[Momaw Nadon]

The article states that the runner up was home-schooled.

It is unclear whether the winner was home-schooled.

Does anyone have a definitive answer?

[hole_n_one]

Does anyone have a definitive answer?

Eye due knot no.

[heleny]

No, he attends St. Mark's School and is from Dallas, TX. I would guess it's a private school, but I have no idea.

[MEG33]

Hats off to the spellers in the finals and the winners!

[yankeedame]

A 13-year-old eighth-grader from Dallas nailed "pococurante" ...

Spell it? Heck, I can't even pronounce it!
Poc'o'cur'ante? Po'co'cu'ran'te? Poco'cur'ante? Po'coc'u'ran'te?... Holy smokes, who comes up with these words??

[heleny]

Congratulations to Sai Gunturi and all the other contestants. It's difficult even to make it into the National Spelling Bee.

[hole_n_one]

Individual Results for
Sai Gunturi

The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas)

Round No.	Correct Spelling	Contestant's Spelling
1	sanguine	sanguine
2	(written round)	(advanced to round three)
3	insalubrious	insalubrious
4	Veracruzano	Veracruzano
5	marmoraceous	marmoraceous
6	mistassini	mistassini
7	solfeggio	solfeggio
8	piezochemistry	piezochemistry
9	voussoir	voussoir
10	halogeton	halogeton
11	dipnoous	dipnoous
12	gadarene	gadorene
13	peirastic	peirastic
14	rhathymia	rhathymia
15	pococurante	pococurante

Scripps

[cgk]

I was trying to find that out as well. If he is, I can see why they would not mention it. If he isn't, why wouldn't they mention his school - as Props for the public education system? (unless he's in private school, don't want to vouch for their success either)...

[Frankss]

I wonder how many of the 251 kids in the spelling bee were home schooled.

[baseballfanjm]

I was rooting for the 9-year-old kid. After he got knocked out, I was just happy for whoever won it.

[truthkeeper]

Great job.

[Destro]

You have to love how the English language just borrows foreign origin words and makes them her own!

[Alissa]

I heard he attended St. Marks in Dallas. I was quite pleased to learn that of the 2 competitors from San Antonio, one of them attended my granddaughter's school.

[lilylangtree]

I thought I read that the winner was homeschooled but I guess not. However, the runner-up was homeschooled and the winner was in private school. Last year the winner was homeschooled. Does that say something for the public school system? Yo, NEA, for all your liberal touchy feely programs and public monies invested, you're not producing any winners!

[Cagey]

St. Marks School of Texas

[Aarchaeus]

Heard on news today. Winner was a student at St Mark's Academy, in Dallas.

[finnman69]

JUST heard on local NBS news here on this story that 1 in EIGHT of the contestants are homeschooled.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I believe he attends a private school.

A home schooler takes second place for the second year in a row. That much is certain.

[Squantos]

Evelyn Blacklock, a 14-year-old eighth-grader who is home-schooled in Tuxedo Park, N.Y., was the runner-up

Whooo Hoooo !! Home School rules !!....Stay Safe !

[paulklenk]

I love, love, love the spelling bee! Those kids are adorable, smart, and hard working.

Years ago, I used to use winning words as my computer password. No one would ever guess it; plus, even if they overheard me saying it out loud, they'd never recognize the word, let alone be able to spell it.

Now, of course, it's foolish to use actual words as passwords, because computers can discover it by copying the encrypted version and comparing it endlessly to lists of hundreds of thousands of words until they get a match. Every password should contain upper and lower case letters, plus numbers and symbols.

[jagrmeister]

Congratulations to the winner and to ESPN for being willing to use some of their broadcast time to spotlight academic achievement.