At a workshop session, Pasco County School Board members reviewed a sizable Neola policy update package and discussed multiple proposed edits, clarifications and items pulled for additional staff work.

The update package covered numerous district policies, and staff said certain items were being pulled from this packet for additional review (policies referenced in the presentation included policy numbers that staff identified by board packet codes). Board members and legal counsel discussed statutory references, suggested wording changes and operational implications for schools.

Notable policy topics and board discussion
- School board residence areas and statutory wording: The board discussed clarifying language so it reads "as prescribed by Florida law" rather than wording that could be read as the state drawing lines; staff agreed to revise the language to match statutory intent.
- Attendance policy and statute-driven requirements: The board reviewed a revised attendance policy that incorporates recent statutory changes (Senate Bill language noted in discussion). Staff said the new policy closely tracks statutory language and added procedures to implement new requirements (automated contacts, online forms for parents, and follow-up teams). Board members asked that language not imply the principal alone must complete all outreach; staff said policy language tracks statute but that administrative procedure can describe delegated responsibilities.
- Student device and bus-stop communications: Members clarified that principal discretion controls on-site phone use but that students waiting at bus stops generally should be allowed to contact parents; staff agreed to communicate that practice to school administrators.
- Career and technical education (CTE) and curriculum alignment: Board members raised questions about the degree of district support for CTE curriculum frameworks developed by the Florida Department of Education and whether more centralized curriculum support is needed for consistency across sites.
- Early identification and dyslexia screening: The board discussed new statutory expectations for early identification of reading and math deficiencies, referenced HB 7039 and changes to state rules; staff said school psychologists and intervention teams handle assessment and evaluation and that parents are not expected to obtain private diagnoses.
- Procurement and investment oversight: The board discussed whether the investment oversight or other committee should interview and rank financial planning service vendors similar to how the committee participates in facilities-related selections; staff said the investment policy (policy 6144) could be reviewed in a subsequent batch if the board wants to be consistent.

Pulled items and next steps
Staff said they would pull three specific policies (numbers provided during the workshop) for additional work and return them in the next batch, and staff offered to incorporate board wording changes and technical corrections prior to first reading.

What was not decided
No policies were formally adopted during the workshop excerpt; staff said revised language would be prepared for first-reading consideration at a future meeting.

Ending
Staff noted the work is dense but important; they will return revisions based on the board's comments for first-reading consideration.