Ben Pabst Retires From Pine View Middle School

After 31 years educating children in Pasco County, Ben Pabst is retiring.

Pabst has been the assistant principal at Pine View Middle School since 1996. Before that he worked as a guidance counselor at Zephyrhills Junior High School, Land O’ Lakes High School and Thomas E. Weightman Middle School.

Pabst said he has stayed at Pine View Middle because it is such a great school.

“I like it here,” Pabst said. “I had great leadership, great staff, students and parents. Our community is outstanding. Our parents have very high expectations and are very supportive of the school and its students.”

His background as a guidance counselor, helped to influence Pabst’s career as an assistant principal. He said he used that experience to help create and implement programs at the school.

“I am really big into character development,” Pabst said. “It has become an important topic and we have really tried to make it happen here. A lot of people realized it needed to be highly promoted and I was excited to do that.”

The school’s character development focuses on six key pillars: trustworthiness, respect, caring, responsibility, fairness and citizenship. There is also a focus on integrity and honesty.

Another program Pabst has worked on is to try to prevent bullying in the school.

“We are teaching kids to do incident reports,” Pabst said. “We are tracking and mediating before it becomes an issue. We try to help the kids work through their issues. We are helping the kids who are bullied and teaching the kids who bully not to.”

Before starting his career in education, Pabst was a flight officer in the Navy. He said even then he knew he wanted to do something to help shape children into solid citizens.

“I chose this career because I felt strongly about working with kids,” Pabst said. “I always had a strong belief in public education. I think public education is the heart of America. It is the great equalizer. Everyone has equal opportunity. It is also a great place to teach children to get along with each other, which is every bit as important as math.”

Pabst has two children, Meghann Pabst, a teacher at Oakstead Elementary School, and Chris Pabst, a doctoral candidate at the University of Florida. His wife also has a career in education. Lynn Pabst is the principal of New River Elementary School in Wesley Chapel.

After he retires, Pabst said he plans to do a lot of volunteer work at his church First Presbyterian Church in Brandon, at his wife’s school and at St. Leo University as an intern supervisor.

He also said he plans to come back to visit Pine View Middle.

“It is like a family here,” Pabst said. “I have been here 16 years. I have been here more waking hours than I have been at home. I will definitely be back to visit and to volunteer.”

Through all the years, Pabst said he has had the pleasure of hearing from former students and even working with a few.

“I have seen a lot of people who come to visit, especially after they graduate high school,” Pabst said. “We have a lot of students with good memories of Pine View. The middle school years are tough. That is why I chose to work in middle school, because I felt like it is an important age. They are transitioning from innocent children to more worldly adults.”

Donna Gricoski said Pabst will be missed.

“As a teacher at Pine View Middle School, I have had the pleasure of working with Ben for the past 13 years,” Gricoski said. “He has been an inspirational leader and a caring mentor during my transition from school resource personnel to teacher and also throughout my master's in the leadership program. Ben is very conscientious and attentive to his employees and the students of our school. We will truly miss him.”

Brandon Bracciale, assistant principal, said he will miss Pabst’s friendship, his stories about the history of the school and his ability to inspire those around him.

“He is a really special person,” Bracciale said. “He has his priorities straight with family and faith first and then work and he always puts his heart into everything. He truly inspires me to be a better person. He is kind, gentle and consistent.”

Every year Pabst’s favorite program to focus on was the character development and Bracciale said that is a legacy he would be leaving behind.

“Every year, the character development was what he did,” Bracciale said. “There are signs everywhere. Every time I see the signs, I will think of him.”

Pabst said he has always been proud to work in Pasco County.

“Pasco County has been an outstanding district to work for," Pabst said. "Everywhere I have worked it has always been about the students and their success. The county has been progressive by providing leading edge programs to help students be the best they can be.”

Pabst last official day is June 30.