This post was created on 09/03/2019.

Pasco County Schools breaks ground on a much-anticipated new school

What: Pasco County Schools will host a groundbreaking celebration for the Starkey Ranch K-8 school, which is expected to educate about 600 middle school students and 1,000 elementary students when it opens in the fall of 2021.     

The event brings together community leaders to mark this important milestone including Pasco County Schools, Pasco County elected officials and Wheelock Communities, developer of Starkey Ranch.

Why: This school will not only be the first K-8 school Pasco County has built, but also will house the first combined park, school, library and cultural arts center in Florida, made possible through an agreement between Pasco County, the District School Board of Pasco County and Wheelock Communities, developer of Starkey Ranch.

The agreement, called a P4, is an original and one-of-a-kind partnership that links three public entities (schools, libraries, parks and recreation) with a private entity, Wheelock Communities.

The innovative new school campus will include a gymnasium, athletic fields, a running track and sport courts, all of which will be available during non-school hours to Starkey Ranch and Pasco County residents through the shared-use, P4 partnership.

A public library and cultural arts center will be integrated into the campus, along with extensive recreation facilities in the Starkey Ranch District Park. The school site is located at the intersection of Long Spur and Lake Blanche Drive.

Like all new Pasco County schools, the Starkey Ranch K-8 will offer the latest innovative features and technology to support the school’s “pathways,” which include World Languages, Computer Science, and Fine Arts (with a technical focus).  The school design is flexible space-wise to accommodate the evolving Arts and Engineering curriculum and includes a digital design lab.  

Who:  Pasco County School Schools officials, Pasco County officials, Wheelock Communities, developer of Starkey Ranch                       

When: Thursday, September 5, 2019, 10 a.m.

Where: 11880 Lake Blanche Dr., Odessa, FL 33556 (Adjacent to Starkey Ranch District Park’s east entrance near concession stand)

About Starkey Ranch

Where Life Takes Root®

On more than 2,400 acres just north of Tampa and adjacent to the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve is a community that embraces nature like none other. It’s here where people are truly connected to the wonders of nature, strength of community and legacy of home. Here, neighborhoods come alive around parks and picturesque trails. An array of amenities and activities bring new neighbors and friends together. Wheelock Communities is developing the Starkey Ranch community that will ultimately have 800 acres of parks and open space and 20 miles of trails. Ranked as the #1 selling master planned community in Tampa Bay and within the nation’s 50 Top Selling Master Planned Communities, Starkey Ranch is where families can put down roots for generations to come.

The Starkey Ranch Welcome Center, located at 2500 Heart Pine Avenue in Odessa, is open daily. More information is available by emailing info@starkeyranch.com or calling 813-925-9777.

About Pasco County Schools

Pasco County Schools is the largest employer in Pasco County, Florida, with approximately 10,000 employees who serve more than 72,000 students.  The district is the 11th largest in Florida and 53rd largest in the United States.  The operating budget is approximately $664.5 million, and the overall budget is $1.39 billion, which funds the operation and maintenance of 96 schools and construction of new schools and additions.  Programs include traditional pre-k through 12th grade standards instruction, virtual instruction, career academies, adult education, magnet themes, and charter schools.  The district is the largest in the United States with an elected superintendent who governs the district along with five elected school board members.

About Pasco County

Pasco County Government employs more than 2,500 employees, representing 57 lines of business, serving more than 500,000 customers and covering 740 square miles of territory.  Pasco's Board of County Commissioners serves as the legislative and policy-setting body for county government; enacts countywide laws and authorizes programs and all expenditures of county funds.  Learn more about Pasco County Government at www.mypasco.net.

School rendering https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/renovations/page/starkey-k-8.