The chart above shows all of the letter grades received by all 18 public and charter schools located in Wesley Chapel after both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.
The Florida Department of Education released school grades for the 2023-24 school year on July 24, assigning a B grade for Pasco County Schools. Pasco has maintained a B rating since 2017.
Superintendent Kurt Browning said in a release, “We are incredibly proud of our students, teachers, and staff for their hard work and dedication. These grades show that we are on the right track, and our efforts are paying off.”
All of Wesley Chapel’s schools earned an “A,” “B” or “C” letter grade, along with 85 percent of schools throughout the county.
While the vast majority of Wesley Chapel schools maintained the same grade as last year (14 of the 18 schools stayed the same from 2023), only one improved by a letter grade — Pinecrest Academy K-8 school, which improved to an A from last year’s B, while three dropped a letter grade, with Quail Hollow and Veterans elementary schools moving from a B to a C, and Sand Pine moving from an A to a B.
In a letter to Sand Pine families, principal Angie Shauger explained the disappointing change. “We missed the A grade by just one point, scoring 61 when the cut score for an A was 62,” she wrote. “While this news is disappointing, it is important to recognize the hard work and dedication that our staff and students have shown throughout the year.”
She said she’s “very proud of all the progress we have made and the commitment everyone has shown” and is optimistic that Sand Pine will earn an A again next school year.
Five schools maintained their A status, including Seven Oaks Elementary, Union Park Charter Academy, John Long Middle School, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, and Wiregrass Ranch High School. While Kirkland Ranch has earned an A both school years since opening in 2022, Wiregrass Ranch’s history of A ratings goes back to 2018.
Principal Robyn White says it’s a team effort that creates such consistent excellent performance. “The teachers work really hard and the kids are very motivated to do well,” she says. “They take what the teachers are providing them and make use of that.”
She says the grade is maintained by encouraging success across the board, not in just one area, but in English, math, social studies, science and more. One area of measurement is the school’s graduation rate, which was an impressive 97 percent for 2022-23, the year that was evaluated for this year’s school grade.
White says that her goal has always been to get a 100-percent graduation rate. She plans to retire from Wiregrass Ranch at the end of the 2024-25 school year, so she has one last chance to hit that mark.
“We look at each individual student and do what’s best for kids,” she says. “I firmly believe that’s why we’re an A school.”
Congratulations to co-founder/CEO Andy Sherrard and location director Rashonda Powe on the opening of the 50th location of O2B Kids, the preschool/ daycare that opened earlier this month, and held a ribbon cutting on Jan. 10, at 2400 Ashley Creek Trail, which is a side street off Wesley Chapel Blvd., where it meets S.R. 56 and S.R. 54 (next to the Wawa).
This is the 39th O2B Kids location in Florida and the second serving kids in our area, as there also is a location in Seven Oaks (at 27830 Summergate Blvd., between Sam’s Club and Bruce B. Downs Blvd.).
The new location has room for about 170 children, from infants through pre-Kindergarten, and also offers after-school care for elementary school-aged children.
O2B Kids locations are vibrantly colored, immaculate and offer play-based learning curriculums for preschoolers and lots of after-school activities for elementary-aged kids.
For info, call (813) 499-1150 for the new O2B or (813) 994-2700 for the Seven Oaks location. Or, visit O2BKids.com.
At a June 7 meeting at Pride Elementary, (l.-r.) Pride principal Paulette English, Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera, Hillsborough School Board member Jessica Vaughn and School District director of operations Chris Farkas discussed transportation issues at Pride with about 30 concerned parents. (All Photos by Charmaine George).
District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera takes pride in his ability to organize public town hall-style meetings and bring folks together, apparently even when the city isn’t the primary focus of the meeting.
Case in point: Viera contacted District 3 Hillsborough School Board member Jessica Vaughn because a number of residents of K-Bar Ranch had contacted him about transportation issues at Pride Elementary and he felt a public meeting would help at least shed light on some of the concerns of these local residents (including some who live in the Hillsborough County-based developments of Cross Creek and Live Oak Preserve) to work on issues like buses, long pick-up and drop-off queues at Pride and the safety of the students, parents and staff at the school.
Vaughn agreed, and on June 7, about 30 Pride parents and local residents attended a meeting at the school hosted by Viera, Vaughn, Pride principal Paulette English and the director of operations for the Hillsborough School District Chris Farkas. Also on hand were Rich Reedy, the legislative aide to Hillsborough County District 2 commissioner (and Board chair) Ken Hagan, as well as the School District’s general manager for transportation Laura Hill.
The residents in attendance were mainly from a group of at least 45 Pride parents who live in the Andover Place apartments, which are located just under two miles from Pride and who had emailed Farkas because they all have to drive their children who attend Pride to school. The reason? As Vaughn explained during her opening comments, a new law passed by the state legislature dictates that students who live closer than two miles to their school are not eligible to be bused.
Vaughn also explained that the issue these parents have been experiencing is common throughout the District at many other schools. Meanwhile, Farkas said that although it is possible for the District to “charter” a bus for a specific group, “there is a huge shortage of bus drivers throughout the District. We’re about 275 drivers short right now, and we only receive about $30 million of the $64 million the District spends on transportation from the state, or about 41 cents of every dollar. The rest has to come from the District’s general fund, which is the same pot of money used to pay teachers, aides and staff.”
Farkas also noted that hiring additional drivers has been a priority for the District, but “when Pinellas County Schools pays their drivers about $4 more per hour than we do, it’s hard to attract more.”
He added, “If enough parents are willing to share the cost of that additional bus, it is possible we could at least look into it.”
Farkas also noted that Hill is responsible for the plan of how to get all bused students to and from school on time, “and we already have to drop kids off at Pride and then the driver has to go right back out and pick up the second group of kids and drop off again.” The buses also have to drop off the first set of kids at home and return to school to then drop off the second group in the afternoon, too.
“That creates another problem,” Farkas said. “If we have to have a third set of kids picked up and dropped off by that same bus, how early in the morning would the first set of kids have to be dropped off at Pride in order for all three busloads get to school on time each day?”
Parents who are driving their kids to school are not allowed to leave them there until 7 a.m., English said. And, Farkas added, “if a bus had to drop off the first ‘load’ of kids at 6:30, we would have to make sure that there was proper supervision for those kids to keep them safe. So, as you can see, it’s a logistical problem for us. It’s not an impossible one to work out, but it is an issue.”
Rec Center To Help?
County Commissioner Ken Hagan’s legislative aide Rich Reedy (far left) discusses transportation issues at Pride Elementary with members of the community at the June 7 meeting.
Reedy mentioned that he believes the new indoor county recreation center now in the planning stages adjacent to Pride would actually help with the number of parents currently queuing in line at the end of each school day once it opens — in 2024 — “because we will have additional parking over what currently is available (on a gravel parking area at Kinnan Park) at that site.” English said that the parking lot for that new rec center also would need to be available for Pride parents in the morning, or the parent queue would be even worse before school starts.
Reedy said he didn’t see why that would be a problem for the county.
“We already do a lot of co-locating with the School District at other locations,” he said. “Plus, the rec center would not be in use during school hours, so I can’t imagine that would be an issue.”
Others in attendance also wanted the panel to find ways for the county, city and school district to address speeding on KInnan St., including adding more street lights, cameras and even, possibly, a roundabout where Kinnan meets Bassett Creek Dr.
The panel also said that local residents should write to their elected state legislators — State Senator Danny Burgess and State Rep. Fentrice Driskell — to help address the two-mile-radius law and the lack of proper state funding for public schools. Viera said he feels that because of Florida’s private school voucher system, “public education has been abandoned by our state legislature.”
Students get to enjoy meals together in the Saddlebrook Preparatory School cafeteria. (All photos provided by Saddlebrook Prep)
Since 1993, Saddlebrook Preparatory School, also known as Saddlebrook Prep, has been a place where outstanding young (middle and high school-aged) golfers and tennis players from all over the world have come to receive top-notch training in their respective sports while also receiving a quality education that truly — as the school’s name indicates — prepares these young athletes for college, the possibility of a professional career and even for life after college if they’re not among those lucky enough to reach the pinnacle of their respective sports.
Rob Riehle
Rob Riehle, the grandson of Saddlebrook Resort founder and former owner Tom Dempsey, graduated from Saddlebrook Prep and is one of those former athletes (he started out as a tennis player but soon found he was better at golf) who appreciates both the training and the tremendous education he received at the school. He also was one of the few students at Saddlebrook Prep who didn’t need to have room and board at the school, since he lived in the community.
Riehle, who is now the director of marketing for the resort, graduated with a B.A. degree in Critical Media & Cultural Studies from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. He says that Saddlebrook Prep was an important part of his life and now, he wants to expand the school’s reach beyond those who attend the school to receive concurrent enrollment in the prestigious Harry Hopman Tennis Program or Saddlebrook Golf Academy.
“When Mast Capital purchased Saddlebrook last year,” Riehle says, “there was some concern about what would happen to Saddlebrook Prep, as most of the other ownership groups who looked into buying the resort and adjacent property had no interest in the school. But, not only did Mast want to continue the school’s programs, it wanted to make an investment in its future; they definitely were interested in keeping the resort and school the way they were while also making them better.”
The driving range for Saddlebrook Resort, where the Saddlebrook Prep golfers practice, will be moved, as part of Mast Capital’s planned renovations of the entire property.
Included in the improvements Mast has planned, as we reported in a previous issue, is to move the driving range (which currently sits just inside the resort’s front gate on S.R. 54) to a portion of Saddlebrook’s two Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole championship golf courses, leaving Saddlebrook with 27 “outstanding golf holes,” according to Riehle, “instead of 36 mediocre ones.” He notes that although the courses themselves are still great, their irrigation and drainage systems will be replaced as part of Mast’s $25-million investment in resort renovations. “And,” he adds, “the new driving range will be two-sided — one for members and hotel guests and the other for golf academy students.”
A Private School For Wesley Chapel
The Mast group also recognized that, as a former Saddlebrook Prep student whose family had owned the resort since it first opened in 1981, Riehle was in a unique position in terms of being able to help grow the school’s student population, which has rarely exceeded 100 total middle and (mostly) high schoolers and currently is home to around 75 students. All of those are boarding students, including about 70% from other countries.
The school’s small class sizes will help your child succeed.
“One of the things we noticed,” Riehle says, “is that a lot of local residents are looking for a local private school option, whether because their public school is overcrowded, their kids can’t get enough one-on-one time with their teachers, they’re not happy with the curriculum, have safety concerns or for a combination of reasons. We believed, and Mast agreed, that these locals should at least take a look at Saddlebrook Prep.”
He adds that, “This is a beautiful, gated community with on-site security, so your kids can feel safe attending here.”
Although the Covid-19 pandemic affected pretty much everyone and everything, Riehle says that Saddlebrook Prep was hit particularly hard and has never fully recovered. “With our students always having been so international, and with many countries not allowing their residents to travel, much less to the U.S., the school really suffered,” he says. “It’s come back somewhat, but Covid definitely created room for more students to attend Saddlebrook Prep.”
Riehle also notes that although Saddlebrook Prep’s middle school has traditionally been mostly younger siblings of boarding high school students, “that is one area we think will grow with this new opportunity. In fact, although we think our ideal student population is 100-120 students as of right now, and that number could grow if there’s enough demand because we can always add more faculty and staff to accommodate that greater need.”
Your child doesn’t have to be a future tennis pro to attend Saddlebrook Prep.
One of the things Riehle wants to stress is that this is the first time in Saddlebrook Prep’s three-decade history that being a golf or tennis player will not be a requirement to attend the school.
“We have been doing golf and tennis for 30 years and we’re very good at it,” he says. “But, let’s say your child is into gymnastics, or plays hockey. They can be done with school here by 1:30 in the afternoon and have plenty of time to pursue their own sports. Or, they can get extra schooling, or pursue hobbies or charities — whatever they’re doing to get ready for college, because preparing your child for whatever they decide to do after high school is what we’re all about. This school will give them the freedom to pursue their goals.”
Riehle also notes, however, that some people reading this story may not have known that there even was a golf and tennis academy right here in Wesley Chapel and that they may be interested in sending their kids to the school for those programs.
“How much better would it be for them to attend an actual golf or tennis academy, where they can practice and train every day with world-class instructors?,” he asks.
In fact, Saddlebrook Prep students also receive sport-specific exercise instruction for an hour every day with certified professionals.
He says that even though pros like Martina Hingis, Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick and so many others got such great training at the school, your child doesn’t have to make it to that level to benefit from attending Saddlebrook Prep.
“It isn’t cheap to send your kid here,” Riehle admits. “But, we see it as investing in your kid now so that maybe they get that scholarship and you don’t have to pay as much for college. Plus, a lot of jobs look for kids who played college sports because they build dedication, time-management skills and perseverance — all the skills that you learn by playing a sport.”
And, he adds that, “When I speak to college coaches, they tell me they’re happy to get kids from Saddlebrook Prep because they come to college already ready. That’s a big advantage.”
What To Expect
The fitness facility and quality instruction by certified professionals also will be available for students who aren’t attending Saddlebrook Prep’s tennis or golf academies.
Students enrolling in the Academics-Only program at Saddlebrook Prep will take six classes each day between 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Advanced tutoring is available most days. Core classes meet college admissions and NCAA standards and Advanced Placement (AP) courses are available both on campus and online. There also are dual enrollment opportunities at Pasco Hernando State College, SAT prep courses, educational trips to locations of scientific and historical significance, school events throughout the year (including, for seniors, to Orlando’s Grad Bash), fitness courses designed, and with instruction by, certified pros and public service opportunities.
“The opportunity to learn with and from students from all across the globe is another advantage,” Riehle says. “It’s a great way for local kids to be exposed to different languages and cultures.”
Riehle also notes that Mast Capital’s investment in the school will allow for upgrades to Saddlebrook Prep’s technology, transportation, campus and programs.
Meet Deanna Garrett
Deanna Garrett
Originally from nearby Dade City, Saddlebrook Prep Head of School Deanna Garrett earned her Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Leo University. Prior to that, she earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Early Childhood Education from USF. She has been a member of the school’s faculty since 2016 and the Head of School since 2018.
Prior to joining the staff at Saddlebrook Prep, Garrett worked in the Pasco County School District for 22 years in a variety of teaching, instructional support and administrative roles.
Her educational philosophy is that all students can learn, given a positive learning environment, strong and knowledgeable leadership, a committed and focused academic team, an encouraging community, and supportive family.
For more info about Saddlebrook Prep, call (813) 907-4300 or email Nona Wagh at nwagh@saddlebrook.com.
High school graduation is always an exciting time, and the 840 graduating seniors (combined) at New Tampa’s two high schools were celebrated as the year came to a close.
Freedom High held its annual “Red, White, and Blue” awards ceremony on April 17, where many of the school’s seniors were recognized for their academic achievements.
National Merit Scholarship Award finalists Britney Pun and Jessica Afiat were recognized, and the “Principal’s Patriot” award went to Vivian Ernst.
The Freedom PTSA also presented scholarships to Britney Pun, Lindsay Scherer, Olivia Pliska, and Kaitlyn Graulich. These scholarships are awarded to PTSA-member students who are headed to college, university, or vocational/technical school, and who are in good standing with the school’s office of Student Affairs, and have been recommended by their teacher, counselor or employer. They are chosen, in part, based on an essay they wrote as part of the application.
The PTSA also partnered with the Daisy Turner-Browne Scholarship Fund to award a scholarship to Alejandro Espinosa. This scholarship is awarded to a civic-minded graduating student who demonstrates academic excellence and a strong desire to pursue higher education despite personal and financial challenges.
The Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg honors one student as the Anne Frank Humanitarian award winner, recognizing a student for efforts to better the lives of people around them, whether in school or out. At Freedom, this year’s Anne Frank Humanitarian Award winner was Ishitha Panguluri.
Outstanding scholar-athlete awards went to Alyssa De La Sala and John Purcell.
The Picerne Family Foundation awarded scholarships to Wen Hui Chen, Elaine Feaster, Alexandria Dominique, and Lindsey Scherer. These scholarships are awarded to graduating students who are planning to attend college full time, have demonstrated civic leadership, community service, and are true “overachievers.” They are intended for deserving students who are pursuing a dream but need this support to realize their goals.
Local orthodontist Dr. Sam Jureyda of Radiance Orthodontics (see ad on page 5) also partnered with the PTSA to provide a scholarship to a senior who demonstrated commitment to serving the community. It was the first time this scholarship was offered at Freedom.
The Radiance Orthodontics Community Service Award went to Elaine Feaster (far left in photo above), who has been featured in these pages previously, for organizing book drives that collected thousands of books for underprivileged children. Elaine logged an impressive 449 service hours during her high school career.
Meanwhile, At Wharton…
Radiance Orthodontics also presented a Community Service Award to Wharton High’s Ariana Sawyer, who is pursuing a career in nursing and spent her high school years volunteering with Metropolitan Ministries, as well as for an organization that cares for foster children, at AdventHealth Tampa hospital, and at her school. This is the fifth year the Radiance Award has been presented to a Wharton senior.
Also at Wharton, AdventHealth partnered with the school’s PTSA to present a scholarship to Aubrey Glover to support his pursuit of a career as a Physician Assistant. Aubrey’s impressive resume includes taking dual enrollment classes, serving as a volunteer and a leader in extracurricular activities, plus working as a medical assistant to prepare for a career in the healthcare field. He plans to attend Florida State University in Tallahassee.
Wharton senior Jackson Raitt was honored for being a National Merit Scholarship Award finalist and the school’s Anne Frank Humanitarian award winner was Riley Hall.
The Wharton Athletic Boosters awarded scholarships to two students who maintained a 3.0 grade-point average while playing multiple sports. Award winners were Brett Brown, who was a varsity athlete in soccer, track and cross country, and Haleigh Self, who played basketball, softball and flag football.
The Wharton PTSA (photo of all four winners above right) awarded its top scholarship to Sunni Horton, who served on the school’s peer jury, Student Library Association, and National English Honor Society. She will attend Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, this fall to pursue a degree in public policy.
The PTSA also awarded a scholarship to Chloe Kim, a leader in the school’s National Honor Society and student organizer with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. She will attend USF this fall.
Another PTSA scholarship went to William Hineline. William served as president of the senior class, is an Eagle Scout, and excelled in several sports at Wharton. He will attend the University of Florida in Gainesville.
The final PTSA scholarship was awarded to Andrea Boknevitz, who served as both a drum major for the Wharton Marching Band and as commanding officer of the Wharton National Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC). She is attending Jacksonville University to study psychology and prepare for a career as a U.S. Navy officer.
Many other students were recognized at both schools for outstanding achievements throughout their high school careers.
Freedom High’s graduation is being held on May 30, at 8:30 a.m., for its 390 graduating seniors. Wharton High’s graduation ceremonies for its 450 graduating seniors will be held Thursday, June 1, at 3:30 p.m.
