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Bogie blue even after he's gone

Boca Ciega High officials and students give a former principal a farewell to remember.

By THOMAS C. TOBIN
Published April 27, 2007

GULFPORT - Paula Nelson, the principal at Boca Ciega High, sent out the e-mail last week.

Big surprise party in the football stadium, it said. More than 2,000 students and faculty members invited. Don't tell anyone else.

"This is a SECRET," Nelson wrote. "Shhhhhhhhh."

By Thursday morning, she was nervous: "I hope we can pull this off." The guest of honor would be there soon.

John Leanes was Nelson's predecessor at Boca Ciega and a 33-year veteran of Pinellas schools. He retired Wednesday, disappointed that his final days as an educator were not spent among students.

Nelson was determined to remedy that.

A longtime teacher and principal at Pinellas middle schools, Leanes was sent to "Bogie" in 2003. He left the school last year to take a job at district headquarters overseeing a new push to better prepare students for the work force.

Though he stayed only three years, he is credited with restoring school spirit at Bogie and pioneering the district's efforts to reform high schools. He removed barriers to graduation, bringing in a computer-based program that lets students who lack credits catch up quickly.

He pushed for more civility in the halls and encouraged kids to get involved.

"Just the way he has of showing he cares for the students motivated me to do other things within the school," said Jacquelyn McCullough, 18, a senior. "Everybody loves Mr. Leanes. They were kind of upset when he left."

But he often came back and walked the halls.

"He didn't just leave us hanging," McCullough said. "He came and saved a lot of people's lives as far as schoolwork.

Leanes, 58, also is remembered for starting the Varsity Club, a group of students who paint their bodies Bogie blue and gold and spread school spirit across campus and at athletic events.

They were kids who might not stand out otherwise; now they're in the yearbook, Leanes said. "Every kid's got to feel like they belong to something."

While Nelson fretted Thursday morning over Leanes' surprise party, Leanes spent his first day of retirement on the domestic front.

He cleaned three closets, did a load of laundry, ran 3 miles, showered and watched an episode of The View before heading to Bogie for a meeting with administrators about a new district initiative. Now retired, he was offering his expertise as a volunteer.

That's why he didn't shave.

When Leanes arrived shortly after noon, assistant principal Charles Drake lured him into a Bogie blue convertible lent for the day by Crown Jaguar.

Drake pretended the car was his and said he wanted to show it off.

They drove around back and through the gate leading to the track. Nearly 2,000 students started to cheer. The Marching Pirates began to play. The Varsity Club guys went wild.

About halfway around the oval, Leanes got the picture.

He started to cry. He began to wish he had shaved.

After a few short speeches it was off to the auditorium for more tributes and his favorite dessert, white cake with white icing.

By week's end, Leanes will have attended the Bogie senior breakfast and the prom. Next month, he'll be the keynote speaker at graduation. But Thursday's surprise will stand out.

Paula Nelson had made it happen, Leanes said.

"I retired with the kids. ... I'm going to go out with the kids."

[Last modified April 27, 2007, 01:00:46]