Hernando superintendent field narrowed to nine

BROOKSVILLE -- A short list of superintendent candidates is now headed for the Hernando County School Board.

A search committee Wednesday night trimmed a list of 15 candidates down to nine. Among them are the two internal hopefuls, current interim superintendent Sonya Jackson and Ken Pritz, a former executive director of school services for the Hernando district who is currently principal at Hernando High.

The other seven candidates:

* Gregory K. Adkins, chief human resources officer for the Lee County School District in Fort Myers;

 * Bryan A. Blavatt, former superintendent of Boone County Schools in Kentucky;

* I.V. Foster, Jr., current superintendent for Prairie Hills School District 144 in Markham, Ill.;

* John R. Phillips, a former executive director of school reform for Atlanta Public Schools;

* Rose Terri McSweeney, current deputy superintendent of Shoreham Wading River Central School District in New York;

* S. Jayne Risen Morgenthal, current superintendent of the Elizabethtown Independent School District in Kentucky;

* Arnold Spadafora, former associate superintendent of Schenectady City Schools in New York.

The School Board had asked the committee comprised of school employees, union representatives and community members to submit a list of five to 10 candidates in no particular order.

The board is slated to meet in a workshop Dec. 8 to decide which of the candidates – if not all – to call in for an interview. The district hopes to hire someone by February and in place by July 1.

--Tony Marrero, Times Staff Writer

Fagan not too shy to help himself become Hernando School Board chairman

BROOKSVILLE – Pat Fagan is back in the chairman’s seat for the Hernando School Board, though the process to pick him got a little awkward Tuesday night.

Dianne Bonfield, who had been chairwoman until giving up the position in September because she refused to sign interim superintendent Sonya Jackson’s contract, nominated current chairman John Sweeney. Sweeney had taken on the role on an interim basis after Bonfield stepped aside.

“As he came to be chairperson in a most unusual way for this board and because he was vice-chair, he deserves to be chairperson for this next year,” Bonfield said.

But board member James Yant had another idea and nominated Fagan.

Suspended teacher's complaints prompt Hernando School Board to reject deal to reinstate him

BROOKSVILLE – Citing his gripes about his new assignment, the Hernando School Board has rejected an agreement to reinstate a teacher who’d been suspended for drug use.

All five board members during Tuesday’s regular meeting expressed disgust for Michael Provost’s comments published Saturday in a regional edition of the St. Petersburg Times. Provost told a reporter he felt the district was trying to force him to quit by placing him at the STAR Education Center, the district’s alternative school in Brooksville for students with behavioral issues.

“This is the height of arrogance as far as I’m concerned,” board member Dianne Bonfield said as she waved a copy of the Hernando Times. “Had we wanted to force him out, the board would not have come up with this agreement.”

“Those kids need every positive help they can get,” board member Sandra Nicholson said. “For someone to go into that site with a negative attitude, it’s not what’s best for our students.”

A weekend interview with Joe Vitalo, chairman of the Hernando superintendent search committee

Hernando County is in the midst of a search for its next superintendent. Former superintendent Wayne Alexander was shown the door by the School Board in September, a year before the end of his contract. Board members felt he’d been less than forthright about his search for a new job and said they’d lost faith in his ability to lead the district. Joe Vitalo, president of the Hernando Classroom Teachers Association, is also serving as chairman of the nine-member search committee charged with recommending a short list of candidates to the Board. The committee met last week for the first time, narrowing the initial batch of 29 applicants to 15. The committee meets again Wednesday. Reporter Tony Marrero sat down with Vitalo this week. You had some strong words for the search committee last week about the quality of the candidate that the Hernando school district deserves, that you’re tired of the district being seen as lower rung for ambitious would-be superintendents.

Hernando County is no longer a small district. We’re growing. We’re progressive in many ways out there, so we should be treated that way. That’s one of the reasons why I say that we’re not a training ground or a stepping stone. For the betterment of our kids, we need stability here, and that’s what I was seeking. What do you think are the most important qualities in a superintendent?

Stability. When everyone is on the same page there are no surprises, we can progress very quickly. When you’re trying to make rapid changes and don’t understand why, or what is needed or what is the long term goal, we’ll never establish a vision in one direction.

The other quality is how they work with people, how they bring in the community itself. Are they advanced in technology? Do they understand what’s going on in the world? Because if you have the skills yourself that would be an expectation of all of us and will filter down to the students and the curriculum. Do they know how to talk with people? Can they bring in the outside help that’s required in our schools? And can they show people how well we’re doing in our schools? Now put on your hat as president of the teachers union. What are teachers hoping for in their next leader?

High school secretary seeks Hernando School Board seat

SPRING HILL — A former Hernando County ESOL paraprofessional who now works as a secretary for Springstead High School in Spring Hill wants to help lead the school district.

Nilsa Colon Toro, 61, of Spring Hill, has pre-filed to run for the District 1 Hernando School Board seat currently held by John Sweeney. Toro could not immediately be reached Thursday afternoon but her husband Manny Toro said she is a New York native and the couple has lived in Spring Hill for more than 20 years.

Nilsa Toro started working as an ESOL paraprofessional more than two decades ago at Westside Elementary and later at Springstead before moving to the school’s front desk, her husband said. The couple’s three sons are graduates of Springstead.

Toro is the first to pre-file for the seat. Sweeney, who is in his first four-year term, has said he is leaning toward a bid for re-election but has yet to pre-file.

--Tony Marrero, Times staff

Missed the school bus?

If your kids are outside waiting for a school bus that seems really late today, they'll be waiting for quite some time.

Hernando, Hillsborough and Pasco schools are closed today in honor of Veterans Day. So tell the kids to come out from the rain and have a little R&R.

Sorry, Pinellas. You're still on. Enjoy learning.

(Times file photo)

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Four Hernando schools to get new principals

BROOKSVILLE — Central High School will soon have its next principal – and so will three other Hernando schools.

Joe Clifford, currently principal at J.D Floyd K-8 in Spring Hill, will take the empty seat at Central left by Dennis McGeehan, interim superintendent Sonya Jackson announced in an e-mail to district staffers Tuesday.

Jackson last month tapped McGeehan to lead the new, yet-to-be named high school north of Weeki Wachee set to open next fall.

Clifford, 58, is a veteran Hernando schools employee who started as a teacher in 1979. His selection created a chain reaction of administrative moves, also announced by Jackson on Tuesday.

Ray Pinder, in his first year as principal at Explorer K-8 in Spring Hill, will head to Floyd. And John Stratton, in his first year at the STAR Education Center in Brooksville, takes the empty seat at Explorer.

Jackson didn’t announce who would take over at STAR and didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday.

“I’m confident in the leadership abilities of these principals to ensure a smooth transition,” Jackson wrote in Tuesday’s e-mail.

Pinellas, Pasco school districts polar opposites on administrative costs

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the leanest district of all? As today's St. Petersburg Times story points out, it's not Pinellas, although Pinellas has dropped from No. 1 in top heaviness among the 12 biggest districts to No. 2 or No. 3.

The answer is Pasco.

Among the 12 biggest districts, Pasco spends the least on administration, at least by several ways of slicing and dicing. (We looked at general administration costs in the general fund and general administration costs in the general and special revenue funds combined.) Pasco is also the leanest of the biggest districts according to state calculations that factor in administrative costs at both the district and school level.

Today's story has a chart showing how Pinellas stacks up against the 11 other big districts. But for being loyal Gradebook readers, we give you a bonus: a spreadsheet that includes three other districts - Hernando, Manatee and Sarasota. Next to the big districts and other Tampa Bay districts, Hernando too looks very, very lean.

Search committee trims Hernando superintendent field to 16

BROOKSVILLE – A search committee has trimmed the list of Hernando superintendent candidates to 16.

The nine-member committee, meeting for the first time Wednesday night to narrow down a total of 29 applicants, cut two who didn’t meet the minimum qualifications and one whose application arrived late.

Committee member Joe Vitalo, president of the Hernando Classroom Teachers Association, recommended the committee also cut applicants that didn’t have district level experience.

“In the past it always seemed like we’re a stepping stone and training ground,” Vitalo said. That, he said, needs to change. To be a contender, “You need to be on a top tier in a district.”

The committee agreed, paring down the pool to 16 candidates and in the process eliminating a couple of names familiar to some in the region: Elaine Sullivan, former principal of Hernando High School; and Steve Knobl, current principal at Gulf High School in New Port Richey.

Hernando’s current interim superintendent Sonya Jackson made the cut, as did Ken Pritz, a former executive director of school services for the Hernando district who is currently principal at Hernando High.

Hernando's top spot draws 27 applicants

BROOKSVILLE — The applicants hail from 11 states and four Florida counties. Three currently serve as school superintendents, and four are in assistant or associate superintendent roles. Ten would bring a doctoral degree.

The Hernando School District has 27 candidates for its top spot. As expected, Hernando’s current interim superintendent Sonya Jackson has applied for the permanent job.

The School Board in September chose Jackson, who had served as director of school services, after Wayne Alexander lost the support of the board and accepted an early buyout package just two years after he was hired and nine months before his contract was set to expire.

The other internal candidate is Ken Pritz, principal at Hernando High School. Pritz has worked in various jobs for the district over nearly three decades, including executive director of school services.
Two other names will be familiar to some in the region.

Hernando School Board hopeful picking up stakes for politics

BROOKSVILLE -- One Hernando School Board candidate says he’s so passionate about enacting change, he’s willing to move for the chance.

Meanwhile, the current board member whose seat Keane Chapman is gunning for says she still hasn’t decided whether she will run for re-election.

Veteran principal recommended for top spot at Hernando's newest high school

BROOKSVILLE -- A veteran Hernando County principal has been tapped to open the county’s newest high school.

Interim superintendent Sonya Jackson has selected Central High School principal Dennis McGeehan to serve as principal at the yet-to-be-named school north of Weeki Wachee set to open next fall.

McGeehan’s selection must be approved by the School Board.

He’ll likely have board member Pat Fagan’s vote.

Hernando teacher accused of drug use will remain with district

BROOKSVILLE -- The Hernando School Board is headed toward a compromise with the Parrott Middle School health teacher who admitted to and tested positive for marijuana use last March.

The board, during a special meeting Tuesday, reached a consensus on a deal with Michael Provost that would keep him employed by the district, though the agreement still has to be approved by a formal vote at the board's Nov. 17 meeting.

If that happens, Provost will be reinstated and placed in a health or physical education instructional position at another school this year. He will receive back pay from the start of the current school year.
He would have to undergo a formal drug evaluation and follow whatever recommendations are made by health professionals. He also agreed to random drug tests for the next three years.

Provost, 37, admitted to drug use in March after being confronted by Parrott principal Leechelle Booker, who told him about a phone call she received from a woman who said she witnessed Provost smoking marijuana. He agreed to a drug test and enrolled in an employee assistance program.

Then-superintendent Wayne Alexander recommended Provost be fired.

Provost appealed and got a hearing in June. Early last month, Judge P. Michael Ruff recommended the School Board reinstate Provost, who has been on unpaid suspension since March, and pay him back wages and benefits. The board did not have legal grounds to fire Provost because state statutes and the district’s personnel policy prohibit termination for a first positive drug test, Ruff wrote in the recommendation.

School Board attorney Paul Carland said the judge had misinterpreted case law and recommended that the board follow interim superintendent Sonya Jackson’s direction to fire Provost anyway.

Provost’s attorney, Mark Herdman of Clearwater, told the board Tuesday that going against the judge’s recommendation undermines the process, forcing the School Board to essentially act as judges and reach opinions based on complex legal arguments.

"That’s what you hire the judge for,” Herdman said.

At least two board members, Dianne Bonfield and James Yant, were poised to fire Provost, but board member Sandra Nicholson recommended a compromise. The two attorneys came to the agreement along with Jackson during a recess.

Provost, who had argued that the district was being too harsh and not taking into account his qualities as a teacher, appeared visibly relieved after Tuesday’s meeting.

“Like I said, there needs to be consequences, and there will be,” he said. “This is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I’m going to keep my chin up and do my best to fix my wrongs. I redeem myself by doing my job.”

--Tony Marrero, Times staff writer

It's 8 a.m. Do you know where your children are?

If they go to school in Pinellas, Pasco or Hernando, we sure hope they're not sitting at a bus stop or outside a locked school door.

Don't forget, parents. Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando schools are not having classes today. It's the end of the grading period, and teachers are doing report cards. If you dropped your kids off for a regular school day, GO GET THEM!

As for all you Hillsborough folks, carry on. School is in session, as usual.

(Photo from sciencejunkies.com)

Interim Hernando schools chief taps second in command

BROOKSVILLE -- Interim school superintendent Sonya Jackson on Wednesday asked Marcia Austin, a veteran educator with more than a decade of experience as a school administrator, to serve as interim assistant superintendent, Austin said Thursday.

Austin, 51, is currently the district’s curriculum supervisor for math and science. She started in Hernando in 1990 as a math teacher at Central High School and served as an assistant principal at Parrott Middle School in Brooksville and then principal at J.D. Floyd Elementary in Spring Hill before taking her first central office job as math specialist two years ago. She took on her current role late last year.

Austin, who is married and whose two grown daughters are products of the Hernando school system, said she was humbled by Jackson’s request.

“I’m looking forward to doing whatever it takes to help our organization move forward,” she said.

--Tony Marrero, Times staff writer

Hernando schools chief advises firing bus driver who failed alcohol breath test

BROOKSVILLE — On the evening of Sept. 17, Barbara L. Price sat down for a light dinner and a couple of 16-ounce beers. After her meal, Price said she had three or four cocktails, the last one around 11 p.m.

This, according to her account of the evening in School District documents, is why her blood-alcohol level registered above the legal limit for commercial drivers just before 10 a.m. the next day — after she drove her morning school bus route.

Interim school superintendent Sonya Jackson has recommended that the 48-year-old Spring Hill resident be fired. The School Board will consider the recommendation at a special meeting Tuesday.

Attorney says Hernando School Board should fire teacher who smoked pot

BROOKSVILLE — The judge is wrong. Fire the teacher who smoked pot.

That’s the recommendation to the Hernando School Board from board attorney Paul Carland for how to handle Michael Provost, the Parrott Middle School health teacher who tested positive for marijuana in March after admitting to off-campus use of the drug.

An administrative law judge was incorrect in his interpretation of the law when he determined last month that the district did not have legal authority to fire Provost, Carland says. The ruling is not binding, so Carland and interim school superintendent Sonya Jackson are recommending that the Board fire Provost anyway.

“The superintendent feels strongly that based upon our current policy and application of law, under the circumstances it’s appropriate to terminate his employment,” Carland said Thursday.

Where in the world is Wayne Alexander?

BROOKSVILLE — For those who wondered what ever happened to former school superintendent Wayne Alexander, here’s your epilogue.

Alexander is back in Connecticut with a six-figure salary as director of a secondary school for special-needs students.

The transition from Hernando County apparently was seamless.

The Hartford Board of Education on Sept. 22 appointed Alexander as director at the 2550 Main Street Academy, David MacDonald, second vice chairman, confirmed Monday.

The academy opened this year, MacDonald said.

“We were very excited to have someone of his caliber take a position like that,” MacDonald said. “That’s going to be a very crucial school for us as we try to provide more services to special needs children.”

A weekend interview with Hernando School Board chairman John Sweeney

Over the past several months, the Hernando School Board has swirled with controversy. It battled over whether to remove its superintendent, faced a student lawsuit over admission into Nature Coast Technical High School, argued over whether to stop giving students zero grades. Board member Dianne Bonfield so disagreed with her colleagues' contract offer to interim superintendent Sonya Jackson that she stepped down rather than sign it. Into the void came John Sweeney, who takes up the board chairmanship at a distinctly volatile time. He spoke via e-mail with reporter Tony Marrero about his goals and hopes for the district.

So how does it feel to be chairman for the first time?

It’s an honor to be chairman of the Hernando County School Board.

What are your hopes and goals for the school district in the coming year?

These are just a few items, among many:

• Increase the graduation rate.
• Build on the success of our magnet schools by evaluating their unique programs, as we develop an implementation procedure for all schools.
• Continue to remove portables as they are a potential health hazard and fail to meet certain use requirements.
• Safeguard against the continued erosion of instructional time.
• Develop a pilot k-12 engineering curriculum.
• Foreign language full year in all schools.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) development
• Gifted services development.
• Continue to evaluate and improve offerings at NCT, our technical high school.
• Integrate the use of virtual courses.
• Decrease student transportation time.

What do you think is the most important issue facing the district?

Hernando School Board chairman intends to run again

BROOKSVILLE -- For weeks, Hernando School Board member and new Chairman John Sweeney has said he was still on the fence about a bid for a second four-year term.

Sounds like he hopes to be back.

"I intend to run for reelection and will make a formal announcement at the proper time," Sweeney told the Gradebook in an e-mail Thursday.

As of Thursdsay, Sweeney hadn't actually filed to keep his District 1 seat. Neither have any challengers.

In the e-mailed Q and A session, Sweeney also offered his thoughts on the district's priorities and his hopes for its next superintendent. Visit the Gradebook Saturday for the full interview.

--Tony Marrero, Times staff writer

Hillsborough has 14 top black students; Pinellas, Pasco each have one

Fourteen Hillsborough County students have been named National Achievement semifinalists, an academic honor that places them among the top black students in the country.

Pinellas and Pasco counties each had one student to earn that designation. Hernando had none.

See the complete Florida list here.

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Homeless in school: The numbers keep rising

We told you this weekend about the rising number of homeless students in Pasco County schools. Unfortunately, it's not a problem that's limited to Pasco County.

A fresh report from the Florida Department of Education shows that the number of homeless students across the state rose 20 percent in 2008-09 from the previous year, from 34,376 to 41,286. In the Tampa area, the numbers broke out like this:

Hernando: 156 in '07-'08; 207 in '08-'09
Hillsborough: 2,073 in '07-'08; 2,054 in '08-'09
Pasco: 1,599 in '07-'08; 1,815 in '08-'09
Pinellas: 962 in '07-'08; 1,870 in '08-'09

And they're not all the people you'd expect to see seeking shelter and food stamps.

Hernando health teacher who smoked pot should get his job back, judge says

BROOKSVILLE — Michael Provost wanted school officials to be on his side.

The popular health teacher who led drug education programs at Parrott Middle School admitted earlier this year that he’d made a mistake by using marijuana at home. But he said he deserved another chance and not to be fired, as Superintendent Wayne Alexander had recommended.

Provost appealed that recommendation. Now, an administrative law judge has ruled that the law and the school district’s own policy are on Provost’s side.

Judge P. Michael Ruff has issued a recommendation stating the School Board should reinstate Provost, who has been on unpaid suspension since March, and pay him back wages and benefits.

The board did not have legal grounds to fire the 37-year-old teacher because state statute and the district’s personnel policy prohibit termination for a first positive drug test, Ruff wrote in the recommendation released late Wednesday.

Ruff presided over a June 23 hearing on Provost’s appeal. The School Board, which typically follows a judge’s recommended order in such cases, must now vote on whether to reinstate him.

Missing documents were another hurdle for Hernando School Board in Nature Coast Tech lawsuit

BROOKSVILLE — The School Board already faced an uphill battle against two ineligible students who had sued to return to Nature Coast Technical High School, an attorney told the board members in a closed-door meeting on Aug. 17.

But on the eve of a hearing before a judge, the members learned of another big problem: Student records that could have been evidence in the looming legal battle were missing. They may have been shredded.
District officials are now investigating the missing documents, assistant superintendent Sonya Jackson told the St. Petersburg Times on Wednesday.

“We’re looking into that right now so at this point I can’t share anything with you,” Jackson said.

Board member Sandra Nicholson said she’s hopeful to find out three facts: “What was shredded, who did it, and who authorized it.”

The board learned of the missing and shredded documents from board attorney Paul Carland and litigation attorney Lisa Augspurger during the Aug. 17 executive session to discuss the lawsuit by two would-be Nature Coast juniors, according to a transcript of the session obtained by the Times.

More critters in the mix as mascot for new Hernando school

BROOKSVILLE – The Hernando School Board threw back the barracuda today.

The board last month had selected the toothy fish as the mascot for the yet-to-be-named high school on U.S. 19 north of Weeki Wachee set to open next fall. But at a workshop this afternoon, board member Sandra Nicholson said she was having second thoughts.

“I just don’t like it,” Nicholson said. A board with some mock-ups for ideas for the school logo stood nearby.

The board has already selected green as the school’s dominant color as a nod to the building’s environmentally friendly features.

Board member Pat Fagan suggested the Green Hornets. Board member John Sweeney offered Lions, Mustangs and Cougars.

The board asked facilities director Bo Bavota to come back with mock-ups from those four suggestions.

Bavota said he was getting pressure from the contractor to pick a mascot so it could be incorporated into the school's design features such as the gymnasium floor.

The board also agreed to a timeline that would have the new school’s principal hired by November and on the job by January. Staff members also asked each board member to pick a representative for a naming committee with the goal to have the school’s moniker selected by the end of the year.

The mascot should be considered in that process, said Dave Schoelles, the district’s curriculum supervisor, who is overseeing the naming process.

“Sometimes your name and mascot depend on one another in terms of the way they sound and the way they flow together,” Schoelles said.

Tony Marreo, Times Staff Writer

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Former Hernando School Board member won't seek to be interim superintendent

BROOKSVILLE -- Former Hernando School Board member Jim Malcolm says he is enjoying retirement too much to serve as the district’s interim superintendent.

Malcolm, who had prepared a resume and letter of interest for the post and was slated to go before the School Board on Tuesday afternoon, said he changed his mind.

The 66-year-old Malcolm said he came to the decision after a long telephone talk with his wife, Louise, a private-duty nurse working in Cape Cod, Mass., this summer.

“Finally, I’m getting to the point where I’m easing into this life called retirement and, though I think I could have helped, from our own standpoint personally it was too much of a challenge to take on at this stage of the game,” Malcolm said.

USF to offer job search help to unemployed alumni

TAMPA -- Starting in late September, the University of South Florida will begin offering free job search help to unemployed alumni.

The new Alumni CareerQuest program involves USF's Career Center and Alumni Association. Jobless alums who have earned a degree from USF can get help with effective job search strategies, resources and coaching.

Alumni CareerQuest is not meant to be a job placement program, administrators say. But it will provide alumni with access to a variety of resources, professional career coaches, workshops, webinars, job search preparation software and opportunties to network and talk to recruiters looking to hire candidates from USF.

Tampa Bay parents share their back-to-school photos

We love all the back-to-school pictures we've gotten in the last few days -- cute, nervous, excited kids. Take a look at all the photos, then vote for your favorites.

There is still time to share yours. Here's how it works:

• E-mail your pictures to submit@tampabay.com with your name and photo details in the body of the message.
• Post your photos on tampabay.com's Facebook wall and we'll upload them to our photo gallery.
• Join tampabay.com's Community Photo Gallery for free and upload your own photos.

How Tampa Bay schools and districts fared on ACT, SAT

We told you in recent days how Florida fared on the latest ACT and SAT results, but you can see on the state Department of Education Web site how individual districts fared on those tests here and here, and how individual high schools fared here and here. Here’s the quick district roundup for Tampa Bay:

On the ACT
Pinellas: 19.8 average composite score, with 46.6 percent participation
Hillsborough: 19.4 … 53.4 percent participation
Pasco: 20.0 … 49.9 percent
Hernando: 19.9 … 65.9 percent

On the SAT
Pinellas: Average scores of 506 in reading, 513 in math, 484 in writing, with 46.2 percent participation
Hillsborough: 493, 501, 477 … 53.7 percent participation
Pasco: 499, 499, 479 … 39.3 percent
Hernando: 504, 491, 481 … 32.4 percent

Ron Matus, State Education Reporter

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Did your kids experience any problems at their bus stop?

Parents, we'd like to hear from you: How did everything go for your kids at the bus stop this morning?

Were buses on time? Were you able to identify your child's bus easily? Was the bus stop at a safe location?

We're looking to hear about the trouble spots. Tell us about your morning here in the comments section or contact reporter Ron Matus: matus@sptimes.com

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Agreement would have Hernando school chief leave on Sept. 11

BROOKSVILLE — Beleaguered Hernando school superintendent Wayne Alexander will leave his post Sept. 11 -- nine months before his contract expires -- if the School Board approves a proposed agreement later this week.

Alexander would receive 30 days of salary and benefits. The exact amount of the payout was unclear on Monday. Alexander, who started at the district in July 2007, receives a salary of $132,745.

The agreement calls the proposal “a mutual decision” on the part of Alexander and the board. His contract was slated to end June 30.

“The parties have decided that its in the best interests of the District, its students and Dr. Alexander and his family to end their professional relationship as reflected herein,” the one-page agreement states.

The board will consider the deal at a special meeting slated for 9 a.m. Thursday.

Neither Alexander nor board Chairwoman Dianne Bonfield returned calls for comment this afternoon.
A clause in Alexander’s contract gives the board the power to fire Alexander for cause, such as misfeasance or insubordination.

Another clause provides for a mutual decision that would give Alexander 30 days notice. The clause gives the board the option to pay Alexander for 30 days and have him leave immediately.

The agreement up for debate this week states that the revision to Alexander’s contract “shall not be considered as a performance assessment or evaluation.”
In reality, that’s exactly what it is.

Hernando still negotiating for superintendent's departure

BROOKSVILLE -- The school district appears to be in a high-profile game of Let’s Make A Deal to arrange for superintendent Wayne Alexander’s early exit.

The official line is that the talks with Alexander are ongoing.

“We continue in our negotiations and discussions,” School Board attorney Paul Carland told the board at the end of a special meeting Monday called to discuss a separate issue. “We don’t have a final resolution as of yet but we continue to look at options as I’ve gotten direction.”

Comments made by board Chairwoman Dianne Bonfield after the meeting indicated Alexander is willing to make a deal and doesn’t plan to fight the effort to remove him soon rather than wait until his contract expires in June.

“It’s moving,” Bonfield said of the negotiations.

The question appears to be the terms of the deal, according to Bonfield. Presumably, when will Alexander leave, and with how much money?
“This is not a firing,” Bonfield said. “This is an arrangement. Is it going to be 30 days? Is it going to be 60 days?”

Majority of Hernando School Board ready to boot superintendent

BROOKSVILLE -- A majority of the Hernando School Board now says it's ready to cut ties with superintendent Wayne Alexander.

Chairwoman Dianne Bonfield stunned fellow board members at the conclusion of Tuesday night’s board meeting by seeking support to get Alexander to leave “as soon as possible.”

Though no official vote was taken, Bonfield had the backing of two of the other four board members -- Pat Fagan and James Yant -- to direct board attorney Paul Carland to meet with Alexander to try to arrange his early departure.

Without any severance, Bonfield said.

“I’ve lost the faith, trust and the confidence that our CEO, Dr. Alexander, can move the district in the manner in which this board has prescribed,” Bonfield said.

Hernando will complete only K-5 portion of new school north of Weeki Wachee

BROOKSVILLE — Faced with three options on a construction timetable for the new K-8 school north of Weeki Wachee, a divided Hernando School Board picked the middle one Tuesday afternoon.

A majority of the five board members agreed to build the K-5 portion of the school in time to open in fall of 2011. The shell of the middle school portion will be built at the same time, but the interior and the gymnasium won't be completed until needed.

By going that route, the district will lop off about $4.8 million from the school’s total construction cost of $33.7 million, facilities director Bo Bavota told the board. The annual cost to operate the full K-8 school, with 1,271 student stations, is estimated at nearly $3.7 million. That drops by about $1.4 million to run just the K-5 portion, which will have 700 student stations, Bavota said.

Former Nature Coast Tech student files suit for right to return

BROOKSVILLE — A former Nature Coast Technical High student, booted out for not living in Hernando County, wants help from a judge to remain at the school.

Sandy Noble has filed a civil suit against the Hernando County School Board on behalf of her daughter, 16-year-old Jennifer Alred.

The complaint lists Alred only as “J.A.,” but she and Noble have previously granted interviews to the St. Petersburg Times.

Alred would have been a junior this year and on her way to completing the cosmetology program at the school, but was among eight nonresident students whose appeals in June to remain at Nature Coast, a magnet school, were denied by the School Board. She lives with her mother in Pasco County.

Tampa Bay districts get a flurry of charter school applications

Pinellas received eight applications for new charter schools by yesterday's deadline. Hillsborough got 20. Pasco and Hernando got one each.

In Pinellas, three applications propose new schools with instruction in English and Greek. Three are aimed at at-risk students and/or recent dropouts, including a new application from Mavericks, the charter chain that is setting up a school in Largo. One offers a college prep curriculum "developing students' abilities in the Spanish language." And one aims to replicate the Alfred Adler Elementary charter school in St. Petersburg, which is modeled on the theories of pyschologist Alfred Adler.

In Hernando, the one application is for Nature Coast Charter School, proposed by a company called Green Door Education Services.

In Pasco, the Pinellas-based Plato Academy has applied to open a K-8 school. It would be the county's second Greek-themed charter school if approved.

Veteran educator gets West Hernando Middle principal's job

BROOKSVILLE — One of Hernando’s veteran assistant principals is taking the top spot at West Hernando Middle School.

Rick Markford, who would have returned for a second year as assistant principal at Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics in Spring Hill this year, has been tapped for the position, superintendent Wayne Alexander said Tuesday.

"Rick possesses the instructional leadership skills necessary to work with a very committed and enthusiastic staff to meet the needs of the kids," Alexander said.

Still wanted: One principal for West Hernando Middle School

BROOKSVILLE — After narrowing down a field to two finalists, the school district is once again accepting applications for the top spot at West Hernando Middle School.

The principal’s job had been re-posted on the district’s Web site by Monday afternoon. The application period closes Tuesday, Aug. 11.

School superintendent Wayne Alexander did not return a call seeking comment by deadline Monday evening.

Hernando School Board member Sandy Nicholson wants fourth term

BROOKSVILLE - A veteran Hernando County School Board member wants to come back for more.

Sandy Nicholson prefiled for re-election Thursday to return for a fourth four-year term.

Nicholson, a 61-year-old Brooksville resident and a former office manager for her husband’s engineering firm, said she had “no doubts” that she would seek re-election.

Hernando no-zero policy faces stiff opposition

BROOKSVILLE — A controversial proposal to eliminate zeroes from Hernando’s elementary school grade books faces stiff resistance from School Board members and won’t come up for a vote this month after all.

Hernando stays in-house for assistant superintendent

BROOKSVILLE - The Hernando school district didn't have to look far for its new second-in-command.

Sonya Jackson, who until today had been serving as the district's school services director, has been tapped to fill the newly created assistant superintendent post.

A seven-member committee of parents, teachers, district staffers and community members recommended that superintendent Wayne Alexander pick Jackson out of seven finalists.

"The committee decided unanimously that by far she was the strongest candidate to meet our needs," Alexander said this afternoon.

Seven candidates to interview for Hernando assistant superintendent post

BROOKSVILLE — Seven candidates will get a chance to interview next week for the school district’s No. 2 position.

A seven-member committee of teachers, administrators and community members sifted through 16 applications last week and narrowed the field based on a job description that requires a master’s degree and a minimum of five years of leadership experience in education.

Six of the seven candidates are from Florida. Three already work for the district, and a fourth retired from Hernando as a principal in 2003.

All three in-house applicants are already starting new jobs.

Gulf High principal vies for Hernando assistant superintendent job

Steve Knobl, principal of Gulf High School in Pasco County, has made no secret of his desire to be a superintendent someday.

So when the Hernando County school district announced it would seek another round of applicants for its vacant assistant superintendent position, Knobl decided to go for it. He tried to keep it quiet, telling only his two top bosses about his plan, but public records made it hard to do that.

He explained that he's just trying to explore his options. He still loves Pasco County schools and the Gulf High job he took only a year ago. And he didn't want to upset parents, students and staffers who might think he already has one foot out the door.

Still, a career is a career, right?

"It's a scenario that's intriguing," said Knobl, a 15-year veteran of the Pasco district who's completing a doctorate in education this fall. "By no means does applying mean I'm going to get the job."

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Hernando schools chief out of contention in Brockton, Mass.

BROOKSVILLE -- Hernando schools boss Wayne Alexander is out of contention for another New England superintendent job.

The school board in Brockton, Mass., narrowed its list of finalists from five to three Monday night, cutting Alexander and another candidate, Vice Chairman Richard Bath said Tuesday.

School Board members took a roll call vote in a special meeting to narrow the field, Bath said.

Bath made the announcement Tuesday after notifying Alexander and the other finalist, Arthur Stellar, the superintendent in Taunton, Mass.  

"He wished us well, and we wished him well," Bath said of his phone call to Alexander.

Tampa area school districts begin four-day weeks

If you need information about your local Tampa area school this summer, you'll have extra hours Monday through Thursday to get it. But forget about Fridays. The districts are closing down all but a few services as part of their efforts to save money.

Pinellas schools will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. four days a week through mid August. Only the voluntary pre-K and juvenile justice programs will remain open on Fridays, with a skeleton technology crew available to help in emergencies. "All employees are expected to adhere to the schedule," spokeswoman Andrea Zahn told the Gradebook, noting all security and utility systems will be set on weekend mode for Fridays.

Hillsborough schools will run from 7 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Hernando schools will be open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for the week of July 4, when employees' regularly scheduled holiday will shift the district back to an 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. day.

Pasco schools will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. (and not a minute longer). Last year, the district saved thousands of dollars just by running a four-day schedule for a month. It hopes to do better this year. "This is a money-saving opportunity," assistant superintendent Ray Gadd told the Gradebook. "We don't want people in the buildings" on Fridays.

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Hernando board allows a few out-of-county seniors back into Nature Coast

*Updated at 9:24 p.m.

 BROOKSVILLE — Three ineligible Nature Coast Technical High School students who will be seniors next year will get to remain at the school, but eight others will have to go.

The School Board on Tuesday night partly reversed a ruling it made during a hearing earlier in the day to require students who reside outside of the county to find another school.

A motion to let five students who will be juniors next year remain at Nature Coast failed.

Read the full story here.

--Tony Marrero, Times Staff Writer

Hernando schools chief misses out on R.I. job

BROOKSVILLE -- If Hernando schools chief Wayne Alexander leaves before the end of his contract in June of next year, it won't be for Westerly, R.I.

The School Board in that coastal New England town has offered its superintendent post to the other finalist for the job, board Chairman James Murano, Jr. announced Monday night. And Steven Welford, currently the superintendent in Burrillville, R.I., has accepted the job and signed a contract, Murano said.

The Westerly board last week reached a consensus in closed-door meetings to offer the job to Welford. School officials visited the district and interviewed employees there, Murano said. The board will formally vote on Murano's appointment at its meeting slated for Wednesday. It's expected to be a formality.

"I thought it was a thorough process and the best candidate emerged," Murano said. "I feel very comfortable with Mr. Welford."

Burrillville is about 20 miles from Providence. The school system has about 2,500 students.

Alexander is also one of five finalists for the superintendent's post in Brockton, Mass. Officials there have said the selection will be made by end of this month.

Alexander had said he planned to stay in Hernando and move his new family here. But he now maintains that a child visitation dispute between his wife and her ex-husband has forced him to change those plans and move back to New England. He has said he will stay until his successor is in place.

Two Hernando School Board members say Alexander has been less than up front about his job search. Pat Fagan and James Yant also say it's time to cut ties with Alexander now rather than have him finish his contract. They maintain that he shouldn't be making decisions that could affect the district in the long term, but a majority of the five-member board still supports him.

-- Tony Marrero, Times Staff Writer, and Emily Dupuis, Times Correspondent

Hernando High's senior pranksters will walk at graduation after all

BROOKSVILLE -- There are 14 very relieved Hernando High School seniors today.

The seniors who participated in a prank on the Brooksville campus over the Memorial Day weekend will get to participate in Monday's graduation ceremony, after all. Superintendent Wayne Alexander on Friday reversed his original decision to uphold a recommendation by the school's principal to ban the students from the ceremony.

Instead, the seniors must complete 40 hours of community service at the school, Alexander said. He said he will hold their diplomas until they have met that obligation.

The students are alleged to have made their way onto campus and rearranged tables and chairs and smeared grease on windows and doors.

Alexander said the argument that the students' family members would also be punished by missing out on commencement weighed heavily in his decision. The seniors have still learned a valuable lesson, the superintendent said.

"They've learned that when you go down that road of making poor choices, anything can happen, and your poor choices affect the people you love and care about," he said.

The district is still deciding how to punish a second group of four underclassmen who came onto campus after the seniors and sprayed graffiti on 15 buildings and a school van.

-- Tony Marrero, Times Staff Writer

Hernando superintendent may know if he got R.I. job, but public doesn't

BROOKSVILLE - Hernando schools chief Wayne Alexander may already know whether he got the superintendent job in the Westerly, R.I., school district, but the public will have to wait another day or two to find out.

Westerly School Board members met behind closed doors Wednesday night and emerged with an announcement that they had decided which of two finalists will get the job offer.

Board chairman James Murano Jr. said the district would make the offer and start negotiations as early as today. He said an announcement could come by Friday. Steven Welford, the superintendent in Burrillville, R.I., is the other finalist.

With senior pranks, what's the right response?

In today's news, we found three examples of senior pranks that got kids in trouble. Kids do these often stupid things, leaving their school leaders in the uncomfortable position of deciding how to punish the offenders just days before they'll never see them again.

Maybe telling the students they can't walk at graduation is the easiest answer, one that will make them think twice before they pull such a stunt again. Or is it?

Consider these cases.