42% absentee rate reported in Hillsborough schools today

More than four in 10 Hillsborough public school students stayed away from class today, adding fuel to the argument that Good Friday should be restored as a school holiday.

"We're going to continue the conversation," said school board member Doretha Edgecomb after learning 42 percent of students were absent and many who did attend ended up doing make work.

But Edgecomb agreed with fellow board members April Griffin and Candy Olson, who have said they want to see next year's figures, too, before making any decisions.

Even though Good Friday is observed as a holy day by many Christians, marking the day Jesus Christ died on the cross, the district changed its calendar in 2008 to make it a regular school day.

The board voted in May to keep it that way this year and next. Jennifer Faliero was the only member to vote no, saying the district should have learned from the fiasco of 2008 when six in ten students stayed away.

Edgecomb said that was probably an anomaly. She has received fewer phone calls and e-mails of complaint this year.

"We want them to come to school," she said. "But parents have the right to choose.''

More than 80,000 of the 188,500 students in kindergarten through 12th grade were absent today, district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said.

That angered one parent who sent her son to school Friday at Steinbrenner High, only to see him do make work rather than class work.

"I am ticked off that this is happening again in our schools," parent Beth Hamaker said in an e-mail interview. "I think the teachers and students should be given some sort of compensation; extra credit for the student and bonus $$ for teacher.''

Her son told her no more than 250 of 1,100 students reported for class. He said he spent the day watching movies, listening to music, moving furniture and eating doughnuts.

At least three comments posted at TBO.com today are from people who said they are teachers, describing how they resorted to make work when they found near-empty classrooms. They didn't want to repeat lessons when students return next week.

At least one elementary school reported a near normal day.

Deer Park Elementary School in northwest Tampa recorded about 11 percent of its 952 students absent - just a few more than usual, Principal Lou Cerreta said today.

Of 60 or so teachers there, three called in sick and really seemed to be under the weather, Cerreta said, while two others were scheduled to be off.

"Every aspect of the school day was the same," said Cerreta, who noted some students had tests today.

Teachers and drivers failed to show in large numbers, but the district worked to prepare for that.

About 1,400 of 15,162 teachers requested a substitute for today, but only 915 were hired. The estimated cost is $68,076, Cobbe said.

The transportation department reported 186 regular bus drivers out for Good Friday, with subs and one teacher from Stewart Middle School expected to fill in.

John Franklin, the district's general manager of transportation, said everything went smoothly.

On any given day, only about 75 regular bus drivers are out, Cobbe said. Teacher absences on Fridays this year have ranged from a low of 282 on Aug. 28 - the first Friday of the school year - to a high of 1,232 on Oct. 23.

The fewest substitute teachers hired by the district on any day of the week was 276 on Aug. 28 and the highest, 988, was Oct. 30.

Last year, Good Friday landed at the end of Spring Break so everyone was off. In 2008, when the district approved doing away with Good Friday as a day off from school, it didn't sit well with families and employees.

Nearly 60 percent of students were absent that day; 38 percent of bus drivers took a personal or sick day, which is allowed in their union contract; and 990 substitute teachers filled in at an estimated cost of $66,927.

This year, the district sent employees, students and families reminders that Friday was a regular school day and their attendance was expected.

Terry Kemple, president of the Christian-based Community Issues Council and a District 6 school board candidate running against Griffin, said he asked the board to declare Good Friday a holiday based on safety concerns.

Instead, they said they wanted to see more evidence. Now, Kemple said, they have it.

"In 2008, students were left at the bus stop waiting for buses that never came," Kemple said. "Let's just make it a holiday like it's always been."