Classical Preparatory Academy, the charter school founded by powerful state Rep. Richard Corcoran's wife, Anne, has run afoul of the Pasco County School District with its plans to cancel three class days to hold parent-teacher conferences.
The idea, written into the school's 2015-16 calendar and distributed to parents, violates Classical Prep's contract with the School Board, district officials told Anne Corcoran in a letter sent late Friday.
The contract states that the charter school will have a calendar "consistent with" the district's. The traditional schools do not have those days off for conferences.
Corcoran told the Times her school has long enough class days that it can meet state requirements for academic hours provided, even with the students off for those meetings. Lawmakers recently changed the law to allow for such an accounting of academic time.
But the statute doesn't do away with the contractual requirements, which refers to days, assistant superintendent Vanessa Hilton said. And now is not the time to modify the contract, Hilton added — that window came and went months ago.
"We are their (local education agency). We are under an obligation to make sure they are following their contract," she said.
Corcoran, who is a lawyer, said the charter school had no intention of violating any rule. Rather, it wanted to get information to parents about its conference plan, and then go to the school district to discuss the possibilities of changing the calendar. If things didn't pan out, she said, classes could simply occur on those days.
"I feel like we're still in the middle of the conversation," she said.
Deputy superintendent Ray Gadd said he planned to call a meeting with the charter school leadership and district staff to discuss the matter further.
OUT TO PASTURE: The Pasco County School Board bought 20 acres on U.S. 41 at Sunterra Drive less than a year ago in anticipation of another population boom in Land O'Lakes.
A series of small housing developments in the area led officials to recommend banking the land, at a cost of $1.65 million, for a future elementary school.
Since the purchase, the reopening of Sanders Memorial Elementary 5 miles south of the site has eased the burden on Connerton Elementary, about 3 miles east of the site.
Now deputy superintendent Ray Gadd has advised School Board members that, "due to budget constraints and a slowdown in student growth, it is not anticipated that the elementary school will be developed here for several years."
So the administration has recommended that the board lease the land for agricultural purposes. The proposed contract, which went to the board on Tuesday, would allow South Branch Ranch Inc. to use the land for livestock grazing and other agricultural purposes, without any permanent changes to the property.
The group would pay $400 a year.
GETTING BETTER: When Zephyrhills High School had problems last spring, teachers there were among the first to let superintendent Kurt Browning know it.
Now that things have calmed down with a new principal at the helm, the school's teachers union representative figured Browning should hear that, too. So at the end of first day of classes, Cat Burgess fired off a note to the superintendent.
She thanked him for listening and responding to the faculty's concerns.
"Today went off without much drama from the students concerning the 'new' (old) rules being enforced. And the atmosphere of the school, staff and students, was fresh and energetic," Burgess wrote. "I know we made a lot of noise last year but the changes are for the better."
There hasn't been any news to the contrary since.
NEW LEADER: River Ridge High School is getting a new principal, less than two weeks after the abrupt departure of Maria Swanson.
Toni Zetsche, an assistant principal at Hudson High School, was recommended for the post. Her nomination went to the School Board on Tuesday.
Three other candidates applied for the job. Interim principal Pat Reedy, a retired Pasco High principal, was not among them.
Contact Jeffrey S. Solochek at jsolochek@tampabay.com or (813) 909-4614. Follow @JeffSolochek.