Latest reporting from the Education desk.
Latest reporting from the Education desk.
Latest reporting from the Education desk.
Education
Steinbrenner High students in Lutz returned to class Monday as Hillsborough County Public Schools opened the 2026-27 year with its first A grade in over a decade and teacher vacancies cut from nearly 700 to about 200, a drop Superintendent Van Ayres credits to the 2024 millage referendum.
Education
Florida's new Education Commissioner Dr. Henry Mack used his first public appearance at Hillsborough County's back-to-school kickoff to push career and technical education expansion, a priority that aligns with Steinbrenner High School's existing CTE programs as Lutz students head back to class Monday, Aug. 10.
Education
Pasco County Schools and its teachers union reached a deal July 30 giving about 1,960 veteran classroom teachers raises of $1,400 to $3,000, while Hillsborough finalized its own agreement, both beating a state-imposed July 31 deadline that affects educators at Land O' Lakes High, Sunlake High, and Steinbrenner High.
Education
Steinbrenner High School in Lutz is receiving the district's largest single summer upgrade ahead of the August 10 first day, while HCPS pours construction dollars into southeastern Hillsborough County and asks voters to extend the half-cent sales tax in November.
Education
Hope for Tomorrow High School & Vocational Center, a program of Land O' Lakes nonprofit Hope Youth Ranch, holds its ribbon cutting Wednesday, August 5, offering students with autism and other disabilities five career pathways including Equine Careers built on the organization's therapeutic riding program.
Education
Pasco County Schools earned its first 'A' district grade since 2009, and for the first time since 2004 every school in the district rates C or better, marking a dramatic turnaround as the August 13 school year approaches.
Education
Pasco County Schools set grade-specific daily screen-time recommendations for the 2026-2027 school year, limiting kindergarten and first grade to 30 minutes and high schoolers to 90 minutes, with teachers receiving the guidelines before the August 13 start date.
Education
Lutz K-8 School reopens Monday, August 10, after a full summer of construction that gutted and replaced floors and cabinets campus-wide, forcing staff to relocate to Maniscalco K-8 since late May. The school also retained its A rating and will host a Meet the Teacher open house Thursday, August 6.
Education
Lutz K-8 School hosts a Curriculum Presentation and Open House on Thursday, August 6, from 4 to 6 p.m., four days before Hillsborough County's first day of school.
Education
Land O' Lakes High School hosts Meet the Teacher Day on Friday, July 31, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, with freshman orientation and volunteer opportunities the same morning.
Education
Oakstead Elementary School in Land O' Lakes earned an A rating from the Florida Department of Education, part of a year in which Pasco County Schools received its own A and moved all schools off state oversight for the first time since 2004.
Education
The Pasco County School Board voted July 8 to expand its Flex Education program beyond AP courses to include career training, Cambridge AICE, and elementary specials, giving Land O' Lakes area homeschool and voucher families broader access to public school campuses.
©2026 Land O' Lakes-Lutz Courier
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©2026 Land O' Lakes-Lutz Courier
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©2026 Land O' Lakes-Lutz Courier
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