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School Board Finally Settles in Death of Student

Archived Hillsborough County School Board meeting video

The Hillsborough County School Board has reached a settlement with the family of a student who drowned in 2012.

The school board approved the settlement with the parents of Jennifer Caballero, a 7th grade student with Down syndrome who drowned in a retention pond after wandering away from her gym class at Rodgers Middle School.

School Board Vice Chair Susan Valdes said this tragedy will live with them for a long, long time to come.

“I know that this may not necessarily be something that will take away the hurt of the family,” Valdes said. “But, I'm hoping that, in the name of Jenny, that her siblings would be able to do well and reach their educational goals, in the name of their baby sister.”

The settlement involves almost $600,000 to be paid to the family over a 25-year period.

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