Proposal for Reconsideration of School Boundary Recommendation for 2017-2018
From:
Parents of Pasco County Students South of State Road 56
(Union Park (zone 23) and Meadow Pointe 4 South (zone 19))
Executive Summary
Currently, the Committee, which is tasked with making a recommendation for relieving the
overcrowding issue facing our students, has recommended Option 12.
We believe that, based on key criteria established by the District, Option 13 is clearly a better choice
when compared to Option 12.

Option 12 exacerbates the problem as shown in
Figure 1.
Option 12 would likely result in returning zones
18,19, 22 and 23 to JLMS/WRHS when, as
anticipated, Seven Oaks gets reassigned to the
new Middle/Cypress Creek High in a few years.
School Capacity
Option 12 vs Option 13
% of school capacity

current
Option 12
Option 13
150
X
125



X

100
X
75

Option 13 reduces the overcrowding of every
school below their current levels.
JLMS
TEWMS
WRHS
WCHS
Figure 1: School year 2017-2018 overcrowding.
Overcrowding at TEWMS and WCHS is actually
exacerbated by Option 12.
Overcrowding is reduced in all 4 schools under
Option 13.

Option 13 provides a more equitable distribution
of students as compared to Option 12, even after
anticipated future growth.

Option 13 better addresses the concerns of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
regarding traffic congestion on State Road 54. One of their major concerns was expressed by
FDOT Traffic Engineering Specialist, Joel Provenzano PE, who noted that “the majority of
these school rezoning options may not be in the best interest of the FDOT because it sends
more traffic to currently over utilized roads (SR54) and actually takes traffic away from
underutilized roads (SR56).”

As the Committee noted, Option 13,
keeps the students south of SR56 in
the school closest to them.
This proposal will discuss in further
detail the benefits of Option 13 in
comparison to Option 12.
Figure 2: Scorecard comparing Option 12 and Option 13 regarding
the purpose of redistricting and 6 key criteria established by the
District.
Page 1 of 9
Justification by criteria
1. Future Growth and Capacity
Purpose: Appropriately provide for future growth and optimum utilization of schools within the proposed boundaries.
Based on key criteria from the Guidelines for Development of School Attendance Boundaries
established by the District, Option 13 is clearly a better choice when compared to Option 12.
The purpose of redistricting is to reduce the burden of overcrowding schools. Option 12 does
not reduce the burden of overcrowding for TEWMS and WCHS; in fact, Option 12 exacerbates
the problem as shown in Figure 1. Option 13 reduces the overcrowding of every school
below their current levels. Option 12 creates a disproportionate balance of students and
overburdens TEWMS and WCHS, the two schools zoned for the highest future growth areas.
Option 13 provides a more equitable distribution of students as compared to Option 12, even
after anticipated future growth.
● Option 12 increase TEWMS to 126% of its capacity and also zones it for most of the areas
which are growing the most rapidly.
● Option 13 reduces TEWMS capacity by 25% to support expansion. Option 13 reduces
JLMS capacity by 43%
● Option 13 is better because it will have 162 fewer students than Option 12 at TEWMS, the
most overcrowded school; which allows more room for growth.
● Option 13 is better because it will have 223 fewer students than Option 12 at WCHS.
● Option 12 divides the raw numbers of students equally between schools without regard for
the designed capacity of the school. Thus, creating a disproportionate balance with JLMS
significantly under capacity at the expense of increasing overcrowding at TEWMS. See
Figure 1.
● Option 13 is better because it balances the number of students closer to the designed
capacity of the schools. In fact, under Option 13 ALL schools experience a significant
decrease in overcrowding.
● Option 13 prevents TEWMS and WCHS from returning to and/or exceeding today’s level of
overcrowding once the currently platted properties are built out.
Page 2 of 9
Options 12 and 13 Impact per School
The following charts highlight the benefits of options 13 and 12 in terms of impact to current registration levels.
Option 13 is the ONLY option that reduces the current load from every school. Option 12 increases WCHS and
TEWMS beyond current enrollment levels.
Green = below capacity
Yellow = above capacity but below current enrollment
Red = above current enrollment
Page 3 of 9
2. Transportation
Purpose: Provide for the safe and efficient transportation of students to and from school.
Option 13 better addresses the concerns of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
regarding traffic congestion on State Road 54. One of their major concerns was expressed by
FDOT Traffic Engineering Specialist, Joel Provenzano PE, who noted in an email to concerned
citizens that “the majority of these school rezoning options may not be in the best interest of
the FDOT because it sends more traffic to currently over utilized roads (SR54) and actually
takes traffic away from underutilized roads (SR56).” Ultimately, he recommended Option 20.
Additionally, one of the largest urban arterial roadway (SR 54 from Curley Road to Morris
Bridge Road) reconstruction projects ($32 million dollars) in the greater Tampa area is
scheduled to begin construction in February 2017. This project will take several years to
complete and will further congest traffic from zones 18, 19, 22 and 23 to TEWMS and WCHS
leaving no direct alternate. Option 13 would avoid 400+ students from needlessly
overburdening the already over utilized SR 54.
● Option 12 would require over 400 more students to travel past Double Branch Elementary
School and along SR 54 than Option 13, exacerbating an already congested corridor.
● Option 12 doubles the costs of bus fuel (~$5,000/bus) compared to Option 13
(~$2,500/bus)1.
● Option 12 requires buses as well as parent and student drivers to travel North on Meadow
Pointe Blvd, adding additional congestion to MP 4 North and SR54. For the next several
years our kids would have to travel through two major urban construction projects (SR56
and SR54) to get to school, which clearly is not safe or efficient.
● Option 13 allows zones 18, 19, 22 and 23 to use continuous sidewalks that would allow
students to bike or walk to school without the need to cross any major intersections by
staying within the MP neighborhood.
● Option 13 would still allow buses as well as parent and student drivers to stay on internal
Meadow Point roads that have a speed limit of 40 mph and not need to go through major
roadways. Travel from zones 18, 19, 22 and 23 never need to leave the confines of
Meadow Point to reach school; as is currently the case for most students that go to JLMS
and WRHS that live south of SR56.
1
Average mpg for buses is 7 miles. It is 8 miles to TEMS and WCHS from Union Park. If the average price of gas is
$2.00/gallon that is approximately $5,000 per school year in fuel costs per bus vs. Option 13 which is approximately
$2,500 per bus per school year.
Page 4 of 9
Zones South of SR56 (18, 19, 22 and 23) are closest to JLMS/WRHS.
●
●
●
●
UP Clubhouse > JLMS = 5.2 Miles
Up Clubhouse > TEWMS = 7.3 Miles (40% Increase)
UP Clubhouse > Wiregrass Ranch HS = 4.7 Miles
UP Clubhouse > Wesley Chapel HS = 7.6 Miles (62% Increase)
●
●
●
●
MP3 Clubhouse > JLMS = 4.5 Miles
MP3 Clubhouse > TEWMS = 7.0 Miles (56% Increase)
MP3 Clubhouse > Wiregrass Ranch HS = 4.4 Miles
MP3 Clubhouse > Wesley Chapel HS = 7.3 Miles (62% Increase)
Zones North of SR56 are equidistant between the two school complexes
●
●
●
●
MP4 Clubhouse > TEWMS = 4.6 Miles
MP4 Clubhouse > JLMS = 4.7 Miles
MP4 Clubhouse > Wesley Chapel HS = 4.8 Miles
MP4 Clubhouse > Wiregrass Ranch HS = 4.2 Miles
Relevant Construction Planning


State Road 56 (start 2016, complete 2019)
State Road 54 (start 2017, complete 2022)
Page 5 of 9
3. Planning Integrity
Purpose: To the extent possible, should consider long term school construction plans in order to provide long term stability to
areas affected by proposed boundary changes.
Keeping zones south of SR56 assigned to JLMS/WRHS will ensure long term stability of the
boundary changes favoring Option 13 over Option 12.

No Middle and High School building projects are proposed south of SR56.

Neighborhoods south of SR56 have far less future residential development than north of
SR56.
Page 6 of 9

Once residential development is complete south of SR56, these neighborhoods will have
enough students to fill the capacity of JLMS/WRHS.

SR56 will provide a natural boundary ideal for these schools.

It is anticipated that Seven Oaks will be reassigned to the new Middle and High School
(GGG) in a couple years, which would likely result in returning zones 18,19, 22 and 23 to
JLMS/WRHS assignment if Option 12 was chosen.

If the desire is to provide long term stability of proposed boundary changes, then zones
18,19, 22 and 23 should be assigned to JLMS/WCHS which favors Option 13 over Option
12. The growth that is to occur north of State Road 56 is going to create additional schools
and new school districts. Accordingly, it would make better sense to assign the zones that
are currently south of State Road 56 to JLMS/WCHS because of the geography and
distance to the schools north of State Road 56.
Page 7 of 9
4. Feeder Patterns
Purpose: Maintain an in-line feeder pattern to the greatest extent possible.
On October 20, 2016, the Committee discussed the pros and cons of Option 12 “with
advantages being that the feeder patterns of the elementary school would be kept ... A
disadvantage was that the students south of SR 56 are close to WRHS and JLMS...”
The Committee’s discussion of the pros and cons of Option 13 followed. In this option, “an
advantage would be that the students south of SR 56 would be at the school closest to them,
and a disadvantage would be the feeder pattern for elementary schools would not stay intact”

Residents south of SR56 weigh the advantage of living closer to the schools thier children
attend higher than maintaining the current feeder patterns.

Option 13 may disrupt the current feeder, however, neighborhood school children would
all move to the same middle and high school.

In fact, 28% of elementary schools in Pasco County feed into more than one middle
school:
o Three elementary schools in the immediate area feed multiple middle schools:
 New River Elementary- feeds Stewart and Weightman
 Veterans Elementary- feeds Weightman and John Long
 Denham Oaks Elementary- currently feeds Rushe and John Long, the new
proposal will have it feed “GGG/Cypress Creek” and John Long
● Feeder patterns will be altered by the construction of any new elementary schools.
o Wiregrass Ranch zoning includes 3 more Elementary Schools
o Union Park Zoning includes 1 Elementary School
o Wyndfields Zoning includes 1 Elementary School south of 56
Page 8 of 9
5. Subdivision Integrity
Purpose: To the extent possible, incorporate complete neighborhood communities.
While Option 13 separates MP4 north and MP4 south, these communities are already
separated by SR56. They also already have north and south community centers on each side
of SR56.
Additionally, Option 12 already separates MP1 and MP2 from MP3 and MP4.
● Option 13 utilizes State Road 56 as a natural and logical boundary and maintains the
integrity of the MP3 and MP4 subdivisions located South of SR56.
● MP3, MP4 South, and Union Park utilize Meadow Pointe Blvd as it is the only access
point to and from these neighborhoods.
● MP3, MP4 South and Union Park are directly contiguous with MP2.
6. Socioeconomic Balance
Purpose: Provide a balance of racial and economic diversity among the populations served
Options 12 and 13 are nearly identical for both WRHS/JLMS and WCHS/TEWMS.
● Option 13 balances the socioeconomics of Wesley Chapel by evenly dividing newer
communities with older, more established communities.
Page 9 of 9