Around the state: A federal judge dismisses the state’s request to kill a suit challenging its law requiring teachers to use pronouns that align with their sex assigned at birth, a Leon County judge is requiring the Atlantic Coast Conference to turn over six contract agreements it has with ESPN to Florida State University, Madison County’s school superintendent is recommending a plan that would close three elementary schools because of underenrollment, Manatee’s superintendent gets a strong performance evaluation from the school board, and Marion County’s school board hires a company to build a new high school. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: The Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation is asking the community to weigh in on three options for a memorial to honor the shooting victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The options were created with input from the families of the victims. The memorial will be built on a 150-acre preserve between Coral Springs and Parkland. WPEC. Davie police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found Thursday at the Nova Southeastern University School. The private preK-12 school is located on the university’s campus. Police say the death appears to be related to a medical issue, but they are continuing the investigation. Sun Sentinel. WPLG.
Hillsborough: A former music teacher at a Christian school was arrested this week and accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student in 2022. Deputies said they were called July 3 to investigate a sexual battery complaint against Denzel Proctor, 26. The woman, now 18, said she had been having sex with Proctor for two years and is pregnant. Proctor resigned from Grace Christian School in Valrico last December, and deputies said rumors of the relationship were then reported to the Department of Children and Families. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA. WTVT. WFTS.
Palm Beach: The new school year begins Aug. 12 and ends May 30, with a week off for Thanksgiving and spring break and two weeks for the winter holidays. School start and finish times will be normal this year, though the school board is considering three options to comply with a state law requiring later start times for middle and high schools. Palm Beach Post.
Pinellas: Three of the district’s seven school board seats are on the ballot this year, and three conservative candidates who support Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “anti-woke” agenda in education said they intend to “flip” the district. In other counties, that has sometimes meant firing the superintendent and reversing policies considered liberal. DeSantis has weighed in by specifically targeting incumbents Laura Hine and Eileen Long for defeat. Tampa Bay Times.
Lee: Five elementary schools, one middle school and one high school will have new principals when classes begin Aug. 12. Jennifer Seluk, former assistant principal of Estero High, is replacing Michael Amabile as principal of the school. Amabile resigned and moved out of the area. Fort Myers News-Press.
Volusia: Traffic and pedestrian safety features have been added around nine schools in Port Orange after 9-year-old ShaoLan Kamaly was struck and killed by a vehicle in May while riding her bike to Sugar Mill Elementary School. Among them are speed bumps at Sugar Mill, brighter crosswalk signs at all city schools, extending sidewalks, and assigning community service officers to help control traffic at Sugar Mill and five other city schools. WKMG. WFTV. WESH.
Manatee: Superintendent Jason Wysong, fresh off a strong performance evaluation from the school board, said his priorities for his second year include safety and security, early learning and high school graduation, school construction and growth, and reducing student absenteeism. Wysong received an overall score of 4.2 points out of 5 on his evaluation, and board member Mary Foreman called on the board to consider extending his contract at a future meeting. Bradenton Herald.
Collier: Eight district elementary schools and Manatee Middle School will have new principals when classes resume Aug. 13. Naples Daily News. The District 2 school board candidates are incumbent Stephanie Lucarelli and physician Pam Cunningham. Lucarelli says she’s running for re-election because the district needs leaders with “an inside view” of the system. Cunningham is a supporter of parental rights, school choice and financial accountability. The primary is Aug. 20. Naples Daily News.
Marion: School board members have approved hiring a construction company to build a $120 million high school that will accommodate 3,500 students and open by the fall of 2026. Wharton-Smith Inc. got the backing of the board at Thursday’s meeting. The awarding of the contract was delayed by complaints about the bidding process, which led to a pair of outside legal reviews. Ocala Star Banner.
Leon: When the school year begins Aug. 12, Canopy Oaks Elementary School in Tallahassee will have a new principal. Clayton Cloud said his focus will be on small group intervention, data-driven lesson plans and extra feedback sessions. WTXL.
Madison: Superintendent Shirley Joseph is recommending a plan to the school board that would close three elementary schools because of underenrollment. Students from Greenville, Lee and Pinetta elementary schools would be moved to Madison County Central School, which would accommodate all students from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade. Space for the students leaving the closed schools would be made by moving all 7th- and 8th-graders into Madison County High School. The closed school buildings would be repurposed. Greene Publishing.
Jackson: The mother of a 6-year-old student at the Marianna K-8 School is suing the school board, alleging that the girl was repeatedly sexually assaulted between August and October last year. The lawsuit contends the teacher was negligent for failing to properly supervise the students and failing to provide a safe and secure environment. WMBB.
Colleges and universities: A Leon County judge has signed an order that will require the Atlantic Coast Conference to turn over six contract agreements it has with ESPN to Florida State University. The congtracts are crucial in the case over FSU’s intent to exit the ACC. Tallahassee Democrat. Another Florida Polytechnic University trustee who voted against the hiring of Devin Stephenson as president has resigned. Mark Bostick, a businessman from Winter Haven, had been a trustee since 2012. Lakeland Ledger. The first day of classes at the University of Florida is Aug. 22. Here are important dates students and their parents should know. Gainesville Sun. Here’s a guide to the admission rates, completion rates, rankings of the state’s 12 colleges and universities and their programs, and more. Palm Beach Post.
Pronouns lawsuit proceeds: A federal judge has dismissed the state’s request to kill a suit challenging its law requiring teachers to use pronouns that align with their sex assigned at birth. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled this week that the plaintiffs “plausibly” alleged the law violates federal protections against workplace discrimination. The three plaintiffs are a transgender Hillsborough teacher, a Lee County teacher using the pseudonym Jane Doe, and a Florida Virtual School teacher who was fired for using gender-neutral pronouns. A jury trial has been scheduled for Feb. 18. News Service of Florida. USA Today Florida Network.
Opinions on schools: New College of Florida has torn up a nature preserve to make way for sports fields, but President Richard Corcoran calls it an improvement. Craig Pittman, Florida Phoenix. Seventy years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court declared racial segregation in schools unconstitutional. We recognize that Brown v. Board of Education was a seminal moment in the civil rights movement, but it also devastated the black teaching force. It’s long past time to fix that. Tequilla Brownie and Marc Morial, The 74.
