POLK SCHOOL BOARD KEEPS AN EYE ON HULKED UP ATHLETES WHILE HULKING UP THEIR OWN SALARIES

Learning the lessons from Barry Bonds and other athletes who --- intentionally or not --- have used illegal steriods to enhance their on-field performance, the Polk County School Board decided to expand it's student athlete drug testing programme to include steriods. To this point it had only been used to test for recreational drugs such as marijuana.

It is a serious issue with high school athletes who yearn to play at "The Swamp" or in some other top line college football program, as it is not only a question of cheating on the field but also the health issues involved in cutting corners to get to primo physical condition.

But after cutting their salaries by $5,000 two years ago to show their support for teacher pay raises, the PCSB determined it has proven it's point. Board members voted yesterday 5-1 to raise their salaries 22 percent to $35,374...in comparison to a beginning teacher in Polk making $30,582 annually and only getting a four percent raise this year. Frank O'Reilly was the only member voting against the raise, favouring a $1,000 raise to $30K. Hazel Sellers did not attend the meeting

BTW: This year's raise was the first time that a starting teacher in Polk County could make $30K or more a year. That was a long time goal of this board, and I certainly applaud them for that. But a number of teachers are heading to Hillsborough, Osceola, or Orange counties where they can earn more, in some cases significantly more.