Tampabay.com
MARCH 13, 2009

Orange principal begs for cash

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How's this for audacity?

Consider the case of Trevor Honohan, principal of Audubon Park Elementary in Orlando.

So fearful of losing teachers to budget cuts is principal Honohan that he has asked parents to chip in. $500 each.

He even went so far as to offer to sell the naming rights to the school for a "large financial contribution," the Orlando Sentinel reports. Honohan writes:

Here
are the hard facts: Of the 875 students at Audubon Park Elementary
School, 52% come from families that have the potential to make a
financial contribution. I am well aware of the strain that many of us
are facing each day. However, if each of the families mentioned above
contributed $500 per child, as a school community we would raise the
necessary funds to maintain the level of instruction that we now
appreciate. I plan on writing the first $1000 check for my two children.

And we thought trading extra credit for paper was out of line. Orange district officials are looking into the propriety of the principal's missive, which the Sentinel reports was not approved by downtown.

(Image from the Orlando Sentinel)

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Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going in on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.

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Rebecca Catalanello covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail her: rcatalanello@tampabay.com.

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Marlene Sokol covers Hillsborough County schools. E-mail her: sokol@tampabay.com.

Ron Matus covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail him: matus@tampabay.com.

Jeffrey S. Solochek covers Pasco County schools. E-mail him: solochek@tampabay.com.

Kim Wilmath covers the University of South Florida. E-mail her: kwilmath@tampabay.com.

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