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Schools' Goal: Grads Ready To Work

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By RONNIE BLAIR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 1, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - The Pasco County School District will hold a town-hall meeting Monday to seek input on the district's plan for making sure schools teach students the skills employers want.

The one-hour Workforce Strategic Planning Town Hall Meeting will be at 11:30 a.m. at Seven Springs Middle School, 2441 Little Road.

School board Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey and Superintendent Heather Fiorentino will co-host what is being referred to as a working lunch.

The school district has worked with the Pasco Economic Development Council, Pasco-Hernando Jobs & Education Partnership and Pasco-Hernando Community College to develop the draft of a strategic plan for meeting the work force needs of the area.

Participants at the meeting will review the draft version and make suggestions to help identify market needs and develop high school programs that focus on high-skill and high-wage industries.

"We certainly want feedback from our business community," said Rob Aguis, the district's director of community, career and technical education.

The state's Career and Professional Education Act, approved by the Legislature in 2007, requires Florida school districts to develop a five-year strategic plan by June 30 to meet the community's work force needs.

As part of the effort, the Pasco district has been developing career academies at high schools that give students an opportunity to earn industry certification and college credit.

The district's goal is to have a career academy at all 11 high schools within two years.

Pasco, like school districts across the state, is struggling with an anticipated budget shortfall for 2008-09, but Aguis said putting career academies in the high schools remains a priority.

Five high schools have academies. Gulf, Mitchell, Zephyrhills and Ridgewood high schools have health career academies. Ridgewood's academy is a shared program with Marchman Technical Education Center. Wiregrass Ranch High has an information technology academy.

The district is considering an engineering academy for River Ridge High. A group from the district visited East Lake High in Pinellas County to tour that school's engineering academy May 14.

"We very much liked what we saw down there in Pinellas," Aguis said.

Anyone interested in attending the town-hall meeting can contact the district at (727) 774-2259.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218 or rblair@tampatrib.com.

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