SEMINOLE — The accomplishments principal Michael Bohnet has overseen at Osceola Fundamental High School are many:
• An “A” school every year since 2012
• A graduation rate of nearly 100%
• More than 25 AP and Cambridge courses
• More than 150 seniors this year with a 4.0 grade-point average and nearly 300 with a GPA of 3.25 or higher
• Nearly 3,000 industry credits earned through its Center for Technology, Entertainment and Design (CTED) Academy
• A culinary program with two chefs
Now, after 40 years as an educator — 16 of them as principal at Osceola Fundamental — Bohnet is retiring.
But what means most to him isn’t on that list, he said. It’s hearing a student say he or she had a wonderful high school experience.
Bohnet’s career also included stops at Tyrone Middle School, Gibbs High School and Hollins High School. Now he’ll be able to spend a month this summer with his wife and sisters at their lakefront cottage in Michigan; before, he could manage only about a week.
“My life has been built at this job,” he said. “I loved every minute. It meant the world to me.”
Emotional and appreciative, Bohnet credited the people he worked with — district administrators, families, students, teachers and coaches — with helping make Osceola Fundamental a county-designated academy of distinction. The school offers five pathways through its CTED Academy:
• Digital design
• Business management and entrepreneurship
• Digital media/TV production
• Procedural programming
• Sports marketing and entertainment management
“There’s a stringent process to meet all the criteria among the Pinellas County schools,” he said. “The support has been overwhelming. ... The district administrators have been some of the best bosses.
“And I appreciate all the families, all the students, teachers and coaches. I’m so thankful. I can’t thank everyone enough. I’m so blessed.”
Another source of pride: the more than 50 clubs at Osceola Fundamental. They ranged from the traditional — band, theater, chorus and athletics — to the unconventional, such as juggling, which brought a smile to his face.
“Just the neatest thing,” he said. “I always felt if we had seven or more students interested in starting a club and an advisor, and it was important to them, then let’s find a way to make it happen.”
The Seminole Lake Rotary Club recently honored Bohnet for his commitment to making Osceola Fundamental a premier Florida high school, presenting him a Paul Harris Fellow recognition and pin. The award is named for Paul Harris, who founded Rotary.
And for National Principals’ Day, the school’s booster club offered its own tribute: “Thank you, Mr. Bohnet, for your tireless support, strong leadership and Warrior Pride. We’re lucky to have you at the helm!”