Pasco School Calendar Delayed as 4-Day Week Investigation Continues

The 2012-13 Pasco County school calendar is still up in the air as district officials continue to look into the benefits and ramifications of a four-day school week.

The proposal to look into a four-day week came up as school district officials struggled with making . As 513 positions were cut from the district’s payroll,.

The volunteer task force assigned to investigate the potential impact of a four-day week has not completed its work, and is not expected to present its findings to the school board until March, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

School leaders and parents who rely on the calendar for planning purposes and school choice decisions will have to wait a bit longer than usual, and that has the phones at the district offices ringing, the Times reported.

Superintendent Heather Fiorentino told the school board Tuesday that the delay is becoming problematic, according to the Times.

Luikart, the task force chairman, said he would work to expedite the reporting, but said that he does not want to make a decision without all the information, the Times reported.

“The information that’s been coming back has been really interesting,” Luikart said in a about the taskforce’s work to date. “(These) people are looking behind (all the) corners.”

With the district's online survey now complete, the task force is asking to hear from the community in person. Three public forums have been scheduled for public input.

• 6:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at Pasco Middle School
• 6:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at Rushe Middle School
• 6:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at River Ridge Performing Arts Center

"Stakeholders are encouraged to attend in order to learn more about the district’s ongoing budget crisis and to share their views about the possible implementation of this cost-saving measure," a press release from the district stated.