Weapons at schools: Two legislators file bills that would stiffen criminal penalties for people who carry guns and other weapons within 1,000 feet of a public school. Anyone breaking the law would be charged with a second-degree felony and could get up to 15 years in prison or fined $10,000, according to the bill filed by Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation. Rep. Joe Geller, D-Aventura, filed the House companion legislation. Sunshine State News.
Security at Jewish schools: The Florida House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee approves a bill that provides $1.5 million to boost security at all Jewish day schools in Florida. The bill would pay for bulletproof glass. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, says the bill is a response to the increasing number of bomb threats to Jewish schools in the state. Florida has 35 Jewish day schools in nine counties. redefinED. Florida Politics.
Open enrollment: More than 3,000 students in Osceola and Lake counties want to transfer schools under the state’s new open enrollment law, which allows transfers to any public school that has openings. The Osceola school district has received 2,477 applications, and the Lake district about 900. Orange and Volusia counties are taking transfer applications now, and Seminole begins signups April 16. Officials in all four counties say there are limited spaces available in schools. Orlando Sentinel. The Clay County School Board is expected to vote April 6 on a proposed plan to deal with open enrollment. District officials say 11 schools are under the 85 percent enrollment threshold, and 1,557 spots at those schools will be available for transfers. Florida Times-Union.
That’s our satellite: A satellite built by students at the Weiss School in Palm Beach Gardens will be launched into space by NASA sometime in 2018, 2019 or 2020, according to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. The WeissSat-1 will study bacteria that has thawed after being trapped in ice. The Weiss satellite is one of 34 chosen by NASA, and is only the second built by elementary and middle school students. Palm Beach Post.
District budget plan: The Brevard County School District, which is $446 million in debt, is going into austerity mode. A new budget plan calls for adding no new debt, paying off the existing debt over 20 years, and using impact fees and property taxes to pay for big projects. Top priorities for the 2017-2018 school year are reopening South Lake Elementary, hiring 16 early literacy instructional coaches, relaunching busing to and from charter schools, and giving raises to teachers. Florida Today.
Teachers honored: The Florida Department of Education recognizes six Marco Island Charter Middle School teachers as “highest impact teachers.” They are Terese Glasser, Kathy Albanese, Sara Neustadt, Jerra Minning, Doug Lindsay and Jaclyn Lightell. Marco Eagle.
Religious expression: The bills to protect religious expression in schools get committee hearings in the House and Senate today. The bills would ban school districts “from discriminating against students, parents, and school personnel on basis of religious viewpoints or expression.” Florida Politics.
Teacher bonuses: Legislators apparently didn’t think highly of Gov. Rick Scott’s $58 million plan to replace teacher bonuses with a series of incentives. Both the Senate and House want to keep and expand the bonus program, with the House suggesting it would spend up to $125 million on it and the Senate offering double that. Miami Herald.
Contract negotiations: The Manatee County School Board will have to settle the contract impasse between the school district and its teachers union, The two sides have been unable to reach an agreement on pay and health insurance. A special magistrate agreed with the union’s position, but the district says it doesn’t have the money so the decision is now in the hands of the school board. Bradenton Herald.
Union election: The Palm Beach County teachers union sends an email to members about the upcoming election for president that praises four candidates but does not mention the four candidates the union tried unsuccessfully to bar from running. School Superintendent Robert Avossa says the email violates an agreement he had with the union that allowed it to use the district’s email system as long as its messages contained only general information with no campaigning. Palm Beach Post.
Free meals: Bay County school officials are concerned about possible cuts to the federal National Free Lunch and Breakfast Program. Fifty-seven percent of Bay County students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program. Panama City News Herald.
Superintendent’s job: Forty-four candidates have applied for the Alachua County school superintendent’s job. Three are from Alachua, but more than half are from out of state. Owen Roberts resigned the job in June 2016 and the interim replacement, Sandy Hollinger, says she is not a candidate. Finalists are expected to be chosen by April 18, and the new superintendent is set to start work July 1. Gainesville Sun.
New plan for academy: The Academy of Environmental Science board accepts a Citrus County School District plan that will transform the charter school back to the limited-offering school option it was when it started 15 years ago. The changes are expected to cut enrollment from 117 in August to as few as 43 a year from now. Citrus County Chronicle.
Bus driver put on leave: A bus driver who told a seventh-grade boy that he and his same-sex parents were going to hell is placed on paid leave by the Polk County School District, pending an investigation. The district initially said the driver, Violeta Jacobo, had been counseled about discussing religion with students, but wouldn’t be disciplined. That changed after more than 200 parents signed a petition calling for disciplinary action. Lakeland Ledger.
Lawsuit amended: Former Manatee High School football coach and athletic director Joe Kinnan files an amended lawsuit against the Manatee County School District, a former superintendent and a former investigator. Kinnan was fired after two scandals, and he alleges the board and the former employees defamed him. Kinnan’s original suit was dismissed in January. Bradenton Herald.
One student detained: A judge has refused to release one of the two students accused of plotting a shooting at the Villages Charter Middle School. One of the students pleaded to a reduced charge and was sentenced to probation. The other remains in custody. Daily Commercial.
Opinions on schools: If the state really wants to attract good teachers, which goes hand-in-hand with helping students, legislators would stop trying to run school schedules, curriculum, lesson plans and evaluations from Tallahassee. John Romano, Tampa Bay Times. Florida had a chance to show whether it was on the side of education or on the side of stupid in the fight over the role of testing in third-grade retention policies. It picked stupid. Shame on the court. Shame on the districts. Shame on the state. Peter Greene, Curmudgucation. Polk County School Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd’s decision to fire Lakeland High School athletic director Justin Troller for inappropriate contact with a student is the correct one. Lakeland Ledger.
Student enrichment: The Drexel Fund is donating $300,000 over three years to support a Catholic high school’s build-out. Cristo Rey Tampa, which is college-preparatory high school, is part of a 28-school network that is geared at families earning less than $44,000 a year. redefinED. Pasco High School student Linnea Haga speaks at fundraisers to raise money for and awareness of the rare genetic disorder Usher syndrome. Haga was diagnosed three years ago with the syndrome, which affects vision, hearing and balance. Tampa Bay Times. Mary DiSalvo, 97, volunteers to help students at Sugar Mill Elementary in Port Orange four days a week through a foster grandparent program run by Volunteers for Community Impact. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Lakewood Ranch High School students will perform their original musical, Exhibit of the Mind, at a theater in New York City. Bradenton Herald. The Meigs Middle School archery team finishes third in the state and will compete in the National Archery in the Schools Program Competition in Louisville, Ky., in May. Northwest Florida Daily News.
