Thursday, May 9, 2013
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and School Board are teaming up to apply for a federal grant that might help pay for at least 24 new law enforcement positions for local campuses.
The question of whether or not to post deputies on Hillsborough County elementary school campuses has been a hot-button issue ever since the Dec. 14, 2012, Newtown, Conn., massacre rocked the nation. While Hillsborough has never witnessed an attack that compares to Newtown’s slaying of 20 children and six adults, fears have run high that it could happen here. Bullets found on Hillsborough buses in the wake of the attack and other subsequent lockdown situations, including Brandon’s recent pepper spray incident, have given rise to a desire to see security increased. Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee thinks he has a solution that could bolster the security measures already put into place by the school board. In addition to the $1 million …
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The new academic year begins Aug. 20 for Lutz students.
Lutz parents hoping to get a jump on planning activities around next year's Hillsborough County school calendar are in luck. The school district has released its list of important dates for the 2013-14 school year. As a bonus, it’s also released a tentative academic calendar dates for 2014-15. This school year (2012-13) ends Friday, June 7, 2013 with a release time that’s 2 ½ hours earlier than normal. Students only have one more day off before the year ends. That's Monday, May 27 in honor of Memorial Day, according to the district's website. Here’s the calendar for 2013-14: For more information about the 2013-14 academic calendar or to get a sneak peek at the dates for 2014-15, visit the school district's website.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Free homework help is available for patrons of the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative.
Having trouble with a math problem? Not sure where to start on a big report that’s due soon? There’s free help available if you happen to be a patron of the Lutz Library. The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative offers online homework assistance for students in all grades – even adults. The help is available online through Tutor.com. That website offers resources for test prep, study and job resources around the clock. It also provides one-on-one assistance without the need for an appointment. Resources on Tutor.com are available around the clock, but live help is only available from 2 p.m. to midnight daily. All students need to gain assistance with math, science, English or social studies homework is have a library card and …
Monday, March 18, 2013
A bill under consideration in the Florida House would enable school principals to arm select teachers.
Imagine sending your children to school knowing they're protected from bad guys not by an armed deputy or security officer, but a fifth-grade English teacher with a Glock. That’s what the future may hold for school security if Florida Rep. Greg Steube, R-Bradenton, gets his way. Steube has drafted a bill that would give Florida principals the power to choose teachers who would have the right to carry weapons on campus, according to The Tampa Tribune. These teachers would have to obtain a concealed weapons permit and undergo training. Principals, by the way, would also be able to determine just how many teachers are allowed to carry, making the number vary from school to school. "It would be a good deterrent," The Tribune quoted Steube as …
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Spring break’s officially over, but that doesn’t mean kids have to hit the books for too long Monday, March 18.
Spring break 2013 has officially come and gone, but Lutz kids won’t have to report for class long on Monday, March 18. According to Hillsborough County School District’s website, Monday is an early release day. Regular full days resume on Tuesday, March 19. Students won’t have to get out of the vacation mode for long though. Friday, March 29 is a day off for them, but not teachers. The third grading period ends March 28, so teachers need that Friday to tally up grades. For more information about upcoming important dates in Hillsborough County schools, visit the district’s website.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Hillsborough County kids are out of school March 11-15.
Lutz kids can unplug those alarm clocks and get some extra shut eye. Spring break for Hillsborough County Public Schools starts Monday, March 11 and runs through the week. Students won’t have to dust off their books again until Monday, March 18, according to the district’s calendar. A number of other important dates are also right around the corner for Hillsborough students. The third grading period officially ends March 28, but there’s a reward for making it though. School is closed Friday, March 29 for a non-student day. Teachers, however, don’t get that day off. What’s your favorite thing to do in or near the community when the kids are out of school? Share your ideas in the comments section.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
The money will be used to make improvements to fences, gates and other potential points of access to campuses throughout the county.
Lutz schools in need of security upgrades might have improvements coming in the near future. The Hillsborough County School Board agreed Tuesday, Feb. 19, to spend about $1.2 million out of its emergency maintenance fund to pay for improvements at some campuses across the county, according to The Tampa Tribune. Those improvements include things like fences, gates and other upgrades. The school board has been wrestling with the idea of enhancing security on campuses countywide since last December’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. It has agreed to keep deputies assigned to elementary schools throughout the remainder of the year. A proposal by Superintendent MaryEllen Elia to spend about $700,000 to bolster its own …
The fifth edition of the event produced the most entrants as well as the stiffest competition for the top prizes, according to the competition's founder.
The finals of the 2013 USF Young Innovator Competition were held recently on the University of South Florida campus, featuring the top 10 of the nearly 600 submissions. First prize went to Mica Jadick, a seventh-grader from Martinez Middle School in Lutz, for her cereal-sifting device. George Seits from Middleton High School in Tampa took home second place, while Katie Warren, a third-grader from St. Paul’s School in Clearwater, won third prize. Safety Harbor Elementary School fourth-grader Grace Larson was among the 10 finalists. Event founder and local patent attorney Anton Hopen said the fifth edition of the competition was the most successful ever, in terms of numbers of applicants as well as the difficulty in choosing the finalists…
Sunday, February 17, 2013
The national Presidents Day holiday doesn’t mean a day off for Hillsborough County public school students.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The national holiday doesn’t mean a day off for Hillsborough County public school students.
While kids in nearby Pasco County will get to enjoy a long weekend, Lutz area students are expected to hit the books Monday, Feb. 18. Presidents Day is not a day off in Hillsborough, according to the school district’s calendar. Hillsborough students, however, do get a day off their neighbors in Pasco can’t boast. For those in the west part of the county, the recent Florida State Fair Day, observed Feb. 8, provided a long weekend. Children enrolled in public schools on the east side of the county get March 4 off for Strawberry Festival Day. Youngsters in Hillsborough also have spring break to look forward to. It runs March 11-15 this year. Presidents Day is observed annually on the third Monday of February. It was originally established in …
