SEBRING — With the Career Academy opening in August at South Florida Community College, the School Board of Highlands County is working to fill its position of coordinator of career and technical education. After serving as the district's career/tech coordinator for about two years, John Rousch has decided to return to his former position in the classroom at Lake Placid High as a drafting/construction technology teacher. The possibility of freezing or not filling the position was discussed, but with the school board's focus on getting the Career Academy started this year it was decided that the position needs to be filled, district Human Resources Director Vivianne Waldron said. The closing date for applications is Monday, June 16. ...more

June 14, 2008

AVON PARK — An Avon Park High School teacher has been suspended without pay for an undisclosed incident, which is being investigated by the school district and a state education bureau. Science teacher John Altic's five-day suspension from May 21-27 was formally approved by the School Board of Highlands County on Tuesday. Altic was suspended because of an incident, which is currently under investigation, that occurred May 16 at Avon Park High School, Human Resources Director Vivianne Waldron said. Since this is an active investigation no more information can be released, she added. Altic, 63, was suspended for five days because that is the maximum length of time the superintendent can suspend a teacher without input from the school board, Waldron said. A disciplinary letter has been placed in his personnel file. ...more

June 13, 2008

SEBRING — Teachers seeking affordable housing have a new option with the School Board of Highlands County approving an agreement with a local developer. The school district will help get the word out about Las Villas Phase 2, an affordable housing development on Kenilworth Boulevard, east of Sebring High School. Project developer Caribbean Realestate Developers has qualified for a grant to provide workforce housing for personnel considered essential to the county. Teachers are considered essential personnel. "The bottom line is you have the opportunity to provide $50,000, maybe even $70,000 off the purchase of a villa for a teacher," school district teacher recruiter Sean Rego said at a recent school board meeting. The housing agreement requires no monetary responsibility of the school district. ...more

February 4, 2008

SEBRING — Around the holidays and on Fridays, there's a greater chance students will be facing a substitute teacher in their classroom. With so many teachers taking off the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving, on a "proposed" calendar for the 2007-08 school year there is no school for the entire week. The school districts in Polk and Hardee counties, and some others in the state, take the week off, Deputy Superintendent Rodney Hollinger told the school board Tuesday. It should be considered for Highlands County because of the large number of substitutes who work on the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, he said. ...more

November 26, 2007

SEBRING — Over the past week and a half, the city of Sebring Police Department has investigated more than a dozen burglary and theft complaints. ...more

September 26, 2007