Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
John “Lites” Leenhouts has announced he will retire as president and CEO of Sun ’n Fun Fly-In Inc. after the April conclusion of the 2022 aerospace expo, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reports. Leenhouts, who assumed the position in 2011, transformed the organization’s focus to education and was instrumental in establishing the Aerospace Center for Excellence in Lakeland.
COVID-19 has claimed the lives of at least 17 Polk County Public Schools employees this school year; twelve were “active” employees who had returned to work when classes resumed this fall, and five had not returned. School Board member Lynn Wilson tells News Channel 8, “Our hands are tied. The reality is — you can’t enforce a mask policy. I know a lot of folks wanted a mask policy. I think the real key was allowing a virtual option and we couldn’t do that either” because of restrictions imposed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. ALSO: The Ledger | More
Sixty-plus teachers from 16 countries have come to Polk County to help relieve the teacher shortage in public schools, Fox 13 News reports. The teachers, who are in the U.S. under exchange visitor visas, are certified and qualified in critical subject areas, according to sponsoring organization TPC Cultural Exchange (website). More
Polk School Board members heard mixed messages on COVID-19 in local schools when they met Tuesday, The Ledger reports. Infections involving students and staff have steadily decreased during the last three weeks, Superintendent Frederick Heid said. But he and an infectious disease expert expressed worries about the effects of new, laxer state rules regarding quarantines of students exposed to the virus.
A Kathleen High School teacher/coach is being accused of provoking Monday’s protest that resulted in 15 student arrests. Tomaris Hill was arrested in Orange County, where he lives, on misdemeanor charges of interfering with the education process and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, News Channel 8 reports. The school district is “moving forward with terminating” Hill’s employment, Superintendent Frederick Heid said. | RELATED: The KHS principal is taking steps to improve communication, The Ledger reports. More
A partnership between Lakeland’s International Aerotech Academy and Piper Aircraft aims to put a dent in the nation’s aircraft mechanic shortage by offering tuition stipends and conditional job offers to the academy’s students who complete an interview successfully, ABC Action News reports | News release
A “largely peaceful” protest at Kathleen High School Monday morning resulted in 15 students arrested for disrupting the campus. Student grievances with new Principal Daraford Jones include strict enforcement of class tardiness rules and directives about dress and close dancing at an upcoming homecoming celebration, Fox 13 News reports. ALSO: News Channel 8 | Bay News 9 | The Ledger | ABC Action News | More
Southwest Middle School is slated for a $50 million makeover with most of the campus being demolished and rebuilt. Construction, expected to begin around the end of the year, will be done in stages in a way that classes will remain on campus, The Ledger reports. A conditional use permit was approved by the Lakeland Planning and Zoning Board Tuesday and still needs City Commission approval. | Zoning documents More
