Hillsborough

Florida has made a big deal about improving children's reading abilities in recent years, adding more reading classes and coaches to get the job done. One Hillsborough teacher has earned recognition for her role in the effort. LoriSue Grieb, the...

School Board hopefuls have until noon tomorrow to qualify for the election. But it's already too late to get endorsed by the district's union of blue collar workers, the Hillsborough Schools Employees Federation. HSEF is backing these candidates: District 1:...

Jason Mims (left) is rarely shy when making his views known to the Hillsborough School Board. He has been a tireless champion of raising academic expectations among minority boys in the urban communities that struggle the most. Well, Mims isn't...

When it comes to cell phones, get ready for signs in Hillsborough schools making the rules crystal clear. "It's a pretty simple slogan: If we see it, we take it," School Board member Carol Kurdell said. Her comment wrapped up...

Neighborhood Relations Program in Hillsborough County  The program is responsible for working with community groups, county departments and other organizations, in order to build partnerships that improve, enhance, and preserve the quality of life in Hillsborough County neighborhoods.    The Program Disseminates information about County government and related subjects to neighborhood associat

TAMPA -- The Hillsborough School Board voted today to increase school lunch prices by 50 cents for all grade levels. Beginning in August, lunch will cost $2.25 in elementary schools and $2.75 in middle and high schools. That means families...

On June 1st 2008, The Hillsborough Schools Foundation will be holding its 15th Annual Hillsborough Family Fun Run. Event participants are invited to walk or run the 2K, 5k, or 10k course throughout Hillsborough. Check-in begins at 7:00am. If you are interested in registering for this event please register online by going to www.HSF.org Be on [...]

Hillsborough school officials are looking into placing an International Baccalaureate program in the next new high school in the east county. So does that mean the high school opening in 2009-10 at Interstate 4 and Gallagher Road gets one? That...

Hillsborough announced a dozen principal appointments at Tuesday's School Board meeting. Here the scoop on who's moving where: Alexander Elementary: Kristina Alvarez, currently assistant principal at Alexander. Ballast Point Elementary: Sherri Frick, currently assistant principal at Roosevelt Elementary. Edison Elementary:...

Like everyone else, Hillsborough school employees are facing sticker shock at the gas pump. Only their boss wants to help. Superintendent MaryEllen Elia announced Tuesday night that employees working over the summer would have the flexibility to work four, 10-hour...

TAMPA -- Hillsborough school officials are looking to bump up thermostats and reduce administrative spending in the face of statewide education budget cuts. Schools and district offices will be asked to push indoor temperatures to 76 degrees, two degrees higher...

The Pinellas School Board will meet Friday to begin discussions on how to replace outgoing superintendent Clayton Wilcox. But the district heard Wednesday from a big name in local education circles who is interested in the job. Mike Grego (left),...

The Gandy Gap strikes again: The Pinellas school district is again looking not-so-sharp compared to Hillsborough – this time in the number of National Achievement scholars, who are widely perceived to be the top black students in the country. Hillsborough...

Once upon a time before MaryEllen Elia took over the Hillsborough school district, Donnie Evans (left) was the district's top-ranking black official. He oversaw several key programs and was often present in the news. He applied for the superintendent's job...

The final count speaks for itself: Almost 60 percent of Hillsborough students skipped classes on the first day in years that the district has held school on Good Friday. The spread between schools is interesting. Could different schools have sent...

Not so much teaching seems to be going on in Hillsborough classrooms today. Early reports are indicating that student attendance is very low -- in places, dismally so -- at schools across the county. But the numbers appear to vary...

Despite canceling bus service completely at almost two dozen campuses and slashing routes elsewhere, Hillsborough County educators insist they will try to have a normal school day today, the first time in years they have tried to hold classes on...

Schools across Hillsborough County are trying to assure parents and students that Friday will be a normal school day, even though large numbers of teachers and bus drivers are taking the day off. To be sure, Friday's normal has many...

The American School Board Journal has recognized programs in the Hillsborough and Pasco school districts that take "bold and innovative steps" to improve their educational offerings. The 14th annual Magna Awards will be presented officially on March 31 in Orlando....

In an increasingly gloomy economic environment, Hillsborough School Board members are talking about doing away with courtesy busing to private daycare centers and other extras appreciated by parents, but expensive and difficult to provide. Beginning in the fall, district officials...

The first application period for Hillsborough school choice opens today. Parents may want to move fast, if they find a desired school on a fairly short list of those with available space. The campuses with open seats include 44 elementary, 13 middle, and 8 high schools -- slightly fewer than last year at this time. High school students have additional options through career and technical programs. The application window ends Dec. 14. The next cycle begins in January.

Hillsborough County, Florida Map Location in the state of Florida Florida’s location in the USA Statistics Seat Tampa Area - Total - Land - Water 1,266 sq mi (3,279 km²) 1,051 sq mi (2,722 km²) 215 sq mi (557 km²), 17.00% Population - (2006(est.)) - Density 1,177,060 951/sq mi (367/km²) Website: www.hillsboroughcounty.org Hillsborough County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The 2000 population was 998,948. In 2007, the Hillsborough County Planning Commission conducted a population estimate that put the county’s population at 1,204,770. Its county seat is Tampa, Florida. Hillsborough County is the largest county in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area and the fourth most populous in Florida. Together with Pinellas County and Pasco County they make up what is referred to as the Greater Tampa Bay Area. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bookmark to:

Divisions on the Hillsborough School Board reared their head again Tuesday during a discussion over --what else -- whether they could call themselves a team. During a leadership training exercise, members were asked to list teams. They agreed on PTA and schools, but began to snipe when someone asked if the School Board was a team. "We're not," Carol Kurdell (left) stated quietly. Nothing is simple on an elected body that routinely pushes the 5-hour mark during its meetings. Candy Olson wanted to explore the question. April Griffin and Susan Valdes were only too happy. (If anyone has forgotten the recent training when board member Jennifer Faliero told Griffin to get with the program or resign, allow us to refresh your memory here and here.) "There are a lot of little comments that are made here and there, and there's never any substance to them," Griffin (right) said. "I don't want side remarks. I want somebody to directly address me and tell me specifically whatever they don

TAMPA - Exams before winter break are hugely popular, but a committee of parents, teachers and administrators is recommending that in 2009-10, Hillsborough schools move first semester exams back until after the holidays. The alternative would be to shortchange learning time for students, an advisory committee on the student calendar decided today. To squeeze exams in, winter break would have to start Dec. 24. The semesters also would be completely unbalanced, with 82 days in the first and 100 in the second. Still, the committee acknowledged overwhelming support for holding exams before winter break. In a survey last year, more than 80 percent of parents wanted to end the first semester before the holidays. "I know there have been issues with students wanting to take exams," said Leigh Crosson, a teacher at Bevis Elementary. "But they won't want to if they're not prepared." The committee blamed the problem on a new state law that requires school districts to start classes no earl

Hillsborough employees: School Board members want to hear from you. In a budget workshop Tuesday, the Board learned that current budget pain isn't likely to let up soon. Hillsborough schools have taken a $17.6 million budget hit for fiscal year 2007-08, thanks to the legislative cuts in education funding. The economic outlook for the future doesn't look so hot. So what's a school district with a $3.1-billion annual budget to do? "I don't see a lot of fat," Board member Candy Olson said. She suggested reaching out for ideas, an idea embraced by other members of the School Board. They proposed surveying district staff to find out where wasteful spending occurs. The district even could offer financial rewards for good ideas. (The details of doing the survey remained up in the air.) In this atmosphere of belt-tightening, some are questioning the amount of money flowing to outside consultants through no-bid contracts. Board member April Griffin brought this up at the budget worksh

TAMPA -- Hillsborough County School Board members on Tuesday suspended without pay three of its employees, including two teachers arrested on charges stemming from sexual involvement with teenagers and a custodian accused of murder. "They're off our campuses or classroom, as the case may be. They're not being paid," said Hillsborough schools spokesman Steve Hegarty. "That's appropriate, that's where we should be. " From left to right in pictures above: Christy Ayala, a secretary at Dickenson Elementary accused of three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a 15-year-old boy. Three times between February and September, Hillsborough sheriff's detectives say,  Ayala and the boy met at his home, where she fondled, kissed and hugged the boy and asked him to touch her in inappropriate places. Stanley Telfare, a Blake High School custodian arrested on murder charges in the death of school secretary Elalia Walker, who died a week after

Five new charter schools are recommended for approval at tomorrow's School Board meeting. *Imagine Charter School: The first charter school to serve traditional students in south Hillsborough. Children are grouped in triads and stay with the same teachers for three years. Serves grades kindergarten through six. *Literacy Leadership Technology Charter High School: Expands upon an existing middle school in the Progress Village area. Curriculum stresses character development. Targets students from low-income families. *Tampa Charter School of Excellence: Arts are to be infused throughout the curriculum at this north Tampa elementary school, modeled after a successful charter school in Broward County. *Cloud of Glory: Peace Education is an emphasis at this elementary school in the university area of north Tampa. *Advantage Academy of Hillsborough: A fairly standard curriculum is proposed for a small elementary setting.

A committee of parents, teachers and administrators is looking at continuing a secular calendar for Hillsborough schools next year. The calendar committee, charged with making recommendations to the superintendent, agreed Thursday to move forward with a calendar mirrored after this year's. As it would happen, the district gets a pass on hard decisions about classes on Good Friday. In 2008-09, the Christian holiday would fall during the week slated for spring break, along with Jewish observance of Passover. School officials noted that this was a coincidence. They continued this year's approach of scheduling spring break during the second week of April, and were not specifically recognizing the religious holidays. If they sound a little touchy, consider that few need reminding of the explosive debate over religious holidays on the school calendar in recent years. The district adopted a student calendar that does not recognize religious holidays for the current school year, following

Parents and educators from 20 schools, both public and private, are joining forces to make area schools more environmentally friendly. Called the Environmental Improvement Force, the group started with PTA committees at Dale Mabry Elementary and Coleman Middle schools in South Tampa. After inviting others to join, the force now counts about 50 members. Its push comes as Hillsborough Superintendent MaryEllen Elia is touting a greener future -- one that could help cut down on the district's energy bills. Read more about her initiative to merge education and conservation by recruiting students to become energy patrols here. School Board member April Griffin will  speak at the next meeting of the Environmental Improvement Force on Wednesday, 9:30 to 11 a.m., at St. Mary's Parish, 4311 San Miguel St., 33629.

The U.S. Department of Education announced today that Hillsborough will receive $3.12 million to expand and enhance magnet programs in the first year of a three-year grant. The district will use the money to fund the newly created elementary-level International Baccalaureate program at Lincoln Elementary. It also will establish pre-AP centers at Ferrell, Sligh and Dowdell middle schools. Additionally, the money will be used to enhance the AP scholars programs at Leto and Lennard high schools, according to grant writer Lynn Fell. Hillsborough is one of 41 school districts in 17 states to receive the federal award. Other Florida recipients include Duval, Miami, Seminole and Palm Beach counties. Hillsborough does not yet know exactly how much money it will receive in the second and third year of the grant, but expects similar funding levels, Fell said. The district has received similar magnet grants in recent years. "Hillsborough has a great reputation at the federal level for impleme

Hillsborough schools rank tops in Florida for participation in the Duke University Talent Identification Program, recognizing academically gifted students in their late elementary and early middle school years. The program, which identifies students by their performance on college entrance exams, is one of Superintendent MaryEllen Elia's priorities. Since taking the helm, she has increased the number of seventh-graders identified as qualified to sit for the exams from 150 in 2005 to more than 4,800 this year. The parents of these students soon will receive a letter noting that their children are eligible for SAT and ACT tutoring.

More than 4,000 Hillsborough educators can expect bonuses of more than $2,100 in their paychecks Friday. The performance pay awards were granted through the state Merit Award Program, or MAP. Recipients were determined by a variety of factors, including student performance on standardized tests and their evaluations. In all, Hillsborough educators split $10.6 million in bonuses. Teachers did not have to apply for the state program, which is in its first year and has proven controversial elsewhere. The teachers union in Pinellas County rejected the rewards outright. In Hillsborough, the money was divided equally among around 4,640 educators, schools spokesman Stephen Hegarty said. For more on how the awards were determined, see the district's Q&A: Download map_information_81607.pdf The recipients include more than 2,700 teachers, about 1,300 guidance counselors and support personnel and nearly 600 school administrators. Educators can review their status under the program throu

The agenda called for team-building. Then School Board member Jennifer Faliero (right) told her colleague, April Griffin (left), to resign if she couldn't get with the program.  Griffin stormed out. "When Jennifer Faliero told me to resign, my first thought was, 'How do you of all people ask for my resignation,' " Griffin said, noting that Faliero should address her own problems before attacking her. As the Times reported last week, Faliero tried to keep hidden her recent move out of her east Hillsborough district, where she is required to reside by law. After initially denying the move, Faliero detailed how financial struggles and a divorce prompted her to relocate temporarily to south Tampa. Faliero says that she intents to move back to east Hillsborough as soon as possible. Faliero stood by her morning remarks to Griffin, explaining that in her opinion Griffin has been wasting Board time defending herself from criticism. "I don't feel it was below the bel

For our anxious number watchers, here's the latest student head count from Hillsborough. Enrollment had climbed to 187,445 by Friday, the fifth day of school. That's a gain of almost 3,000 students from mid-week. Still, Hillsborough is looking at about 600 fewer students than at this point last year. It remains about 3,700 students shy of the expected enrollment. It's difficult to read the tea leaves this year, due to changing enrollment patterns. (Remember those days of record-setting growth during the first days of school in Hillsborough?) Plus, school started later than it has in years, and on a Monday. Maybe some parents just didn't feel like enrolling on a Friday. Deputy Superintendent Ken Otero was surprised that Friday's numbers weren't higher. But he still predicts Hillsborough winds up between 500 and 1,000 students of its projected enrollment of 191,218. "We aren't panicking," he said. "I think we'll be pretty much right on target." Interesting, Otero said kinde

The count is on. Hillsborough's student head count tallied more than 174,500 students in grades kindergarten through twelve. First-day attendance rose by almost 6,000 students over last year, likely helped by a later start date in August. It's too early to know what the numbers mean. Hillsborough is projecting flat enrollment this year. Including nearly 4,000 charter school students counted Monday, the district still needs almost 13,000 additional students to arrive in the coming weeks to meet projections. Since first day attendance is always low, school officials believe Monday's count puts them on target.

Superintendent MaryEllen Elia is going green. Taking a page out of Gov. Charlie Crist's playbook, she highlighted a number of green goals for Hillsborough schools today, during her annual back to school press conference. She pointed out that not only can Hillsborough do good for the environment, it can save money. The district's yearly energy bill runs around $40 million. Among the initiatives: * More recycling at schools. (There's lots of room for growth here. Elia noted that right now about 38 schools recycle newspapers, 28 do so with ink cartridges and just 2 are recycling plastics.) * Highlight solar power. Middleton High boasts a solar photovoltaic system that's the largest in any educational institution in Florida. We don't know exactly what this thing does either, but we will probably get to learn all about it when Charlie visits for a photo opp. Elia hinted at one to come. * Start school-based energy patrols and energy clubs. After all, schools are an obvious place t

The Hillsborough School Board filed a long-expected lawsuit Friday against Hillsborough County, asking for a judge’s ruling on who has to pay for roads and sidewalks around new campuses. School and county officials disagree about the burden that can be placed on the school district under state law. The dispute has threatened to delay the planning and the construction of new schools. In the lawsuit, school officials say they are responsible for “only those improvements which are adjacent to or immediately abutting the school site.” They note that the county recently has attempted to make the district pay for a larger share. But the School Board is not asking a judge to make the county pay. It merely wants a declaration clarifying the district’s responsibility under law. School Board attorney Tom Gonzalez said the county has 60 days to respond. He expects it will take the courts several months to resolve the issue. Read the lawsuit here: Download countylawsuit.doc

The Hillsborough School Board is about to call it an earlier night on meeting dates. Members are bumping up their regular meeting time to 3 p.m. from 5 p.m. beginning Sept. 18. They're also setting a time for public comment at 5 p.m., instead of the tail end of the meeting. People who wish to speak will be able to sign up online, as well as at the meeting. The move comes after a year that saw some embarrassing outbursts under the Board's old policy, when teachers, students and parents often had to wait three-plus hours for their three minutes at the microphone. Tempers boiled over when a group of high school teachers began frequenting meetings to protest Superintendent MaryEllen Elia's decision to force many to teach an extra period each day. Now some could argue that it's not so easy for the working mom or dad -- or a teacher located at the far-flung corners of the county -- to make it to downtown Tampa by 5 p.m. Only time will tell how well this change works out. But the prosp

We got it wrong. The Hillsborough school district is projecting flat enrollment for the coming school year, and slow to moderate growth for the next few years. A St. Petersburg Times article that reported otherwise on Tuesday incorrectly compared enrollment numbers that amounted to apples to oranges.

To expand school choice options, the federal government is awarding Hillsborough schools $2.16 million next year, the first year of a 5-year grant that could bring as much as $14 million into the district. Superintendent MaryEllen Elia said the money will be used to create targeted, theme-based programs for two dozen middle and high schools. Plans call for "Rigorous Academic Programs" at high-poverty middle schools and an "Advanced Placement/College Prep" theme at five high schools. Check out the full list of projects here: Download choiceattractors.doc Hillsborough also is going to experiment with single gender classes at James Elementary. It will expand the offerings at Tampa Bay Technical High School to include a health administration academy.  This is the second time that Hillsborough has been picked for a choice grant. Since 2002, the district has received almost $11 million to promote choice programs. The initial funding was used to create a choice p

Most Hillsborough teachers will see about an eight percent raise under the contract agreement reached this afternoon between the district and the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association. The agreement sets the salary for a beginning teacher around $37,100. A teacher at the top of the salary schedule would earn about $61,300. Hillsborough also offers a variety of supplements, from performance pay to stipends for higher degrees and salary incentives to work in high poverty schools. This year's eight percent raise follows last year's historic 10 percent salary boost for Hillsborough teachers. It comes at a time of financial uncertainty for school districts across the state, with the Department of Education warning about budget cuts. The contract still must be ratified by teachers and approved by the School Board. AN UPDATE: The school district also reached salary agreements for support staff, including teachers aides and bus drivers. They will receive 6 percent raises. Principa

Former Hillsborough Superintendent Earl Lennard is applying to be Florida's next education commissioner.  Lennard served as Hillsborough superintendent for nine years before retiring two years ago. He led the district during a time of record student growth, the end of three decades of court-ordered desegregation and the early years of the state's high-stakes school accountability movement. In 2002, he was named Florida's superintendent of the year. "This is an opportunity to serve the state," Lennard said, noting that the leader of Florida's schools seemed like a job that "I have spent my life training for." Lennard spent his 41-year education career in Hillsborough schools, working his way up from a classroom teacher into the administrative ranks. For much of his career, he concentrated on agricultural and technical education programs. Lennard has kept a low profile since a brief bid in 2005 for a state Senate seat based in eastern Hillsborough. He

There's good news and bad news coming out of the bargaining room this week for Hillsborough's teachers. Teachers are likely to see more money in their paychecks, with a salary increase that could range between six and nine percent, according to Yvonne Lyons, executive director for the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, which bargains on behalf of the district's nearly 15,000 teachers. She explained how the money adds up: Most teachers are moving to an eight-hour work day in the coming school year, which means 20 minutes of additional work. They will be paid for the extra time, which amounts to a four percent salary increase. The union does not see this as a raise, but rather as pay for additional time worked. On top of this, Lyons said they have reached a tentative agreement with school officials to move teachers up a step, which means an increase of another two percent. In the last bargaining session, Lyons said the district offered an additional one percent raise. T

The Hillsborough school district, which was the first Florida district to adopt the state's (now defunct) STAR performance pay plan, today became one of four in Florida to tap into a national program designed to reward effective teachers and principals. The USDOE announced that Hillsborough will get $3.1-million next year, and about $15.4-million over five years, through President Bush's Teacher Incentive Fund. The money will go to the district's Performance Optimized With Effective Rewards program, serving 116 high-needs schools. Lake, Orange and Miami-Dade counties also got awards, along with 14 others outside Florida. For more information, see the DOE press release.

I am posting the Tampa (Hillsborough County) MLS data for the first quarter of 2007. These statistics represent the % of change of the current quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. Click on the link below and look for your zip code.http://www.gtar.org/members/reports/gtarq1-07.pdfFor questions related to selling your home in the Tampa Bay area contact Rae Catanese, Prudential Tropical Realty-813-784-7744 or email: realtyrae@yahoo.comTo receive more articles like this one subscribe to our Blog!Enter your Email AddressPowered by FeedBlitzTAMPA BAY AREA REAL ESTATE UPDATE BUYERS & SELLERS, TAMPA FLORIDA REAL ESTATE MARKET, INVENTORY HOMES IN TAMPA, TAMPA HOME SALES, BUYING A HOME IN TAMPA, PROJECTS, RELOCATION, SOUTH TAMPA, LOFTS, CONDOS, HOMES, TOWNHOMES, MLS SEARCH, REAL ESTATE CONTRACTS, WATERFRONT, LAND, LOTS, INVESTMENT, REALTOR, CHANNELSIDE, DOWNTOWN TAMPA, YBOR CITY, BEACH PARK, SUNSET PARK, PALMA CEIA, BAYSHORE, WESTSHORE, NEW CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPERS, BUILDERS, RESIDEN

I am posting the Tampa (Hillsborough County) MLS data for the first quarter of 2007. These statistics represent the % of change of the current quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. Click on the link below and look for your zip code.http://www.gtar.org/members/reports/gtarq1-07.pdfFor questions related to selling your home in the Tampa Bay area contact Rae Catanese, Prudential Tropical Realty-813-784-7744 or email: realtyrae@yahoo.comTo receive more articles like this one subscribe to our Blog!Enter your Email AddressPowered by FeedBlitzTAMPA BAY AREA REAL ESTATE UPDATE BUYERS & SELLERS, TAMPA FLORIDA REAL ESTATE MARKET, INVENTORY HOMES IN TAMPA, TAMPA HOME SALES, BUYING A HOME IN TAMPA, PROJECTS, RELOCATION, SOUTH TAMPA, LOFTS, CONDOS, HOMES, TOWNHOMES, MLS SEARCH, REAL ESTATE CONTRACTS, WATERFRONT, LAND, LOTS, INVESTMENT, REALTOR, CHANNELSIDE, DOWNTOWN TAMPA, YBOR CITY, BEACH PARK, SUNSET PARK, PALMA CEIA, BAYSHORE, WESTSHORE, NEW CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPERS, BUILDERS, RESIDEN

The Hillsborough school district reports that phones are not working at several south Tampa schools. Plant High, Monroe Middle and Anderson, Ballast Point and Lanier elementary schools are among those without service. Other schools in the area may be affected. Phones also are not working at the Manahattan Center and the Area I district office. Verizon is working to restore service.

Went to pickup my wife's car at Remuera, and send it for service at Newmarket, Auckland. Click to see bigger image of the pictures. Then I drove to Teed Street to have the car service, fan belt changed, and service the engine.While waiting for the car to be service, I went to have lunch, bought a Sony stereo headset at E-Town Digital (Lance carries the a good range of latest mobile phones and digital camera).

TAMPA - The Hillsborough school calendar will not recognize any religious holidays next school year, but it will continue a traditional day off for students to attend the state fair. Ending two years of debate that resonated nationally in the culture wars, the Hillsborough School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to adopt a secular calendar for 2007-08. It eliminates current days off coinciding with Good Friday, the Monday after Easter and the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. “I think this calendar tiptoes us into the 20th century, not the 21st,’’ said School Board member Candy Olson, capping nearly two hours of discussion on the academic calendar for the nation’s eighth-largest school district. The calendar continues giving days off that recognize Hillsborough’s agricultural roots. A majority reversed its plan to do away with Fair Day, a traditional school holiday for students in most of the country to attend the state fair. They agreed to keep the tradition for at lea

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