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Hernando schools highlight student achievements and athletics at April 8 board meeting
Summary
The Hernando County School Board heard spotlights from Deltona Elementary and a district athletics summary that recognized fall, winter and ongoing spring season accomplishments, including state placers, college signings and a new on-campus beach volleyball project.
Deltona Elementary Principal Julie Sweeney told the Hernando County School board on April 8 that teachers and paraprofessionals at her school completed voluntary micro-credential coursework through the University of Florida to support tier 3 reading interventions, and she listed more than two dozen staff who completed the training. "That's dedication," Sweeney said.
The board also heard a districtwide athletics report from Coach Kupcic, who reviewed fall and winter highlights across Hernando County high schools — including district and conference championships, state playoff appearances and several state placers in wrestling and track. Kupcic said 90% of winter teams had a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or higher and noted that 64 student-athletes made first-team all-conference this year.
Coach Kupcic and multiple school coaches recognized individual achievements: Springstead freshman Lainie Mercer finished third at the state cross-country meet and set a Gulf Coast 8 record; Hernando High had multiple state wrestling placers and a three-time champion, Grace Liotta; and Weeki Wachee and Nature Coast athletes posted district and regional qualifiers. Kupcic said many student-athletes had recently signed to play at the next level in NCAA and NAIA programs.
The board also heard about non-athletic student activities: Deltona's STEM teacher hosted Hernando County's first VEX robotics tournament, drawing 22 teams and qualifying a Deltona team for the North Central Florida VEX IQ regional championship; Deltona hosted a career night with 23 community partners.
Board members and coaches noted community support for new facilities. Coach Danny LaRocca and others described efforts to build on-campus beach volleyball courts at Springstead High School: community donations and contracting contributions reduced costs from a larger projected amount to roughly $50,000 in out-of-pocket district sponsorships, with CEMEX donating sand and concrete and LaRocca Contracting donating labor. Kupcic said the work began during spring break and that construction was expected to take six to eight weeks.
The board did not take action on athletics recognitions beyond the presentations; they served as acknowledgments and public recognition of student and staff accomplishments that district leaders said reflect both sports and classroom success.
The board next scheduled an athletic awards ceremony for May and encouraged community attendance to honor student-athletes and coaches.
