Hillsborough County Schools Get New Superintendent

19 Feb 2019

People can now put a face to the name of the new Superintendent for Hillsborough County Florida. Jeff Eakins offers close to 30 years of solid experience as a strong leader of classrooms for the county and now as the new Superintendent, he wants to make a huge impact on the present and future of all students.

Eakins vowed that he would ensure students of Hillsborough County are given the best academics possible and work hard so they all achieve great success. Of the different messages presented to parents, the success of students within Hillsborough County is the one Eakins really wants to hit home.

With all of his experience, Eakins plans to build new programs that are guaranteed and proven to work. Yesterday at the back-to-school news conference held at Leto High School, Eakins provided detailed information as to how the new programs will work. He used the example of the district’s workplace partnerships, which are designed to help students graduate but also become competitive after joining the workforce.

Along with significant promises and an optimistic outlook, Eakins also stressed that programs currently failing will not be overlooked. He assured parents, students, and faculty that the way in which money is spent by the district is constantly being scrutinized in order to keep the budget properly balanced for the country’s eighth largest school district.

Eakins added that he is fully aware on a daily bases that the quality of life for 27,000 employees is his responsibility so for this year and next, good decisions are essential. However, he also has to make important decisions pertaining to the quality of life for the long-term.

In his speech, Eakins also said there would be no rush in hiring teachers. Although the district is currently short 170 teachers as school starts, he plans to use qualified instructors in the interim as the search for the most dedicated and smartest teachers continues. Rather than hire just anyone, Eakins wants only the best of the best.

Another issue addressed during the news conference pertained to buses within the county. Eakins firmly claimed that every single bus being used to get students to and from school is safe but that work is ongoing in getting the fleet updated. Along with the 100 new buses bought in 2014, approval for another 200 new buses will be presented to the School Board next month.

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