land O'Lakes. [3/20]

PHCC leader nearly perfect
The president is praised for his leadership and earned high marks in all areas of the trustees review. [3/19]

Developer's haggling over school site unwise
A dispute between a private developer and the public school district means a new elementary school may be built miles from where it is most needed while simultaneously taking youth sports fields away from the burgeoning central Pasco community. [3/17]

Crowded schools force Pasco to find creative alternatives
Watch the students at Land O'Lakes High School when the bell signals the end of the class period. Teenagers trudge shoulder to shoulder, squeezing through a double door and into a narrow hallway leading to the next class. [3/10]

School may alter class schedule
Administrators at Land O'Lakes High look at two starting and ending times for the school day, with one group beginning at 9:30 a.m. [3/6]

10 years old and earning paychecks
A make-believe town lets children try their hands at a variety of real-life endeavors, from real estate agent to radio deejay.

Teacher an inspiration to many
Amid a rousing welcome after a limo ride Friday, many at Hudson Middle School talk about the respect John Keon teaches and the students he inspires. [2/9]

'Face of AIDS' returns to county schools
They are the faces of the very young, the old and the in-between. Some are men, some are women. Some have died since having their faces cast in plaster, others still struggle with their illness.

Straight from the Middle Ages
After studying the period, students at Pasco Middle School put on a Medieval Fair, including jousting, fortunetelling and food.

Back to the '60s
Students and teachers put together a weeklong museum exhibit at Gulf High.

School panel clears use of Potter books
LAND O'LAKES -- Pasco County school teachers can continue to use the popular Harry Potter books in class, a district curriculum committee decided Monday night. [2/5]

Arrest to bring discipline, Long says
The superintendent says Gus Manticos' "stupid" behavior has embarrassed the school district and may lead to an unpaid suspension. [2/2]

5 with pluck excel in competition
BROOKSVILLE -- Pasco High's Weevils in a Biscuit have a motto: "We have the pluck of a weevil in a biscuit," said team member April Pettit. [2/1]

Pasco school official arrested
Deputies say the athletics director, who had been drinking, screamed obscenities at his girlfriend in a restaurant parking lot.

Pasco schools to get extra $2-million
The Pasco County School District will receive a 25 percent increase -- about $2-million -- in its federal Title I money, a program that gives schools additional help teaching low-income children. [1/30]

This lesson is a stretch
It's a deep breath, too. Ten students at World of Knowledge Montessori School are learning yoga techniques.

Ex-teacher spared prison in sex case
DADE CITY -- Circuit Judge Maynard Swanson on Thursday chastised a former Wesley Chapel High School teacher for having sexual contact with a teenage student and could have sentenced him to nine years in prison. [1/25]

PHCC renews bid for state funds
NEW PORT RICHEY -- When lawmakers and education officials began bringing four-year college degrees to Pasco-Hernando Community College four years ago, they knew the programs wouldn't come cheap.

Cost of new PHCC signs: $334,000
The three entrance signs, one for each Pasco-Hernando Community College campus, would have large, electronic marquees. [1/16]

Powder spread at preschool
ELFERS -- Hope Newman, like the parents of a hundred other children at Elfers Christian School, couldn't help but scare herself after the call she got Monday afternoon. [1/15]

Principal named for new school
LAND O'LAKES -- After three years of being principal of Sanders Elementary School, Cindy Harper is moving a few miles to the east. Harper has been tabbed to become principal of the new Wesley Chapel Elementary School.

PHCC enrollment rises 15 percent
Spring enrollment at Pasco-Hernando Community College jumped nearly 15 percent from the same time last year, one of the largest increases in the college's history and the fifth consecutive semester of growth. [1/8]

Leading math teacher stricken at 51
ELFERS -- Each spring when parents began requesting their children's teachers for the coming year, Jane Crawford's name came up more than anyone else's at Mittye P. Locke Elementary School.

Parents tell School Board not to bus to new school
Despite overcrowding at Sand Pine Elementary, some parents in a nearby community don't want their children sent 9 miles to the Wesley Chapel Elementary opening next school year. [12/19]

Teacher describes her life in Bahrain
The woman on a holiday visit answers students' questions about what the Middle Eastern country has in common with America. She began her career in Pasco County.

Teacher pleads guilty to sex act
DADE CITY -- A former Wesley Chapel High School teacher pleaded guilty Friday to unlawful sexual activity with a minor for having a 15-year-old student perform oral sex on him in a teacher's lounge on the last day of school. [12/15]

School arts, sports programs survive cuts
LAND O'LAKES -- Breathe easy, student athletes, musicians and thespians. Your sports, band and theater programs won't feel the budget ax. At least not this school year. [12/9]

Board names new school after community
The new elementary school under construction next to Weightman Middle School will be known as Wesley Chapel Elementary School. The Pasco County School Board received numerous recommendations to name the school in memory of those killed during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. With so many new schools opening (nine since 1998), the board instead voted Tuesday to name the school after the community. [12/6]

High school proceeds with Potter's perils
Mitchell High School's principal and a parents group find novels about a boy wizard unobjectionable. The parent who objects will appeal. [12/1]

Potter book roils classroom tranquility
Parents of a Mitchell High student liken it to arsenic; the teacher who reads it in class says it is as sweet as cotton candy. [11/28]

Rising to the challenge in a new land
When Maika Nguyen came to America from Vietnam in 1996, she was like "a scared little bird." Motherless, speaking no English and in awe of her giant new school, Maika cried during her first day of middle school. [11/25]

Foreign students in new focus
Conceding it would be but a small step in the war on terrorism, the Board of Trustees of Pasco-Hernando Community College agreed this week on new rules regarding foreign students and expired visas. [11/23]

Kids and speakers learn from teach-In
Being a journalist is like being a student. Be curious, observant, ask questions, listen to the answers, and pay attention to detail. [11/15]

More cuts for school budget
Without spending flexibility, school administrators are working on a new list of painful cuts including possible layoffs. [11/1]

Land O'Lakes student is flown to hospital after fight
LAND O'LAKES -- A Land O'Lakes High School student was flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg on Tuesday morning after a scuffle at school, county emergency workers said.

Applicant for charter has spotty record
Leaders of a charter school company that wants to open in Pasco shrug off problems in other states, saying they are the rooted in anticharter sentiments. [10/20]

Ridgewood starts ROTC program
The program, which already has more than 100 cadets enrolled, will be run by a career Navy officer. [10/17]

Schools to hold College Career Night on Monday
Hudson, Gulf, Mitchell, Ridgewood and River Ridge high schools are among those holding a free College Career Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday in the fitness center at Pasco-Hernando Community College west campus on Ridge Road in New Port Richey.

Driver tries to abduct two girls
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Two teenagers reported similar attempted abductions Thursday night and Friday morning, prompting the Pasco County Sheriff's Office to step up patrols around schools and Friday night's football games. [10/13]

Essay contest offers chance to assist Fasano
State Rep. Mike Fasano (R-New Port Richey) is holding his annual student essay contest, the winners of which will work with Fasano as either a messenger or a page during the spring legislative session in Tallahassee.

Firefighters open house to students
NEW PORT RICHEY -- When it comes to fire safety, Mark Malave has heard it all before. As a first-grader at Mittye P. Locke Elementary School, he has been told not to play with matches, that 911 is the number to call, and that "stop, drop and roll" is the formula to follow if your clothes catch fire.

School fields no parks solution
Asked to spend $40-million on parks, as suggested by a consultant's study, Pasco County commissioners wanted assurances that sports fields were not sitting idle at county schools. [10/9]

Minivan plows into school bus
A lack of skid marks suggests the vehicle's driver did not brake before hitting the bus at a high speed. [10/2]

Schools look at millions in cuts
School officials are reacting to news from the state that sizable cuts in aid to districts could result from the worsening slump in tourism. [9/29]

At the flagpole, students bond in prayer, songs
Before dawn extinguishes the Publix sign's green glow, before mosquitoes quit biting, before commuters switch off their headlights, they are there. [9/20]

Cadets play crucial role at airfields
When airports were closed last week in the wake of terrorist attacks, 11th-grader Seamus Bradley helped shut the airfields down. [9/18]

Pasco students need not make up a school day
LAND O'LAKES -- Pasco County public school students won't have to make up classes they missed when Tropical Storm Gabrielle forced schools to close Friday.

Need outpaces money for schools
County officials have just spent $110-million on new schools. Now, as they look ahead, the need is even larger. [9/14]

Parents take kids home for hugs and calls
Joseph Alicea stood in the office of Calusa Elementary School, his eyes glued to the disastrous images flickering across a television in the corner. Alicea's brother-in-law worked at the World Trade Center, and he was at school gathering his children. [9/12]

Teachers vote 3-1 for contract
The agreement allows for annual "step increases" of about a few hundred dollars. Most teachers will also receive a one-time $1,000 bonus. [9/8]

School pay to jump slightly
The proposed contract for district employees includes "step increases" for teachers, bonuses and a fully paid but scaled-back health care package. [8/18]

School district cuts its losses on tires
Firestone won't pay for 66 Steeltex radials removed from maintenance trucks, but drivers were fearful and one reported a shredded tire. So all have been replaced at the district's expense.

Her soothing words calm nerves

After three decades at Moon Lake, "Mrs. Gus" eases her students into the first day of school for the last time. [8/14]

Few problems on first day of classes
A few schools had more students show up than expected. The district's enrollment is expected to top 50,000 this year. The important attendance count comes in three weeks, after things have settled down.

Lessons in success
Two charter schools will welcome students on Monday, one brand new and another that is doubling its enrollment in just a year. [8/12]

Modest teacher raises likely
Faculty members can expect state-funded $850 bonuses and annual "step increases" that amount to a few hundred dollars. [8/9]

When it comes to reading, sooner is better
Kristi Theurer was elated when five of her students won the District Book Battle in April. It was a tough competition that had the youngsters answering detailed questions about the 15 books they had read throughout the year as part of the Florida Department of Education's Sunshine State Reading program.

Pasco County school notes
School starts Aug. 13 for Pasco County students. It's not unusual for calls to come in the first day of school from new Florida residents under the impression that it's still summer vacation.