| Land O' Lakes High School | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Fighting Gators |
| Established | July 3, 1975 |
| Type | Public high school |
| Principal | Ric Mellin |
| Asst. Principal | Richard Batchelor, Steve Page, Cloty Rummell, Holly Rockhill (International Baccalaureate), and Jackie Fishman (Adult Education) |
| Faculty | Approximately 190 |
| Students | 1516 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Location | 20325 Gator Lane, Land O' Lakes, Florida, USA |
| District | Pasco County |
| Colors | |
| Athletics | Baseball, Basketball Boys, Basketball Girls, Cheerleading, Cross-Country, Football, Golf Boys, Golf Girls, Soccer Boys, Soccer Girls, Softball Varsity, Swimming & Diving Boys, Swimming & Diving Girls, Tennis Boys, Tennis Girls, Track Boys, Track Girls, Volleyball Varsity, Weightlifting Boys, Weightlifting Girls, Wrestling Varsity |
| Mascot | Gator |
| Emblem | A Wading Gator |
| Yearbook | Alligate |
| Newspaper | The Gator Gazette |
| Website | http://lolhs.pasco.k12.fl.us |
Land O' Lakes High School is a four-year public high school in Land O' Lakes, Florida.[1] It is a part of the District School Board of Pasco County. The school mascot is the Fighting Gators.[2]
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Construction of Land O' Lakes High School began in 1973.[3] Leroy McClain was named principal and began hiring staff.[3] Because of critical overcrowding across the county due to a population jump, classes we're held in double sessions at nearby Sanders Memorial Elementary School while the school was being built.[3] When the school finally opened two years later, it welcomed 1,400 students grades 7 through 12.[3] Five years later, Pine View Middle School was built to hold grades 6 through 8. From 2003 to 2007, Land O' Lakes operated on a 10-period bell schedule to ease crowding with most freshmen attending classes from 10:25 AM to 4:45 PM and sophomores, juniors and seniors attending from 7:35 a.m. to 2 p.m.. This was discontinued in 2007, when Sunlake High School opened.[3][4]
The class of 2008 was the largest graduating class in school history, with nearly 600 graduates.
Land O' Lakes High has had six principals in its history.
Ric Mellin, formerly the principal of J.W. Mitchell High School, became the school's sixth principal in March 2009. Mr. Mellin replaces Monica Ilse, who was appointed principal of the new Anclote High School in Holiday, opened in August 2009.[5]
| Name | Begin | End |
|---|---|---|
| Leroy McClain | 1975 | 1985 |
| Albert Bashaw | 1985 | 1997 |
| Max Ramos | 1997 | 2003 |
| Ray Bonti | 2003 | 2006 |
| Monica Ilse | 2006 | 2009 |
| Ric Mellin | 2009 | Present |
For Land O' Lakes, our Alma Mater
Ever shall we stand.
With every heart and hand
Do we pledge to uphold
Thy noble name and worthy colors.
Proudly may they fly
As wings against the sky
Brilliant BLUE AND GOLD.
And when our term's complete,
If we should chance to meet,
For every kin elite our arms enfold:
And every heart will stir with pride,
Every soul awakes
As we hail our alma mater,
LAND O' LAKES
In 2005, the school received a grade of A from the state of Florida for the first time. It was also the first time a high school in Pasco County received the ranking. That same year, the school made a list of the top 1000 high schools in the country in an issue of Newsweek Magazine. The school was listed as number 312 out of 1,000 high schools. In 2006 and 2007, the school had kept its A grade and had remained on Newsweek's annual list of the top high schools. In 2008, the school once again remained on the list. The school also received an A grade for 2009.
Land O' Lakes High School is one of two high schools in Pasco County to offer the IB Diploma Programme, the other being Gulf High School. High school students in Central and East Pasco attend LOLHS for the IB Programme. This program draws exclusive demands from teachers and mostly students. (IB is also offered at Gulf High School for students in West Pasco.) [6]
In 2007 more than 100 juniors and seniors were banned from attending prom due to an attendance policy that states that if students have more than six absences in a quarter or 10 in a semester, they will lose the privilege of participating in extracurricular activities. This is a district rule enforced by all other schools in Pasco County. Many students affected by this rule claimed that it was not enforced before and were allowed to attend Homecoming, even with excessive absences. They tried to start a petition and tried to organize their own prom.[7] [8]
Nancy Browning, who was hired when the school opened in 1975, is still at the school. Many alumni have also returned as teachers. LOLHS now houses approximately 1520 students grades nine through twelve.[1]