DeSantis signs state budget: Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a $116.5 billion budget Wednesday for the 2024-2025 fiscal year that includes $28.4 billion in K-12 school spending, an increase of $1.8 billion from a year ago. Included in that is $200 million more for higher teacher pay, an increase of $240 per student to take the per-pupil spending to $8,959, and $617 million for the Bright Futures Scholarship program. Higher education will receive $5.8 billion, including $173.5 million for historically black colleges and universities, and early education gets $1.7 billion. Legislators sent the governor a budget calling for $117.4 billion in spending, and DeSantis vetoed about $950 million from it, including at least $173 million in projects for colleges and universities and a plan to put free tampons in public schools, among other things. The state budget goes into effect July 1. News Service of Florida. USA Today Florida Network. Associated Press. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Phoenix. Gray Florida Capital Bureau.
Around the state: Duval’s school board approves a four-year, $320,000-a-year contract for its new superintendent, state officials say they won’t investigate a Broward school board member’s claim that several of his colleague have improper relationships with the teachers union, New College of Florida is again placing students in a hotel and and will build three portable modular housing units for others as enrollment rises, Broward schools are closed today because of heavy rain and flooding and demolition of the Parkland school building where 17 people died in 2018 has been postponed from today to tomorrow, University of Miami President Julio Frenk is leaving to become chancellor of UCLA, and a new report shows that Florida ranks first in the country for parent-directed public education funding. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: State officials have told school board member Torey Alston that they will not investigate his claim that some of his colleagues have improper relationships with the teachers union. Specifically, Alston charged that some board members he did not name shared district negotiation strategies with the union during contract talks, and also supported teacher raises after receiving endorsements and campaign contributions from the union. “The Department of Education Office of Inspector General (OIG) notified Mr. Alston that we were closing the complaint,” said Florida Department of Education spokeswoman Nathalia Medina. “If more information, evidence or details come to light, the OIG will reevaluate to determine if further action is warranted.” Sun Sentinel. Broward schools are closed today because of heavy rain and flooding in the area, and demolition of the Parkland school building where 17 students and employees died in a mass shooting in 2018 that was supposed to begin today has been postponed. The demolition is now expected to start Friday. Sun Sentinel. WPLG. WPTV.
Orange: County Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean is denying allegations from commissioners, school board members and the school district that the district’s half-cent sales tax initiative is under legal review. “It’s just not true. I’m the biggest supporter of schools, as a former school board member, and it’s unfortunate that there’s lies going around about our office,” Gilzean said while insisting the issue will be on the November ballot. Up to $4 billion could be raised by the tax, if approved by voters. WFTV.
Palm Beach: The school employee who accidentally shot himself or herself at the sheriff’s office gun range June 10 during armed guardian certification is in stable condition with a nonlife-threatening wound, district officials said this week. The district has its own police force, but last year Superintendent Michael Burke said he would send two district employees through the guardian program as part of a “pilot” group. The school board has not approved participating in the guardian program and placing armed staff in schools, as it would have to. Palm Beach Post. WPTV.
Duval: On a 6-1 vote Wednesday, school board members approved a four-year, $320,000-a-year contract for new Superintendent Christopher Bernier. The former superintendent for the Lee County School District succeeds Diana Greene, who retired last summer, and interim Dana Kriznar, and is the fifth district leader in the past eight years. Bernier starts July 1, and faces challenges that include declining enrollment, budgetary problems, proposed school closings, and questions from the state about how the district has responded to student safety issues following a string of incidents of teacher misconduct. Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville Today. WJXT. WJAX. WTLV. Florida Politics.
Pinellas, Tampa Bay area: Plato Academy Charter Schools, which has nine campuses across Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties, decided this week to shift responsibility for its pre-K, after-school and summer camp programs from Superior Schools to the YMCA. Plato has accused Superior of violating state school safety rules and ordered its workers off campuses by June 7. Superior responded by filing three lawsuits alleging that Plato violated its exclusive provider agreements and leases. Tampa Bay Times.
Pasco: School district volunteers are going to be required to pay a $41.25 fee for a Level 2 background check that includes fingerprinting and regular monitoring of state and federal crime databases for updates. “We know this additional background screening places a financial responsibility on our volunteers,” the district wrote in an email to its volunteers. “But the district believes this step is necessary to ensure we have up-to-date background information pertaining to all adults that interact with students and staff on our campuses.” Some volunteers say they can’t afford the fee and suggested the district pay it. But, district human resources director Mary Faulk said, “we just can’t absorb the cost.” Tampa Bay Times.
Brevard: Individualized education programs are required for students with disabilities. But getting an IEP can be a long and frustrating process for parents and the student. And even after getting an IEP, there are often struggles for the student. Florida Today.
Leon: For the second time in just over a year, a headmaster at the Tallahassee Classical School has been asked to resign by the charter school’s governing board. In May 2023, Hope Carrasquilla was fired after some parents objected to the use of Michelangelo’s nude statue of David being used in an art lesson. This week, headmaster Cara Wynn was forced to resign for an undisclosed reason. An interim leader is being sought as the school begins the year-long process of becoming affiliated with Great Hearts Academies, another classical charter school company. Tallahassee Democrat.
Alachua: Six people have been chosen as members of the charter school board for Newberry Elementary School, which is beginning the process of converting from a public school to a charter after a disputed vote. Chelsea Leming has been named as the nonvoting chair of the board. Other board members are University of Florida compliance analyst Derek Danne, Florida Virtual School teacher Leslie McGehee, human resources professional Leslie Hayes-Morrison, Family Promise of Gainesville executive director Shari Jones, and speech pathologist Veronica Kadala. WCJB.
Hernando: Two assistant principals at district elementary schools have been named the principals at the same schools. Dacey Hughes takes over at Suncoast Elementary, and Nicholas Pagano is the new principal of Chocachatti Elementary. Hernando County School District.
Colleges and universities: New College of Florida will negotiate to renew a contract with a nearby hotel for 100 rooms to house students next fall, and will also build three portable modular housing units to add another 132 single beds. The closure of some dorms and record enrollment driven by incoming student-athletes is causing a housing shortage. Adding the beds will cost the school about $6.9 million. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. University of Miami President Julio Frenk is stepping down after nine years to become chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles. UM trustees appointed chief executive officer Joe Echevarria as the acting president, effective immediately. Miami Herald. WTVJ. As enrollment stagnates at four-year colleges, the nation’s vocation-focused community colleges grew at a rate of 16 percent in the past year. “Careers in the trades are good-paying,” said Megan Price, the executive director of the Missouri Works Initiative. “They are truly a ticket to the middle class.” Tribune News Service.
State tops in this funding: Florida ranks first in the country for parent-directed public education funding, according to data compiled by EdChoice. Families using state scholarships direct 8 percent of current public education funding to learning options of their choice. Nationally, scholarship programs still account for less than 1 percent of total K-12 spending, according to the report, but their share is growing. NextSteps.
