2026-2027 Pasco County Schools Parent and Family Engagement Policy 

 

General Expectations 

Pasco County Schools agrees to implement the following statutory requirements:  

The school district will implement operational programs, activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents in all its schools with Title I, Part A programs, consistent with section 1116 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Those programs, activities, and procedures will be planned during meaningful consultation with parents of participating children. 

• Consistent with section 1116 of the ESEA, the school district will work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parent and family engagement policies meet the requirements of section 1116(b) of the ESEA, and each include, as a component, a school parent compact consistent with section 1116(d) of the ESEA. 

• The school district will incorporate the district-wide parent and family engagement policy into its Local Education Agency (LEA) plan developed under section 1112 of the ESEA.  

• In fulfilling the parent and family engagement requirements under Title I, Part A, the school district and its schools will, to the extent practicable, ensure meaningful opportunities for all parents and family members to participate. This includes individuals with limited English proficiency, those with disabilities, parents of migratory children, and parents of private school students. The district will provide information and school reports required under Section 1111 of the ESEA in a format that is clear, consistent, and accessible. Upon request, materials will be made available in alternative formats and, where practicable, in languages that parents understand. 

• If the LEA plan for Title I, Part A, developed under section 1112 of the ESEA, is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, the school district will submit parent comments with the plan when the school district submits the plan to the State Department of Education.  

• The school district will involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parent and family engagement is spent and will ensure that not less than 90 percent of the one percent reserved goes directly to the schools. 

• The school district will be governed by the following statutory definition of “parent and family engagement,” and expects that its Title I schools will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with this definition:  

  • Parent and family engagement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring— 

    •  that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning; 

    •  that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school;  

    • that parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child; and 

    • the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1116 of the ESEA. 

 

Implementation 

1. Joint Development of the District-Wide Plan (Section 1116)  

As part of Pasco County School’s commitment to meaningful family engagement and compliance with Title I, Part A, the district annually develops the LEA-wide Parent and Family Engagement Plan (PFEP). 

Each school’s Parent and Family Engagement (PFE) Coordinator will identify one family member to participate in a virtual input and evaluation meeting for the LEA PFEP. These district-wide meetings, hosted by the Title I team, may be held multiple times to accommodate family schedules.  Feedback from these sessions is used to develop the LEA plan. 

To ensure broad representation and meaningful input, Pasco County Schools will distribute a survey to all Title I schools, to gather parent perspectives on engagement needs. The district will also collect and analyze data from: 

• School-level parent input meetings 

• LEA PFEP parent feedback page on our title I District website 

• Family and community engagement event logs 

This data informs both the development of the LEA PFEP and decisions about how Title I parent engagement funds are allocated. 

Each school will host a Title I Input Meeting open to all parents and will use multiple outreach methods—such as flyers, phone calls, websites, and social media—to encourage participation. Feedback collected during these meetings will be used to shape each school’s PFEP and guide the use of Title I funds. 

2. Involvement in LEA and School Improvement Plans (Sections 1112 & 1111(d))  

Pasco County Schools will use parent feedback from surveys and meetings to inform the LEA plan under Section 1112 and support and improvement plans under Section 1111(d). The district encourages schools to collect feedback on schoolwide plans and compacts and submits this input to the district for integration into broader planning efforts.  

3. Coordination and Technical Assistance (Section 1116(a)(2)(B))  

Pasco County Schools will provide professional development on family engagement strategies and offer access to a digital video library, a variety of professional development courses for staff development, monthly technical assistance newsletters, and networking meetings for school-based parent engagement coordinators. The district will also conduct site visits to schools to review PFEPs, offer one-on-one consultation, and support school leaders in implementing effective parent and family engagement activities.  

4. Coordination with Other Programs (Section 1116(a)(2)(C))  

Pasco County Schools will collaborate across state and federal programs to fund district translation services and will coordinate efforts through regular meetings with other federal program administrators.  This includes supporting cross-program collaboration through the grant's collaboration process. This process includes district senior leadership, department directors, and all state and federal program contacts. During these collaboration meetings programs and funding decisions are considered and aligned to provide support to all families. 

5. Annual Evaluation (Section 1116(a)(2)(D–E))  

Pasco County Schools is committed to fostering meaningful family engagement and ensuring compliance with Title I, Part A through the development and continuous improvement of its LEA-wide Parent and Family Engagement Plan (PFEP). Each year, the district conducts a comprehensive evaluation of its engagement efforts using multiple data sources including parent surveys, event participation data, and focus groups. These insights help identify barriers to participation, assess family needs and preferences, and guide revisions to both district and school-level PFEPs and School-Parent Compacts. 

To ensure families are actively involved in evaluating the LEA PFEP, each school’s PFE Coordinator will identify one family member to participate in a virtual input and evaluation meeting hosted by the Title I team. These district-wide meetings may be held more than once to accommodate participants’ schedules, and the feedback gathered is used to evaluate and shape the LEA plan. Additionally, each Title I school hosts an Annual Title I Parent Input Meeting, open to all families, to further collect input on engagement strategies and the use of Title I funds. Outreach efforts such as flyers, phone calls, websites, and social media are used to encourage broad participation. 

To support ongoing, accessible engagement beyond scheduled meetings, the district implements an OnFlo feedback feature on the webpage where the LEA PFEP is published. This tool allows families and community members to submit feedback year-round. Input received through OnFLo will be reviewed and considered during the evaluation of the current plan and the development of subsequent plans, ensuring that family voices remain central to the district’s Title I efforts. 

6. Building Capacity for Engagement (Section 1116(e))  

To assist parents, Pasco County Schools will host events and workshops on state academic standards and assessments, monitoring student progress, Title I requirements, and working with educators. The district will also provide materials and training to support learning at home.  

The district will provide family literacy initiatives, such as One School, One Book, to promote reading and learning at home. Additionally, families will have access to digital resources and printed materials on topics including FAFSA, at-home reading strategies, and school attendance, empowering parents to support their children's academic success.  

Pasco County Schools will educate teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals, and other school leaders on how to reach out to communicate with and work with parents as equal partners. This will include Parent Teacher Home Visit training, family engagement professional learning Canvas courses, Poverty Simulation Training, and training for Parent Engagement Liaisons.  

The district will coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement programs and activities with other relevant federal, state, and local programs. This includes supporting, cross-program collaboration, and participation in public school events for private school families.  

To ensure accessibility, Pasco County Schools will utilize a translation service, offer varied meeting times and formats including virtual and recorded sessions, and utilize multiple communication channels such as phone calls, texts, social media, and the myStudent portal. All materials will be provided in understandable formats and translated into parents’ preferred languages when practicable. 

 

Pasco County Schools Parent and Family Engagement Policy Download