Pasco eSchool Elementary

Yes, the District School Board of Pasco County is a fully-accredited district through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS-CASI) and AdvancED (formerly known as the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation, or CITA).

The eligibility requirements are: 

• Students entering kindergarten must be five years old before September 1st of the school year in which they enroll in the program. 
• Students entering first grade must be six years old before September 1st of the school year in which they enroll in the program. 

• Students must reside in the State of Florida. 
• Students must have academic needs and services that match what can be supported in a virtual school setting.  When there are questions about the potential match, an educational planning meeting is scheduled to make a final determination. 

Pasco eSchool currently has partnerships directly with many Florida districts to provide access to our program.  Under Florida law, families may choose to enroll in any virtual program offered by a Florida district, providing the family is able to commit to meet the program’s expectations and the student meets the enrollment criteria. 

 Our elementary program is a full-year program. Students must enroll by mid-August prior to the school year.  Our secondary program accepts first semester enrollments in mid-August prior to the school year.  Second-semester enrollments begin in November through mid-January.   See the main registration page for more details.

 Pasco eSchool does allow students to design a schedule that blends virtual coursework with courses on a local school campus. To explore this option, please request an educational planning meeting at your zoned school.

Pasco eSchool is a choice within the Pasco County School District. There are no fees for enrolling in a public virtual education program or school. All curriculum materials and resources are fully funded. Parents will need to provide their child access to a computer with internet as a requirement for participation in a virtual education program. (Students may qualify for a technology hardship exception if the family satisfies the technology hardship provisions outlined by Florida State Statute 1002.45 and HB 7197.)

Enrollment in Pasco eSchool is now open. To ensure your child’s place, please begin by visiting the registration website.

Our Student and Family Orientation will take place each August during the first week of school. Given the fluidity of the COVID-19 situation, we have not yet determined the format of our orientation. Our website is being updated and we encourage families to check it regularly. Families are welcome to contact the Pasco eSchool office to meet with administration and/or school counselors to address any questions regarding enrollment with the elementary program at any time. 

We continue to monitor current health and safety guidelines from local, state, and national health officials to guide our decision-making about on-campus, face-to-face orientation sessions.  Our staff will provide information to families during the week of August 3rd about the location, format, and schedule for orientation sessions. 

The curriculum is aligned to the current Florida Standards. The Florida standards can be accessed by visiting the Florida Department of Education website.  Florida’s BEST standards are scheduled for full implementation during the 2021-2022 school year, allowing districts to time to consider adopting instructional materials and provide professional development in advance of full implementation. 

As a school of choice, families have the following options to access virtual instruction 

• Pasco eSchool Virtual Instruction Program: A high quality, comprehensive virtual curriculum provided by Pasco eSchool teachers. 
• MySchool Online:  An option to receive a highly structured program coordinated by the student’s physical school. The specific schedules, curriculum, and expectations are determined by the local school. 
• Brevard or Lee Virtual School: An inter-district agreement allowing Pasco students to participate in another district’s virtual school program. 

Students who enroll in Pasco eSchool receive a rigorous and relevant curriculum, blending tradition, innovation, and technology. Families receive a variety of online and hardcopy texts and other supplemental materials. Resources will be distributed during our orientation session and our on-campus learning days.  Families will occasionally need to provide common household items for some projects or activities. 

Trade in the traditional school schedule for a daily schedule that flexes to meet your family’s needs. The Pasco eSchool’s schedule still requires about 25 hours per week, which includes attendance and progress milestones to guide your student’s journey. Pasco eSchool’s team will help you create a weekly schedule that connects your student with engaging curriculum experiences. In addition, there will be online events, parent academics, field trips, and live school events. We’ll work hand-in-hand with you to ensure that your student’s academic progress meets or exceeds grade-level expectations, and provide ideas to make the experience enjoyable. 

The Pasco eSchool virtual instruction program model requires a significant investment of time to support the academic growth for your student, but the experience for your student can be priceless. Let us show you how your time, encouragement, and support coupled with our engaging curriculum and dedicated teachers can unleash your student’s potential. 

As a public school in Pasco County, Pasco eSchool follows the instructional calendar published by the district. In accordance with Florida statutes, students are required to be enrolled for 180 days. Attendance must be recorded for all students.

 In order for your child to achieve a year’s worth of academic growth, families must adhere to the timelines set forth for each content area. There will be pacing information that will allow students to complete grade-level expectations during the course of the year. Our learning management system (LMS) will include a calendar to assist in organizing your child’s learning. 

 A successful partnership with your family: 

• Communicating consistently with Pasco eSchool staff 

• Meeting minimum weekly work requirements based on class timelines 
• Attending regularly, including required sessions – both live and online 
• Participating in online lessons 
• Adhering to all program requirements and expectations 
• Completing assignments for the purpose of developing knowledge and skills with high quality on a consistent basis 

• Engaging in any and all assessments 

There is a 28-day grace period. This gives families and Pasco eSchool staff time to determine whether virtual enrollment is the right fit. The 28-day grace period begins from the time the family enrolls. These days include calendar days, not school days. 

The Pasco eSchool curriculum blends tradition, innovation, and technology. The decision to enroll in Pasco eSchool, however, represents a significant commitment on the part of the family to take an active role in the educational process. Parents must understand and accept their role in partnering with the virtual teacher, or designate another adult to serve as a learning guide.

 For elementary students, Pasco eSchool provides a well-rounded curriculum. Our curriculum consists of Humanities, STEAM, and special course including art, music, physical education, Spanish, and technology. The humanities block includes so much more than a traditional English and language arts curriculum. Pasco eSchool’s humanities curriculum connects English and language arts to the study of other modern languages, literature, fine arts, history, and communication. The STEAM curriculum provides a framework for teaching across the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The school district will provide the curriculum and materials necessary, though some common household items may be required. 

Secondary students (in grades 6-12), will be enrolled in core subjects (English/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies) and may select appropriate elective courses to complete their course of study. 

Elementary students are required to have 150 minutes of physical activity each week. The learning coach may use a variety of student-selected activities, team sports, and/or other approved physical activity to meet this requirement. The learning coach will submit attendance and workout logs as directed by the teacher to meet this requirement. 

Middle school students are required to complete M/J Health 4 in Grade 6, and must also complete one semester of physical education each year, under Florida statute. 

IEPs and 504 plans will be coordinated as follows: 

A parent or zoned school will share information about the student’s academic support plan (IEP or 504).  A copy of the plan will be gathered with the record request at enrollment.  Our school staff will provide copies of the academic plan to the student’s teachers, and assist with determining options for providing accommodations within the virtual school environment.  When there is concern that a student’s accommodations or services cannot be met in the virtual school, a team meeting will be scheduled to discuss the options for providing them. 

Regular participation in classes is critical to student success. Virtual “attendance” is taken each school day in two ways. Attendance in online coursework, course sample submissions, and assessments are monitored. Students should also log in to each of their courses for substantive participation daily. To have satisfactory “attendance”, work must be submitted weekly regardless of the student’s pacing, unless arrangements are made in advance with the Pasco eSchool teachers and staff. Additionally, our teachers will engage students and families in reflection conferences monthly.

 Pasco eSchool provides a highly-qualified, Florida-certified teacher for students. The teacher has special skills and experience working with families in virtual environments and has been specially selected to create the best learning experience for each student. 

Pasco eSchool provides an additional layer of support through our educational support team. Students and parents/Learning Guides will also have access to the educational support team and Pasco eSchool teachers through email, text message webinar platforms, and phone. Our teachers will provide direct instruction. They are available for questions, special assistance, and optional group teaching activities providing multiple forums in which you and your student can participate. The teachers provide experienced support as professional educators, answers to specific curriculum questions, alternative teaching strategies, and other practical advice. 

Consistent parent or adult participation is a requirement of this program. Families are required to designate an adult to serve as a learning guide. The curriculum is challenging and rigorous, requiring frequent student/teacher, and parent/student interaction to complete online and offline instructional activities.  

For younger students, the parent takes an active role in the teaching and learning process. As students mature, the teacher and online resources provide more direct instruction, while the parent provides support, structure, and accountability. 

Throughout the curriculum and school year, there will be parent-teacher conferences or student-teacher conferences to discuss the student’s progress. The conferences will include progress calls and/or face to face meetings. The student, learning guide, and teacher function as a team working toward a common goal: student success. 

Students are also required to participate in annual state and district testing, which will require the parent to provide transportation to the designated testing location—usually Pasco eSchool. 

There will be many opportunities throughout the school year to interact both with Pasco eSchool students either virtually or at in-person events. These live or in-person events will be posted well in advance so that families can schedule accordingly. These events are an integral component of the curriculum.

Students are placed within the grade level based on previous school records and in accordance with Florida Statute 1003.21(1)(b). Once students are enrolled in our program, we will use many forms of formal and informal sources of data to adjust the appropriate instructional plan for your child. Parents always have an option to conference with school administration, guidance counselors, and teachers to review their child’s academic records and determine if there are individual needs in creating an instructional plan for the upcoming school year. 

No, the program is easy to use. The curriculum is a blended program of online, textbook, and other forms of study. There will be orientation prior to the start of school where you can learn the computer skills needed, and the Pasco eSchool staff will provide assistance when needed!

Yes, Pasco eSchool’s program incorporates a blend of synchronous and online instruction. The student and parent will need access to the internet 2-3 hours a day from your home or through free public access such as a library.  Students may be eligible for assistance with internet service if the family satisfied the technology hardship provisions outlined by Florida Statute 1002.45.

Computers with internet access are required to complete a portion of the curriculum, as the Pasco eSchool program is a blended curriculum program. (Students may qualify for a technology hardship exception if the family satisfies the technology hardship provisions outlined by Florida State Statute 1002.45 and HB 7197.

• Modern Computer with Internet access capable of 2mb download speeds.
• Headset with Microphone.
• Web camera
• Bamboo Pen or equivalent