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Keith Connors

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Pasco Dad Complains About School Mural So Principal Calls His Boss To Complain About Him

Keith Connors January 18th

Shawn Hayston, a father of two elementary school-age sons, visited Pasco County’s Pine View Middle School last August with a group of parents raising concerns about one of the school’s murals, which had been featured in social media posts. The mural, which depicted a girl in a gas mask, has since been painted over.

According to Hayston, the tour with the school’s principal, Jennifer Warren, did not go well and tensions were high as he and other parents asked pointed questions that Warren did not seem comfortable answering. Hayston and other parents who attended said they left with more questions than when they arrived and felt that they had been treated disrespectfully.

The day after his visit, Hayston received a message from his supervisor at the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Department, where he has been a firefighter for nearly 20 years, stating that Warren had called the department claiming that Hayston had entered the school under false pretenses, was hostile during the tour, and had been cited for trespassing. However, the trespassing claim was not true. The department launched an investigation and no action was taken after the review. Hayston and his lawyer have asked for an apology, but have yet to receive one.

This incident has become a cause for parents who see it as emblematic of the way that public school officials dismiss their concerns. This perspective has fueled a mostly conservative nationwide push for more parental control. The Pasco County School Board members have stated that they want to hear all views and be more responsive to parents, but the matter is in the hands of Superintendent Kurt Browning who considers the case closed. He stated that Warren had been counseled by her supervisor that the call was inappropriate, but not a violation of district policy, Education Department ethics rules or state law. TBT

 

Rental Prices For Single-Family Homes Soars 12.6 Percent

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

This City Has The Best Rental Prices In Tampa Bay

This city has the best rental prices in Tampa Bay. Tampa area rents are up 2.1% over last year. But, down a little bit since December. ApartmentList showed the median cost of rentals in 100 of the largest cities in the US. Here in Tampa we priced in at Number 27. The national average for a one bedroom came in at $1,153, and $1,321 for a two bedroom. That puts average rent for all types at $1,344. In Tampa Bay the same average for all types came in much higher at $1,700 a month! It did show Tampa had a slightly slower rent increase than other Florida cities, and in the US. That’s where the 2.1% comes in. If you want to pay the cheapest rent in the US move to Cleveland! LOL. No really. Lowest rent among our 100 largest cities was Cleveland, Ohio, where rent costs don’t even hit the $1,000 mark. I know it’s cold, but Cleveland residents’ median rents are closer to $781 bucks.

So where do you go here in the Tampa Bay Area for best rent prices? ApartmentList says Tampa is about 3.8% higher than it’s neighbor cities. Pinellas Park is where you go for the best rent deal with a median of $1,422. Here’s a little heads up for you. Up the road in Largo they have the fastest increase in the area with rents up 5.8%. Thinking Pinellas Park may not be far behind in the next few years. If you got the big money, really big, check out Wesley Chapel in the list of average rents below. Source NewsChannel8

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