On the 17th of January, Pasco County Schools approved Option 13, rezoning sections of Wiregrass Ranch High School students.

The entire rezoning of Pasco County will affect about 300 students in Wiregrass Ranch High School, but 3,000 students in the entire county. Thousands of people packed the meeting for the rezoning, so much so, they had to open an extra room for all the parents. Most were there to attempt to keep their kids at their current school.

“It feels like we’re being picked on,” said mother Katherine Beckett to ABC Action News. “We literally have to drive past our school to go eight miles away, instead of two miles.”

Unfortunately, they couldn’t make everyone happy, as with all decisions, one side always loses.

Freshman Luke Jansson is against the rezoning of schools as a lot of his friends will be rezoned.

“I think they should let us finish at the school we started at,” said Jansson. “But after we finish, the new students just coming into the county should be zoned accordingly.”

Steve Luikart is a board member who tried to create a compromise. He told the board to think of best case and worst case scenarios for each option. A lot of people supported his view of giving it more time.

“Students should finish at the middle and high school they start at,” explained Luikart to ABC Action News, “I can’t live with myself with that, so I can’t support what we’re doing right now.”

Wiregrass Ranch High School is at 153% of it’s capacity and Dr. John Long Middle School at 147% of its capacity. Schools are very overcrowded and rezoning is just the county trying to adapt to all it’s growth.

Seven Oaks mother Kate Fletcher explains that we must adapt to change.

“The real challenges will just be beginning,” Fletcher said to Tampa Bay Times. “Parents need to figure out how to help their kids adapt to it. Change is not the challenge. How we handle it is.”