Sasse steps down at UF: University of Florida President Ben Sasse stunned the school community Thursday by announcing he was stepping down to help care for his ailing wife. Sasse, a 52-year-old former Republican senator from Nebraska who was recruited less than two years ago to lead the state’s flagship university, announced on X that his wife Melissa was recently diagnosed with epilepsy after previously suffering an aneurysm and series of strokes. “Gator Nation needs a president who can keep charging hard, Melissa deserves a husband who can pull his weight, and my kids need a dad who can be home many more nights,” he wrote. Sasse’s resignation takes effect July 31, and he plans to stay at UF as president emeritus and teaching classes. Former president Kent Fuchs is expected to be named the interim president until Sasse’s replacement is hired. Gainesville Sun. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel. Fresh Take Florida. Independent Florida Alligator. Florida Phoenix. Florida Politics.
Around the state: Alachua County school and teachers union officials agree to limit early-release Wednesdays to once a month this school year, Martin County schools will buy supplies for every student in the district, Pride and Black Lives Matters flags are removed from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus after they were questioned by visitors, a Pinellas County School Board candidate insists that students who identify as cats are asking schools to place kitty litter boxes in school bathrooms, and school board candidates in several districts state their qualifications and aims. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: Ten candidates for three school board seats this fall answer questions about African American history in the social studies curriculum, school library books, universal vouchers and other school choice initiatives. In District 3, Joseph Geller, Martin Karp, Brent Latham, Gustavo Ortega and Hayley Ross are competing to replace Lucia Baez-Geller, who is running for the state House. District 7 has three candidates: Maxeme Tuchman, incumbent Mary Blanco and Javier Perez; and District 9 incumbent Luisa Santos faces Kimberly Beltran. If no gets more than 50 percent of the votes in the Aug. 20 primary, the top two finishers move on to the runoff Nov. 5. Miami Herald.
Broward: Five of the nine school board seats are on the ballot Aug. 20, and the results will determine whether conservatives become the majority and how the board votes on pending issues such as school closures, sex education, LGBTQ issues and teacher raises. District 1 incumbent Daniel Foganholi is being challenged by Maura Bulman and Chris Canter, and District 2 incumbent Torey Alston is running against Rebecca Thompson. District 3 board member Sarah Leonardi faces Jason Loring, District 5 incumbent Jeff Holness takes on Windsor Ferguson, and in District 9, Debbi Hixon is trying to protect her seat against Tom Vasquez. Sun Sentinel. Superintendent Howard Hepburn talks about how district students did in statewide assessment tests, metal detectors in schools, the shortage of teachers, the impact of the increasing partisanship on the school board’s work, and more. WTVJ.
Palm Beach: Five candidates are competing to succeed Frank Barbieri as the District 5 school board member. The candidates, their backgrounds and platforms, are Gloria Branch, Mindy Koch, Mike Letsky, Suzanne Page and Charman Postel. If no candidates gets more than 50 percent of the vote in the Aug. 20 primary, the top two finishers advance to the Nov. 5 runoff. Palm Beach Post.
Polk: Six candidates for three school board seats answered questions this week at a candidate forum about what they hope to accomplish if elected, what can be done about salary compression for experienced teachers, if they favor chaplains in schools, and more. District 1 candidates are incumbent William Allen and Bernnie Brandt, while Travis Keyes and Marcus Wright Jr. are competing for the District 2 seat, and incumbent Sara Beth Wyatt is being challenged by Rebekah Ricks for the District 4 seat. All the races will be decided in the primary Aug. 20. Lakeland Now.
Pinellas: A school board candidate has continued to insist during campaigning that students who identify as cats are asking schools to place kitty litter boxes in school bathrooms. Erika Picard is a guidance counselor at Palm Harbor University High School challenging incumbent Eileen Long for the District 4 board seat. “I have actually talked to families that have had that happen in their kids’ classroom. It’s insanity. It’s crazy, right?” Picard said this week at a candidate forum. “And I didn’t make that up. This is a family that actually had this happen to them in Hillsborough County schools.” Hillsborough district officials denied such a thing has happened. Picard has used the story as an example of how diversity, equity and inclusion programs have become part of a liberal agenda. Tampa Bay Times.
St. Johns: Sister Josephine Marie Melican, the last principal of a school for black children only in St. Augustine, has died at the age of 88. The St. Benedict the Moor Schoolhouse closed in 1964, but is being restored as a community center. WTLV.
Escambia, Santa Rosa: Escambia school board members have approved spending $3 million to buy a nearly 36-acre property near Beulah Elementary School in Pensacola. Superintendent Keith Leonard said the plan is to build a new school to ease overcrowding at Beulah Elementary and other nearby schools. WEAR. District officials in Escambia have released the list of elementary school supplies needed this fall, by grade level. Classes resume Aug. 12. Pensacola News Journal. Santa Rosa County school officials have also released their list of school supplies, by school and grade level. Aug. 12 is the first day of school for students. Pensacola News Journal.
Alachua: District and teachers union officials have agreed to limit early-release Wednesdays to once a month this school year. All elementary and select other schools had released 68 minutes early every Wednesday to allow for teacher planning and meetings. Now it becomes every third Wednesday, and the change will add six days of instructional time to the school year. “We appreciate (the union’s) willingness to work with us on this change,” said Superintendent Shane Andrew. “It will give our students much more direct instructional time, which is critical to raising their academic achievement.” Gainesville Sun. Mainstreet Daily News. WCJB.
Martin: District officials have earmarked $300,000 to cover the cost of all necessary school supplies for every student in each of the county’s 20 public schools. “This money is really going to be used to cover things like colored pencils, glue, markers, binders and folders, paper, really more of the necessity items,” said district spokesman Derek Lowe. Each school administration will decide how to spend the money. WPTV. WPEC.
Charlotte: Six district schools have new principals for the 2024-2025 academic year, which begins Aug. 12. They are Danielle Hudzina at Kingsway Elementary School, Grace Tollefson at Peace River Elementary, Jody Poulakis at Myakka River Elementary, Keli Sare at Sallie Jones Elementary, Kristy Johnson at Charlotte Harbor Center, and Tara Whisenant at Port Charlotte Middle. Charlotte Sun. Two new principals have been appointed at schools in the Catholic Diocese of Venice. Michael Pipitone will lead Epiphany Catholic School in Venice, and Amy Barron takes over at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Port Charlotte. Charlotte Sun.
Colleges and universities: Pride, Black Lives Matters and other flags have been removed from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus after they were questioned by visitors. Those questions led school officials “to look into (the) processes” of selecting all flags. Tampa Bay Times. A Leon County judge has rejected a request from New College of Florida trustees and the Florida Board of Governors to dismiss a challenge of a 2023 law that eliminates arbitration in university employment disputes. The United Faculty of Florida and a professor contend the law violates constitutional collective bargaining rights and impairs existing union contracts. News Service of Florida. David Hoag, president of Warner University in Lake Wales for eight years, is leaving the school to become president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. He starts Sept. 1. Lakeland Ledger. City College, which trains students to work in the health-care community, has closed unexpectedly. It has campuses in Hollywood and Altamonte Springs. WTVJ.
Around the nation: A federal appeals court has blocked the Biden administration’s entire student loan forgiveness program. The order stops the Department of Education from implementing parts of the program that weren’t already halted by earlier court rulings, including a plan announced earlier Thursday to forgive $1.2 billion in debt for about 35,000 public service workers such as teachers, nurses and first responders. Associated Press.
