Hurricane Helene: School officials called off classes on Thursday in Palm Beach in anticipation of Hurricane Helene. Palm Beach joined nearby Martin and St. Lucie counties, who also called off classes. School buses can’t operate safely once winds reach higher than 35 mph, according to the Florida Department of Education. Of this county’s nearly 189,000 students, more than 54,000 take buses that run along 500 routes daily. School officials said normal operations should resume today, and that the district will not add a day to the year’s calendar to make up for the closure on Thursday. Palm Beach Post. The state’s Department of Education issued a news release with a list of school districts, colleges and universities that will temporarily close due to Helene. The agency said it “works closely with school districts before, during and after natural disasters to ensure they have the resources necessary to resume normal operations as quickly as possible. It will continue collaborating with district leadership to address questions as they arise.” Florida Department of Education. TC Palm. Patch. In north Florida, both Escambia and Santa Rosa County school districts announced schools would be closed on Thursday due to Helene. “We anticipate normal district operations will resume on Friday, Sept. 27,” stated Superintendent Keith Leonard. “Of course, we’ll continue to work closely with local emergency operations officials to determine what is safest for our families and staff. We will always err on the side of caution when it comes to the safety of our students and employees.” Pensacola News Journal. Along the Treasure Coast, Palm Beaches and Okeechobee, school plans varied. WPBF. In Polk County, schools will be closed today as they were Thursday. LKLD Now.
Legislature updates: The state Board of Education voted to ask the Legislature for $27.2 billion, up about $167 million from this fiscal year, for the 2025-26 education operating and fixed outlay budget. “The education budget — it’s one of the largest budget items where we have discretion,” Chair Ben Gibson said during the meeting. The Board unanimously approved the upcoming legislative request at a virtual meeting that lasted less than 30 minutes. Florida Trend. Politico. Tampa Bay Times. Florida Phoenix.
Court ruling: A court ruling in Disney’s favor could force Orange County Public Schools to refund millions in property taxes to the company. The decision, handed down earlier this week, followed an eight-year legal battle over claims that the Orange County Property Appraiser’s Office improperly calculated the taxable value of the Yacht & Beach Club, a 1,200-room Disney-owned resort and convention hotel near the Epcot theme park. Yahoo News. Orlando Sentinel.
Banned books: As Banned Books Week comes to a close, book publishers, authors and parents are continuing to fight back about the state’s book bans. WMNF.
Broward: A high school counselor was told he was under investigation one day after he criticized the Broward Teachers Union president. But district administrators said it was all a misunderstanding. South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Sarasota: Security efforts are being enhanced with AI gun detection in Sarasota schools. Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Lake: School speed camera tickets in Eustis decreased after months of increasing. The Eustis Police Department became the first law enforcement agency in Florida to install and then activate school-zone speed cameras. “Everybody seems to be going pretty good right now. I’m very proud of this, I think the word is getting out,” said Chief Craig Capri. WKMG.
College fair: A college fair that began in 2009 will again be held in partnership with the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Florida. Educating students and families about the college admissions and financial aid process and helping athletes connect with prospective colleges, especially historically Black colleges and universities, is the main purpose of the fair, said Mike Powell, the main organizer of the event. The Gainesville Sun.
Colleges and universities: For the eighth year in a row, Florida was named the top state for higher education by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings take into account various factors that include graduation rates, social mobility, student debt, retention rates and academic reputation. Flagler Live. A University of Florida professor-turned-astronaut continues to work on his research collected in space during his Aug. 29 flight. Dr. Robert Ferl flew on Blue Origin’s New Shepard Rocket for a 15-minute suborbital journey – the same flight time of first American astronaut Alan B. Shepard in 1961. But Ferl had some extra baggage in tow. WUFT. College students are facing poverty and homelessness. A U.S. Department of Education survey found that around 8% of college students are unhoused, and more suffer food insecurity. WUSF.
