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School To Have Yankees Spirit

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By MARILYN BROWN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 12, 2007

Updated: 12/12/2007 12:14 am

TAMPA - A new high school opening in Lutz in 2009 will bear the name of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. The Hillsborough County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to honor him.

"He's been a silent hero for a lot of children," board member Susan Valdes said in supporting a motion by board member Candy Olson to go ahead and name the school instead of later turning to the usual process of soliciting community input. Steinbrenner's name has been submitted for other schools.

The $38 million school will be adjacent to Martinez Middle and McKitrick Elementary schools to relieve crowding at Sickles, Gaither and Alonso high schools. A new high school also is set to open that same month in Plant City.

Earlier, the board deferred awarding two contracts of $12,500 each to Stephen G. Peters of Orangeburg, S.C.

Peters was to meet with 30 at-risk black and Hispanic students and staff from Franklin Middle School and Blake High School to teach manners and etiquette for his Gentlemen's Club program. James Randolph, a volunteer with at-risk students for a decade, objected to the contracts, saying, "I don't know why someone from Orangeburg, S.C., has a different approach."

The district also heard Milisa Burt, who read a graphic passage from a book her freshman daughter brought home from the Armwood High School library. She was told the district will look into the appropriateness of "Just Listen" by Sarah Dessen, which is on a state-approved reading list.

The board also approved new school calendars for 2008-09 and 2009-10. Also, J. Thomas Roth, principal at Apollo Beach Elementary becomes principal of the new Doris Ross Reddick Elementary, effective Jan. 28; Edith Lefler, assistant principal at Town and Country Elementary, becomes principal at Twin Lakes Elementary on Monday; Melanie E. Faulkner, a district resource teacher, becomes supervisor of elementary fine arts Jan. 14, replacing a retiring Margaret Griffin. On Monday, district resource teacher Stephanie Daubar becomes supervisor of staff development for the Teacher Incentive Fund.

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