Just like the Hillsborough County Schools thread, this thread is centered on Pinellas County's school system. I've started out this thread with some news regarding the proposed school closings in Pinellas.

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PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Parents in Pinellas County are joining forces in protest of school closings.

Those upset about the proposed plans are planning on voicing their concerns at Tuesday's school board meeting.

Bay News 9's newspaper partner, the St. Pete Times, said the proposal isn't on the agenda. But that won't stop parents from protesting with more than 800 signatures against the closings.

Superintendent Clayton Wilcox proposed the plan last month. He said closing schools could help reduce overhead as the district battles a low enrollment. Wilcox named 10 schools in the proposal. He plans to shorten the list during the next two weeks.

The plan would return the district to a system of neighborhood schools, starting in 2008, after five years under the choice plan and three decades of busing for desegregation.

District officials decided to explore the idea of closing schools while they were already redesigning the system. The closures, they said, could help reduce overhead as the district's overall enrollment declines.

The number of spare seats is expected to grow as enrollment declines. The district expects a drop of about two percent when school starts next month, and the state projects gradual declines in Pinellas the next few years.

"The biggest thing is people are thinking we have already made decisions," board chairwoman Mary Brown said. "The superintendent is only making recommendations, and the board will be dealing with those recommendations."

The 10 schools named by Wilcox as potential targets for closure. Officials are working to narrow the list and present it to the school board in early August.

Anona Elementary, Largo
Clearview Elementary, St. Petersburg
Gulf Beaches Elementary, St. Petersburg
Largo Central Elementary, Largo
North Ward Elementary, Clearwater
Orange Grove Elementary, Seminole
Rio Vista Elementary, St. Petersburg
San Jose Elementary, Dunedin
South Ward Elementary, Clearwater
Riviera Middle, St. Petersburg

Decisions made Thursday morning will affect thousands of children as the Pinellas County School Board holds a workshop to discuss ending its school choice program.

Superintendent Clayton Wilcox, top administrators and others will meet at the school board offices in Largo to unveil plans for the 2008-09 school year.

The school district is looking to move away from school choice due to the high transportation costs for moving students so far away from home everyday.

Community input meetings will be scheduled throughout the county to allow public comment before the board votes on the new plan Nov. 13.

In the school district's new plan, the district would be divided into new "attendance areas," and each school would have a zone from which to draw students.

In a change from earlier versions, there would be six middle school areas instead of four and seven high school areas instead of two - a move to further reduce busing costs.

No more 'choice' for Pinellas students?
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Bay News 9

LARGO (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County School District met for the first time Thursday to discuss the phasing out of the "choice" program. That program allows parents to pick their top "choice" for their kids to attend, though they don't always get the one they want.

Amy Kaczynski showed up to the school district workshop with a few other concerned parents. Her mission was to make sure her son, Jason, doesn't have to switch schools for the 2008-2009 school year.

"How it would affect us would be Jason would go to kindergarten and first grade at Ozona [Elementary] and then he would be moved to another school, Sutherland [Elementary], which is just as good of a school, but different for him," said Kaczynski.

As part of their phasing out of the choice program, school district leaders have come up with some proposed maps with smaller zones, meaning students would go to the school closest to their home, regardless of where they attend now.

Kaczynski says that would mean a big change in her family's life.

"We bought a new house this summer in an area that at the time when we bought it, he would be able to continue to stay at the school he's at," said Kaczynski.

School board members are considering a grandfathering plan that may allow high school kids to stay at their school, and elementary kids who are almost done to finish, but the details still need to be worked out, because they say bus transportation would cost the district a lot of money.

"We're trying to be gentle of this, respectful of families, but it's always tough," said Pinellas County School District Superintendent Clayton Wilcox.

Wilcox says the new school zones are part of an overall goal.

"At the end of the day what we're trying to create [is] area schools that are close to home for families," said Wilcox.

Some schools, like charter schools, may be exempt from the plan.




Plan timeline
Aug. 21: Information on the draft plan is sent home with students on the first day of school.

Aug. 23: The board approves a "final draft" to be presented to the public.

Aug. 24-Sept. 17: District administrators conduct three community meetings to get public advice on the draft.


Sept. 18: The board holds a workshop to consider what the public said in the community meetings.


Oct. 8-10: Board members conduct a "listening tour" to get more public opinion.


Oct. 16: The board takes an initial vote on the new plan after a public hearing.

Nov. 13: The board takes a final vote on the plan after a public hearing.


http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2007/8/9/278893.html?title=No+more+'choice'+for+Pinellas+students?

I wish they did this years ago, i went through tons of crap with them, assholes...

I guess Pinellas schools are worse than Hillsborough's...in a way. I mean, they come up with their own school choice plan, only to have it abolished. What crap is that? :lol:

School plan is still evolving

A new student assignment system could get costly, Wilcox warns.

By THOMAS C. TOBIN, Times Staff Writer
Published September 13, 2007

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/13/images/tb_wilcox_450.jpg
Pinellas school superintendent Clayton Wilcox told the Times Editorial Board that the new plan to send students to schools closer to home will need a long transitional period and could prove costly.

Pinellas school superintendent Clayton Wilcox said Wednesday that a proposed system for assigning students to schools could be "the envy" of districts across the nation.

But he also issued a strong caveat, saying recent decisions by the School Board will make the plan more expensive and difficult to implement.

"I think what we're set up for is a very long transitional period and, quite honestly, some expenditures that we could have avoided," Wilcox told the Times editorial board.

He outlined one scenario in which the district's $48-million busing budget could increase by up to $6-million annually over a five-year transition - a long way from his initial proposal for a two-year transition and bus savings of $10-million.

Wilcox predicted an uproar over decisions last month as the board shaped the new plan, which would steer most families to a school close to home.

After pressure from hundreds of parents, the board decided to grandfather all students now in the system, allowing them to remain in their current schools when the plan begins next year. Because thousands are in schools other than their new "close-to-home" school, the decision will mean a slow transition to a system of neighborhood schools.

The board later decided to offer bus service to grandfathered students in middle and high schools but not to those who stay in their elementary schools.

Wilcox said: "The concern that I now have is we haven't yet heard from the elementary parents who are going to say, 'Wait a minute. I go to work at X time. You're telling me my elementary school student, if they want to stay at the school that you're giving them, has to walk there?"'

Wilcox predicted board members will be asked to revisit the issue. If they decide to give bus service to all grandfathered elementary school students, he said, the district's busing costs could top $50-million.

Wilcox said he understood the board's decisions on grandfathering, but he made clear he disagreed with them. Wilcox would have preferred a quicker transition with fewer grandfathered students and no bus service for them.

In other comments, Wilcox said he has been nagged by doubts about whether the new plan is what the public wants. The plan would replace the 4-year-old choice system, which followed 32 years of busing for desegregation.

"For three years going into this, I heard nothing but how terrible choice was, and now I have literally hundreds of parents, if not thousands of parents, who say choice worked for me," Wilcox said.

So far, he said, the plan reflects the feelings of Pinellas parents surveyed last year. The district sent surveys to 33,290 public school households and got responses from 7,716.

Large majorities of respondents of all races said they favored a system that would give them schools close to home, even if it left them with fewer options and schools with less diversity.

"Given the outpouring lately, I think we've got to double-check that," Wilcox said.

Does the public want to replace choice with a system of neighborhood schools? "I will honestly tell you I don't have a sense of it right now," he said.

The district plans to conduct a new survey of thousands of public school households, either with a mass mailing or a short poll using its automated calling system, Wilcox said.

He also said he planned meetings with the north and south county chapters of the NAACP, local ministers and rabbis, city officials in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, county officials and members of the Pinellas Education Foundation.

The outreach efforts and the doubts that spawned them have come with little time left in the process. Only two months remain before the School Board expects to take a final vote on the new plan.

A detailed outline of the plan will be presented to the public next Tuesday in the first of three "community input" forums. After that, the board will hold a "listening tour" with three public forums throughout the county. Formal votes are scheduled Oct. 16 and Nov. 13.

Despite his misgivings, Wilcox said he is generally pleased with the plan. It would divide the district into eight attendance areas for elementary schools, six for middle schools and seven for high schools. Each school would be surrounded by a zone and students within that zone would be assigned to that school.

Students also could choose magnet or fundamental schools or other special programs.

In addition, they could choose a regular school other than their zone school, even a school in another area of the county. But there would have to be room for them at that school, and they would not receive bus service.

Early next year, parents will receive a call or letter telling them the name of each student's new assigned zone school. Students who want that school would respond to the district. Those who do not respond would be telling the district they want to remain in their current school.

Families new to the system will apply at computer kiosks at each school offering real-time information on open seats throughout the district.

Thomas C. Tobin can be reached at tobin@sptimes.com or 727 893-8923.

On the web

How will it work

Get informed on the new student assignment plan with our Q&A, a schedule of public forums and last year's survey of district households. Go to education.tampabay.com.

[Last modified September 13, 2007, 01:02:31]

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/13/Northpinellas/School_plan_is_still_.shtml

Pinellas parents sound off about proposed school plan
Tuesday, September 18, 2007

http://www.baynews9.com/images/news/2007/9/18/smschoolmeeting.jpg

PALM HARBOR (Bay News 9) -- A big crowd of Pinellas County parents attended the first of three community input forums concerning the school district's proposed assignment system.

Tuesday night's forum was held at Palm Harbor University High School.

A detailed outline of the plan was presented.


Under the current school choice plan, many students attend schools far away from their homes, and one item under discussion is whether to allow students to stay at the schools they are currently at instead of moving to the school closest to their home.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2007/9/18/288898.html?title=Pinellas+parents+sound+off+about+proposed+school+plan

Pinellas board hesitates on school choice
"We thought we had a consensus" about the plan, the superintendent said after doubts surfaced.
By THOMAS C. TOBIN, Times Staff Writer
Published October 3, 2007

LARGO -- Six weeks before their landmark vote to change the way students are assigned to schools, several Pinellas School Board members have serious doubts.

Board members Janet Clark, Carol Cook and Peggy O'Shea said Tuesday that they would approve the new assignment plan in November but that the district may be biting off too much too soon. They suggested implementing the plan over time instead of all at once next school year.

Board member Linda Lerner said she wanted board members to revisit several major issues they already decided in August, including the closing of four schools. "I feel very rushed on that one," she said.

And Mary Brown, the board's chairwoman, said she wouldn't vote for the plan as currently written.

"I have felt strongly that we are rushing to judgment on this," she said at Tuesday's board workshop. "Maybe it's best to stop and take more time on this."

In an interview, Brown said her main concern was that the new plan would make several schools in St. Petersburg predominantly black. The plan returns the district to a system of neighborhood schools after three decades of busing followed by a rocky five-year transition under the choice plan.

Tuesday's surprising development comes as the board plans a "listening tour" next week to get a second round of public input on the plan.

It also brings race to the forefront as never before during the two-year process, with Brown -- the board's only black member -- taking her strongest stand yet against resegregated schools.

Brown said she was emboldened after attending a weekend conference in Atlanta by the Council of Urban Boards of Education. There, presenters said that the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision left districts with some leeway to racially integrate schools, even as it struck down desegregation plans in Seattle and Louisville.

"I have to do it the way that I feel," Brown said when asked what message her stand would send. "Maybe when you're not black it doesn't mean that much. But I know the history of segregated schools, and I don't want any part of that."

Pinellas is under no legal obligation to change or replace the choice plan, having been freed several years ago from federal court supervision.

However, the board is changing the plan in response to families who have said they want a system of neighborhood schools.

The sudden hesitation by most of the board left two of its members puzzled and superintendent Clayton Wilcox faced with the task of regrouping.

"We thought we had a consensus," Wilcox said.

Board member Jane Gallucci said she favored moving with caution, but argued the district needed to at least implement the bulk of the plan now to end the uncertainty that Pinellas parents have felt for years.

She also said she was "flabbergasted" by Brown's suggestion to put the plan on hold.

"Two years planning on something like this is not rushing," board member Nancy Bostock said in answer to Brown.

Bostock argued that the board has built in a slow transition to the new plan by allowing thousands of students to be "grandfathered" into their current schools instead of being immediately assigned to a neighborhood or "close-to-home" school.

But Cook noted that the plan doesn't give bus rides to thousands of students who exercise the grandfathering option.

"I have concerns that for people who cannot provide transportation for their children, there is very little choice," she said.

Cook proposed phasing in the plan by requiring that only students in the entry grades -- kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade -- attend their neighborhood school next year.

O'Shea said in an interview she was concerned about the many details that would need to be worked out in the time between the board's final vote in November and early next year, when students are assigned to schools.

The district would have to get some idea of how many students will be going to each school, so it would somehow have to gauge how many will be grandfathered and how many would opt to be in their close-to-home school.

Under the plan, students would stay at their current school unless they notified the district they wanted their close-to-home school. But O'Shea noted that for many, the decision to stay means they won't get a bus ride, and many parents won't realize that until it's too late.

"And now we have a kid that's in a school they can't get to," she said.

O'Shea said she wants to make sure district staffers have a handle on issues like that. If it's too much for them to implement before 2008-09, she said she would support launching parts of the plan later.

Like Brown, Lerner said she wanted to take a closer look at options to make schools more diverse.

In addition, she wants the board to revisit its decision to allow all full-fledged magnet schools to draw students from throughout the county. She expressed concern for students living near those schools who may not be able to get in, and suggested a "proximity preference" to give them a better chance at a spot.

Thomas C. Tobin can be reached at tobin@sptimes.com or (727) 821-1935.

[Last modified October 3, 2007, 01:11:58]


http://www.sptimes.com/2007/10/03/Southpinellas/Pinellas_board_hesita.shtml

I have to say, Tarpon Middle has to be the best candidate that shows that a city nees a new middle school. I was suppose to go there back in 2000, but we moved to Pasco, so it didn't happen. But back then, the school had 2-3 portables on it's lot. 7 years later, There is about 20 portables there. The school has no room for expanding, and I believe that the school is forced to move it's football team to a park or something like that.

School assignment to offer choices
Wednesday, October 24, 2007

LARGO (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County School system has reached a compromise in the battle of "close to home" schools.


The board has decided while working to steer most students to their neighborhood schools it also will offer kids other choices.

The original plan called for creating zones for students, forcing them to attend neighborhood schools. But many argued the downside to that plan would create several predominantly black schools for the first time in a generation.

The new plan allows students currently in a school of their choice to remain there until they finish. The board also agreed to continue busing those students to their choice school if they qualify.

As a result of these changes, the district says it won't begin to see a budget savings for several years. The board will take an initial vote on the new proposal next month. The final vote will come in December.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2007/10/24/297498.html?title=School+assignment+to+offer+choices

As long as we continue to live in segregated neighborhoods, it will continue to be a challenge to keep schools desegregated. Personally, I'm all for neighborhood schools. As long as there is equal funding and all schools get the resources they need, it's all good.

Pinellas school board voting on neighborhood plan
Tuesday, November 13, 2007

LARGO (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County School board is set to take an initial vote on the controversial neighborhood school plan.

The proposed plan would create zones and force students into their neighborhood school beginning with the 2008-2009 school year. The plan has faced a significant amount of scrutiny and opposition.

Even school board members have expressed concerns with the plan. School board chairperson Mary L. Tyrus Brown, has argued the plan would make many schools predominately black.

A newer version of the plan will allow students who are in the school of their choice to remain at the school until they graduate. The school board also agreed to continue bussing those students to the school of their choice, meaning the district wouldn't see a savings in the budget possibly for years.

Also, there will be an open enrollment period allowing students who don't get into a school they like to try for another option.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2007/11/13/302474.html?title=Pinellas+school+board+voting+on+neighborhood+plan+

^^
I've also been hearing that the NAACP may take the Pinellas School Board to court if the board can't come up with a way not to segregate the schools.

The NAACP also does not want the school board to make the votes yet in order to allow more time to conjure up a plan that is fair for everyone.

Pinellas schools okay new assignment plan
By Times Staff Writer
Published November 14, 2007

LARGO

The Pinellas School Board on Tuesday voted 6-1 to approve a controversial student assignment plan, overriding eleventh-hour efforts to delay a decision on an initiative two years in the making.

The vote was the first of two that will determine whether the district will return to a system of neighborhood schools beginning with the 2008-09 academic year. A final vote is scheduled for Dec. 11.

About two dozen parents and community activists, including representatives from the St. Petersburg and Clearwater-Upper Pinellas branches of the NAACP, pleaded with board members to postpone their decision until more provisions for improving black student achievement can be built into the plan.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund has threatened to take the school district to court over the plan. Officials in the fund's national office are backing the effort, said Enrique Escarraz, a St. Petersburg lawyer who works with the group.

[Last modified November 14, 2007, 06:30:59]

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/14/Hillsborough/Pinellas_schools_okay.shtml

School board set to vote on school choice issue
Tuesday, December 11, 2007

LARGO (Bay News 9) -- As a vote on the controversial student assignment plan takes center stage in Pinellas County, parents and minority groups continue to speak out against it.

Among the most common complaint: the plan doesn't address what some call an educational gap between black and white students.

School officials counter that the plan allows children to attend schools close to home and that it saves the district money. This all stems from a choice plan the district implemented after a desegregation lawsuit fought by the NAACP's legal defense fund.

Now the district wants to lift that choice plan.

It would lead to the closing of four schools, saving millions of dollars in transportation costs. The Pinellas County School Board originally approved the student assignment plan with a 6-to-1 vote on November 13.

And while board members likely will approve the measure with a second vote Tuesday evening, the plan likely won't be fully phased in for another four years.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2007/12/11/309236.html?title=School+board+set+to+vote+on+school+choice+issue

School board postpones vote on school choice issue
Tuesday, December 11, 2007

LARGO (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County school board has postponed a vote on school choice plan that critics say doesn't address the needs of everyone.

Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Dr. Clayton Wilcox said the school board had a work session and made changes to the new student assignment plan and did not feel comfortable voting on it Tuesday night.

Wilcox was not specific about what changes were made but did say they were significant enough that school board members decided to postpone the vote.

Another meeting will be held Dec. 18.

As a vote on the controversial student assignment plan takes center stage in Pinellas County, parents and minority groups continue to speak out against it.

Among the most common complaints is the plan doesn't address what some call an educational gap between black and white students.

School officials counter that the plan allows children to attend schools close to home and it saves the district money. This all stems from a choice plan the district implemented after a desegregation lawsuit fought by the NAACP's legal defense fund.

Now the district wants to lift that choice plan.

It would lead to the closing of four schools, saving millions of dollars in transportation costs. The Pinellas County School Board originally approved the student assignment plan with a 6-1 vote Nov. 13.

While board members likely will approve the measure with a second vote Tuesday evening, the plan likely won't be fully phased in for another four years.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2007/12/11/309236.html?title=School+board+postpones+vote+on+school+choice+issue

School board passes controversial school plan
Tuesday, December 18, 2007

LARGO (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County School Board met again Tuesday night to discuss the controversial neighborhood school plan.

The board voted 5-2 in favor of the superintendent's recommended school assignment plan that will put the majority of students at schools close to home.

The board held a workshop to discuss the proposal Tuesday afternoon, and school board members appeared to be ready to move forward with the recommendation of Pinellas County School Superintendent Clayton Wilcox.

The proposal would require students to attend their neighborhood schools, as opposed to letting parents choose which school their child attends.
The plan has met with opposition from the NAACP, which said the school plan would actually re-segregate many Pinellas County schools.
More Information

This is the second time in two weeks the board met to take a final vote.

Last week, Wilcox asked the school board to delay a final vote on the issue because changes had been made to the plan and the board did not feel comfortable taking a vote until they further studied the changes .

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2007/12/18/310936.html?title=School+board+passes+controversial+school+plan

New era begins in Pinellas schools
Monday, January 14, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Parents took the first step to get their kids in the Pinellas County School system's new assignment program Monday.

Lubna Elmoutii was in line to get her child, who will be starting kindergarten in the fall, a student ID number. The ID number is a must for first-time students. That's why Elmoutii wanted to visit the Family Education and Information Center in person.

The number is a must for those who want to attend a magnet, fundamental, or high school academy program next year under the new student assignment plan.

"If you're interested in a magnet or fundamental school, you'll be making an application February 11," customer service representative Joyce Hefty said.
More Information

* Assignment planWatch Video
* School resource center
* Numbers to call : (727) 298-2858 and (727) 552-1595

Hundreds of parents also jammed the phone lines.

"It's going to take 24 hours for that ID number to activate, so anytime now until 24 hours before the 11th when that line opens, they need to get that ID number," Hefty said.

Next, parents need to call an automated phone system.

The timeline is from February 11-22 to register for the magnet, fundamental or high school academy. From March 10-16 you must call to accept an invitation. If the parent does not call, the application will be voided and the child will be assigned to a neighborhood school.

At this point, neighborhood school zones are not drawn. But once they are, a child can withdraw from a magnet or fundamental school and would be accepted for the neighborhood school instead.

"That was much easier than what I thought," Elmoutii said.

But she still has a few more steps before her child is assigned a school.

Open houses also known as discovery nights start February 4. Information can also be found on the school district web site.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/1/14/317042.html?title=New+era+begins+in+Pinellas+schools

Pinellas middle schools may extend school day
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
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PINELLAS COUNTY -- Pinellas County middle school students could be spending more time at school to get exercise, according to our newspaper partner the St. Petersburg Times.

A schedule change is being proposed by the school district that would let middle schools offer more elective classes and extend the school day by 22 minutes.

The idea is partly a response to a bill in the state Senate that would require more physical education classes in middle school.

Physical education is required, but students can opt out in favor of gifted classes and year-long electives.

Pinellas County School District leaders said they would have proposed the schedule change even if the physical education bill had never surfaced.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/3/19/333499.html?title=Pinellas+middle+schools+may+extend+school+day

Pinellas County school superintendent to resign
Thursday, April 17, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Dr. Clayton M. Wilcox, superintendent of Pinellas County Schools, announced Thursday that he is resigning his position.

Wilcox will join Scholastic Corporation, a children's publishing, education and media company, where he has been named vice president of education and corporate relations.

Wilcox became superintendent of Pinellas County Schools in November 2004.

He previously served as superintendent of East Baton Rouge Parish School System where he also held positions as interim superintendent, deputy superintendent for instructional and human resources, and assistant superintendent for human resources and technology.

The term of his initial contract, which was from Nov. 1, 2004 to June 30, 2008, was extended to June 30, 2011, by the Pinellas County school board members in July, 2007. Wilcox has asked the Board to release him from the contract as early as June 1.

"I have loved my time working with the students, parents and educators of Pinellas and we have made real progress toward our goals," Wilcox said. "Now I am taking another step in my career and toward my dream of helping to improve the literacy of students all across the country."

Wilcox's career as superintendent of the Pinellas County School District has been controversial. Last year, his student assignment plan met with resistance from the NAACP, who claimed it would re-segregate Pinellas schools.

The school district has also faced budget shortfalls during his career. A report released in June 2007 found that the school district had wasted millions of taxpayer dollars.

He butted heads with school board attorney Jim Robinson for over a year, forcing the school board to hold a vote telling the two men to seek mediation.

Wilcox spent the first 10 years of his career as a classroom teacher and as a principal in Waterloo Community Schools in Iowa.

He holds a BA and an MA in Education from the University of Northern Iowa and earned his Ed.D in Educational Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/4/17/340717.html?title=Pinellas+County+school+superintendent+to+resign

Interest is high to replace superintendent Wilcox
By Thomas C. Tobin and Donna Winchester, Times Staff Writers
Published Saturday, April 19, 2008 12:13 AM

When a big job opens up at the nation's 23rd largest school district, word spreads pretty fast.

Pinellas superintendent Clayton Wilcox announced his plans to resign late Thursday. By Friday, potential applicants were calling the Tallahassee office of Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association.

The group lobbies for school districts and conducts superintendent searches, though it has not been contacted yet to help Pinellas.

"My phone's already been ringing," said Blanton, who recently conducted national superintendent searches for Lake and Osceola counties that drew 40-plus applicants each.

"When you do a national search, Florida's very attractive," he said. "(Pinellas) will attract very, very high quality candidates from out of state and in-state."

As the reality of Wilcox's departure for a private sector job sank in Friday, School Board members began to focus on the task of replacing him. Most of them said the district could not afford another elaborate process like the one that brought Wilcox to Pinellas in 2004.

They cited a looming budget crisis and several major initiatives, including a transition to a new "close-to-home" school system that is just getting untracked.

Wilcox, whose contract expires in 2011, has asked to be released from that commitment by June 1, when he plans to start work as a vice president for Scholastic Corp., the children's book publisher.

The board will meet next Friday at a workshop to discuss hiring a new superintendent, but how they will proceed is anyone's guess. Most board members said they are inclined to look across Florida and perhaps nationally for a replacement. However, a majority said they also wanted to consider potential candidates who already work for the district.

The three leading contenders in that category are deputy superintendents Julie Janssen and Harry Brown, and Leon Hobbs, an associate superintendent. Each oversees a large piece of the district and all three said Friday they are interested in the job.

Janssen is the district's chief academic officer dealing mostly with curriculum. Brown handles operations issues such as a proposed change in the middle school schedule. Hobbs oversees a sprawling enterprise known as "Facilities and Operations," which includes the district's busing, food service, construction, real estate and warehouse departments.

"I don't think we have the time to go outside. I think we have good people inside," said Mary Brown, one of two board members ready to pick a superintendent from inside the district without making an interim appointment.

"I certainly am not in favor of a national search," said board member Linda Lerner. "I'm ready for an in-district person, and I think we have the people there to choose from."

The remaining five board members, to varying degrees, said Friday they were willing to consider inside candidates but expressed a desire to look elsewhere.

"They're all excellent in their own way," board member Peggy O'Shea said, referring to Janssen, Brown and Hobbs. "They all bring a lot to the table."

But she added: "It's good to see all your options and who's available."

Board members Carol Cook and Janet Clark expressed doubts about choosing from within.

"I don't know if we have somebody inside the district who's qualified enough to handle what's in front of us," said Cook, who noted that Janssen and Brown were high school principals only two years ago.

"I would like to see what's out there," said Clark. "I don't know that the Pinellas way is the best way."

Said board chairperson Nancy Bostock: "I think we have to look at how to get the best possible applicants in the fastest time frame."

Board member Jane Gallucci said she was leaning toward a process that considered applicants within Florida.

Blanton, the Florida School Boards executive, said a national search could be conducted in about three months.

"You could have somebody in there by the time school starts," he said.

Janssen said she's ready to move up from the No. 2 spot. It's been on her mind since Wilcox promoted her in 2006, she said.

"In my short time being in this job, I haven't forgotten what it's like in the schools," she said. "I have great empathy for the teachers and those who are in front of the kids."

She added: "There are times when you say, 'This is really tough.' But I love what I do. I have a vested interest in Pinellas County. This is part of my heart and soul."

Hobbs is the only one of the three internal candidates who has been a superintendent before. He led districts in Dothan, Ala., and Osceola County and says he has experience juggling multiple tasks.

Plus, he said, "I'm not unfamiliar with budget cutting."

In 2000, he was named Alabama's superintendent of the year.

With so many balls in the air, Harry Brown said he would urge the board to consider hiring from within even if he weren't being considered.

"Anybody coming into the job will have a steep learning curve," he said. "But anyone coming in from outside the district will have an even steeper one."

Brown said the district is in a better position for a transition now than it was four years ago.

"There was no succession plan then," he said. "When Dr. Wilcox offered me this job two years ago he said, 'The next time they look for a superintendent, they shouldn't have to look outside the district.' But neither of us anticipated it would be only two years later that he would be leaving."

Thomas C. Tobin can be reached at tobin@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8923. Donna Winchester can be reached at winchester@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8413.



Harry Brown, 46

• Deputy superintendent for curriculum and operations, July 2006-present

Principal, Palm Harbor University High School, 2004-06

• Assistant principal and diploma coordinator, IB program at Palm Harbor University High School, 2001-04

• Doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University

• Master's in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University

• Who's Who Among American Teachers, 1992 and 1990 editions

Julie Janssen, 59

• Deputy superintendent and chief academic officer for Pinellas County Schools, July 2006-present

• Principal, St. Petersburg High School, 2004-06

• Principal, Countryside High School, 1998-2004

• Doctorate in education, University of South Florida

• Master's in educational leadership/administration, Nova University

• Pinellas County PTSA Principal of the Year, 2000

Leon T. Hobbs, 62

• Associate superintendent for Pinellas County Schools, September 2005-present

• Superintendent of schools, Dothan, Ala., 1996-2005

• Osceola County school superintendent, 1979-84

• Doctorate in school leadership from Florida Atlantic University

• Master's in adult education administration from Florida State University

• Alabama's superintendent of the year in 2000

http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/article463869.ece

Julie Janssen was my AP at the CAT program at Lakewood. I'm sure she would make a good Superintendent.

At any rate, this is a time of transition in Pinellas County Schools. Court-ordered integration is over, Choice is now being replaced for a return to a more neighborhood-based zoning, and enrollment is dropping as more parents are opting for private schools. Pinellas County needs someone that can handle that transition and all the politics involved in it, as well as increase the overall quality of the school system.

Yea it was funny to see all the people working at my school talking about this mostly happy to see the idiot leaving. Maybe the messed up school system has a chance!

Well, we gotta remember that he abolished a school choice program that was not even five years old. :bash:

I wish he did it sooner!! The choice program was the dumbest shit ever! You don't even really get your choice, just they give you a couple choices. I am stuck driving 6 miles one way because that was the closest school they'd give me!

^^
That's unfortunate.

^^Not as bad as when they gave me an 11 mile school as my closest, and before I had a car I had to take the bus at 5 something in the morning for like an hour. To top that off I had to fight to get a stop in my neighborhood from being 1.5 miles away from my house to 1 mile and then finally in my neighborhood!

The only reason they gave me a stop in my neighborhood is because I cut through another school as a shortcut to my neighborhood. So someone noticed I was doing that and they let me cut through there as long as I got a pass until finally a asst principal noticed and I talked with her about the situation and she helped me get it changed. I'm sure other people had to go through even more stupidity to get things done.

Pinellas school superintendent search to go nationwide
Friday, April 25, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Pinellas County school board members met for the first time Friday to talk about the departure of Superintendent Dr. Clayton Wilcox, who announced last week he was resigning.

School board members agreed they'll let Wilcox leave his position as superintendent by June 3rd. They are now looking for an interim.

They agreed the search will be nationwide and will start as soon as possible.

Another big debate is whether the interim will be allowed to apply for the permanent position because some fear that will keep national candidates from applying.

Friday was only a workshop, so board members were not allowed to vote. The next board meeting is May 13, where more decisions will be made.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/4/25/342981.html?title=Pinellas+school+superintendent+search+to+go+nationwide

^^Not as bad as when they gave me an 11 mile school as my closest, and before I had a car I had to take the bus at 5 something in the morning for like an hour. To top that off I had to fight to get a stop in my neighborhood from being 1.5 miles away from my house to 1 mile and then finally in my neighborhood!

The only reason they gave me a stop in my neighborhood is because I cut through another school as a shortcut to my neighborhood. So someone noticed I was doing that and they let me cut through there as long as I got a pass until finally a asst principal noticed and I talked with her about the situation and she helped me get it changed. I'm sure other people had to go through even more stupidity to get things done.


Your reply brought back memories, I-275. :)

I suspect we've all heard the saying, or something close to it; "what are you whining about? When I was your age, I had to walk five miles to school and back - and it was uphill both ways!" :lol:

Truth is, while living at Ramstein AFB, Germany, for three years I did have to walk to school and back with my twin brother and sister; but it was only 1.5 miles and it wasn't that hilly. ;) It certainly sucked aas when it was cold or rainy though - especially when school busses would pass by! Too many kids and not enough busses I guess. :cheers:

When my stepdad went to school in the Phillippines, he also had to walk a good distance for there were no school busses back then.

Pinellas Superintendent Presents Plan To Slash $43 Million

LYNN CARSON, News Channel 8 and RAY REYES, The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 29, 2008

CLEARWATER - A proposal to slash $43 million from the Pinellas County School District's 2008-09 budget was presented Tuesday to principals and administrators by Superintendent Clayton Wilcox.

The cuts would mean a loss of 147 jobs, no travel, a hiring freeze and salary reductions for teachers.

"This is going to be tough," Wilcox told administrators at district headquarters.

The Pinellas County Teachers Association was hoping for a 2 percent raise, and the group said cutting salaries would damage morale, teacher quality and students' educations, according to association member Wendy Paser.

Wilcox said cuts in 2009 and 2010 may force the district to shut down seven schools. The school board is planning an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss the proposed 2008-09 budget cuts.

News Channel 8 reporter Lynn Carson can be reached at (813) 225-2719 or lcarson@wfla.com. Tribune reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/29/pinellas-superintendent-presents-plan-slash-43-mil/

Pinellas School board names interim superintendent
Thursday, May 1, 2008

The Pinellas County school board has named deputy superintendent Dr Julie Jansen the interim superintendent.

Janssen replaces, on an interim basis, Dr. Clayton Wilcox, who resigned to take a position with the Scholastic Corporation in New York.

Jansen said she will accept the position regardless of whether she will be allowed to apply for the superintendent position. The school board has said they will be conducting a national search for a new superintendent.

Thursday's meeting that named Janssen was a workshop, but an official vote will be taken at the next school board meeting on May 13.

Janssen has worked for Pinellas County schools for more than 35 years.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/5/1/344600.html?title=Pinellas+School+board+names+interim+superintendent+

Good for Dr. Janssen. Pinellas County will rebound. It will be sad if they have to cut teacher pay. I wonder what is causing the declining enrollment. Something should be said about the school closings, though. I know that some smaller schools in the elementary and middle school range were torn down and rebuilt to larger capacities, as well as a few new school openings in St. Pete. So, I would guess that there are several schools operating well below capacity.

Perhaps if the cities and Pinellas County overall found a way to make it more attractive to young families, declining enrollment wouldn't be as much of a problem. Having a young family myself, if St. Pete wasn't home, I'd definitely choose central Pasco and parts of Hills. over Pinellas. The low density suburban development is out of the question, but more dense residential can be just as attractive for the right price with the right amenities.

^^
The last that I heard about the teacher pay cuts, the teacher's union was furious at the plan and will negotiate with the school board in the coming days over the issue.

Your reply brought back memories, I-275. :)

I suspect we've all heard the saying, or something close to it; "what are you whining about? When I was your age, I had to walk five miles to school and back - and it was uphill both ways!" :lol:

Truth is, while living at Ramstein AFB, Germany, for three years I did have to walk to school and back with my twin brother and sister; but it was only 1.5 miles and it wasn't that hilly. ;) It certainly sucked aas when it was cold or rainy though - especially when school busses would pass by! Too many kids and not enough busses I guess. :cheers:
Haha well in europe you wouldn't be walking at 5 am but lol thats funny the busses would pass by! My problem was just plain laziness and poor planning. I think if anything if the county wants to save money lay off people who are working at the call center, some of those people, well damn!

Pinellas County moves ahead with superintendent search
Wednesday, May 7, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County School Board is pushing ahead in their search for a new superintendent.

According to our newspaper partner the St. Petersburg Times, the board informally decided on a four-month search to replace outgoing superintendent Clayton Wilcox.

The district's new top executive will be offered a salary between $200,000 and $240,000 as a part of an initial contract of three years. The board plans to select five finalists and make a selection by late September.

The process also calls for public input.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/5/7/346212.html?title=Pinellas+County+moves+ahead++with+superintendent+search

Pinellas leaders propose a new way to run schools
Saturday, June 21, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Some of Pinellas County's most influential business leaders are pushing for a major change in the way the school district operates.

The Pinellas Education Foundation is making the case that the Pinellas School District needs to make some changes. If they are able to prove their case, those changes could start to take effect as early as January 2009.

According to Thomas Tobin, an education reporter for Bay News 9's partner paper, the St. Petersburg Times, the county's graduation rate is a statistic that makes school district leaders feel less than proud.

"Pinellas County's graduation rate, which is around 67 percent, and in line with some other districts in Florida, but still nothing to brag about," Tobin said.

This is one of the motivating factors for the Pinellas Education Foundation's latest effort, which aims to put principals in control of their schools.

Foundation chairman Bob McIntyre describes the model as decentralizing the central office.

"The principal becomes a true CEO of the school," he said. "He has control over his school, human resources and hiring and firing, things like that."

Tobin explained the theory behind the proposal.

"The closer you get the management of the school to the school itself, the better you will serve your students and your school community," he said.

However, Tobin points out that this theory hasn't always played out in reality.

"This is called site-based management or school-based management," he said. "It doesn't necessarily cause an increase in student performance.

He said that some schools have been able to make it work.

"It seemed to have worked in Okaloosa County, which is the model for this plan," Tobin said.

Foundation leaders hope Okaloosa's results can be repeated in Pinellas.

"It's a proven method, It's not something new," McIntyre said. "It's a method that we've seen. It's working and we think we should adopt it."

The foundation has made its case through a written document entitled "A Case for Change in Pinellas Schools." Members of the foundation are also meeting with each school board member individually, before the entire board meets to discuss it.

If the school board adopts the change in management model, principals will begin training for the new plan in January 2009. The model would then be fully integrated into the schools for the 2010-2011 year.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/6/21/358947.html?title=Pinellas+leaders+propose+a+new+way+to+run+schools

Pinellas superintendent candidates to meet the parents
Monday, September 8, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The three finalists for Pinellas superintendent have their second round of interviews starting Monday morning.

Parents will get to hear from them in person Monday night.

Some parents already have an idea of who they might want at the helm.

"It would be great to have someone that has kids that go to school or have gone to school," said parent Sarah Fava.

"I always like to see females in office," said parent Stephanie Kenney.

The three finalists for Pinellas superintendent are: Alberto Carvalho, 43, Nicholas Gledich, 55, and Julie Janssen, 59.

Some parents are leaning toward the familiar.

"I think it's good if they go with the person who already works for the schools," Kenney said. "And has experience and choose from within."

School board members will meet Sept. 10 to decide who will be offered the job. The board will take a final vote Sept. 23.

Candidate biographies
JULIE JANSSEN

Current job: Interim superintendent, Pinellas County Schools
Education: Bachelor's degree in elementary education, University of South Florida; master's degree in education leadership, Nova Southeastern University; doctorate focusing on leadership development, University of South Florida
Experience: Started as a fourth-grade teacher at Perkins Elementary in St. Petersburg in 1970. Taught in her native Belize between 1971 and 1979. Returned to Pinellas in 1980 and taught as a math and computing teacher. Became assistant principal at Lakewood High in 1991. Was principal at Countryside High from 1998 to 2004, and St. Petersburg High between 2004 and 2006. Became deputy superintendent in 2006.

SHERRIE NICKELL

Current job: Associate superintendent, Polk County schools
Education: Bachelor's degree in elementary education, Southeastern College; master's degree in administration and supervision, University of South Florida; doctorate focusing on leadership, University of South Florida
Experience: From 1979 to 1989, worked as a private school teacher in Alabama, Michigan, public teacher in Lee, Highlands and Polk counties. Assistant principal in Polk for four years, principal for five. Human resource development director from 198 to 2005. Associate superintendent since 2005, serving as the district's chief academic officer.

NICHOLAS GLEDICH

Current job: Chief operations officer, Orange County schools - oversees the district's business operations
Education: Bachelor's degree in elementary education, Lock Haven State College; master's degree in educational leadership, University of Central Florida; doctorate in educational leadership, University of Florida
Experience: Began teaching elementary school in Orlando in 1975. Was an elementary school principal for 12 years, then became a senior director, overseeing 23 elementary schools. In 1998, he became the associate superintendent in charge of improving curriculum. Became COO in 2004.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/9/8/380265.html?title=Pinellas+superintendent+candidates+to+meet+the+parents

Pinellas school board chooses new superintendent
Wednesday, September 10, 2008

http://media1.www.baynews9.com/images/news/2008/9/9/albertocarvalho.jpg;pv4a837a50a9ecf487

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County School Board will offer its vacant superintendent job to Alberto Carvalho.


The school system announced Wednesday it will offer the position to Carvalho, currently the associate superintendent of Miami-Dade schools.

The school system will begin negotiations immediately with Carvalho. If the two sides can agree on a contract, Carvalho could be in place as superintendent by the end of the month.

Carvalho was one of three finalists for the job. He was selected ahead of Nicholas Gledich, the chief operations officer of Orange County schools and Julie Janssen, who is the interim superintendent with Pinellas schools and has been the deputy superintendent since 2006.

Should he be officially hired, Carvalho will replace Clayton Wilcox, who resigned in June to take a position with Scholastic Corp. in New York.

Carvalho, 43, was selected after a 4-3 board vote.

The board is scheduled to vote on finalizing the contract with the new superintendent at the Sept. 23 board meeting.

Carvalho brings 18 years of experience in education in the nation's fourth largest school district and presently serves as Associate Superintendent, Intergovernmental Affairs, Grants, Marketing and Community Services.


Married with a teenage daughter, Mr. Carvalho, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology/biomedical science from Barry University, a Masters of Educational Leadership from Nova University and is a doctoral candidate at Nova Southeastern University.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/9/10/381072.html?title=Pinellas+school+board+chooses+new+superintendent

...and take over as Miami's Superintendent. So now the question is raised again...

Who will be the next Pinellas County Superintendent?
Posted by Tamara Hill 1 hr ago
Tampa Bay's 10 News

St. Petersburg, Florida - School board members will decide the next step to take in hiring for the Superintendent position.

The board first offered the job to Miami's School Districts Chief, Alberto Carvalho last week. He turned down the job after getting a counter offer from Miami and an extra 100-thousand dollars.

Interim Superintendent Julie Janseen and Chief Operations Officer for Orange County Public Schools are still in the running. Janseen says she remains committed to the school district even if she's passed over again. Both candidates are still interested in the job.

Janseen remains the favorite of many school adminstrators, teachers and parents, plus three board members.

Janseen has spent 29 years with the school district as teacher, principal and admininstrator. But some say however, she doesn't have the qualifications to be superintendent.

The school board wil meet Tuesday morning to decide their next step.

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=89842&catid=8

Pinellas Picks Janssen For Superintendent

By STEVEN GIRARDI

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

LARGO - For Julie Janssen, the second time around was just the chance she needed.

The Pinellas County School Board voted 7-0 Tuesday to offer Janssen the superintendent's job, removing the interim tag she has held since taking over for Clayton Wilcox, who resigned in June.

"I'm elated," Janssen said after thanking board members for their confidence in her. "What is very important to me is it was a 7-0 vote."

The selection of Janssen came a week after the board voted 4-3 to offer the job to Miami-Dade County Associate Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. But hours later Carvalho was offered the top job in Miami-Dade and, on Friday, told Pinellas officials he was staying there.

That set the stage for Tuesday's special meeting, packed with Janssen supporters who spoke on her behalf, some using the chance to chastise the board for its earlier decision.

Janssen, 59, a longtime Pinellas teacher and administrator, was selected over Nicholas Gledich, 55, an Orange County administrator who board members also agreed was a worthy candidate.

The board will begin contract negotiations with Janssen with an eye toward finalizing the deal Sept. 23. The position will pay $200,000 to $240,000. The Pinellas superintendent oversees a $1.5 billion budget and runs the 23rd largest school district in the country.

The vote for Janssen came after a 4-3 vote against hiring Gledich, who was supported by Chairwoman Nancy Bostock and board members Jane Gallucci and Carol Cook.

Board member Janet Clark, one of four who voted for Carvalho, shifted the balance when she decided to go with Janssen. Clark said she was concerned with Janssen's lack of experience as an administrator, noting her highest position has been deputy superintendent for Wilcox.

She said a meeting with Janssen on Monday changed her mind. She asked Janssen to write specific initiatives for the school district.

Janssen began with the district as a teacher in 1980s and worked through the ranks, earning support from many school-based groups and individuals along the way.

The outpouring of support leading up to the vote, and continuing today, caused some tension. Nine people spoke on her behalf.

Kim Black, president of the Pinellas Classroom Teacher's Association, pointedly told the board members their decision on Carvalho was "an embarrassment."

She said rejecting Janssen "totally ignored the community input" and showed "the glass ceiling does exist."

Others said that overlooking a woman who worked her way through the system contradicts the district's goals to grow talent and to promote from within.

Some board members objected, saying they heard community input from sources besides meeting speakers and community groups.

"You can't just take the squeakiest wheel out there," Clark said.

Bostock, who voiced concern last week about the pressure and campaigning to choose Janssen, said she was saddened by some of the comments.

"Listening doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to do what I'm told to do by somebody," she said.

Board members Linda Lerner and Gallucci were out of town and joined the meeting by telephone. Lerner suggested the board delay a decision until Sept. 23, as did some in the audience.

The board agreed to move forward to resolve the issue, then made the vote for Janssen unanimous.

Reporter Steven Girardi may be reached at (727) 451-2333 or at sgirardi@tampatrib.com

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/sep/17/me-pinellas-names-janssen-superintendent/

I wish Janssen good luck. She doesn't seem to be a b**** like MaryEllen Elia of Hillsborough County Public Schools

New Pinellas superintedent gets contract
Tuesday, September 23, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Negotiations are expected to be completed quickly with the new Pinellas County superintendent.

The district's new choice, Dr. Julie Janssen, has tentatively agreed to a three-year deal, according to Bay News 9's partner newspaper, the St. Petersburg Times.

The contract will pay Janssen $200,000 a year. Also, it will include a car and cell phone allowances.

School leaders tapped Janssen for the job last week. The school board is expected to further examine the deal today.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/9/23/384927.html?title=New+Pinellas+superintedent+gets+contract

She was my Algebra II teacher at Lakewood in 89. She was the most competent math teacher I had in high school. Nice legs too...:)

More schools closing in Pinellas?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Several Pinellas County elementary schools could be closing their doors due to budget cuts.

The school district has $21 million to cut from its budget this year and another $40 million to cut next year.

And according to Bay News 9's partner newspaper, the St. Petersburg Times, closing schools may be the way it goes about those cuts.

Elementary schools potentially on the chopping block: Gulf Beaches in St. Pete Beach, Kings Highway and North Ward in Clearwater, Palm Harbor Elementary and Rio Vista in St. Petersburg. If any of the schools close, students would be shifted to other schools in their neighborhoods.

Last year, the district closed three schools - Largo Central Elementary, South Ward Elementary and Riviera Middle School. Some of the schools on the new closing list were spared last year.

As enrollment in Pinellas County continues to go down, so does funding. The district, which has about 104,000 students has lost almost 7,000 students since 2005. That equals about $50 million in annual revenue.

Pinellas school board members found out last week that this year's spending will be cut by at least $21 million - $7 million more than originally planned.

The school board will begin the decision process with a five-hour workshop scheduled for today at 10:30 a.m. at district headquarters in Largo. The public can attend but will not be invited to speak.

District officials hope to make a decision by January.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/11/18/404579.html?title=More+schools+closing+in+Pinellas?

This is unfortunate for Pinellas. Not only is enrollment continuing to drop, but the state is going to pony in less money this year for all the school districts. Very unfortunate. :ohno:

Parents working to save Pinellas elementary schools
Saturday, November 22, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- This weekend hundreds of families are working together to save five elementary schools from closing in Pinellas County.

Earlier this week the Pinellas County School Board released a list of possible closures, which include: Gulf Beaches, Kings Highway, Northward, Palm Harbor and Rio Vista elementary schools.

All of the five schools that could close next year have smaller class sizes and older buildings. And in these financially difficult times, the school system says shutting the schools down could save about $6 million a year.

"We know it all comes down to money, but parents say there has to be another way," said Palm Harbor Parent Teacher Association President Debi Fiegly. "And right now they're all scrambling trying to find a way to keep the schools running next year."

Saturday close to 100 parents and students came to the Rio Vista campus searching for a way to save their school. They don't understand why a seemingly successful school would be shut down.

That's the same question parents are asking at Palm Harbor Elementary School.

"It's an 'A' school. They have consistently high FCAT scores. They're doing everything right," Fiegly said. "Why would they close a school that was doing everything right?"

The Pinellas County School Board will meet on Dec. 9 to vote on which schools will close.

The public is invited to share their thoughts at that meeting. A final vote will be held in January.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/11/22/406467.html?title=Parents+working+to+save+Pinellas+elementary+schools

I went to Gulf Beaches, but I understand the need to close it. There just aren't as many families with kids on St.Pete Beach and southern Treasure Island anymore. It was a great place to go to school.

School board meeting on possible school closures
Tuesday, December 2, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Several issues will be discussed today when the Pinellas County School Board meets today in Largo.


Most notably, the possibility of school closures is expected to be brought up again.

Last month, the school board released a list of possible closures, which include: Gulf Beaches, Kings Highway, Northward, Palm Harbor and Rio Vista elementary schools.

All of the five schools that could close next year have smaller class sizes and older buildings. And in these financially difficult times, the school system says shutting the schools down could save about $6 million a year.

In that effort to slash the budget, school leaders have even combine several middle schools. The board is expected to take a vote on the issue on December 9.

According to Bay News 9's partner newspaper, the St. Petersburg Times, officials said the school closures and mergers, along with bus service re-zoning could collectively save at least $6 million.

The district will need to make additional cuts to get to the $40-million mark.

The school board workshop is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. today at district headquarters. The public can attend but is not invited to address the board.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/12/2/409762.html?title=School+board+meeting+on+possible+school+closures

Pinellas schools must go back to 6-period schedule
Monday, December 1, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Middle school teachers in Pinellas County have won a major victory.

An arbitrator ruled Monday that the district's new seven-period schedule violates the teachers' contract. The district must go back to the previous six-period schedule when the second semester begins Jan. 20.

School leaders started the seven-period day this year as a way to save money. The change also made room for state-mandated courses and physical education.

But the Pinellas County teachers union argued it requires teachers to teach more classes without any extra pay.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/12/1/409610.html

School weighs options in wake of possible closures
Tuesday, December 9, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- As the Pinellas County School Board prepares to meet today to discuss school closures, parents of students at one of the schools are looking at new options.

School Board members will discuss the possible closures of five schools due to budget cuts at today's school board meeting.

Leaders are considering closing five elementary schools: Gulf Beaches, Kings Highway, North Ward, Rio Vista and Palm Harbor.

They also will discuss possible changes to school boundaries.

Some of the schools were slated for closure a year ago but stayed open. Gulf Beaches was among them but now, St. Pete Beach city leaders are working with parents to keep the school open. That includes looking at a variety of options, including becoming a charter school.

"We feel the need, as city commission to preserve this community school," said Christopher Leonard, a St. Pete Beach City Commissioner.

Gulf Beaches is the last barrier island school to remain in Pinellas County. Students, teachers, parents and lawmakers gathered Monday morning to protest the school's possible closure.

"I thought it was going to stay open because we did that (last year),' said fourth-grader Arlene Duff. "But now they made a change and we have to do it again this year."

But there is some hope for school that has been open since 1950. St. Pete Beach city leaders will urge the school board to grant them at least a year to look at other options.

Parents in the tight-knit community have already raised almost $20,000 through fundraising. They hope to make upgrades to the school to help convince the school board to keep the school open.

Meanwhile, the alternative of switching the school to a charter school continues to be discussed.

However, if the school become a charter facility, it would no longer be able to use public school buses. Parents said they will do whatever it takes.

"If we have to change it to a charter, we'll change it to a charter,' said parent Alice Duff. "We'll do what we can to keep this school."

The school board meeting begins at 5 p.m. at district headquarters in Largo.

Board members also are expected to do a first reading on the proposed changes to the student assignment plan and will set a public hearing for Jan. 13. That's when a vote is expected.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/12/9/412560.html?title=School+weighs+options+in+wake+of+possible+closures

Board moves ahead with plans to close schools
Wednesday, December 10, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Despite attempts to alter their stance, the Pinellas County School Board is moving forward with plans to close schools due to budget cuts.


Tuesday's school board meeting went late into the evening as parents, students and others in the community spoke to voice their opposition to the school board's decision to close five elementary schools: Gulf Beaches, Kings Highway, North Ward, Rio Vista and Palm Harbor.

Still, by the time the meeting was over, the school board voted 7-0 to tentatively approve their plan to shut down the schools.

In addition to the five possible closures, Clearview Avenue Elementary also will close, as previously decided by the board. And Southside and Coachman middle schools will be shuttered with their programs switched to other middle schools.

Also, new middle and elementary school zones will be drawn up.

Meanwhile, parents of students at some of the schools slated for closing said they aren't giving up.

"I think it's a shame that they're not considering that this is the only school that we have on our beaches,' said one parent of Gulf Beaches Elementary School in St. Pete Beach. "We have a couple smaller fundamental schools. But where are we going to on on the barrier island?"

A final vote on the closing plan is scheduled for Jan. 13.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/12/10/412963.html?title=Board+moves+ahead+with+plans+to+close+schools

School closings the topic of school board workshop
Thursday, December 18, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County School Board is holding a last-minute workshop to hammer out more details of a controversial school closing plan.

The school board announced preliminary plans to close five elementary schools and move thousands of students in November. Since then, parents and educators have been letting school board members know what they think about the plan.

Board members hope Thursday's workshop will answer some of the questions asked by parents like Debi Fiegle.

Fiegle's children attend Palm Harbor Elementary, one of the schools threatened by the proposed round of closings. Her children would be two of the tens of thousands of students affected by the closings.

Fiegle and several other parents met with school board member Linda Lerner in an attempt to keep the schools open.

"It does seem as though we're running uphill a long, long way," she said.

Lerner said she welcomes the parents' concerns and she wants to make sure she and the other members get their facts straight before moving ahead.

"I'd rather not close any schools and I'd rather not close any small schools but I'm not sure what choice I'm going to have," she said. "I just want to be sure I have all the info."

School closures are just one of a series of drastic measures taken across the state as school leaders struggle with slashed budgets. On Wednesday night, Orange County school leaders proposed another serious measure when they suggested eliminating all sports programs, a move they say could save the district $7 million per year.

Lerner said school board members have several questions about the closings that they hope to see answered in the workshop. She said that, while they were given reasons for the school closings, she wants to know if other schools were looked at as possibilities as well. Another question she hopes to see answered is whether there will be room for students in other schools, and if not, will there be a cost associated with the portable buildings.

The workshop is open to the public. Anyone who wishes to attend should show up at the Pinellas County School Board office Thursday at 10 a.m. at 301 Fourth St. SW in Largo.

The school board will make its final vote on school closings on Jan. 13.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/12/18/416159.html?title=School+closings+the+topic+of+school+board+workshop

Parents voice concerns over possible school closures
Thursday, December 18, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County School Board held a last-minute workshop Thursday to hammer out more details of a controversial school closing plan.

The school board announced preliminary plans to close five elementary schools and move thousands of students in November.

Since then, parents and educators have been letting school board members know what they think about the plan.

Thursday's meeting was just one of several actions by the board regarding the school closure/consolidation issue.

The school board will make its final vote on school closings on Jan. 13.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/12/18/416442.html?title=Parents+voice+concerns+over+possible+school+closures

Compromise may allow Pinellas students to stay put
Friday, January 9, 2009

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Pinellas County School Board members are considering a compromise to the huge student re-shuffling plan.


Until now, it appeared that up to 18,000 students "grandfathered" into their schools would have to move next year. But according to Bay News 9's partner newspaper the St. Petersburg Times, school board chairperson Peggy O'Shea said those students might get to stay put.

But there is one stipulation.

Pinellas Superintendent Julie Janssen said her staff has come up with an option for school board members to consider: allow students to stay at their schools without bus service.

That would leave parents with the responsibility of getting their children to school. It is a cost-cutting move that many parents seem to be in favor of while several others oppose, according to officials.

The school board will vote on the measure next week.

The district is trying to patch a projected $48-million hole in next year's budget. In addition to revoking grandfathering, the first round of cuts involves proposals to close five elementary schools and merge four middle schools into two.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/1/9/423450.html?title=Compromise+may+allow+Pinellas+students+to+stay+put

Administrative costs bloat Pinellas schools budget
Saturday, January 10, 2009

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County School Board is searching for ways to plug a hole in next year's budget, and many people think they should start at the top.

According to Bay News 9's partner paper, the St. Petersburg Times, the Pinellas County School Board spends more money on administrative costs than most other school districts in the state.

The Times reports that the Pinellas school district is spending about $5.5 million on general administration costs this year, while Orange County schools, which has 64,000 more students, will only spend $3 million.

In addition, Pinellas County has budgeted almost $4 million for top administrative salaries for the 2008-2009 year - almost the same amount as Hillsborough County's budget, where the system is 80 percent larger.

Pinellas County will also spend twice as much on its operating budget as Brevard County, whose school system Pinellas officials are trying to model.

School board members say that these numbers show they will have to look at everything more intensely than they had in the past.

The Times reports that Schools Superintendent Julie Janssen said they plan to examine how the district handles administrators who retire. Sometimes they are hired back at their previous six-figure salaries, some of whom ultimately receive their salaries on top of state retirement benefits.

Several school board members said those administrators need to be brought back at lower pay rates.

The school district is also looking at the cost of transportation as an area that could see some administrative cuts. The Times quotes Janssen as saying the number of supervisors and extra drivers is "way out of line" with other districts.

Janssen, who has only been the superintendent for three months, said the size of the district's general administration budget is a big concern.
General administrative costs, county by county

Here's a breakdown of the percentage of 2008-2009 school budgets set aside for administrative costs:
Pinellas
65%
Hillsborough 58%
Broward 56%
Palm Beach
51%
Duval
48%
Miami-Dade 37%

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/1/10/423915.html?title=Administrative+costs+bloat+Pinellas+schools+budget

Decision day arrives on Pinellas school vote
Tuesday, January 13, 2009

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Pinellas County School Board members are expected to take a final vote today on school closures.

It's a move the board has said they've had to make due to budget concerns. The five elementary schools that could be shut down are Gulf Beaches, Kings Highway, Northward, Rio Vista and Palm Harbor.

The board voted on Dec. 9 to shutter the schools during a board meeting that went late into the night as parents, students and others in the community spoke to voice their opposition to the board's plans.

Parents are still trying to persuade the board to seek alternate methods to trim its budget.

"If after turning over every rock, looking under every desk, examining it with a microscope and they say, you know what, we really do need this four million dollars to save our budget, close us then, but only then," said Cathy Houck, a Palm Harbor Elementary Parent and PTA Treasurer. "It's extremely stressful.'

School Board officials said their plan was not rushed.

Many factors were taken into consideration, including the location, size, age and condition of the schools, board members said.

School Board Chairperson Peggy O'Shea said the board will have to work towards plans for next school year if in fact the five schools are closed. She said there also will be more cuts in the future - especially once the board sees the final state budget.

The board also will vote on the student assignment plan at today's 10 a.m. meeting. The have to decide whether to allow students to be granfathered in to their current schools or move them to neighborhood schools.

The most recent compromise would allow about 18,000 students to stay in there current school but would not provide bus transportation.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/1/13/424926.html?title=Decision+day+arrives+on+Pinellas+school+vote

Pinellas School Board decides to close 6 schools
Tuesday, January 13, 2009

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County School Board decided Tuesday to close six elementary schools.

It's a move the board said they had to make due to budget concerns and low enrollment.

The six elementary schools that will be shut down are: Clearview, Gulf Beaches, Kings Highway, North Ward, Rio Vista and Palm Harbor.

Also, two fundamental schools will be closed and moved to other campuses. Coachmen Fundamental will be moved to Kennedy Middle School, and Southside Fundamental will be moved to Madeira Beach Middle School.

During the meeting parents pleaded with board members to keep their child's school open.

"I just don't think it's fair to our children to tell them that they're not worth the education they could get," said one parent during the meeting.

The board voted on Dec. 9 to shutter the elementary schools during a board meeting that went late into the night as parents, students and others in the community spoke to voice their opposition to the board's plans.

"I feel that the school board members listened," said one parent after Tuesday's decision. "I just feel that they made the wrong decision when they voted to close our school."

School Board Chairperson Peggy O'Shea said the board would have to work toward plans for next school year. She said there also will be more cuts in the future, especially once the board sees the final state budget.

Students who attend the schools that are set to be closed will be given priority in being placed at other schools.

The school board also voted on the student assignment plan. They voted to allow about 17,000 students to be grandfathered into their current schools as long as parents provide transportation for the students.

However, the process will be a little tricky. All elementary students will be zoned to their neighborhood school, and it will be up to the parents to call the student assignment office to tell them the they want them grandfathered into their current school.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/1/13/424926.html?title=Pinellas+School+Board+decides+to+close+6+schools

Pinellas County administrator says deeper cuts in spending needed

By Will Van Sant, Times Staff Writer
In print: Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Facing a budget shortfall and with revenue forecasts grim, Pinellas County Administrator Bob LaSala on Tuesday called for deep spending reductions and a contraction of county government.

Looking ahead to the 2010 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1, LaSala said more than nibbling at the edges will be needed. Significant cuts to core services are unavoidable, he said, and impacts will be governmentwide.

"This is going to be very difficult," LaSala told a group of county leaders called together to hear his message at a work session. "We are going to have to make unprecedented changes in the way we do business."

To ensure the county weathers a recession that LaSala said is projected not to stabilize in Florida until 2011, he proposed cutting general fund spending for the coming fiscal year by 15 to 20 percent.

A 20 percent reduction from this year's level would result in a general fund budget of $437-million, or $20-million less than the general fund budget in 2003.

Though things look bad for 2010, the situation is immediate. Only three months into the current fiscal year, the county faces a projected budget shortfall of $12-million, officials said.

To fill the gap, officials plan a selective hiring freeze, to limit travel costs and equipment purchases and to ask that departments spend only 97 percent of the money they've been allotted this year.

The shortfall stems from revenue declines brought on by the economy. Looking toward next year, officials predict property tax revenue to drop by $37-million to $56-million, the third straight year of declines.

State sales tax revenue and income from building permits and other fees is projected to slide by $11-million to $14-million.

Budget director John Woodruff said that in past years governments could rely on their diverse revenue streams. If one was down, he said, others would compensate. Now, he said, all sources of income are in decline.

"We are really dealing with a crisis of historic proportions here," Woodruff said.

Though the projected revenue decrease for next year is between 9 and 13 percent, LaSala thinks deeper spending cuts are necessary. It's time to begin looking at the county budget in terms of multiyear cycles, he said, and economists predict more grief in 2010.

The County Commission embraced his proposal and later this month will meet to discuss policy priorities and give LaSala further direction on a government downsizing effort that's likely to last all year.

Officials insisted that even the politically charged area of public safety funding will get serious scrutiny.

Pinellas Sheriff Jim Coats, whose office gets a large share of the general fund, was present. During the most recent budget cycle, he and the county administration were involved in a funding standoff. At the workshop, he again drew the line.

"You have my support and cooperation to the extent that I believe we can provide the citizens of Pinellas County with a safe environment," Coats said.

Still being examined is the downturn's impact on Penny for Pinellas sales tax revenue, which pays for county infrastructure projects. But Penny revenue mirrors state sales tax revenue, which officials project will continue to sink in 2010, resulting in a 10 percent drop from 2008 levels.

By March, the commission is to meet and consider what changes may have to be made to its Penny projects list.

County officials insist the situation is unlike anything they've experienced and plan to explore aggressive cost-saving measures and even new ways of generating income.

Will Van Sant can be reached at vansant@sptimes.com or (727) 445-3144.


[Last modified: Jan 13, 2009 10:16 PM]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article967390.ece

Turn Gulf Beaches Elementary into charter school?

By Sheila Mullane Estrada, Times Correspondent
In Print: Sunday, January 18, 2009

ST. PETE BEACH — City officials here are determined to keep Gulf Beaches Elementary School open.

"Gulf Beaches is the only school on the barrier island," says Commissioner Linda Chaney. "If the school is closed, our children face an hourlong ride over three drawbridges. That's a long day for small children and is clearly detrimental to our community."

Despite the Pinellas County School Board's decision Tuesday to close the school, she said the commission hopes it can be converted to a charter school.

They hope enough residents, particularly those with school-age children, feel the same way.

In an attempt to generate that support, the commission has scheduled an open house for Jan. 28 at the Community Center, at 7701 Boca Ciega Drive, and invited representatives of Imagine School at St. Petersburg to describe their charter school program.

Arlington, Va.-based Imagine Schools operates 18 charter schools in Florida, including the one in St. Petersburg, and another 56 throughout the country.

The program specializes in the arts and science, environment, single gender, Chinese language, careers, International Baccalaureate and an elementary program called Project Child.

In Project Child, clusters of students and teachers work together for three years so that students can stay with the same teacher to better meet their needs and maximize teaching time.

Chaney said that enough families must want the charter school before the organization would be willing to approach the School Board for approval.

"If the parents aren't interested, there is no reason to talk to the School Board," Chaney said.

Charter schools are essentially free schools open to the public but operated by private organizations. The school system loses state per-child money for those students enrolled. That money is given to the charter school operator.

Chaney acknowledges that the Pinellas County school system is unlikely to want Gulf Beaches to become a charter school because the reason for closing it is to save money.

Gulf Beaches is one of seven small schools the School Board decided to close in an attempt to plug a budget deficit that is approaching $40-million and could surged to the $60- to $80-million range.

Chaney said the school system must be willing to lease the Gulf Beaches building at a "reasonable rate" for the charter program to be economically viable.

She is concerned that because Gulf Beaches Elementary is on "valuable property" on Blind Pass Road it might be sold to generate revenue for the school system.

The land the school sits on was donated to the school system years ago. The original deed restricts its use to the surrounding neighborhood. Chaney questioned whether the property could be sold or if it would revert to the original property owners if it is no longer used for a school.

In a written opinion, the School Board attorney has said the property belongs to the school system.

"The county school system considers the property theirs and views it as an asset," Chaney said.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article968249.ece

Gulf Beaches Elementary to become charter school?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Parents at Gulf Beaches Elementary don't want to let their school go without a fight.

Recently the Pinellas County School Board voted to close the school because of budget cuts, so now parents are looking into other options.

Right now Gulf Beaches Elementary is the only public elementary school on the barrier island. Parents at a meeting Wednesday night said if the school closes they don't have a lot of options, so they're looking into the possibility of converting it into a charter school.

About 100 parents and students gathered Wednesday to learn more about Imagine Schools, an organization that already runs 18 charter schools in Florida.

Parent Becky Toon, whose three children attend Gulf Beaches Elementary, says she's open to it becoming a charter school and has lots of questions about what that would entail.

"Basically, I want to know what is their curriculum? How different is it going to be as opposed to Gulf Beaches? Are they going to still have that community feel and small town values, even though it's in the big city? And how much are they going to change?" Toon said. "And I would want to know how they would have to answer to the school board."

The move would have to be approved by Pinellas County Schools. And there are questions about who owns the property, and what it would take for a charter school to acquire the property.

Charter school representatives also told the crowd it could mean a loss of revenue for the school system.

St. Pete Beach city officials also attended the meeting. St. Pete Beach Mayor Michael Finnerty says if Gulf Beaches Elementary closes, it will be detrimental to the community.

City officials are planning to meet with the school superintendent next week to discuss the possibility of a charter school in the area. They say a decision would need to be within the next 30 days or so for the school to be open by this fall.

Pinellas County Schools are still working on new school boundary lines, but parents with students at Gulf Beaches Elementary say their children will be going to Azaela Elementary when their school closes.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/1/28/431313.html?title=Gulf+Beaches+Elementary+to+become+charter+school?

Done deal: New zones for Pinellas elementary schools
Wednesday, February 11, 2009

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The Pinellas County School Board voted Tuesday 7 to 0 in favor of new school boundaries for elementary schools.

The school board decided to close six schools last month due to low enrollment and budget concerns, so a new zone map for elementary schools is needed.

The decision has many parents unhappy.

"It just does not make sense," said Heidi Diem, mother of 5-year-old Hannah, who will ride the bus to kindergarten at Seminole Elementary next year.

Diem wants her daughter to go to Bauder Elementary, a half mile from home. Seminole Elementary is at least a mile and a half away.

"Why not," she asked, "if they're within walking distance, why can't we walk?"

"It's not mathematically possible to get everyone living within two miles into school where they live two miles from," said Asst. Superintendent of Student Assignment Jim Madden. "Did we make every effort to do that? Yeah."

Diem doesn't think the school board's seeing things clearly.

"It doesn't follow what they are trying to accomplish in reducing transportation expenses and taking into consideration what's best for the child," she said.

The district is hoping their new maps will be the best for everyone.

All students will be assigned to their zoned school so it will be up to the parents to elect to keep them at their current school they are attending.

Other parents complained of a similar issue at the meeting. However, district officials say some homes sit between two schools that are within walking distance.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/2/11/435604.html?title=Done+deal:+New+zones+for+Pinellas+elementary+schools

Middle school schedule still divides Pinellas schools, union

By Donna Winchester, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Sunday, February 22, 2009

In the end, Pinellas school officials say they got what they wanted after a contentious months-long battle with the teachers union: an extra period for middle school students and $1.1 million in savings.

But getting there involved violating the teachers' contract, going before an arbitrator, facing a lawsuit, and —- finally — reaching a settlement in favor of the teachers last week.

So, was it worth it?

Associate superintendent Ron Stone, who has negotiated the district's contracts with the union for years, thinks the district came out ahead.

The extra class period for middle school students made room for state-mandated PE and remedial classes, as well as electives, which district officials say keep kids from dropping out.

The district saved money by requiring teachers to be in class a larger percentage of the day, eliminating the need to hire more of them for this academic year.

But union president Kim Black says all of that came about because the district knowingly violated the teachers' contract when the School Board voted in June to force them to teach an extra period without offering them more money.

"The long-term cost is immeasurable," Black said. "A district that's had a rich history of collaboration has devalued and demoralized its work force."

Black said the move also shortchanged students, whose class times were cut from 53 or 54 minutes per period to 48 minutes, the equivalent of 14 days of lost instruction in core subjects over the year.

Stone disagrees that students were harmed, insisting that the schedule change was launched in the name of middle school reform.

"In the end, I think we did what was right for them," he said, "although maybe we didn't do it the way we could have done it."

The district had hoped to save $2.2 million this year by requiring teachers to teach the extra period. That amount was cut in half Tuesday when an out-of-court settlement handed $1.1 million to the teachers as compensation for teaching the longer day.

That amounts to about $800 for each of the 1,500 middle school teachers on whose behalf a lawsuit was filed last month.

The suit had asked the court to uphold an arbitrator's order in November that the district return to the old six-period day by the start of this semester, which began Jan. 20. District officials had refused to comply with the order, saying it would be too disruptive for about 22,000 middle school students.

Under the terms of the settlement, schools will have the option of remaining on the current seven-period day for the rest of the academic year or going to a "floating seven" block schedule that will allow for uninterrupted planning time before the school day begins.

Board chairwoman Peggy O'Shea maintains that it would have been possible to add the extra period without violating the teachers' contract if there had been more lead time. As it turned out, O'Shea said, the district was in a financial crisis and needed to take steps immediately to cut costs.

"Ultimately, we had to do what the kids needed," she said. "They needed seven classes."

But board member Janet Clark said that in hindsight, she would not have voted in June to require teachers to teach six out of seven periods when their contract stipulated they could not be required to teach more than five periods a day.

She said as much back in October, when she apologized to teachers at a board meeting. In light of what came after that — the arbitrator's ruling, the district's refusal to honor it, the lawsuit and Tuesday's settlement — Clark said she's even more convinced that the district made a mistake.

"The $1.1 million is beside the point," she said. "The damage that was done to relationships is much more important to me than the money."

The intention going forward is to bargain the provision for a seven-period day for both middle and high school students for next year, Stone said. That could be accomplished in one of several ways, including a "block" schedule that allows for 90-minute classes. To accommodate the longer classes, subjects would alternate days because not every class would fit into each day.

District officials already are counting on a $6.1 million savings under the new proposal.


[Last modified: Feb 21, 2009 09:28 PM]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/article978124.ece