School updates after Hurricane Helene: On Saturday, officials announced that most Pinellas county schools and offices will reopen and resume normal operations today after Hurricane Helene. The only ones that won’t: Gulf Beaches Elementary, Madeira Beach Fundamental K-8 and Disston Academy. WUSF. Tampa Bay Times. Schools in Hillsborough are reopening today because there was only minor damage during Helene. Meanwhile, students at West Pasco Education Academy will not be at their campus due to flooding. District officials said they would contact families to discuss plans for the alternative school. Tampa Bay Times. In Citrus, the district plans to resume school today with some location changes for schools that were damaged during Helene. Citrus County Chronicle. Schools in Manatee and Sarasota counties plan to be open today. WWSB.
Polk: In the first five weeks of this school year, Polk County could have issued 3,888 fines of $225 to drivers for illegally passing stopped school buses that were picking up or letting off children, according to figures recently released. Drivers instead received warnings. But starting Wednesday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is authorized to send citations that carry a $225 fine to violating drivers. LKLD Now.
Volusia: Sheriff Mike Chitwood is tired of school threats in central Florida and is weighing in on the consequences. “Why are we allowing 1% of the knuckleheads to control the lives of the other 99%?” he said. WESH.
Escambia: A federal judge last week shielded Escambia County School Board members from having to testify in a legal battle about the removal of a children’s book from school libraries. A U.S. District Judge issued a 10-page order agreeing with the school board that members do not have to give depositions because of what is known as “legislative privilege.” Tallahassee Democrat.
Okaloosa: A group of students at Niceville High need help getting to Japan. Of the 100 students in the school’s gifted program, eight are part of a marine biodiversity study initiative called Natural Geography In-Shore Areas. They will represent Okaloosa and be the only high school in the United States to present at the 2nd World Congress of Marine Stations conference this November in Japan. NWF Daily News.
Education accessibility: A local man is helping make education more accessible to the Hispanic community. Brian Serrano is on the mayor of Tampa’s Hispanic Advisory Council and was chair from 2020 to 2024. During his tenure, they raised more than a million dollars in scholarships for students and created a mentorship program called DALE, which stands for Development Accelerated for Latinos Education. ABC Action News.
Pandemic aid: Schools are exhausting pandemic aid as federal help winds down. Schools have to say by the end of this month how they plan to spend the last of their $123 billion from the American Rescue Plan, the third and final batch of schools’ COVID aid from the federal government. Then they have until Jan. 28, 2025 to spend the money. The 74th.
History report: The American Historical Association’s new report discusses how U.S. history is taught in middle and high schools across America. NPR.
Colleges and universities: A new study from University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning focuses on electric vehicle charging in relation to extreme weather events. During emergencies marked by high winds and flooding, the interconnected challenges of supply and demand become more pronounced. Electric vehicle charging services face big challenges at these times due to infrastructure damages and restricted access. Main Street Daily News.
Opinions on schools: Nothing shapes a community’s future more than the health of its public schools. That’s why voters in Hillsborough County should approved a supplemental tax to increase teacher pay. Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board. Through books, young people can learn how others have responded to the dark side of our nature. Exposure to the full range of human experience will help empower them to make ethical lifestyle choices – to mature into decent people. Amy Handlin, Miami Herald. The latest early education stats are out. And once again, they show that few places in America do a sorrier job preparing kids for kindergarten than Florida. Basically, we serve a lot of kids, but serve them poorly … making us like the Taco Bell of early education. Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel. It is essential that Amendment 1 is defeated. Bill Korson, Ft. Myers News-Press. If Floridians are not worried about what’s happening at our state universities, they should be. Charles B. Dew, Tampa Bay Times. The use of artificial intelligence can increase teacher creativity and provide classroom advice. Samantha Keppler and Clare Snyder, the 74th.
