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Schools open with few glitches

Despite unfinished buildings, a blown fuse and second-choice bookbags, learning still commenced.

By MARY SPICUZZA
Published August 9, 2006

WESLEY CHAPEL - Orange construction fencing surrounds the unfinished commons area. Part of the school's second floor is still being built. And Dr. John Long Middle School is still hiring.

"I am still short custodial staff," principal Beth Brown said Tuesday, taking a quick break from lunch duty in the new Wesley Chapel middle school's cafeteria.

Even with some ongoing hiring and construction projects, however, Pasco County seemed to have a smooth back-to-school day. Dr. John Long Middle was one of the district's six new schools that opened Tuesday.

Four of those schools - Gulf Highlands Elementary, Oakstead Elementary, Paul R. Smith Middle, and Dr. John Long Middle - opened in their permanent facilities. Both Trinity Oaks Elementary and Wiregrass Ranch High School opened in portables because of construction delays.

Trinity Oaks opened in portables at Trinity Elementary. At Wiregrass Ranch, temporarily housed in 44 portables behind Thomas E. Weightman Middle School, a few classrooms lost power for about an hour because of a blown fuse.

"But they had it up and running," superintendent Heather Fiorentino said. "Other than that, it was fabulous. It was a great start!"

At the new Gulf Highlands Elementary in Port Richey, Principal Margie Polen was pretty happy with the first day.

"We're about 99 percent finished," she said. There was still more landscaping to be done and the covered physical education area was scheduled to be completed by Monday, she said. Until then, P.E. would be held under the gazebo adjacent to the school office.

Workers were still putting the finishing touches on the new Paul R. Smith Middle School in Holiday on Monday, while about 30 kids and parents filled the front office for last-minute registration.

Still, Principal Christopher Dunning felt completely at ease.

"The facility's beautiful, we're in great shape, and everyone's in a classroom," he said.

Most Pasco students seemed more concerned about supplies and heavy backpacks than school facilities.

Lisa Szymczak said her son Drew, 6, had to settle for an X-Men backpack because his first choice was sold out.

"He wanted a Cars backpack," she said. "But that's the most popular."

They compromised and bought a Cars lunch box and plenty of school supplies instead.

"I got glue and crayons and two books," he said, walking into Oakstead Elementary on Tuesday morning.

Drew is one of about 720 students at Oakstead Elementary, and one of about 62,100 anticipated in the quickly growing district.

Back-to-school attendance figures were not yet available, Pasco's director of planning, Michael Rapp, said Tuesday afternoon.

The district did its best to prepare for any opening-day glitches. Inspectors were on site at the new schools in case problems arose, but most simply helped out by directing traffic. The Seven Oaks Elementary School Parent Teacher Association even sponsored a Boo-Hoo Breakfast for parents of kindergarteners to soothe separation anxiety.

"He didn't cry, and I didn't cry," Melissa Rhody said of her son, Tristan, as she left the breakfast. "He was just so happy that I was like, 'Good for him!' "

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office also helped out by increasing patrols near schools, bus stops and in areas school buses follow, sheriff's spokesman Kevin Doll said.

Information about traffic tickets issued in school zones was not available Tuesday afternoon, Doll said.

Mary Spicuzza covers education in Pasco County. She can be reached in at 813 909-4614 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 4614. Her e-mail address is mspicuzza@sptimes.com.

[Last modified August 8, 2006, 23:00:23]