Future Career Academy brought students from four area high schools into Plant City workplaces on Friday, kicking off its annual Business Tours, a program designed to introduce high school seniors to career pathways and industries across Hillsborough County. Eight buses transported students from Plant City High School, Durant High School, Strawberry Crest High School, and […]
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HCPS DATA SHOWS TOTAL COUNTY ENROLLMENT HAS DECLINED SINCE LAST YEAR
Across the Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) system, reporting concluded enrollment is down this year. Data indicates the 2024-2025 40-day enrollment totaled 222,259. For the 2025-2026 school year, 40-day enrollment was 213,513; a drop of 8,746 students, or 3.9 percent. These numbers include charter schools. However, last year’s totals for HCPS may need to be […]
Continue ReadingDURANT HIGH SCHOOL OFFERS PATH TO CULINARY CAREERS
Ralph Underwood II is a chef and culinary teacher at Durant High School. He graduated from Armwood High School. His mother was a school principal who often had to work late, so “I was stuck fending for myself for food.” This sparked his interest in the food industry. He started out working for Outback Steakhouse. […]
Continue ReadingRENDON IS LONE DISSENTING VOTE ON FIVE-YEAR PLAN
On October 28, the Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) Board voted on a tentative five-year facilities plan for the District. “Over the course of the last two months, many things have come to light here in this district,” Patti Rendon, School Board Member representing District 4, said in the meeting. “We have had many changes. […]
Continue ReadingFUTURE CAREER ACADEMY CONDUCTS BUSINESS PANELS
The Future Career Academy (FCA) conducted business panels at Plant City high schools on October 9. The panels are designed to prepare and connect graduating high school seniors with high-demand career opportunities. Seniors had the chance to miss class to hear from area employers about the organizations they work for, what sorts of career paths […]
Continue ReadingSCIENTIST, AUTHOR, STRAWBERRY CREST HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded Tanishka Aglave with the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA). This honor recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects developed by youth. In America in 2025, the EPA handed out 11 of these awards. Aglave spent some of her growing-up years on a citrus farm, seeing the greening disease’s impact on […]
Continue ReadingSmall Buckets, Big Lessons at Head Start Garden
At Burney Elementary’s Head Start class, something special is happening. Instead of running around the playground or learning their letter and numbers, the approximately two dozen children were circling around a row of bright red cattle buckets. These weren’t any ordinary buckets, though; they were the foundation of a brand-new bucket garden. The idea began […]
Continue ReadingRICK LOTT TECHNICAL COLLEGE OPENING SOON
Schools (HCPS) asked the community for ideas for the name of the new technical college in Plant City, 230 names were submitted. One name got twice as many nominations as all the other names combined: Rick Lott. “This was really his baby going all the way back,” Mayor Nate Kilton said. “I think it is […]
Continue ReadingSTRAWBERRY CREST ANNOUNCES 28 NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS
Photo courtesy of Jamie Ferrario Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) announced 80 students have been named semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, operated by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Of this number, 28 are Strawberry Crest High School (SCHS) students. The nearest runner-up had 11 students reach this level. For other schools in […]
Continue ReadingOBSTACLE COURSE IN THE WORKS
Following on the Make America Healthy Again movement, in July, the U.S. government advocated to “Make America Fit Again” to reverse the decline in children’s health. One way it has done so is by bringing back the presidential fitness test. Well before the federal government began this initiative, First Sergeant Aarik Karlson, US Army (RET), […]
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