Amendment 8: The legal team representing the Florida League of Woman Voters filed a brief to the Florida Supreme Court ahead of the September 5th appeal. The brief argues that Amendment 8 is fatally flawed in its failure to define how schools are “established.” Tampa Bay Times. One of the three parts of proposed Amendment 8 to the Florida constitution would limit school board members to two consecutive terms. Tuesday’s election results allow voters to consider whether that’s really necessary. Tampa Bay Times.
Taxes: The Hernando County School District has routed more than $21 million in funding to school projects since 2015, when voters approved a half-cent sales tax hike. The total amount collected is over $26 million. A list of projects the tax revenue has paid for was presented at a School Board meeting Tuesday. Tampa Bay Times. Security improvements, modernizing and renovating cafeterias, classrooms and media centers and constructing new classrooms are some of the plans Alachua County public school officials would like to use new tax revenue on, if voters approve. Gainesville Sun.
Sexual Assault: A former Palm Beach County teacher is accused of raping a teenage relative in 2017 while they were at a family wedding in Canada. Owen Headley was arrested in Delray Beach on Wednesday on charges of incest, sexual exploitation of a child, and sexual assault. Palm Beach Post. The mother of a Santa Fe High School student who reported that she was sexually assaulted by another student off-campus has filed suit claiming the school and police were negligent in protecting students and in their response to the allegations. Gainesville Sun. Nearly three months after being accused of drugging and raping an ex-teacher, four former Spruce Creek High School football players have been cleared by New Smyrna Beach police for lack of evidence. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Other Crime: A student was injured after being stabbed by a classmate at Dunbar High School in Lee County. The altercation took place around noon at gym class. No further details were available. Fort Myers News-Press. A Panama City middle school student has been charged with false reports of gun violence after investigators were able to determine the child was behind a false threat designed to negatively impact another student at Merritt Brown Middle School. Panama City News-Herald.
Customization: Our current one-size-fits-all education system cannot provide every child with a high-quality education, no matter how much money we spend, because children are not standardized. They are unique, writes Step Up For Students president Doug Tuthill. RedefinED.
School Boards: Volusia County unanimously approved a positive evaluation of Superintendent Tom Russell on Thursday. However, one of the members spoke at length about how he is not satisfied with Russell’s performance. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
New Schools: Escambia County held ribbing cutting ceremonies for two schools on Thursday. Approximately 700 students started classes at new Kingsfield Elementary, while another 1,000 students began at Beulah Middle School. Pensacola News-Journal.
Vendors: After spending $20 million of a $10 million budget to install software, Manatee County School Board is asking a software company to fix a litany of problems – for free. The company’s contract ended last week. Bradenton Herald.
School Guardians: A Manatee County Guardian is on restricted duty while school officials investigate his social media posts that show possible affiliations to anti-government groups. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Football Abuse: A former Kathleen High football player is suing the Polk County School District on allegations stemming from physical abuse by his ex-coach. In testimony yesterday, he told jurors that after reporting an incident to administrators, the abuse against him escalated. Lakeland Ledger.
Election Fallout: Moments after winning reelection Tuesday, Palm Beach County School Board member Debra Robinson can be seen in a video vowing to punish a Haitian-American radio station that grilled her on the air, saying she would cut off the station’s business ties with the school district. Palm Beach Post.
Enrollment: Elementary and high school enrollment failed to grow in Palm Beach County this year after years of sustained growth, leaving the district puzzled. The drop was 371 less students in high school and 31 less students in elementary. Palm Beach Post.
Opinion: Florida needs a path for charter schools, says Lane Wright. Tallahassee Democrat. We must re-create schools to best serve our community. Palm Beach Post. Why not bulletproof vests for teachers? Gainesville Sun. Are we any greater than our lesser schools? St. Augustine Record.
