Stephanie Bowyer, who has two children in Highlands County public schools, has a suggestion for the school board: Don't do any budget cuts. ...more

March 8, 2009

Schools Superintendent Wally Cox is withdrawing a survey he distributed recently to administrators, saying that some of the suggested budget reduction measures may be restricted to the bargaining process. ...more

January 30, 2009

Bracing for state budget cuts due to the economic downturn, Highlands County Superintendent of Schools Wally Cox is asking his administrators to meet with their staff to rank 10 suggested budget-cutting measures. ...more

January 29, 2009

Florida moved up in a national teacher salary ranking from 32nd to 29th in the nation, but the state average salary continues to fall below the national average. ...more

January 3, 2009

The school district will face a "big" funding cut in 2009-10, Superintendent Wally Cox said, unless something changes drastically. ...more

November 23, 2008

SEBRING — Contract talks between the Highlands County School District and the school support personnel union have recessed until September when negotiators will have more information on which to base their salary talks. The state budget issues will be a little clearer in a few months, said Michel Bernier, chief negotiator for the support personnel union. Also, after school starts in August, the district will know how many support workers they'll need based on student enrollment. The state funds school districts a certain amount per student. More students bring in more state monies to school districts. ...more

June 19, 2008

SEBRING — Wearing goggles and protective aprons, Sebring High School chemistry students grind up Tums and Rolaids tablets with a mortar and pestle. The heartburn remedies are harmless, but the students are using these antacid granules to neutralize hydrochloric acid. It's called titration, which is the process of gradually adjusting the dose of a medication until the desired effect is achieved. State educators are near the end of the process of updating the academic science standards for grades kindergarten through 12. After receiving an "F" grade in a 2005 study, new state science standards have been drafted and could be approved next month. It's a good thing that Florida is reworking its science standards, according to the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. The current documents are reasonably well organized but sorely lacking in content. ...more

December 16, 2007

SEBRING — After just one day of contract talks, negotiators for the Highlands County School District and the support professionals union agreed upon all language issues, but could not reach agreement on salaries. Both sides decided Tuesday to bring in a federal mediator in an effort to reach a tentative contract agreement. ...more

October 18, 2007

SEBRING — The Highlands County School District and the teachers union reached a tentative agreement Wednesday on an 18-month teachers contract. ...more

October 10, 2007

SEBRING — Please check back soon for the 2007/2008 Instructional Salary Schedule, the School Board of Highlands County's Web site states on its salary page. Unable to reach a tentative contract agreement during the summer, the school district and teachers union are hoping to break the impasse with a second attempt at mediation on Oct. 10. ...more

October 6, 2007