Politics & Government

Four-Day Summer Work Week, Other Items on March 1 School Board Agenda

Quick overview and links to review the Hillsborough County School Board's March 1 agenda. The meeting is set to start 3 p.m. at the Raymond O. Shelton School Administrative Center in downtown Tampa.

The Hillsborough County School Board at its March 1 meeting will vote to shut down the school district on Fridays over the summer hours, which would make the second year in a row a four-day summer work week has been been instituted.

Setting a four-day work week from June 13 through Aug. 5 would save the district about $1.84 million, according to MaryEllen Elia, the superintendent of schools.

In her memo to the School Board, Elia notes that this would save the district $440,533 in extended school year transportation costs, $654,062 in student nutrition services and $750,000 in utility costs.

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Also on the March 1 agenda, School Board members will:

  • Appoint principals for Spoto High School, Dowdell and Walker middle schools, Franklin and Ferrell middle magnet schools and Roland Park, a school for students in kindergarten through grade 8.
  • Recognize the month of March as “Youth Art Month,” as designated by the National Art Education Association. This year’s theme: “Art Shapes the World: Everything Old Is New Again.”
  • Recognize the month of March as “Music in Our Schools Month,” as designated buy the National Association for Music Education. This  year’s theme: “Music! Lasts a Lifetime!”
  • Vote to pay 30 trained and retired teachers a collective $77,616 to administer the Comprehensive English Language Learning Assessment (CELLA). The test is designed to meet state and federal No Child Left Behind requirements. Testing for 641 English language learners in kindergarten through grade 12 is set for March 8 through April 6.
  • Accept a third-quarter 2010 report that show 54 laptops from district schools and offices were reported missing (23) or stolen (31). The quarterly report of damaged, stolen or missing property notes 79 items accounting for $49,905.04 worth of losses, based on initial costs. The net book value given: $8,343.31.  

The School Board’s March 1 meeting is set to begin at 3 p.m. The board meets in the Raymond O. Shelton School Administrative Center at 901 East Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa. For certain agenda items, speakers can sign-up online. Overall, there is a public comment period, starting at approximately 5 p.m., for which speakers can sign up online as well.

Find out what's happening in Brandonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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