Soldier grateful for kindness of students
Army Spc. Brian Sowards, keeping the stress of serving in Iraq to himself, thanks them for their packages and notes. [12/24]

Suspended principal accused of deleting records
The School Board says the records, some of which are public, were deleted from equipment Michael Ransaw turned in. [12/23]

Tellone's words stun charter school
A director at Gulf Coast Academy was "shocked" by the superintendent's "excessive response" to state auditors.[12/22]

Principal suspended, despite support
A number of parents back Michael Ransaw of Powell Middle School, but the School Board follows its standard procedure. [12/16]

Gifts from the heart
Central High School art students create presents with a personal touch as part of a class project.

Leaving the classroom for Afghanistan
A Spring Hill Elementary teacher and national guardsman departs for an 18-month tour of duty.

Newsmakers
Students from Notre Dame Catholic School in Spring Hill joined millions of children, parents and teachers worldwide for Scholastic Read for 2005, the sixth annual children's read-athon. Classrooms read a book together for 2,005 seconds (about 33 1/3 minutes) as part of this global celebration of reading.

Officials: School administrator resigned amid conduct inquiry
He was an assistant principal at West Hernando Middle. [12/14]

Board looks at process for naming schools
A draft policy, which will be voted on in January, would form a seven-member committee to help come up with names for new schools.[12/9]

After months of preparation, orchestra ready to bow
The Nature Coast Technical High ensemble, the county's only high school orchestra, has been working toward Friday's holiday concert since August.

Whipping up success
An Eastside Elementary parent educator wins a countywide award for finding ways to encourage student achievement.

Acting principal appointment draws ire
A lawyer for Powell Middle School's suspended principal is outraged by the appointment of an assistant principal to an interim post. [12/8]

PHCC classes at two sites starting in next month
Pasco-Hernando Community College will offer these classes at the Spring Hill Center: [12/7]

Comfort in a classic
Each year, Springstead High drama students build experience in A Christmas Carol. [12/3]

Students not required to make up lost days
Most county schools have already met instruction requirements and won't have to make up four hurricane days. [12/2]

Task force recommends school boundary changes
Under the plan by a group of parents and school district employees, several high schools would see big population shifts.

A mighty message
The Manatee Man has been making his rounds locally for years, but now his songs are being heard statewide.

Class notes
NATURE COAST TECHNICAL: Holiday dinner with concert and basket auction, 5 to 8 p.m. Monday in the cafeteria at 4057 California St. Enjoy a spaghetti dinner while you listen to a concert. Bid on donated items in baskets in a silent auction. This fundraiser is open to the public. $5 adults; $3 for children 10 and under.

Stay true, lawmaker urges school leaders
A state senator visits Chocachatti Elementary to swear in new leaders of its microsociety, telling them to keep their campaign promises.

About Face flips behavior at Fox Chapel
The disciplinary program, pushing students to own up to what they did wrong, has decreased problems at the overcrowded middle school. [11/29]

Reshaped School Board settles in to role
As the board gears up for talks on rezoning and its school naming policy, members say goodbye to a top director and welcome new faces. [11/18]

School Board member leaves utility post
Amid a work review, Robert Wiggins resigns as finance manager for the county Utilities Department to take a job in the private sector. [11/11]

Learning about hairdos and don'ts
There's a new salon in town, with a young, eager staff and great prices.

With orders to help, son faithfully complies
With his father fighting in Iraq, fourth-grader Hunter Riley has stepped up at home and, in his own way, shows support for the troops.

Teachers plan field trip to visit parents
Brooksville Elementary teachers will hop buses to meet with Hillside parents who may not have the means to come to the school. [11/9]

County's high school bands rate well
BROOKSVILLE - Hernando County's four high school bands made the most of their opportunities Saturday during the Florida Bandmasters Association's District 5 Music Performance Assessment at Central High School.

Anything but long days filled with TV
A young woman with cerebral palsy has developed a skill that she deeply wants to continue cultivating after graduation. [11/4]

Tech savvy hits top note
Music teacher Roger Cousins relied on his computer know-how and some of his own cash to patch together a music lab.

Election interest overtakes apathy
Classrooms are buzzing about the presidential race. The county has nearly twice as many registered 18- to 25-year-olds as in 2000. Who says young people don't care about politics? [11/1]

Critical drawings drawing criticism
A middle school teacher rankles Republicans when she gives students anti-Bush editorial cartoons to analyze. [10/29]

Candidates' stance on schools similar
School Board hopefuls call for quick action on teacher pay and overcrowding but have little else in common. [10/28]

Kindness is good and it can help charities
Spring Hill Elementary students can earn from businesses or family for acts of kindness. [10/21]

Board lawyer won't renew her contract
Last month, Karen Gaffney agreed to try to determine whether she could work for the School Board full time. [10/20]

Swiftmud recognizes 2 schools' projects
Central High and Suncoast Elementary enter efforts in the water district's Water Education Conference in Tarpon Springs. [10/14]

Youth vote
Elementary through high school students cast their votes in mock presidential elections. The winner? George W. Bush.

School built to double as refuge
Crews are building the new K-8 facility on Elgin Boulevard to withstand hurricane winds so that it can be used as a storm shelter. [10-7]

Intern program to help county fill crucial jobs
The high schoolers, who are the first interns, are learning the details of zoning and building construction inspection.

Jumping through math hoops with Olympic effort
Brooksville Elementary's 24 Math Olympians don't fear brain strain. They savor their weekly problem-solving workouts.

Column
Demand School Board put geography back in classes
On which continent is Tasmania?[10/3]

Breaking the language barrier
Programs such as English Speakers of Other Languages put foreign students who now live here on the road to academic success. [9/30]

Class notes
SUNCOAST ELEMENTARY: PTA parent meeting for the talent show, 7 tonight.

Dedication to reading keeps her on point
April Gillis' love of books has helped her receive honors and top FCAT scores in school.

Schools to buy land despite high cost
School Board members vote to buy 30 acres of land at a price above the appraised value. [9/23]

He's a doer
This West Hernando Christian School freshman is quick to lend a helping hand to those in need.

Learning can be a fun family activity
Family Centers offer fun ways to improve students' weakest subjects or help stimulate gifted children.

School Board wants attorney to work full time
Karen Gaffney said she's willing to talk about a deal, but she remains tentative. [9/22]

Property selection puts School Board in a bind
The choice is tough: Buy land for a school above the appraised price or take a chance on finding other good sites. [9/21]

Commanding attention
Armed with a microphone and self-confidence, one team teaching duo makes sure their lessons are heard, as well as their students' answers. [9/16]

Workshops direct parents to student services
The Parent Institute provides the tools to stay involved in a child's education and find resources.

Job candidate dazzles PHCC
Katherine Johnson, a candidate for college president, impresses staff and trustees with her credentials, confidence and humor. [9/10]

Getting a handle on conflict
The county school district is offering a series of workshops where attendees learn how to defuse potentially volatile situations without conflict. [9/9]

She takes the reins, inspires others to
A class president, JROTC cadet and black belt emerges as a leader at just 15.

Great Wall, great challenge
After an eye-opening visit to China, a Brooksville Elementary teacher looks for ways to share her experience in the classroom. [9/2]

Christian school looks to future as it grows
Hernando Christian Academy's enrollment is at a 10-year high, and officials have bought 13 acres to provide for the years to come. [8/27]

Cadet sees future in classroom
Jessica Hurd may have graduated from Hernando High, but her heart is in Brooksville Elementary. And she wants to go back there. [8/26]

Science fair loses mentor
Springstead teacher Craig Gates said he is gratified by the successes of Science and Engineering Fair and by the students he has seen go on to science careers.

Every day's a field trip for classroom escapees
J.D. Floyd Elementary's environmental science program lets fifth- and sixth-graders learn every subject by seeing and doing. [8/22]

Teachers union picks its favorites for board seats
Hernando County's teachers union, which represents more than 1,250 educators, has weighed in on the upcoming School Board elections. [8/20]

Tech boom in the classroom
Grants totaling $1.2-million enabled Hernando students to use computers throughout the curriculum. [8/19]

In School Board race, experience is relative
A recent graduate says he's in touch with schools' needs. The incumbent says his record speaks for itself [8/16].

Student transfers: 7,000 can, 6 do
Law opened the door for thousands to shift schools, but most stay put. Meanwhile, the number of third-graders held back is unclear. [8/12]

Schools open to crowds, gripes
As officials fret over record enrollment, students criticize changes in food offerings and cell phone rules. [8/10]

School supply lists anger board member
Gail David worries that some families can't afford to buy everything that some schools insist each student should have. [8/9]

Back to School 2004
High schools brace for teeming masses
Middle and elementary school enrollment remains steady. But for high schools, carving out space and hiring enough teachers is a challenge. [8/8]

Natural approach
Fifth- and sixth-graders will head to the woods, then the classroom, at J.D. Floyd. The environmental theme is one "all kids tend to find fascinating," teachers say.

Healthy is where your textbooks are
See you, french fries. Hello, salad. Goodbye sweet soda. Welcome, fruit juice. Schools are banning popular snacks in favor of nutritious meals.

2004-05 school calendar
Aug. 9 - First day of school for students Aug. 25 - Early release day for all students Sept. 6 - Labor Day - All schools and work sites closed Sept. 29 - Early release for all students Oct. 14 - End of first grading period Oct. 15 - Professional Day - Students not in attendance Oct. 27 - Early release day for all students Nov. 11 - Veterans Day - All schools and work sites closed Nov. 24-26 - Thanksgiving - All schools and work sites closed Dec. 15-17 - Early release days for all students Dec. 17 - End of second grading period (end of first semester) Dec. 20-Jan. 3 - Winter break - All schools and work sites closed Jan. 4 - Professional Day - Students not in attendance Jan. 5 - Students return to school Jan. 17 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - All schools and work sites closed Jan. 26 - Early release day for all students Feb. 18 - Professional Day - Students not in attendance (district in-service) Feb. 21 - Presidents Day - All schools and work sites closed March 2 - Early release day for all students March 17 - End of third grading period March 18 - Professional Day - Students not in attendance March 25-April 1 - Spring break - All schools and work sites closed April 27 - Early release day for all students May 23-25 - Early release day for all students May 23 - Adult education graduation May 24 - Nature Coast Technical High School graduation May 25 - Last day of school for students (end of fourth grading period) May 25 - Hernando High School graduation May 26 - Springstead High School graduation May 27 - Central High School graduation May 30 - Memorial Day - All work sites closed

Bus routes
School bus routes and pickup times are available online at the Web site of the Hernando County School Board.

Child care
The YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County will offer families help with their child care needs again this year.

ESE services
The Exceptional Student Education Department provides technical assistance and support to all eligible children in the Hernando County schools.

Expansions in the works, as schools remain full
With a new magnet facility being built, Hernando officials are trying find ways to expand older institutions until their plans for new sites kick in.

Hernando County Schools
A informational list of Hernando County schools

Homeschooling help
Families interested in educating their children at home may get assistance from a support network of Hernando County's homeschool families known as Home Circle.

Immunizations
Up-to-date immunizations are required for all new students as follows:

Important numbers
Phone numbers for groups and services related to Hernando County schools:

Low-income assistance
The Hernando County Salvation Army will distribute back-to-school supplies for low-income families from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday this week at the agency's headquarters, at 15464 Cortez Blvd., west of Brooksville.

Low-income assistance
The Hernando County Salvation Army will distribute back-to-school supplies for low-income families from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday this week at the agency's headquarters, at 15464 Cortez Blvd., west of Brooksville.

Meal prices
Elementary schools: Breakfast, $1; lunch, $1.60

Orientation and open houses
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Private schools
EDEN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Registration
Parents of students entering the Hernando County public school system for the first time may register their children at the schools they will attend. To find out which school your child should attend, call 797-7003. To register, students need the following items:

School uniforms
Nine of Hernando's 17 public schools require uniforms or a strict code of dress.

Student insurance
Families may buy supplemental accident insurance that covers their children during the school year through a company designated by the School Board.

Student Services can help with counseling, testing, more
The Student Services Department of the Hernando County school district offers several programs. For information, call (352) 797-7008.

Web site
The Hernando County School Board maintains a Web site that has information about the district and individual schools.

Board meets driver part way
A substitute school bus driver lobbies the School Board for a raise and wins extra pay for all substitute workers. [7/29]

School Board may have to find new lawyer soon
Karen Gaffney says she can't work for the district exclusively, but board members appear reluctant to part with her. [7/28]

Growth brings dip in school tax rate
Under the budget School Board members will review tonight, educators' salaries go up and the tax rate slips to a 10-year low. [7/27]

School's athletic facilities taking shape
Meanwhile, School Board members will vote on whether to build baseball and softball areas at Nature Coast Technical High School. [7/23]

Teacher challenges students in changing field
The state chapter of FFA selected a Hernando High educator as its Agriscience Teacher of the Year. Rick Ahrens says the honor should go to his students. [7/13]

Ex-School Board member strives for a comeback
Stephen Galaydick, 50, joins three others in the District 2 race to replace Gail David, who is retiring.

Supplies increase school's costs
With a high demand for raw materials in other countries, the district tries to keep the new building under budget without cutting corners. [7/7]

Elementary schools fare the best in grades
Seven of the county's 10 earn A's, three others get B's, while middle and high schools muster C's from the state. [6/15]

Class size measure will add 93 teachers
They are among 197 new teachers Hernando County needs to hire this summer as it struggles to redistribute use of space in existing schools. [6/13]

Cell phone infractions increase in schools
Principals want stiff penalties to stop disruptions in class and cheating on tests. [6/10]

School chief's bonus debated
As the superintendent's review comes up, the School Board considers tying a bonus to student performance. [6/8]

Crowding, choice at odds in schools
More than 6,300 students may be eligible to transfer out of schools that don't meet federal guidelines. But schools they choose may be packed. [6/4]

Teachers seeking balance in pay plan
The teachers union wants the district to put some money that would have been used on incentive pay toward salaries and benefits. [6/3]

They taught kids - and the community
One teacher got one of the two black children admitted after desegregation - and asked for the other one as well. [6/2]

'It's all about school and baby'
Teen mom Noel Hardee is persevering and determined to graduate from high school - a year early - and head for college, with her 18-month-old daughter. [5/31]

Charter school comes through on potential
Most doubts are gone as the county's first such academy, which almost didn't happen, gets through its first year with few snags. [5/30]

Roller coaster first year ends
Nature Coast Tech closes for the summer, armed with a list of improvements for next year.

Top ten graduates Nature Coast Technical High School
Valedictorian [5/28]

Teachers contract likely in limbo until fall
Both sides wanted to finish talking by June, but issues such as incentive pay and securing a substitute - on top of salary - are dragging negotiations on. [5/27]

F.W. Springstead High School top ten graduates
Valedictorian

Teen travels tough path to success
Central High School's salutatorian never had it easy, but that didn't stop her from achieving goals using "the gifts I was born with." [5/26]

Senior leaves legacy as go-to person
The very busy Kristie Morrill took advantage of the opportunities at Hernando High in her four years: "To me, you miss out if you think school is just books, teachers and classrooms." [5/25]

Hernando High School's Top Ten
A look at the top of the class.

Schooled locally, traveled globally
Shemir Wiles, the 17-year-old valedictorian at Wider Horizons school, went the distance to get her eduction. [5/21]

Blueprint sketches future of schools
Planning for nearly 30,000 students by 2014, the school district envisions construction projects that would add 10,000 seats over a decade. [5/20]

Veteran educator relishes chance to lead foundation
The Hernando Education Foundation's director says her greatest initial challenge has been getting the community familiar with the foundation's purpose of administering scholarships, providing mini-grants and overseeing the selection of teacher of the year.

Student: Take on the work, not the stress
Nature Coast Technical High School's valedictorian believes students should apply their brain power, challenge themselves and have fun.

Always Coca-Cola? Not in Hernando
The School Board will drain some choices and profits from vending machines with its decision to offer only water and juice drinks. [5/19]

Board agrees to sell historic Moton Center
The School District and the agency that runs Head Start compromise on the price, settling on $400,000 in 90 days.

Board member wants to change Coke deal
To broaden the selection in schools, Jim Malcolm will recommend the district use a third-party vendor. [5/18]

District to dedicate personnel to FCAT
Counselors and others were overwhelmed with their part-time testing responsibilities. [5/16]

Magnet school gets its leader
Brooksville Elementary's Sue Stoops will be the first principal of the new K-8 science-and-math-focused school being built on Elgin Boulevard. [5/14]

School Board member to exit; one joins race
Gail David will move on. Educator and environmental activist Linda Prescott homes in on her spot.

Mother, daughter learn together
Marcia and Nicole Paquin, with four years of help from their family, graduated from PHCC Tuesday. [5/13]

Chess sharpens players quickly, quietly
A tournament for the county's middle schools allows players to mingle and have fun but also to stretch their minds in federation settings.

One final thing to do: write that big speech
Central High's valedictorian has more than achieved, but she says it was a matter of using her natural talent.

FCAT 2004
FCAT data sifted for schools' failings
Disappointing results send principals digging deep to uncover deficiencies that might help improve student performance. [5/12]

FCAT shows good starts in elementary
But middle and high school scores fall below the state averages, with only one in three high school students with a passing reading score. [5/11]

Dedication to education pays
The state takes notice of the Chinsegut Nature Center's value and plans to bolster its programs and facilities. [5/10]

Mother and son graduate together
In ceremonies at Saint Leo, the two are granted their degrees - the dream of a father now deceased. Also, a gold medalist pumps up graduates.

Weaning schools off junk food
The superintendent wants to "change the way we do business" in cafeterias to expand healthy choices. [5/9]

Students find drive to succeed
A car dealer gives students one more incentive to get good marks: the chance to win a new car. [5/6]

Yesterday brought to today
Live history lessons help Westside Elementary School students learn about the past and appreciate the present.

Growth makes portables a reality
The continued rise in enrollment means the county can't build permanent classrooms fast enough and students won't always get a neighborhood school. [5/5]

Mom's plight clouds board's policy
A parent's worries about her son's bus stop has the School Board wondering whether its complaint system is flawed. [5/3]

Curriculum that clicks
As a second-grader, Karley Bender hated to read. [5/2]

Day gives Earth its due
Spring Hill Elementary's Earth Day festival encourages students to appreciate the world around them and get up close and personal with nature. [4/29]

Through art, they learn and honor
Hernando High students do research and then create art to tell the story of the Holocaust.

No consensus on magnet school zones
The School Board didn't resolve whether to create small attendance zones in neighborhoods surrounding the schools. [4/28]

Finally, a school official behaves like an adult
Finally, a voice of reason and maturity emerged in the 2-week-old squabble between the Hernando County School Board and the County Commission about clearing land for a new school on Elgin Boulevard.

Board regrets mistaken clearing
Chairwoman Sandra Nicholson apologizes in an effort to settle matters with the county, which says the 38-acre site for a new school in Spring Hill was bulldozed illegally. [4/26]

Pound for pound, kids' work pays off
The livestock auction hammers in a lesson for youth who have raised cattle and hogs and courted bidders.

For some students, FCAT becomes roadblock
Many people question whether Florida should use such a high-stakes test. But others say accountability is necessary. [4/25]

Class size limit straining system
After pushing to meet state standards this year, a bulge in enrollment for 2004-2005 will pose fresh challenges to find space. [4/22]

It's a play. It's work
Central High School drama students are a blur of action lately as they rehearse two plays with three casts for their spring productions this month.

Listening promotes reading incentive
Yes, it's a free lunch and maybe better than the cafeteria's but it's hearing the stories that's drawing the crowd at Fox Chapel Middle School.

Offer on Moton Center sent back
The School Board wants $500,000 from the nonprofit agency that runs Head Start and leases the center.[4/21]

FCAT 2004
FCAT may bar 253 from fourth grade
Preliminary test results also show that as many as 102 seniors might not graduate, almost double the number from last year. [4/20]

Contest will put young artists' work on display
Students are invited to submit original works for the Congressional High School Art Competition Exhibit. Prizes will include savings bonds, free framing and a scholarship. [4/9]

School superintendent opts for open meetings
Wendy Tellone wants to allow residents to attend some advisory committee meetings from which they were excluded in the past. [4/8]

Creating coasters clues students on physics
West Hernando Christian School science students competed in building working models of roller coasters.

In hectic office, this secretary stays cool
Spring Hill Elementary's Concetta "Connie" Melaccio recently received Hernando's 2004 school-related employee of the year honor for her patience and hard work.

Medical academy decision deferred
The School Board will keep the allied health programs intact until a decision is made about whether to create the academy at Nature Coast. [4/7]

District debates moving classes to Nature Coast
Board members might centralize the allied health program in a new wing at the school. [4/5]

Site work begins on K-8 school after delay
The school, one of several planned to address growth and overcrowding, should be ready for use in 2005-06. [4/2]

School Board rethinks book inquiry policy
Board members are less enthusiastic than they once were about setting new limits on public participation. [4/1]

Chamber banquet honors top students
Fifty-nine high school seniors, representing the top 5 percent of their graduating classes, were honored March 25 during the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce's 30th annual Honor Student Banquet.

Kindness among the cages
An alternative school teacher rewards kids once a week with a trip that "offers a lot of life lessons."

The FCAT is done, bring on the buffet
After using their favorite family recipes to hone their FCAT writing skills, about 50 Central High School students gathered to eat the food when the test was done. [3/31]

School rezonings dead issue this year
An advisory committee suggests it's too late in the school year to attempt any redesign of attendance zones for elementary schools. [3/26]

New rules set up for comments at meetings
Residents wishing to speak to the School Board will have to complete a form about the topic of their comments, then get three minutes to speak. [3/25]

Hands-on history
A middle school history teacher steps outside class and outside the box to bring the frontier to life with a re-enactment of an 1800s camp.

Taste of a career
In the culinary arts program at Nature Coast, students learn by getting their hands floury.

Deadline to resolve complaints proposed
The School Board poses new rules on handling complaints from parents and employees. [3/24]

Dream list endorsed for Nature Coast High
In a compromise, the School Board agreed to build a classroom addition and start a sports complex for the school.

Hernando High picks new assistant principal
BROOKSVILLE - Lorna Lowe, a language arts teacher at Nature Coast Elementary School, will become an assistant principal at Hernando High School in June. [3/23]

Reading program refocuses
Paperwork and portfolios preoccupied teachers last summer. This year's proposed session for third-graders reflects lessons learned. [3/21]

Spring Hill Elementary secretary wins top honor
Concetta Melaccio is named the county's school-related employee of the year for exemplary work. [3/19]

Juniors in high school may apply for Coast Guard Academy program
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is accepting applications from high school juniors interested in participating in the Academy Introduction Mission, a weeklong program conducted each July at the USCG Academy in New London, Conn. The program is sponsored by the USCG Auxiliary.

Portable housing for new program
J.D. Floyd Elementary will add a school-within-a-school, focused on environmental education and set up in nine portables, for 375 students. [3/18]

Student pursues School Board seat
An advocate of soda sales in the schools, Danny Dunn, 18, of Springstead High may run in District 4.

A volunteer extraordinaire
Helen Wingert was bored after retiring as a guidance counselor in Tampa. So she volunteered at Central High and stayed for 11 years of loyal work.

Families bond over Seuss
How to promote literacy? Have a birthday party. A Dr. Seuss one.

Fund to honor longtime educator
Scholarships will remember Martha Lee Smith, teacher to generations in Hernando. [3/17]

School may get land via eminent domain
The protracted battle for land to create another entrance to J.D. Floyd Elementary could wind up in a judge's lap. [3/16]

Voices from beyond
High schoolers take on a challenging work, performing Spoon River Anthology, a collection of post-mortem monologues. [3/12]

Officials savor win on school tax issue
Teachers, parents and officials say the new funds will have a positive effect in meeting future growth challenges in the district. [3/11]

Let the music begin
Pine Grove Elementary's new second- and third-grade chorus combines young, enthusiastic voices and vigorous dance steps into a fun learning experience for beginning performers.

Taxes for education win again
Hernando and Pasco join a growing list of Florida counties that have approved local tax referendums to benefit public schools. [3/10]

Suspended school counselor retires
Sandra P. Whitehead, facing an inquiry into FCAT irregularities, says she's not retiring because she's guilty. "I am not running away." [3/5]

FCAT violation leaves job in jeopardy
A Brooksville Elementary guidance counselor was suspended for failing to follow procedures for administering the test. She has a hearing today. [3/4]

A race for learning
West Hernando Middle School exceptional students express their creativity while learning about automobile design by crafting wooden race cars.

Student set to grill Bush about school funding cuts
To Alissa Guarneri, ragged, out-of-date textbooks are only a part of the inadequacies she sees every day at her school.

School Board to create naming process
A community-based committee will review nominations for school names. The board will make the final selections. [3/3]

Survey to gauge parental interest in school environmental program
BROOKSVILLE - The School Board gave the administration permission Tuesday to survey parents about their interest in sending children to a proposed environmental education program at Floyd Elementary School.

What's in a name? Board decides
With a citizen group supporting using a former administrator's name on the county's next school, the board plans to create a procedure for picking names. [3/2]

Company rejected again in bid for charter schools
Academies of America was rejected again last week in its effort to open two charter schools in Hernando County.

Candidate doesn't trust public schools with his 8 children
In his School Board bid, Jonathan Zapadenko espouses the Ten Commandments and opposes the sales tax. [2/27]

For them, history is no mystery
High school and middle school students produce an impressive array of projects for Hernando History Day.[2/26]

The tools for the job
The Central High auto technology program gives students a jump start on good careers in auto mechanics.

Instructor with roots in orthodontics
The former dental office employee now brings smiles to her fourth-grade students and acts as a team leader at Suncoast Elementary. [2/24]

Educators outwit overcrowding, for now
Move over, supplies - storage rooms are doubling as classrooms. But such solutions won't keep up with growth. [2/22]

Elementary teacher is county's best
Fellow teachers and school administrators praised Marilyn Pazanese's strong commitment and her talents as an educator.

History teacher makes a bit of her own
A Springstead High teacher was named American History Teacher of the year by Florida's Daughters of the American Revolution. [2/20]

Finding the fun in fundamentals
Hernando County Library wants to show kids that reading is important and enjoyable through its Literacy Week.

10 Hernando high school teams head to Envirothon
They were among 70 teams from four counties that showed their environmental knowledge at Fort Cooper State Park. [2/19]

School days might be numbered for Cokes
For now, the School Board renews a contract with Coca-Cola, but members prefer its juice and water to soda for kids.

Teacher of the year
Here are the candidates:

Hernando schools won't ban book
Judy Blume's Deenie will remain in elementary schools, available only on reserve. A parent objected to the content.

Scholarship opportunities
Hernando County high school seniors can apply for the following scholarships: [2/18]

School Board decides fate of book
Members today will determine whether to pull the controversial novel from elementary libraries. [2/17]

District hesitates on Coke contract
Several School Board members want more time to consider students' needs, competing sales and the cost of ending the exclusive relationship. [2/13]

Decision time near: ball fields or classes?
The School Board's chairwoman is back early from a medical leave and may be close to settling how to spend $1.5-million at Nature Coast. [2/12]

Answering the questions
Students competing in the Hernando Regional Science and Engineering Fair first have to find a question. Then, sometimes taking months, they try to find the answer.

Busy teen is a mentor in school and out
"Go-to' senior volunteers at school and in the community, while managing to keep a top grade-point average.

Officials trying to sell public on sales tax
School Board members want more money to build schools. County officials want more for roads, parks and other projects. [2/9]

Do math on tax plan, officials say
School Board members argue that adding students without fresh funds will create a costly problem. [2/8]

Coke faces tough crowd
The School Board was an easy sell the first time around. This time, concerns about children's health outweigh the push for profits. [2/5]

School Board snaps up 'great piece of property'
As the district faces major growth, school officials continue searching for more land to bank away for future school construction.

19 of county's best up for Teacher of the Year
Although their stories are different, all share a common bond as inspirations to their students.

Teens dive into reading, find pearls
At Parrott Middle School, the book club meets for lunch and literary food for thought.

Committee backs taking Blume novel off shelves
But Deenie will stay available in elementary libraries until the School Board's final decision at a future date. [1/30]

Teacher career ladder missing a rung: How to pay for raises
Union leaders and School Board members say state lawmakers did not fund the BEST program. [1/29]

More than a pretty face
Cosmetology students at Nature Coast Technical School have to learn about all the ugly parts of beauty - like scalp diseases and chemical reactions - before they take comb to hair.

Three presidents take the lead
Powell Middle School students decided one president wasn't enough. A new constitution gives each grade level a voice.

Parents reconsider attendance zones
As county elementary schools burst with children, redrawn boundaries are a possible, but unlikely, option. [1/25]

Meeting on school zones canceled
After being challenged about meeting in private, a committee will wait and advertise the meeting so the public can attend. [1/22]

Keyed in
A teacher takes the lessons he learned in high school about what teens didn't know and applies them to a middle school computer class.

Together in friendship, leadership
First cousins, who grew up together, lead Hernando High School's student government.

Panel to develop new school boundaries
The committee, with many parents as members, seeks to achieve better elementary school enrollment distribution. [1/21]

Board favors charter programs at 2 schools
District staff members came up with the proposal, but before it can be implemented, many questions must be answered. [1/16]

A 'handy' solution for old campus?
The unwanted Moton center could house at-risk students and give them hands-on practice, a school official suggests. [1/15]

A first-class salute
A PE coach receives a military honor on campus, surrounded by colleagues, friends and family.

No rotten kids
An alternative-school principal sees the good in the wayward teenagers sent to him: "Deep down inside they want to be achievers."

Center stalled by zoning muddle
Weeki Wachee officials say they lost papers essential to move on plans to create a place for students to learn about the environment. [1/14]

Sports field showdown looms
Boosters at a high school plan to urge the School Board today to spend its sales tax revenue on a full facility field. [1/13]

Springstead High works to retain accreditation
The high school was placed on a watch list because too many teachers were instructing outside their fields of expertise.

School panel set to consider fate of Judy Blume book
The committee will recommend whether "Deenie' is appropriate for libraries in the county's elementary schools. [1/12]

C grade creates uneasy feelings
School and county officials react to the state's ranking of school systems with concern, questions and criticism. [1/11]

'The King' comes alive
Mike Albert has performed his impression of Elvis Presley across the globe. Now he brings it to Hernando High School. [1/9]

Board to review pay rates
By comparison with other jobs, the rate is very low for the level of education required to be a substitute teacher. [1/2]

Chorus teacher adds concerts to his credits
The Springstead High instructor, who is to perform in two free concerts, will share the limelight with a pair of former students.