Boy Plotted to Kill His Teachers
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SERENA, VENUS BOTH OUT AT FRENCH OPEN, SPORTS B1 LEESBURG, FLORIDA Thursday, May 29, 2014 www.dailycommercial.com UKRAINE: Moscow blamed as source ANGELOU: Beloved poet of pro-Russian insurgent threat, A7 and author dead at 86, A6 FINDING FCAT SUCCESS CLERMONT School officals, Boy plotted board members discuss latest to kill his test results LIVI STANFORD | Staff Writer [email protected] teachers ake County School District Chief Aca- Deputies quash planned L demic Officer David attack at East Ridge Middle Christiansen expressed both concern and opti- MILLARD K. IVES | Staff Writer mism Wednesday about [email protected] the first set of results of the Florida Compre- Officials at a Clermont middle school hensive Assessment Test say a boy with a knife had plotted to kill scores. his teachers, front office workers and himself. “We did better in one BRETT LE BLANC / DAILY COMMERCIAL The unidentified student was taken to a category: writing,” he said. Students in Jennifer Ross’ fourth-grade class at Sorrento Elementary School write invitations to mental health facility. SEE FCAT | A2 their end-of-the-school-year party in Sorrento. According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, a school resource READING SCORES ■ Fruitland Park Elementary School 42 ■ Lake Academy Eustis officer at East Ridge Middle School was ■ The Villages Elementary of Lady Lake ■ Mascotte Elementary School 41 summoned to the student’s classroom on ■ Percentage of Lake County students 70 the morning of May 19 after three other ■ Tavares Elementary School 56 who scored proficient on FCAT reading, students told their teacher about the plot. ■ Seminole Springs Elem. School 70 by school ■ Umatilla Elementary School 60 According to a sheriff incident report, ■ Round Lake Elementary School 63 ■ Beverly Shores Elementary School 28 ■ Pine Ridge Elementary School 66 the deputy found in the student’s posses- ■ Treadway Elementary School 57 ■ sion the concealed pocket knife as well as ■ Clermont Elementary School 45 Cypress Ridge Elementary School 78 ■ Minneola Elementary School 64 a “little black book” that had a drawing of ■ Spring Creek Charter School 41 ■ Eustis Elementary School 49 the school with “X” marks where he want- ■ Astatula Elementary School 63 ■ Humanities And Fine Arts Charter ■ Sawgrass Bay Elementary School 54 ed to kill his teachers. ■ Lost Lake Elementary School 67 School 38 After the deputy confronted the stu- ■ Grassy Lake Elementary School 69 ■ Leesburg Elementary School 34 ■ Altoona School 51 dent in the classroom, the suspect wrote ■ Sorrento Elementary 67 ■ Groveland Elementary School 40 ■ Milestones Community School 43 on a piece of paper his plans and handed ■ Eustis Heights Elementary School 39 ■ Triangle Elementary School 52 ■ Imagine Schools at South Lake 60 it to the deputy, according to the report. “He was going to come in through the grassy area by the library, then he was go- ing to go to the front office and kill every- BUSHNELL one there, then go to the math and histo- ry buildings and kill two of his teachers there. He would then proceed to the sci- ence building and kill his teacher there,” Sumter students score above state average the report stated. Afterward, he was going to go to his dra- Staff Report achieved a mean score of 204 in At the eighth-grade level, 64 per- ma class and kill the teacher there, the re- reading, compared with a state- cent of Sumter students scored at lev- port added. Sumter County FCAT scores have wide mean score of 200. el 3.5 or above in writing, compared The student reportedly told the re- matched or exceeded the state av- For two years in a row, 68 per- with 56 percent statewide. They also source deputy “after he killed the people erage in all categories, officials say. cent of Sumter third graders scored achieved a mean score of 3.6, which Third-grade students improved at level 3 or above in mathematics, is 2 percentage points higher than he wanted killed, he would go to the caf- their performance in reading by compared with 58 percent state- the state average, Nave said. eteria and kill himself in front of all of his one percentage point, with 64 per- wide, Nave said. At the 10th-grade level, 72 per- peers.” cent scoring at a level 3 or above, At the fourth-grade level, 52 per- cent of Sumter students scored Sheriff’s officials said the father told compared with 63 percent last cent of Sumter students scored 3.5 at a level of 3.5 or above in writ- them he had been concerned about his year, district spokesperson Allison or above in writing, compared with ing, compared with 64 percent son’s behavior. The boy had recently been Nave said in a press release. State- 53 percent statewide. Fourth grad- statewide. Sumter 10th graders suspended for 10 days and was in the wide, 57 percent of third-graders ers also achieved a mean score of also achieved a mean score of 3.6, process of being placed in an alternative passed this year. 3.3 on a 6.0 scale, which is at the slightly above the 3.5 statewide av- school. Sumter’s third graders also state average, Nave said. erage, Nave said. SEE PLOT | A2 GROVELAND Teen uses trouble to turn his life around ROXANNE BROWN | Staff Writer High School said she can- his dad. [email protected] not believe Stein’s attitude Stein continued plug- remains so positive. ging away at school, but Seth Stein has expe- “It speaks volumes to rienced fewer ups than the two struggled and me that he (Stein) can eventually became home- downs in his 18 years, giv- still achieve what he’s lot of people, based off his ing him plenty of excus- own experiences.” less. His dad was al- achieved, in spite of what lowed to stay at the Ben- es not to become the first he’s been through,” Judy As a child, Stein lived ton House for veterans person in his family to Mitchell said. “He’s very with both of his parents, in Cape Coral, but Stein graduate high school. positive, he’s got good as- but when his mom’s drug ROXANNE BROWN / DAILY COMMERCIAL couldn’t join him. By the In fact, his guidance pirations and I believe he’s addiction led to their sep- Seth Stein poses at South Lake High School in counselor at South Lake going to be able to help a aration, he ended up with SEE GRAD | A2 Groveland. INDEX DIVERSIONS C5 OBITUARIES A4 Vol. 138 LEGALS B5 SPORTS B1 TODAY’S WEATHER CLASSIFIED B7 No. 148 50¢ BUSINESS A8 VOICES A11 Detailed forecast 89˚/72˚ COMICS C4 3 sections CROSSWORDS B7 NATION A6 WORLD A7 on page A12. Heavy thunderstorms A2 DAILY COMMERCIAL Thursday, May 29, 2014 FCAT FLORIDA FROM PAGE A1 Lake students in eight and 10th LOTTERY grade saw substantial improvement MAY 28 on the writing portion. However, he expressed concern CASH 3 ...............................................5-3-1 about the third-grade reading re- Afternoon ..........................................2-9-6 sults, which showed the district lag- PLAY 4 .............................................7-4-3-0 ging behind the statewide average Afternoon .......................................3-5-4-7 by two percentage points. “What resources can we put in MAY 27 pre-k to second-grade level to get FANTASY 5 ............................. 4-9-16-18-33 in front of this?” he said. “Half or MEGA MONEY ........................ 1-26-38-44-2 more of the kids are not reading at MEGA MILLIONS ................ 1-6-10-46-58-10 grade level.” BRETT LE BLANC / DAILY COMMERCIAL Christiansen said he is building Mary Lanning, left, writes on her SMART Board at the front of the classroom during more resources and support for a cursive lesson and it is copied directly to her laptop at the back of the class at Sorrento Elementary School. students in pre-k to third grade and THE NEWSPAPER OF CHOICE FOR LAKE AND SUMTER COUNTIES SINCE 1875 sixth through ninth grades. ■ Minneola Elementary School 59 The Daily Commercial (ISSN 0896-1042) is published daily for Christiansen said he is assigning MATH SCORES $90.74 per year (plus Florida sales tax) by Halifax Media Group ■ Astatula Elementary School 47 at 212 East Main Street, Leesburg, Florida. Periodicals postage is additional teachers and tutors to ■ Percentage of Lake County stu- paid at the USPO, Leesburg, FL. POSTMASTER: Send all address ■ Lost Lake Elementary School 73 changes to The Daily Commercial, P.O. Box 490007, Leesburg, FL work directly with students. dents who scored proficient on FCAT 34749-0007. All material contained in this edition is property of math, by school The Daily Commercial and is protected under the copyright laws of School board members and edu- ■ Leesburg Elementary School 37 the United States of America. Reproduction is forbidden without cators agree more needs to be done ■ Beverly Shores Elementary School written consent from the publisher. ■ Groveland Elementary School 43 to pinpoint students who are hav- 32 ■ Triangle Elementary School 56 MISSED YOUR NEWSPAPER? HOW TO REACH US ing difficulties and promote collab- ■ Clermont Elementary School 46 REDELIVERY NOT AVAILABLE IN orative efforts between teachers. ■ Mascotte Elementary School 62 ALTOONA OR SUMTER ■ Eustis Elementary School 56 365-8200 Meanwhile, the FCAT 2.0 results ■ Tavares Elementary School 47 Call 352-787-0600 in Lake ■ Sawgrass Bay Elementary School 59 In Sumter County: for third grade math showed 58 County or 877-702-0600 in 877-702-0600 ■ Sumter County 6 a.m. to 10 ■ Umatilla Elementary School 59 percent of Lake County students Grassy Lake Elementary School 65 a.m. Monday through Friday.