AVON PARK — Memorial Elementary School is scheduled to open for classes in August, but first the school district has to resolve water/sewer service issues for the school. The School Board of Highlands County and the city of Avon Park are at a stalemate over water reclamation piping. Avon Park wants the school district to pay about $180,000 for the installation of more than 9,000 feet of "purple pipe" to transport reclaimed water. It is quite possible the school district would spend that money not knowing when the reclaimed water would be available to the school site, according to a letter the school board approved Tuesday to send to the city of Avon Park. It is likely to be three to five years before any reclaimed water is available for irrigation use at the school. "The school board is being asked to completely fund the master infrastructure required for this area," the letter states. ...more

November 24, 2007

Despite three votes by Hillsborough County School Board members to reconsider a $54,000 consultant contract to write a district wellness policy, the issue died Tuesday when four board members voted not to put it back on the agenda in December. ...more

November 21, 2007

Regarding "Put School District On A Consultant Diet" (Our Opinion, Nov. 5): Pretty funny that the school board attorney, Tom Gonzalez, says, "In effect, the district could hire a consultant for any amount of money without seeking bids." ...more

November 8, 2007

Disagreement and debate over consultants' contracts Tuesday didn't stop the Hillsborough County School Board from approving a new $157,612 contract for a recently retired employee. ...more

November 7, 2007

Hillsborough County School District has no policy requiring consulting contracts be bid, the school board attorney said Wednesday. ...more

November 1, 2007

The Hillsborough County School Board agreed Tuesday to settle a lawsuit that was filed by the Florida Family Association over blocked e-mail. ...more

September 19, 2007