Around the state: A bill is filed to prohibit “politically partisan” flags from flying at Florida schools and other government buildings, a movement to end in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants picks up support from the Senate president, hackers steal $107,625 from the University of Central Florida, public school enrollment is down in the three biggest south Florida districts, a federal judge is urging the Escambia school board to settle lawsuits against it over book-banning, and Hernando schools name their principal and assistant principal of the year. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Orange: In using taxpayer money to create college scholarships for students from two Orlando high schools, Elections Supervisor Glen Gilzean illegally misspent more than $5 million without permission of the county commission, according to an investigation by county comptroller Phil Diamond. “Comptroller Diamond’s opinion of this office’s finances isn’t worth the paper it’s written on,” Gilzean said. Gilzean was appointed to the position by Gov. Ron DeSantis, and is leaving the office next month as the recently elected Karen Castor Dentel takes over. Orlando Sentinel. WKMG.
Palm Beach, south Florida: Enrollment in Palm Beach County district schools is down by 131 students this year after three years of modest growth and is now at 187,562, according to school officials. Broward lost 3,500 students to fall to 247,000, and Miami-Dade lost 1,700 and enrollment is now at 335,000 students. Palm Beach Post.
Duval: A national nonprofit organization says it will organize volunteer patrol teams around two local high schools after a gang-related fight last week to help “recognize and de-escalate potential crisis situations, alert law enforcement of potential threats/incidents and are part of a nationwide effort to engage school community members in reducing student-related violence.” One in Five Foundation for Kids made the announcement about patrolling around Ed White and Mandarin high schools, though details were sparse and a district spokesperson said no one from the group has talked to school officials. WJXT. WJAX.
Pinellas: Students returned Monday to Building 4 at Pasadena Fundamental School in St. Petersburg after testing showed the air quality to be safe. Tests were ordered after teacher Katherine Pennington became ill and died Nov. 24 after testing positive for legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease. Tampa Bay Times.
Marion: Construction began Monday on a high school in the southwest part of the county. Its cost is $154 million, and it will accommodate more than 2,000 students when it opens in August 2026. WCJB.
Clay: A shortage of space for middle school students because of enrollment growth is being addressed with expansion projects at Lake Asbury and Oakleaf junior highs. Construction has begun for two-story buildings with 32 classrooms at each of the schools. Both will then take 6th-, 7th- and 8th-graders. WJXT.
Escambia: Citing the cost to taxpayers, a federal judge is urging the school board to settle with the people suing it for banning and restricting books. But the board is resisting settlements, despite spending more than $440,000 defending one suit and $200,000 on another. USA Today Florida Network.
Indian River: Earlier this month, David Moore was named Florida’s school superintendent of the year by the Florida Association of District Schools Superintendents and Florida School Boards Association. This week, he was named by the same organization as one of four finalists for the national superintendent of the year award. The winner will be announced in March. TCPalm. Education Week.
Hernando: Ed LaRose of Weeki Wachee High School has been named the school district’s principal of the year, and Alexa Neal of Moton Elementary School has been chosen as the top assistant principal. Both are now eligible for statewide awards. Hernando Today.
Holmes: Negotiations between the teachers union and the school district will resume next month after recent contract talks produced no agreement. Teachers are asking for a $1,200 raise for each teacher, while the district is offering $556. WMBB.
Colleges and universities: Hackers stole $107,625 from the University of Central Florida in May by taking over the computer networks of vendors and redirecting payments from the schools to their accounts instead of the vendors’, then swamping the school’s e-mail system so warnings about potential fraud were overlooked, according to a recent audit. The theft wasn’t discovered for 12 days. Auditors said even after the theft, UCF was sending money to vendors without first verifying that their bank accounts were legitimate. Fresh Take Florida. Florida Polytechnic University President Devin Stephenson has declined an official inauguration event and instead is directing the $100,000 it would have cost toward student scholarships. Lakeland Ledger.
Tuition restrictions: A proposal to end in-state college tuition for undocumented immigrants gained a powerful supporter on Monday when Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, said he backs the bill. Albritton said he would like to see the 10-year-old law phased out to minimize the impact of those currently benefiting from it. Politico Florida. Miami Herald. USA Today Florida Network. News Service of Florida.
Bill would restrict flags: “Politically partisan” flags would be prohibited from flying at schools and other government buildings under a bill filed Monday by state Sen. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay. The bill states that a “governmental entity may not erect or display a flag that represents a political viewpoint, including, but not limited to, a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint.” Fine, who is resigning soon to run for a U.S. congressional seat, said, “Supporters of Muslim terror, child mutilators, and groomers have no right to taxpayer sponsorship of their repugnant messages.” USA Today Florida Network. Florida Phoenix. Florida Politics. News Service of Florida.
Around the nation: A 15-year-old student shot and killed a classmate and a teacher Monday morning at the private K-12 Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, then killed herself, police said. Six other students were wounded, two critically. It’s the 39th U.S. school shooting with fatalities in 2024. Associated Press. Education Week. Parents of schoolchildren across the country are increasingly turning to ride-share apps for transportation to and from school as districts struggle to hire enough bus drivers to staff their routes. Associated Press.
Opinions on schools: Mississippi should give families more choices and abolish ZIP code assignment in schools, but New York needs it even worse than Mississippi. If ProPublica wants to address segregation in schools, it should start at home and with the public schools. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. The state of Florida is making decisions customarily handled by professors, which strikes many of them as a violation of academic freedom. But academic freedom is more than just faculty power — it is power exerted in the pursuance of academic values and quality. When the faculty exert power for other purposes — for instance, the cause of racial equity in hiring and promotion — they themselves have given up on academic freedom. Mark Bauerlein and Scott Yenor, Chronicle of Higher Education. By embracing school choice policies that empower all families, Democrats can reconnect with voters who they have left behind while building a more equitable future for every child. If they do, educational freedom will become a new normal in the country, which would benefit students more than any political party. Cooper Conway, Real Clear Education.
