Dallas Morning News Regional Spelling Bee

The University of Texas at Dallas is sponsoring the 51st annual Dallas Morning News Spelling Bee on March 21 in a competition to be broadcast on WFAA-TV (Channel 8).

The University is this year’s presenting sponsor. Whataburger and Southwest Airlines are also sponsors.

The Spelling Bee is open to students in fourth through eighth grade in public, private, parochial, home and charter schools in the 38-county Dallas region. Schools decide whether to participate in the bee each fall. Thirty students competed in the regional contest last year.

The winner of the regional bee will compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., May 26 and 27.

As a major sponsor of the regional spelling bee, the University also will host two Dallas County contests this year; the private school competition will be held Thursday, Feb. 12, and the public schools bee will be Thursday, Feb. 26. Both events are to be held at the University’s Conference Center.