As parents and teachers get ready for back to school, they’re now waiting a bit longer in Pasco County. 

Schools will now open two weeks later on August 24th. However, some feel that’s not enough time.

Land O’ Lakes High School teacher Jeremy Blythe feels it’s not safe to return to school yet. 

“Delaying for two weeks, while that’s a great start, we still need to start online at that point. As much as we want to be back in the schools with these kids, as much as we love our kids, that’s what we need to see,” Blythe said.

Blythe was one of several teachers who rallied outside the school district offices, trying to get their safety concerns addressed.

Superintendent Kurt Browning asked for the delay to gives school staff a little more time to get campuses ready. In addition, Pasco County Schools are still going to offer two online options.

Parent Ann Castimore from Hudson, who has four kids in Pasco County schools, says the delay doesn’t change her mind. 

She’s keeping her kids home.

“It doesn’t matter if they delay it two weeks or not. I just feel they should do distance learning,” Castimore said.

Many teachers and parents we spoke to say they’ll feel better once the numbers of cases and the percent positive rate goes down.

As of Thursday, that rate was 9.6 percent in Pasco County.

“We’d like to see it down to 5 percent to consider going back,” Blythe said.

“I will consider my children going back to school once I see a decline in the COVID-19 cases in Pasco County,” Castimore explained.

The superintendent said in a Facebook video that he’s aware the two week delay doesn’t guarantee the rate of cases will drop in that time. But the school system is looking to comply with the state order to reopen.

Under the new calendar, teachers will return on August 17th. 

Students will return on August 24th.