Pensacola Speaks: What I learned about PATS Center on Tuesday

Yesterday we had Wendy Underhill talk about the PATS Center at Brown-Barge Middle. For nearly 50 years, gifted students have been bused to the PATS Center one day a week to work with specially-trained teachers and other gifted students on subjects not covered during a normal school day.

Our show aired after School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas went on The Daily Brew and said it had never been his intention to close the PATS Center. He claimed that he didn’t understand how the issue became “so confused.”

Underhill and the callers told a different story of how the school district and schools have discouraged students from enrolling in the PATS Center.

The enrollment numbers published by Pensacola Today support Underhill’s assertions:

Program for Academically Talented Students (PATS) Center

* 2003 attendance: 758
* 2010 attendance: 545
* 2014 attendance: 321

40 percent decrease since 2010, 56 percent decrease since 2003

Underhill said that the school district has said it will offer the PATS Center option to all gifted students. She wanted to make sure parents know that. Check out their Facebook page.

Pensacola Speaks airs weekdays from 5-6 p.m. on News Talk 1370 WCOA.