The Gandy Gap strikes again: The Pinellas school district is again looking not-so-sharp compared to Hillsborough – this time in the number of National Achievement scholars, who are widely perceived to be the top black students in the country.

Hillsborough has 11 this year, according to the list
released today by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. Pinellas has zero. Florida has 66, out of roughly 800 nationwide, with the vast majority clustered in the state's seven big urban districts (or six out of the seven, given that Pinellas isn't contributing).

Pinellas has suffered by comparison with Hillsborough before, most recently in graduation rates (see St. Petersburg Times stories here and here). And yet, on the surface, you'd think Hillsborough, with more minority kids and kids in poverty, would be the one playing catch up, no?

- Ron Matus, state education reporter