🏈 Rhonda Hernandez, ESE Paraprofessional, Foster Elementary School
🏈 SFC Steven Notto, ROTC Instructor, Steinbrenner High School
🏈 Raquel Coykendall, Assistant Principal, Kenly Elementary School
They were recognized during tonight's board meeting.




✨ Start here: hillsboroughschools.org/choice

McFarlane captured the girls 170-lb state title, while Ortiz won the boys Class 3A 106-lb championship.
We also want to recognize the following wrestlers who finished as state runners-up:
Arron McCarty, Robinson High School – Boys Class 1A, 190 lbs
Grace Jawulski, Brandon High School – Girls, 105 lbs
Jordan Deglace, Strawberry Crest High School – 110 lbs
An incredible accomplishment for these student-athletes and their schools! 💪🤼♂️🤼♀️

The winners will represent Hillsborough County at the state competition in May, with hopes of advancing to the national competition this summer at the University of Maryland. 📚🏆









Their essays explored various aspects of Hispanic history and culture, and their many contributions to our local community, state, and country.
🎉 Eliza Lambert, 8th grade, Farnell Middle School
🎉 Ishta Sujay Shete, 8th grade, Farnell Middle School
🎉 Nohely Esparza, 8th grade, Marshall Middle Magnet IB World School
🎉 Anabel Garcia, 11th grade, Armwood High School





Athletes competed in a variety of track and field events, while also enjoying fun-filled games and activities throughout the day. It was an incredible celebration of determination, teamwork, and school spirit! 💙👏










Lipi Datta-Reid, principal of Woodson K–8 School, and Dina Langston, principal of Armwood High School, have been named recipients of the 2025–26 Principal Leadership Awards by Florida TaxWatch.
Each year, this prestigious award is given to 15 principals across Florida who are making a transformational impact on student achievement while building strong school cultures and supporting their school communities.
As part of the recognition, each principal also selected a student from their school to receive an Academic A+ Challenge Match Scholarship, sponsored by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation: Nicolas Stamatopoulos from Woodson K–8 School and Isaac Bernadin from Armwood High School.
Congratulations to these incredible leaders and students for representing HCPS with excellence!










High school culinary students from across the district brought the heat to the kitchen at the Voodoo Underground Competition hosted at Erwin Technical College. From bold flavors to creative plating under pressure, these young chefs showcased impressive talent, teamwork, and technical skill. 👨🍳✨
Congratulations to the finalists from Chamberlain High School and Spoto High School, who will compete on March 12th for the chance to win a culinary scholarship to Erwin Technical College! 🎉🏆
The energy was high, the competition was fierce, and the future of culinary arts is bright!










The congressional statements, presented by U.S. Representative Kathy Castor, will live on at the U.S. Library of Congress. 🇺🇸










The celebration featured a school tour for guests, followed by student performances and a family picnic!









Students in 4th through 12th grade were invited to submit essays based on this year’s theme, “Celebrating Black History”. Elizabeth’s essay beat out all other 4th graders in the state!
Elizabeth will receive a two-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and a $200 gift card for school supplies.
Congratulations Elizabeth!



Congratulations once again to Robinson High School seniors Sharan Santharam Srinivasan, Ammar Omar, and Sujay Korada on being named the 2025 Congressional App Challenge District 14 winners by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor! 👏📱
The congresswoman stopped by the home of the Knights last week to congratulate the “SunScreened” app developers and their families.
Watch a demonstration of their app: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnrJUq6MK-A
📸: Knight Writers

We have a school named after Dr. Woodson… Woodson K-8… And in honor of Black History Month, they held an extra special celebration!
Eighth-grader Ayani Davis spoke about the life and legacy of Dr. Woodson, and members of the community came by to read to students and talk with them about Black history.






The second application window for 2026–27 opens March 9 at 6 p.m. and closes March 27 at 11:59 p.m.
🔗 View the schools that will be in attendance: More info at https://bit.ly/3N9e0ci


🥣✨ It’s National School Breakfast Week! HCPS celebrates the role of a nutritious start in students' learning, growth, and success. Thanks to our Student Nutrition Services team, students can enjoy free breakfast daily at school, helping them start the day focused and ready to excel. A big thank you to our cafeteria staff for fueling student achievement every day!



To support student health and safety, Hillsborough County Public Schools is installing vaping detectors in our high school bathrooms following a three-month pilot program at six campuses to identify the most effective devices.
This school year, schools have recorded more than 1,000 vaping-related referrals. The new devices will detect airborne vapor and immediately alert administrators. They do not record audio or video.
Reducing vaping and protecting student health remain a top priority. Together, we can help keep our campuses safe!

