Falcons Celebrate 50 Years, Dunedin Style

The sky was still dark. But everybody who was anybody was at Dunedin High School on Monday morning.

Community members, alumni, many city and county officials — including — and Dunedin High cheerleaders, band members and football players all lined Pinehurst Road to usher the first buses into the school's 50th anniversary year.

Spirited students were decked out in school colors, jerseys or Falcons swag. Officials and school personnel wore commemorative polos. Many waved "welcome back" signs, and the band elevated the crowd to pep rally energy starting at 6:30 a.m.

"Welcome back to school!" faculty members yelled as the first bus turned into the parking lot.

Television camera crews and newspaper reporters moved about, capturing shots of some of the most outgoing of the Falcons revelers.

"Take my picture," junior Alissia Crawford said, then posed with fellow cheerleader Alora Wright, a sophomore.

Some media were interested in Janssen, whose resignation offer will be considered by Pinellas County School Board members in a meeting Tuesday.

About 7 a.m., after a handful of buses turned in to drop off students, the energy fizzled. The first bell would ring in five minutes. The first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, silhouetting the school building with a soft pink halo.

Commissioner Julie Ward Bujalski, Class of 1983, walked back to her parked car.

"I've got to get my kids off to school," she said.

She turned to look back at her alma mater and paused contemplatively.

"It's really cool being back here," she said with a smile.