Pasco officials seek funding and state approval to extend turnaround work at Cox Elementary; propose MGT partnership

Pasco County School District officials told the school board they will ask the board for funds to support either a district‑managed TOP‑1 extension or a TOP‑2 option for Cox Elementary School as the district seeks state approval.

District deputy superintendent Monica Iles presented the district’s current school‑grade designations and data, saying nine Pasco schools are currently overseen by the state and that three — Pasco Elementary, Gulf Middle and Cox Elementary — are designated Tier 2 under the state turnaround framework. Iles said Cox Elementary’s overall school grade is 39 percent, two percentage points below the state’s “C” threshold.

The request matters because Tier‑2 schools must submit a TOP‑2 plan to the state by Jan. 31 if the district does not win an extension; TOP‑2 options prescribed by state guidance include school closure and reassignment, conversion to a charter, or working with an external operator under contract. District officials said the state deferred Cox’s extension request to a hearing at the State Board of Education the next day and gave the district an opportunity to submit an addendum.

Why it matters: a TOP‑2 finding can require the district to cede operational control to an outside operator. District leaders told the board they prefer a partnership model that would allow Pasco to retain decision authority while bringing intensive supports to Cox.

What the district proposed: officials described an addendum that would pair Cox with consultant MGT for a semester‑condensed Year‑1 launch and an initial contract period running through June 26 if the state grants the extension. District materials described technical supports that would be supplied by the vendor — a transformational director, transformational specialist and lead coaches for ELA and math — and said the partnership would include a comprehensive needs assessment, targeted coaching, and assistance implementing a dual‑language program and bilingual staffing increases. District staff said MGT has worked in Hillsborough County since 2019 and cited an average school improvement of 16 percentage points in those engagements.

District data and school supports: Iles reviewed how school grades are calculated and the campus‑level data behind the Tier‑2 designations. She said Pasco Elementary’s overall score was 37 percent (four points below a C), Gulf Middle’s was 41 percent (three points below a C), and Cox Elementary’s was 39 percent (two points below a C). Iles and other staff described supports already in place at Cox: site coaches, weekly district monitoring, the I‑Ready intervention program for reading and math, an added science coach, reduced discipline incidents, community partnerships and recently appointed leadership (Wendy Lane was named principal in January 2024). The district also said English‑language learners make up about 32 percent of Cox’s enrollment and that the school is working to translate materials and expand family engagement.

Discussion and concerns: board members asked about class sizes, staffing stability and the number of students counted in the 3rd‑through‑5th grade cells used for school grades. Staff acknowledged variation in how the school’s enrollment figures were described during the presentation and said they would clarify exact enrollment counts. Several board members pressed for assurances about family engagement, supports for students who may have both limited English proficiency and a disability, and whether the district could retain decisionmaking authority under a partnership model. District leaders and the superintendent said the addendum was intended to give the State Board “something to hang their hat on” so the state might grant an extension rather than force a TOP‑2 operator takeover.

Next steps: district officials said they will present the addendum and recommended contract language to the state board at its scheduled review and ask the local board for funding approval to enact the plan if the state grants the extension. No formal board vote on funding or a contract was recorded in this meeting segment; the item remained a request for later action.

Ending: district staff emphasized the urgency of the work while cautioning that the state has final authority over extensions and TOP‑2 approvals. Several board members voiced support for the principal and staff at Cox and for pursuing additional, targeted interventions if the state allows an extension.