Early Release Committee has started its work

Posted Sep 28, 2010 by Sherri Ackerman

Updated Sep 28, 2010 at 04:29 PM

So you weren’t selected to serve on the Hillsborough school district’s Early Release Committee, now what?

You can still attend the meetings, which are public, says Melissa Erickson, president of the county council of PTA/PTSAs and co-chair of the new group. The next meeting is noon to 2 p.m., Oct. 11, at the Hillsborough Education Foundation, TECO Community Hall, 2306 N. Howard Ave.

But you can’t comment during the meetings, she said. Instead, you’ll have to save your thoughts for the public hearing, when school board members consider the committee’s recommendations.

The group has 23 members. Erickson said she hand-selected seven parents – members of PTA/PTSAs - to ensure they represented different areas of the district.

Eleven of the members are district employees, including principals, teachers and administrators.

The Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association’s president, Jean Clements is also a committee member as well as Luis Perez, who heads the Hillsborough School Employees Federation.

Two students and a member of the school board’s Citizen’s Advisory Board also sit on the committee.

The group hopes to make a recommendation to the superintendent in November, when the school calendar committee begins meeting.

For more information, go to the committee’s site.