The Highlands County Health Department has received enough 2009 H1N1 Vaccine to hold vaccination clinics for students at the local schools. ...more

November 11, 2009

It is National School Bus Safety Week and all drivers are reminded to drive carefully and remember school buses make frequent stops with children. ...more

October 21, 2009

After 25 years of providing choral music to the community, the Highlands Delta Chorale has performed its last concert due to the lack of singing voices. When I came to Sebring in the mid- 1970s, it was my dream to start a choral group. It became a reality with the Sebring Hills Chorale that later in October 1983 became the Highlands Delta Chorale. As founder of the group, I want to especially thank David Rinald, who faithfully devoted most of those 25 years directing and keeping the chorale together. Thanks also to South Florida Community College for providing their facility for concerts, to the Highlands County School Board for providing rehearsal space and to the area churches for providing rehearsal and concert space. A special thanks to Richard Wedig, accompanist for the chorale, and his wife, Susan, who stepped in to direct when a director was not available. ...more

May 19, 2009

A recent editorial rebuked the federal government of shortchanging Florida in its effort to provide more educational funds (stimulus) for our schools. How could the feds be so mean to require the state to request a waiver because it had cut funds for education instead of increasing funds? In reviewing Florida's record relating to educational funding, one will discover that Florida had shortchanged education for decades. The late governors Askew, then Collins, tried to turn the tide and move Florida up about 45th in the nation on funding, only to have the Democratic legislature to again decrease funding. Governor Graham worked to improve funding, but again that was reversed. The late Governor Chiles had a Republican legislature that under funded education. The state is currently near the bottom in funding education. ...more

March 15, 2009

School districts could opt for a four-day school week under a measure proposed by an Ormond Beach lawmaker. ...more

February 13, 2009

The Highlands County School Board needs to re-think taking sports programs out of the school system. As a parent I know how much sports means to kids in school. It's a real motivator for some kids to stay in school. Be real, school is not the most exciting thing to kids. It wasn't when I was in school and we didn't have all these tests to prepare for as they do today. But having a sports program made me and some of the kids today want to remain and do well in school. ...more

January 31, 2009

The Highlands County School Board is thinking about the possibility of terminating high school sports and extra curricular activities in local high schools. As a 15-year-old at Lake Placid High, I am very active in my schools athletic and extra curricular activities. I am in the marching season Color Guard, band during concert season, student government association and on the girl's basketball and softball teams. I know that the purpose of doing away with sports is only because of budget cuts, but having sports and extra curricular activities in our high schools is a good thing. Most of the kids in Lake Placid don't only play sports because we love it, but because of the support and help we get from our teammates and coaches. You see, we get more out of sports in schools than we do in any other activity in Highlands County. ...more

January 30, 2009

Highlands County School Board members have been fielding phone calls from parents who are upset with a proposed doubling of the number of early release days from 10 to 20. ...more

January 25, 2009

We all know there is a need for cutbacks in the budget, nationally, on the state level, and even in our own homes, but I feel the State of Florida has gone too far in their budget cuts. I attended the District School Advisory Council meeting at the Highlands County School Board for January and came away disheartened at how little our children seem to mean to the State of Florida. According to the paperwork I received there, our state ranks 50th in school spending and the budget just keeps getting cut further. ...more

January 19, 2009

Traffic bound for Memorial Elementary School and Sebring High School should not encounter road detours as students go back to school today. ...more

January 6, 2009