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Schools Check Water Bills

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By MARILYN BROWN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 7, 2008

TAMPA - It pays to check your utility bills.

The Hillsborough County School District reported Tuesday that it found $375,000 in errors on utility bills last school year.

Those savings, discovered through the district's energy conservation efforts, came mainly from billing errors from the city of Tampa for water, the district's chief facilities officer, Cathy Valdes, said after the school board meeting at which the savings were reported. There also were billing errors from Tampa Electric she said. The district's annual electric bill is about $40 million.

Also during the meeting, middle and high school students trying the district's new EXCELerator program said its elective support class for students who were not necessarily considering college helped them to think differently about education. The program goes countywide in August.

"College was nowhere on my mind," said Sade Dunkley, a senior at Plant City High, now bound for Southeastern University in Lakeland. When asked to write about her passion, she wrote about basketball, and "it helped me realize I can get my school paid for by playing basketball."

In other action, Ronnette Royal, a parent from Foster Elementary, asked the board not to approve the appointment of Debra Mills, Foster assistant principal, as principal. Royal said Mills has ignored complaints of lack of student discipline; rotten, contaminated food; mistreatment of students; changing of grades; and students bringing weapons to school.

"We have heard her; we are responding," said board member Doretha Edgecomb, who said she has started her own "personal investigation" as a result of a letter sent to board members by Royal.

Superintendent MaryEllen Elia said the district had "absolutely no knowledge at all" of some of Royal's complaints. The board approved Mills' appointment, effective July 1, and vowed the complaints will be investigated. Mills declined to comment after the meeting.

The following appointments also take effect July 1:

Beatrice McDaniel, assistant principal at Robles Elementary, becomes principal; Kristina Alvarez, assistant principal at Alexander Elementary, becomes principal; Pamela Wilkins, assistant principal at Maniscalco Elementary, becomes principal of Pizzo Elementary; Liz Uppercue, principal at Woodbridge Elementary, becomes principal at Rampello Downtown Partnership K-8 magnet school; Marjorie Sandler, principal at Folsom Elementary, becomes principal of Gorrie Elementary; Sherri Frick, assistant principal at Roosevelt Elementary, becomes principal at Ballast Point Elementary; Warren S. Brooks, assistant principal at Tampa Bay Technical, becomes principal; and Cora-Lynne Wimberly, principal at Sulphur Springs Elementary, becomes principal at Folsom Elementary. Joe Perez, services and support manager for human resources, becomes professional standards manager.

Appointments as of May 19 are: Amber Craft, elementary generalist, becomes principal of Kingswood Elementary School; Julie Scardino, assistant principal at Edison Elementary, becomes principal; and Faychone Durant, principal on special assignment, becomes principal at Marshall Middle School.

The board suspended Carrollwood Elementary exceptional education teacher Jennifer Shepherd, 32, without pay, effective today. She was arrested April 18 and charged with possession of cocaine, of a controlled substance and of drug paraphernalia.

Reporter Marilyn Brown can be reached at (813) 259-8069.

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