Around the state: A federal judge has permanently blocked the part of the state’s Stop Woke Act that restricts the use of race-related issues in workplace training, the state’s two-week back-to-school tax “holiday” began at midnight, attorneys for the Hillsborough county commission meet the deadline to respond to a school district lawsuit over the decision to delay a requested school tax by arguing the county does have scheduling discretion, Broward’s superintendent says the A grade the district received from the state could help it convince some students who left to return, and the Hernando County math teacher named the state’s teacher of the year says she is humbled by the award. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: Superintendent Howard Hepburn said the district’s A grade from the state could help convince students to return to public schools and reduce the need to close schools. “We’re hoping that it’s going to spark more interest from parents to really check out the schools that are in their community,” he said. “If they’re not already taking advantage of us as an option, then they can learn about the great things that are going on in their schools.” Sun Sentinel.
Hillsborough: Attorneys for the county commission argued in court Friday that the school board can’t dictate when a property tax referendum can appear on the ballot. They said when the Legislature wrote the law, it deliberately included county commissions in the process. “Why? There can only be one answer: to determine the date of the election when calling an election for an ad valorem tax millage referendum,” the county wrote in its answer to the school district’s civil lawsuit. School officials intended for the tax question to go before voters in November. Commissioners pushed it to the 2026 ballot. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA. The principal of Town and Country Elementary School in Tampa was arrested Friday and accused of driving under the influence and fleeing from law enforcement. Deputies said Otis Kitchen II, 45, was stopped after driving “erratically,” running a red light and nearly sideswiping a deputy. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA. WTSP. WTVT. WFTS.
Palm Beach: The campaign for the District 5 school board seat has been marked by accusations and long-held grudges. Frank Barbieri, the outgoing holder of the seat, has decided to back Mindy Koch over opponent Gloria Branch. The reason, according to something Barbieri said at a recent board to a colleague that was picked up by a live microphone, was to avoid “handing (the election) to Art Johnson’s daughter.” Barbieri and Johnson have been at odds since Barbieri helped force Johnson from the superintendent’s job in 2011. He also said he worried Branch would pass confidential board information to her father, who is the executive director of the Palm Beach County School Administrators Association that represents school administrators and principals in disputes with the district. Branch called the claim “ridiculous.” The primary is Aug. 20. Palm Beach Post.
Lee: District 2 school board incumbent Melisa Giovannelli and challenger Carol Frantz, and District 3 candidates Bill Ribble and Kaitlyn Schoeffel, answer questions about how the district can deal with student enrollment growth, teacher retention, safety issues, book challenges and more. The primary is Aug. 20. Fort Myers News-Press.
Volusia: A traffic accident last week has claimed the lives of two Port Orange teachers. Matt Cindric, 42, taught at Creekside Middle School and Fawne Cindric, 45, was an instructor at Daytona State College. The car they were in collided with a motorcycle in New Smyrna Beach, pinning the 27-year-old rider under the car when it went up in flames. A grief support team will be at Creekside Middle today. Daytona Beach News Journal.
Sarasota: All five candidates for the two school board seats on the ballot this year appeared at Friday’s candidates forum. District 2 incumbent Karen Rose and opponent Liz Barker, and District 3 incumbent Tom Edwards and challengers Greg Wood and Thomas Babicz answered questions about charter schools, the referendum vote in November, political fights at school board meetings and their goals. The primary is Aug. 20. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Charlotte Sun.
Hernando: Florida teacher of the year Jaime Suarez, said she is humbled by the honor that was awarded Thursday night. “It is both an honor and a privilege to represent not only this remarkable profession but also the extraordinary teachers who make it so special. I am thrilled to represent Hernando County and the many phenomenal educators and programs that we have here,” said Suarez, who teachers math at Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics in Spring Hill. Her principal, Rosemarie Maiorini, said Suarez “radiates her love for learning to everyone around her – students, colleagues, and families. Her lessons build confidence in her students and spark their enthusiasm for math. She never wavers in her belief in their potential to learn, and her students respond by surpassing their limits.” She won $50,000, will serve for a year as the state’s Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education, and receives a tuition waiver to pursue a graduate degree from Florida State University and a two-year Florida college scholarship to present to a student of her choice. Suncoast News. Tampa Bay Times. WUSF. WTSP.
Indian River: Young-adult novelist Jodi Picoult and children’s book author Alan Gratz were among those writers who asked the school board last week to return their books to school libraries. Picoult defended her book Nineteen Minutes, which includes sexual content, a school shooting and bullying. “The book did not harm (students),” Picoult wrote in the letter to the board. “It gave them tools to deal with an increasingly divided and different world. That is what books do. They help kids see themselves in a different way.” Gratz’s book, called Ban This Book, was removed because it contains references to other works that had been removed because of sexually explicit content. He said, “To remove my book because it dared to mention books you have already banned is erasure of the highest order.” TCPalm.
Nassau: The school district improved on its previous best collection of school grades, which were announced by the state last week. Nassau received an A and is rated the third-best district in the state. Twelve of its schools also received A’s, one got a B and the Nassau Virtual School received an incomplete. Fernandina Beach News-Leader.
Highlands: Lake Placid Elementary School boosted its grade from a C last year to an A this year, helping the district also earn an A. The school was the only one in the district to get an A. Six schools earned a B grade, seven got a C and Lake Placid Middle got an incomplete because of a delay in reporting. Twelve things go into school grades: five achievement components, four for learning gains, and components for middle school acceleration, graduation rate and college and career acceleration. Highlands Sun-News. Candidates for the school superintendent’s job, incumbent Brenda Longshore and challenger Chris Doty, talked about their qualifications, the quality of the school district, talked about their top priorities and more in a radio debate Friday. The primary is Aug. 20. Highland Sun-News.
Monroe: District students made gains in state testing this year that pushed the school system to within 2 points of an A grade, school officials said last week. The district also improved its rating among the state’s districts from 36th last year to 26th this year. Eight schools were given A grades, while six got a B and three received a C. Key West Citizen.
Colleges and universities: Three new members have been appointed as Tallahassee State College District trustees by Gov. Ron DeSantis: Monesia Brown, a vice president at North Highland Consulting, is a new member; reappointed were Trulight LLC chief executive officer Jonathan Kilpatrick and Frank Stevens, a partner with the Southern Group lobbyists. Florida Politics.
State loses in Stop Woke suit: A federal judge has permanently blocked the part of the state’s Stop Woke Act that restricts the use of race-related issues in workplace training such as “white privilege.” Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker granted a permanent injunction against that part of the law, calling it a violation of First Amendment rights. The bill, which was passed in 2022, expanded anti-discrimination laws by creating new protections for workers. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida.
Tax-exempt shopping: Florida’s annual back-to-school tax “holiday” began at midnight and continues through Aug. 11. Items that are tax-exempt in this two-week period include personal computers or accessories costing less than $1,500, clothing that costs less than $100 per item, school supplies with a price of $50 or less per item, learning aids and jigsaw puzzles costing less than $30 apiece, and more. This will be the only tax-exempt period this year specifically for school items. Tallahassee Democrat. Miami Herald.
School board elections: Republican Gov. DeSantis recently endorsed 23 candidates for school board seats around the state, and Florida’s Democratic party is countering by pouring money and organizing support to 11 candidates in seven districts. Nine of the 11 are women, and five are incumbents. Florida Politics.
Around the nation: NCAA officials, the country’s biggest college sports programs and attorneys representing former athletes have come to a settlement to an antitrust case that they have presented to the judge for consideration. If it’s approved, the deal would allow college to pay athletes a share of the revenue generated by their sports programs, pay nearly $2.8 billion in back damages to athletes over a 10-year period, eliminate limits on the number of scholarships programs can offer players, and set caps on team roster sizes. Politico.
