Pinellas

The postmark deadline has passed for the Pinellas superintendent job, but resumes that beat the Friday midnight cutoff continue to trickle into the School Board office. Seven more applications have arrived since Friday, bringing the total at this point to...

Pinellas’ national search for a new superintendent continues to attract candidates with serious baggage. Last week, it was Maritza D. Tamayo, a former high school principal in New York City, who was fired in August 2007 after officials found she...

The presidential candidates are tossing around the "change" theme this year, but it's actually happening in Pinellas schools. The system already is getting a new superintendent and school board this year. Now comes news of a key change in the...

Our running tally of Pinellas superintendent applicants continues today. Two more educators, John J. Selch of New York and James P. Hoover of Pennsylvania, have sent resumes to district headquarters. The deadline is July 11. Below, see a brief summary...

Another applicant for the Pinellas school superintendent's job has sent a resume to district headquarters. He is Aquine Jackson (left), a top official with the Milwaukee school system. Below, see a brief summary of his resume and a listing of...

Pinellas County has one of the worst graduation rates among the 50 biggest school districts in the country, according to a national study released this morning. Its rate for the 2004-05 school year was 55.5 percent, putting it at 15th...

The grim budget picture for Pinellas schools continues to evolve. That initial across-the-board wage cut that fueled so much outrage has morphed into a wage freeze, thanks to a plan that will require employees to pay higher medical premiums. Now...

Start times for Pinellas County elementary, middle and high schools will not change next school year. At a school board workshop today, officials decided against a new busing plan that would have moved high school start times from 7:05 a.m....

The budget crisis facing Pinellas schools was not on the agenda at Tuesday night's School Board meeting, but the issue took center stage anyway, making for some tense moments. About 60 Pinellas teachers appeared in black clothing to protest the...

Pinellas school officials no longer are proposing a 2 percent pay cut for about 14,000 district employees and a 6.25 percent cut for 2,000 non-instructional employees. Now, the worst case is a 1.5 percent cut for all 16,000 employees. What...

Dr. Julie Janssen, deputy superintendent and chief academic officer talks with reporters after Pinellas County School Board members put an item to have her appointed interim superintendent on the agenda for the May 13 meeting. [ATOYIA DEANS | Times] The...

Pinellas school officials today are announcing a budget cutting plan that proposes a 2 percent salary reduction for all employees, the elimination of 147 jobs and freezes on hiring and travel. Officials also said they are reviewing the possibility of...

In a workshop that ended minutes ago, the Pinellas School Board informally agreed to conduct a national search to replace outgoing superintendent Clayton Wilcox as soon as possible. The goal is to have a new superintendent in place by Aug....

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),...

David Archie and Minetha Morris have joined the field of candidates running for Pinellas School Board, bringing the total to 12. Archie recently left the Tarpon Springs City Commission due to term limits and is a long-time civic leader in...

LARGO - Pinellas school district superintendent Clayton Wilcox announced his resignation this afternoon. Wilcox, 53, will ask the School Board for the resignation to be effective June 1. Wilcox said he is taking a job in New York City with...

The wording was a little circuitous, but its meaning couldn’t have been more clear. School Board member Mary Brown forewarned teachers at Tuesday’s board meeting of bleak times to come as the district braces for budget cuts in the $38-...

A former Pinellas County high school teacher remained in jail Wednesday on a charge of interference with custody, a third-degree felony. Thomas J. Anderson, 59, was arrested late Tuesday. The charge, which is used when someone illegally takes a minor...

By THOMAS C. TOBIN AND DONNA WINCHESTER Times Staff Writers LARGO — The Pinellas School Board on Tuesday approved a settlement that will award $1.1-million to the mother of a former Fairmount Park Elementary student who ran away from his...

The public reaction has been somewhat muted to last week's release of Pinellas' new "close-to-home" school zones. No flood of calls to the School Board, no e-mail chains clamoring to redraw boundaries. At least not yet. But two board members...

Pinellas school officials on Tuesday released maps showing the “close-to-home” school zones for the district’s new student assignment plan. The maps show middle and high school zones. Students entering sixth and ninth grade in August who are not in a...

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...

It appears another teacher has crossed the line with a student, this time a male teacher in Pinellas County. School superintendent Clayton Wilcox has recommended that Thomas J. Anderson, the girls varsity basketball coach at Seminole High School, be fired...

Budget cuts have reduced the school cleaning staff in Pinellas, resulting in a memo this week that asks teachers and other district employees to pitch in. School employees are asked to patrol classrooms and hallways for trash, stack chairs where...

The Pinellas teachers union says its members have been the victims of unprofessional and demoralizing treatment at the hands of school district administrators. A resolution by the union's faculty representative council takes the district to task for "overburdensome requirements for...

LARGO — The Pinellas School Board voted 7-0 Tuesday to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed in 2005 by the family of Rebecca McKinney. Under the terms of the deal, the district will pay the McKinney family $1.1-million — $1-million...

Pinellas County Florida - As 2007 comes to an end, many Pinellas County sellers are happy to see it go and many are wondering what 2008 has in store for our housing market. While we don't have a crystal ball we did think it would be helpful to take a look back over the last 2 years to see where Pinellas County luxury real estate been and where we are now. Real Estate 2007 Year in Review - Pinellas County Luxury CondosWe all have heard that it's a buyer's market in the Tampa Bay area however let's review the facts and temper some of the news media. Here is the first report in our new series called the Real Estate Market Report - 2007 Year In Review. Readers tell us that it's easy to find information on total Pinellas County market statistics howe

Guide to Clearwater Shopping Malls and More Clearwater Florida – Enjoy our updated list of local malls and shopping plazas. Well with just 3 more shopping days until... The complete article is found on my website blog www.SandbarsToSunsets.com specializing in the bluest backyards in the Tampa Bay area

The Pinellas School Board has resolved a sticking point that threatened to delay implementation of the new student assignment plan. At a workshop this afternoon, a board majority said that all magnet and fundamental elementary schools should continue to draw students using a countywide application process. After months of work, the board is expected to take a final vote on the plan at a special meeting tonight at 5:30 p.m. at district headquarters, 301 Fourth St. SW, Largo. Last week, a board majority pushed for a "proximity preference" system that would reserve a percentage of seats for students who live near magnet and fundamental schools. They feared those students would not have the same access to a "close-to-home" school that students in other regions of the county would have. However, superintendent Clayton Wilcox said the idea would be too difficult to implement in time for next school year. The issue was resolved after a presentation by district administrators showin

As we reported yesterday, a majority of the Pinellas School Board supports offering alternative theories of origin in schools. You can see today's story in the Times here. We promised you more in-depth looks at all the board members' views. So here it is. Reporters Donna Winchester and Ron Matus conducted the interviews. Jane Gallucci is the only one with just a single comment: "I think that students should be given the opportunity to view all theories on how man evolved and let their science background and their religious background take over as to which one they believe in. If you have a strong faith belief, then I think you would believe that god made us. If you want to think in a scientific way, then you believe we evolved. But I believe both theories should be presented to children. I think especially in a scientific world both theories should be presented to children." Carol Cook: "I don't think we need to be afraid of any of it. Evolution is a popular belief out there.

Fun Things to do in Tarpon Springs Florida   Tarpon Springs, Florida is home to two of Pinellas Counties best Public Parks and today I‘d like to share information with you... The complete article is found on my website blog www.SandbarsToSunsets.com specializing in the bluest backyards in the Tampa Bay area

The Pinellas School Board's insistence on a key last-minute change to its new student assignment plan may end up derailing the plan for another year, Superintendent Clayton Wilcox said today. "There are just too many unanswered questions for us as an administrative team," Wilcox said at a hastily called news conference just minutes before the board's regular meeting at 5 p.m. The board asked for the change at an afternoon workshop, and it raised a number of new issues, the superintendent said. The change that sparked the delay: Four board members, a majority, said that a certain percentage of students who live close to all magnet and fundamental schools should get priority over other students during the admissions process. He said there was a "real likelihood" the plan would be delayed until the 2009-10 school year. It was to start next school year, with assignments being made starting in February. Wilcox said he would ask the board tonight to schedule a meeting next Tuesday.

Celebrating Christmas in Clearwater Florida Clearwater Florida – On December 4th 2007 the Pinellas Ladies Prayer Committee of Florida held The Inaugural “Calling All Angels” Happy Birthday to Jesus... The complete article is found on my website blog www.SandbarsToSunsets.com specializing in the bluest backyards in the Tampa Bay area

Pinellas County, Florida - Lake Freshwater Fishing and Boating  Freshwater Boating on Lakes in Pinellas County: Pinellas County, Florida  has three popular FRESHWATER public boat... The complete article is found on my website blog www.SandbarsToSunsets.com specializing in the bluest backyards in the Tampa Bay area

Pinellas County, Florida Map Location in the state of Florida Florida’s location in the USA Statistics Seat Clearwater Largest City St. Petersburg Area - Total - Land - Water 608 sq mi (1,575 km²) 280 sq mi (725 km²) 328 sq mi (850 km²), 53.94% Population - (2005) - Density 928,031 3,292/sq mi (1,271/km²) Website: www.pinellascounty.org/ Pinellas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. The county is contained entirely within area code (727), except for sections of Oldsmar, which has area code 813. It shares area code 727 with parts of West Pasco County. Pinellas County and Pasco County along with Hillsborough County make up the the Tampa-St.Petersburg-Clearwater metro area often referred to as the Greater Tampa Bay Area. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia   In Real Estate terms: Pinellas County consists of mainly Clearwater Beach, St. Petersburg, Pa

Pinellas School Board members elected a new chair and vice chair this morning. Nancy Bostock will serve her third term as chairwoman for the coming year. Bostock, first elected to the board in 1998 and re-elected in 2002 and 2006, was chair in 2004-05. Peggy O’Shea, elected in 2006 and the board’s newest member, will serve as vice chair. Outgoing chairwoman Mary Brown said she was ready to go back to being "a regular board member." "I worked very hard as chair," Brown said. "I feel I’ve done the best I could. It’s time for someone else to take over." Photos of Nancy Bostock (top) and Peggy O'Shea - Donna Winchester, Times education reporter

The Pinellas School Board has voted 6-1 to preliminarily approve a plan that will assign students to “close to home” schools next year. The vote came over the objections of more than a dozen speakers from several community groups who said the plan will hasten a return to racially identifiable schools and negatively impact the achievement gap between black and white students. Mary Brown, the board’s only black member, cast the dissenting vote. “I am very much against moving this plan forward,” Brown said. “I have said that from the beginning.” A second vote on the plan is scheduled for Dec. 11. - Donna Winchester, Times education reporter

The Pinellas School District has announced the 25 semifinalists in the 2008 Outstanding Educators Recognition program. Five semifinalists were named in each of five categories. The district received 234 nominations for this year’s Outstanding Educator. Two administrators and a person from the business community will observe each semifinalist in the classroom and select three finalists in each category. A winner in each category and the 2008 Outstanding Educator will be announced at a dinner Feb. 6 at Tropicana Field, sponsored by the Pinellas Education Foundation. To see the semifinalist lists, read on.Commitment to Improvement of the Profession: Debbie Georgia, Tyrone Middle School; Sandra Hume-Marston, Sunset Hills Elementary; Malla Kolhoff, Palm Harbor University High; Anne Morgan, Northeast Community School; JoAnne Todd, Osceola Middle School. Creativity & Innovation: Susan Carney, Ozona Elementary; Stefanie Frump, Campbell Park Elementary; David Mapp Jr., Palm Harbor Mi

Racial integration is low on the list of priorities when it comes to public schools, a St. Petersburg Times poll of Pinellas parents shows. Both black and white parents said other factors – the quality of a school, a school’s proximity to their home and the ability of siblings to attend school together – are more important than racial diversity. The Times polled 604 Pinellas parents this week as the School Board prepares to put the finishing touches on a new student assignment plan. The plan gives families the chance to attend their neighborhood schools, and will result in some schools being predominantly black for the first time in more than three decades. The question about priorities was one of the few areas of agreement between the races. The black parents polled had a more dismal view of public schools than white parents, and they showed a stronger inclination to change schools. Of those whose children attend regular schools, only 14 percent of black parents rated their

Pinellas school superintendent Clayton Wilcox downplayed mounting concerns about the district'€™s new student assignment plan, saying Tuesday that the expected return of all-black or predominantly black schools would not be as daunting as some imagine. "There are a lot of people in this community who tend to think that where there are concentrations of black kids, good things aren't going on. I respectfully disagree,"€ Wilcox (pictured above) told members of the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club. "I think, quite honestly, that in many of the places where we have high concentrations of African American kids we have the best teaching and learning going on, and we can demonstrate it by gain scores showing that these kids are making huge gains." Wilcox added: "I think that we can educate black kids in high concentrations and in very high numbers and also to very high levels."His comments came in answer to several questions about the new plan, which would end the 4-year-old choice plan and

A citizens group is urging the Pinellas School Board to use the Jan. 29 ballot to ask voters to renew a four-year-old special property tax on education. Eighty percent of the tax proceeds are used to enhance salaries for Pinellas' 8,000 teachers, who get an average salary of about $46,000. The other 20 percent goes to modernize classroom technology and beef up art, music and reading programs. Beth Rawlins, a political consultant and chairman of Citizens for Pinellas Schools, formally asked superintendent Clayton Wilcox today to put the topic on the board's agenda in October. She also called for the referendum to be held in January. Four years ago, the tax initially passed during the November general election. In interviews today, Rawlins and Jade Moore, executive director of the Pinellas teachers union, said they favored January over November because the January ballot looks like it could be cleaner. They were referring to a judge's decision this week to throw out a proposed amend

Clearwater Florida - Home to Pinellas County Government for 95 years.Ed Rybczynski, a well known, national Mortgage Fraud speaker, asked today what stories and tidbits do you know about your hometown that you could share. So today I was thinking about how often we've all heard that, "all politics is local". Well this was even true here in Clearwater almost 95 years ago. When the Tampa Bay area was originally settled Clearwater, St Petersburg & Tampa were all part of Hillsborough County. Over time the people of now Pinellas County, known as West Hillsborough, started to feel that their tax dollars would be better spent here. Local leaders wanted more control and input on how their tax money was spent and pressure to secede from Hillsborough County grew. After years of feuding and politicking a bill finally passed and the result was that on January 1, 1912 Pinellas County was created as a separate County.N

Clearwater Florida - Home to Pinellas County Government for 95 years.Ed Rybczynski, a well known, national Mortgage Fraud speaker, asked today what stories and tidbits do you know about your hometown that you could share. So today I was thinking about how often we've all heard that, "all politics is local". Well this was even true here in Clearwater almost 95 years ago. When the Tampa Bay area was originally settled Clearwater, St Petersburg & Tampa were all part of Hillsborough County. Over time the people of now Pinellas County, known as West Hillsborough, started to feel that their tax dollars would be better spent here. Local leaders wanted more control and input on how their tax money was spent and pressure to secede from Hillsborough County grew. After years of feuding and politicking a bill finally passed and the result was that on January 1, 1912 Pinellas County was created as a separate County.N

Pinellas school administrators have narrowed the list of proposed school closings to five, part of an effort to deal with declining enrollment. In a proposal sent Tuesday to the School Board, superintendent Clayton Wilcox recommends closing Clearview Avenue, Largo Central and South Ward elementaries, and two St. Petersburg middle schools -- Riviera and Southside Fundamental. The closings would take effect in the 2008-09 school year. The closing of Southside, one of the district’s oldest and highest performing schools, is part of a significant change in the district's lineup of fundamental programs. Southside students would be moved to nearby Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle, a four-year-old school with space to grow. Its upper level has never been completed but is now on a list of major improvements to be completed over the next year. Wilcox also proposes turning Coachman Fundamental Middle in Clearwater into a large fundamental elementary school and moving the middle school

Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday reappointed Pinellas County circuit court clerk Kenneth P. Burke to St. Petersburg College's board of trustees. Burke, 47, of Seminole, will serve this term through May 31, 2011, pending Senate confirmation.

The Pinellas school district has released a list of new principal assignments for the upcoming school year. The assignments are subject to approval by the School Board on July 31. In past years, superintendent Clayton Wilcox moved principals around to "create more productive school environments." This year, it's all about replacing retired leaders. Here's the list: Wendy Bryan, assistant principal at Richard L. Sanders, replaces Patricia Huffman at Frontier Elementary. Seymour M. Brown III, assistant principal at Lakewood Elementary, replaces Sandra O’Bryant at Maximo Elementary. Sandra Cowley, assistant principal at Oldsmar Elementary, replaces Louise Crowder-Neri at North Ward Elementary. Louise Crowder-Neri, principal at North Ward Elementary, replaces Robert Ammon at Southern Oak Elementary. Michael Moss, assistant principal at Sawgrass Elementary, replaces Kenneth Rigsby at Fuguitt Elementary. Thea Saccasyn, assistant principal at Ponce de Leon Elementary, replaces Susa

Hiring has been frozen, traveling and training will be curtailed, and programs could be eliminated as the Pinellas County School District braces for as much as a 4 percent cut in state school funding. Superintendent Clayton Wilcox informed School Board members late Wednesday that the district "has every intention of returning to normal practice" as soon as possible. But for now, in addition to a hiring freeze on all "non-essential" personnel, he wants department heads to recommend budget cuts of no less than 2 percent within a week. Also axed are overtime and compensatory time, unless approved by high-level administrators. District travel and training budgets that are not already approved have been frozen, too. In a tersely-worded statement released Thursday, Wilcox said that "the only individuals who can actively be interviewed, offered employment and/or placed are classroom teachers who are counted in our class-size reduction calculations." The move came a day after Deputy Educat

Pinellas County, FL Parks - Freshwater Boat Docks Freshwater Boating in our Backyard:"Pinellas County, Florida  has three popular FRESHWATER public boat docks and boat launching facilities along Lake Tarpon and Lake Seminole for those Pinellas County area residents that enjoy fishing, waterskiing, jet skiing, kayaking, canoeing and more...About Lake Tarpon: We are blessed to have Lake Tarpon located in Northern Pinellas County. This large popular freshwater lake is 5 miles long and one mile wide and is 8 to 12 feet deep on average so it can handle powerboats, jet skis as well as canoes and kayaks.   About Lake Seminole: This a large freshwater lake is found in the center of Pinellas County - close to the cities of Largo, Seminole and Pinellas Park. Lake Seminole was actually created in the 1940s and has been used extensively since then for boating, skiing and fishing.About Pinellas County Freshwater Boating Facilities:A. L. Anderson Park - located at 39699 US H

The Pinellas School Board directed Wilcox and his staff to push ahead with preparations for a controversial north county bus compound at McMullen-Booth Road and State Road 580, but it is far from approving the plan, which includes a land swap with the City of Clearwater. The district will conduct surveys and direct its architects to proceed with planning for the site. Plans include a 75-foot-wide buffer between the edge of the compound’s parking lot and the neighboring Briar Creek subdivision, where residents are opposed to the plan. The buffer would include 10 to 15 feet of natural growth and a berm that would stretch the length of where homes bumps up against the site. The berm would be 25 feet wide and six feet high and would be constructed first, so vegetation would have a chance to grow before the facility opened. Wilcox said his staff would continue to keep Briar Creek residents informed as planning progresses. The district normally would approve the project first and inc

From our homes to our community - let's learn about living Green         Next weekend at the Coliseum / Sunshine Center in St Petersburg they are holding the 2nd Annual Pinellas Living Green Expo. Pinellas Living Green inc. is a non-profit organization created "to promote sustainability-oriented products and behaviors in Pinellas County" The idea is educate local "residents on ways to lead more healthy and sustainable lives with less impact on the environment." Often you find there are ways to Save Mone and Save the Environment - a true - win-win for Pinellas County!This event is FREE and runs from 9am-5pm June 16th and from 10am-4pm on Sunday June 17th. There will even be FREE parking for the event. They have planned lots of FREE fun filled family activities and are even having a FREE tree giveaway. Directions are easy to follow.There are over 80 exhibitors participating it promises to be FUN and EDUCA

Tierra Verde, Florida Real Estate continues to offer great deals to those real estate buyers who are ready to act now. Ok, the truth is you can't own the whole island for $225,000 but some lucky buyer paid that for a condo here in April. Right now you can buy your own piece of the Green Island, Tierra Verde, Florida today for as little as $229,900.Tierra Verde, actually started out as 15 smaller mangrove and salt marsh islands.In the month of April in Tierra Verde, Florida we had 194 homes, condos & town homes for sale out of this waterfront community of a little over 2400 properties.  For the second month in a row we saw 8 homes, condos and town homes sold:(3) homes,(2) condos(3) town homes sold (3) more properties are currently in the process of closing (pending sales).   What are they asking for HOMES in Tierra Verde right now?Best Price for Tierra Verde home:  $399,000   1734

Taking a cue from its teachers, the Pinellas School Board voted 5-2 Tuesday night to reject a plan that would have given 5 percent bonuses to 25 percent of its teachers. The vote unfolded in dramatic fashion as board member Nancy Bostock made a motion to approve the plan and no one seconded it. After a second motion to vote against the plan, board member Jane Gallucci called the question after only two of her colleagues had a chance to speak, forcing an immediate vote. The entire episode took about 12 minutes. The decision means Pinellas turns down $6.1-million in bonus money that would have gone to teachers under the Special Teachers Are Rewarded plan, known as STAR. But critics said STAR was deeply flawed and was forced on districts. In addition, the state has threatened to force the district to impose a plan anyway and pay for it out of the current budget. The cost could be $6.1-million, a sum the district doesn’t have. Officials say one way to find the money would be to for

A controversial state plan would award bonuses to some Pinellas teachers of between $1,700 and $3,100 this summer. But members of the county’s teachers union were well on their way Monday to rejecting the money in resounding fashion. With 50 percent of Pinellas schools reporting results during a special vote, 2,443 said no to the plan while only 99 teachers gave it their okay. The vote was lopsided in every school that submitted ballots by late Monday, putting the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association on target for a 95 percent rejection rate when results from the remaining schools are tallied today. “There’s no pattern to it, except the pattern that no one likes it,’’ said Jade Moore, executive director of the union. “It will be the largest rejection in the state of Florida, in the governor’s home county ... It will not be close.’’ The vote sets up a special meeting tonight of the Pinellas School Board, which must decide whether to stand with its teachers, as s