The U.S. Education Department's top brass is paying a visit to Hillsborough tomorrow.

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is coming to Dunbar Elementary in Tampa to talk about the No Child Left Behind Act. She'll tour classrooms and meet with parents and students around dismissal time.

Hillsborough Superintendent MaryEllen Elia said the visit also will showcase the district's school choice program. Dunbar is a magnet school for math, science and technology. Magnet schools are the most popular of the various choice options in Hillsborough.

The county had seen less success with the sweeping choice program – intended to encourage movement out of neighborhood schools – that debuted at the end of forced busing for desegregation. Funding came from an $11-million, five-year federal grant.

- Letitia Stein, Hillsborough County education reporter