Today's news

SAVE OUR SCHOOL BUS: A group of Oldsmar parents want the Pinellas school district to reconsider the elimination of their bus route, which was cancelled because the county added sidewalks in the area.

FEWER TEACHERS NEEDED: Hillsborough cuts its hiring by one-third as it deals with economic realities.

FREE SCREENINGS: Hernando offers to test students to see if they are gifted for free, as its new gifted education center struggles to fill its seats.

PROPER FOCUS: The decision to place the Byrd Alzheimer's research center under the auspices of USF will let it turn its attention from politics to science, the Times editorializes.

NEW RULES HELP: The U.S. Department of Education's decision to grant Florida flexibility in how it implements No Child Left Behind looks like it will benefit dozens of struggling schools, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

ANOTHER PROF LEAVES FLORIDA: Carmen A. Brown, a Florida International University stalwart since its founding, is headed to New Mexico, the Miami Herald reports. She joins a growing list.

FINALLY, A WAITING LIST: Florida Gulf Coast University has grown to the point where more people want to enroll than it has space for, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

SIX TO GO: A task force says FAMU has six problems remaining on its path to repairing its financial and governance issues, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Duval and St. John's school systems plan to eliminate teaching jobs, the Florida Times-Union reports. Several Tampa area school districts budget millions more for fuel, Fox-13 reports. Miami-Dade teachers and district officials sit to talk contract terms, but get nowhere, the Miami Herald reports.