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Opening day for county schools
By KENT FISCHER, Times Staff Writer The Pasco County School District will open today bigger than ever: 58 schools and an estimated 54,000 students. Educators hope they will be better than ever, too. They are requiring remedial reading classes for struggling students in middle and high school. They have new college classes that kids can take at Pasco-Hernando Community College, as well as a new flexible schedule for kids at Land O'Lakes High. "People are excited," assistant superintendent Sandy Ramos said. "They feel really good, and everybody's got a great attitude. We're ready to go." The School Board made two notable changes to the student Code of Conduct this summer. First, cell phones are no longer considered contraband, although kids will not be allowed to use them during school hours. Second, student athletes accused of off-campus crimes will face automatic suspensions from practice and games. And the school district will open for school again this year short of teachers. This summer, the district hired 365 new teachers but still needs another two dozen to fill all its vacancies. As in years past, jobs are still available to teach special education, math and science. Those jobs will be filled with substitutes until permanent teachers are hired. "It's not as bad as it could be," said David Salerno, a district administrator in charge of teacher recruiting. "We've had as many as 50 vacancies in years past. This year we've been very fortunate with the number of applications that came in." School crowding and growing enrollments, though, remain the district's No. 1 problem. The opening of Wesley Chapel Elementary School brings the number of Pasco schools to 58. Over the past three years, the district has opened eight schools, enough space for an estimated 7,500 students. Yet there are still portable classrooms at the schools, which remain pressed for space. The district expects to enroll 54,123 students by year's end, up more than 2,500 over last year. To help give teachers the tools they need to push students further, the district this year will unveil a new "data warehouse" that will be accessible to teachers from their classrooms. The computer database contains three years of student test scores, demographic information and other records that teachers can use to spot trends in their students' achievement. The database, which cost $30,000 to create, will be updated automatically every school day. "We want teachers to have access to a lot more data," Ramos said. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office has also been getting ready for the first day of classes. Sheriff's spokesman Jon Powers said drivers can expect special patrols of school zones on Monday, including bus stops and high traffic areas. Deputies will also be enforcing all school-related traffic laws."Drivers need to be extra alert," Powers said. "There are about 55,000 kids out there that have not been in school all summer." Deputies will be doing extra patrols all day, but especially before and after school when kids are in transit. School resource officers, patrol officers, and members of the STEP and TOP units will also participate. Powers said drivers should allow extra time for transit to and from work so they have plenty of time to observe traffic laws. "Obey the law because we will be strictly enforcing it," Powers said. "And exercise a little patience."
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