Today's news

BUSING CHANGES DRAW BOOS: Hillsborough announces plans to curtail school bus service, prompting angry reaction from the nearly 200 parents attending the presentation. There's even another chance to vent tonight.

NEVER TOO LATE: Joe D'Andrea of Brooksville was supposed to graduate from high school in 1967. He has now completed his courses and will get his diploma tonight.

GET REAL: Public reaction to Pasco teachers' insistence on getting raises during these economic hard times is not as sympathetic as the teachers might like.

KINGSWOOD'S NEW PRINCIPAL: Amber Craft, who started as an intern teacher at the school more than 25 years ago, returns to lead it.

TOP OF THE CLASS: Amateur artists get pro show at Brooksville Elementary; Essay on former governor nets scholarship (Fox Chapel Middle)

SMART MOVE: The Pinellas school district is wise to build its new schools to "green" standards, the Times editorializes.

NO CHARGES, BUT NO JOB, EITHER: A Manatee teacher's actions that harmed a student did not rise to the level of a crime, but that didn't stop the district from moving to fire him, the Herald-Tribune reports.

ARE THEY? OR AREN'T THEY? Manatee teachers and the administration can't even agree whether they're at impasse over contract terms, the Bradenton Herald reports.

GETTING CLOSER: The University of West Florida nears selection of an interim president, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

KEEP THE MONEY: Polk employees who were overpaid because of payroll errors won't have to repay the district, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

OP-ED ROUNDUP: Education cuts will test graduates (Tallahassee Democrat); Test scores up. Hold the champagne (Palm Beach Post)

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Florida Atlantic University announces job reductions and program eliminations as it seeks to cut $9.6-million, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Collier considers eliminating courtesy busing for kids who live closer than two miles to school, the Naples Daily News reports. Broward Community College approves a tuition increase, the Miami Herald reports. Martin plans to cut sports and travel as part of its budget reductions, the Palm Beach Post reports. Santa Rosa considers adding latchkey programs for teachers who will have different hours because of changing start times, the Pensacola News-Journal reports. Putnam cuts 30 teaching positions through attrition, the Palatka Daily News reports. Brevard scales back its cuts, Florida Today reports.