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Pasco County Sweetens the Deal for Teachers at Struggling Schools

Pasco County is offering new incentives to attract and keep teachers at its lowest-performing schools. More than 400 educators at eight “opportunity schools” that received D or lower grades are eligible for bonuses ranging from $2,000 to $15,000, depending on their evaluations and experience.

The money, split into two semester payments, comes from a mix of state and local funds. Teachers will also get half off the district’s before and after-school childcare program.

The goal is to fill vacancies and keep strong teachers in classrooms where they’re needed most. Some educators, however, argue that raises should apply across the board and include support staff as well.

District leaders say the effort is about stability and long-term improvement—and they hope that one day, “opportunity schools” won’t need special incentives at all.

Around The Town

Rebuilding Homes, Restoring Hope in Pasco

When Hurricane Helene swept through Pasco County nearly a year ago, it left over 8,000 homes damaged or destroyed—leaving countless residents displaced and disheartened. One of them, a middle school teacher from Port Richey, fled her home with nothing but her dogs and the clothes on her back. When she returned, she found not just her house—but her life—in ruins.

Hope appeared in the form of local handyman and contractor Joe Seabolt, founder of Poor In Spirit Ministries. In recovery himself, Seabolt set out on a mission to help twelve families restore their homes and their lives. Using his own funds and rallying community support, he has made it his calling to step in where insurance and resources fall short.

For families like the teacher in Port Richey, who lost her mother and could never afford the repairs on her own, Seabolt’s work means more than bricks and mortar. It’s a second chance to rebuild, to move forward, and to see that community doesn’t end when the storm clouds pass—it begins there.

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