Home-schooled student from Landenberg captures marathon Chester County Spelling Bee

A home-schooled student from Landenberg won the 2008 Chester County Spelling Bee at the Chester County Intermediate Unit building in Downingtown, a year after her fight for entry in her local school's bee earned the support of two state senators.

Meghan Reynolds spelled "cordial" to clinch this year's bee on Wednesday, March 5, after 55 rounds and nearly four hours of spelling action had trimmed 51 contestants to two - Reynolds and Neil Vinjamuri of Lionville Middle School.

Reynolds, 13, was originally barred from entering the bee at Fred S. Engle Middle School last year. The Avon Grove School Board voted to allow her to participate after protests from Reynolds' family, their neighbors, and two state senators who felt that spelling bees are extracurricular activities mandated by law to be open to home-schooled students.

Reynolds went on to win Engle's bee last year, but fell short at the county bee. She repeated at Engle this year, and now will represent Chester County at the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC. The Daily Local News, which sponsors the Chester County bee, will pay for Reynolds' travel and accommodations for the national bee, scheduled for May 28 and 29.

   Will Hobson.