Around the state: School districts have a variety of considerations when trying to make up classroom time lost to hurricanes and other emergencies that close schools, 37 Duval district students have been arrested for making threats against schools since the academic year began in August, a school tax and school board seats in several counties will be decided in the Nov. 5 election, food service workers in Duval County schools are threatening to walk off the job after coming to an impasse in contract talks, and Collier school board members approve an application to open a charter school for students with autism spectrum disorder. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Hillsborough: Four school board incumbents were on the August primary ballot, and three of them won outright. The fourth, District 7’s Lynn Gray, meets Karen Bendorf in the Nov. 5 runoff. Both say they are advocates of fiscal soundness. WTSP. About 6,500 drivers have been ticketed for illegally passing stopped school buses since August. Cameras are mounted on the stop-arm of every district school bus. Spectrum News 9. Opponents of a school district tax measure to boost teacher pay are calling a trip Superintendent Van Ayres made to the Masters golf tournament in April with a developer who later got a no-bid contract from the district “bribery.” Ayres called the land swap a good deal for the district, and said he paid for the trip “out of my own personal funds.” Florida Politics.
Palm Beach: School vouchers have become an issue in the race for the Florida House District 89 seat representing the county. Both candidates — Republican Daniel Zapata and Democrat Debra Tendrich — want to make changes in the state scholarship programs. Both would limit what home-schooling parents can buy with state funds. Zapata also wants to stop private schools that accept vouchers from raising prices so much that they become inaccessible to low-income students, while Tendrich wants to reinstate income caps on voucher eligibility and require private schools to accept students receiving scholarships. Florida Phoenix.
Duval: Thirty-seven district students have been arrested for making threats against schools since the academic year began in August, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. WJXT. An impasse in contract negotiations has been reached between school cafeteria workers and the district’s food service provider, Chartwells K12, and workers are threatening to walk off the job. Union officials say workers are paid $13 an hour, and they are asking for an increase in starting pay to $14 an hour and a 3 percent boost for existing employees. WJAX. WTLV.
Lee: More than 200 residents of Bonita Springs have signed a petition protesting the district’s plans to demolish Bonita Springs Elementary School. Since the roof and interior was damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017, the school has been confined to just one of its buildings. WINK.
Brevard: Six finalists have been chosen for the school district’s employee of the year award. They are: Michael McCutchan, a technology associate at Freedom 7 Elementary School; Felicia Whitfield, secretary at John F. Turner Elementary; Kimberly White, guidance clerk at James Madison Middle; Beverly Hyatt Howald, special education instructional assistant at Sherwood Elementary; Patty McCormick, secretary at Viera Middle; and Devin Carter, instructional assistant at Andrew Jackson Middle. Space Coast Daily.
Volusia: Seventy nominees were announced last week for the school district’s teacher of the year award. Five finalists will be chosen by a committee of parents and members of the community, business owners, teachers and administrators, and will be announced before Thanksgiving. Volusia County School District.
Manatee: Two school board seats are on the Nov. 5 ballot. In District 1, education and nonprofit volunteer Heather Felton meets former technology executive Mark Stanoch, also a volunteer. In District 3, former board member and Daughtrey Elementary School teacher Charles Kennedy faces businessman Jon Lynch. WTSP.
Lake: Leesburg High School principal Michael Randolph, 38, was arrested over the weekend in Clermont and accused of driving under the influence. He’s been the principal at the school since 2017. Randolph pleaded not guilty, and the district said in a statement that it “will reserve judgment and further comment until conclusion of the judicial process.” Leesburg News. WOFL. WESH.
Collier: Voters are being asked Nov. 5 to allow the district to shift the use of some revenue generated by a current property tax referendum from capital for construction and debt service to operating expenses, which includes salaries, instructional materials and utilities. If the change is approved, up to $61 million a year for the next four years could be used to pay operating costs. WINK. The Laurel Oak Elementary School student who recently choked to death has been identified by Ava Marie University, where the boy’s father works, as Benjamin Cronin, 11. Stephen Cronin is an associate professor of biology at the university. Further details have not been disclosed. WBBH. An application for a new charter school for students with autism spectrum disorder was approved earlier this month by the school board. The Autism Collier Charter School plans to open in an undisclosed location by the fall of 2025 for students from kindergarten to the age of 22. WBBH.
Leon: Superintendent Rocky Hanna and Nov. 5 election challenger Joe Burgess, the principal at Chiles High School, answered questions from district teachers and other employees at a forum last week about teacher pay, including unpaid work, concerns about retaliation for speaking out against their administrators, and more. Tallahassee Democrat.
Hernando: Ten seniors from Nature Coast Technical High School’s digital cinema production program placed first in the world in the All-American High School Film Festival in New York City with their short film entitled What Happened to You Guys? Creating the film that combined comedy, mystery and suspense were Austen Aupperlee, Carson Beyerl, Oliver Conley, Yamil Erazo, Alexandra Fennell, Mariana Ferlita, Spencer Flinn, Kaden Jeffries, Kendal Kohlas and Katarina Kraut. Hernando County School District.
Charlotte: A $1.4 million grant from the state will be used by the district to help create advanced manufacturing programs at Port Charlotte High School and Charlotte Technical College in which students will use robots to produce products for the space industry. “We are the first school district in Florida to be a space academy school district,” said Brian Granstra, the district’s director of career and technical education. WFTX.
Highlands: A pre-K center will transition its 134 students to their zoned schools in the fall of 2025 and be turned over to students from the Academy at Youth Care and the Highlands Virtual School staff. Superintendent Brenda Longshore recommended the change to the Sebring Pre-K Center, which had 10 unused classrooms, and it was approved by the school board. Highlands News-Sun.
Holmes: Outdoor activities at three schools in Bonifay have been canceled for today after police found two people murdered in their home on Sunday. Police said they are searching for a person of interest in the case, and district officials said “due to the increased law enforcement presence in Bonifay and out of an abundance of caution, outdoor activities today at Holmes County High School, Bonifay K-8 School, and the Graduation Assistance Program have been canceled.” WJHG.
Colleges and universities: The University of South Florida says it will save $320 million over 15 years by switching its food and facilities service management from Aramark to Compass. Changing vendors also means that 400 USF facilities and maintenance workers will no longer be state employees eligible for pensions and health insurance. Tampa Bay Times.
Making up lost time: When hurricanes Helene and Milton swept through the state in the past month and shuttered schools for days, district officials had to juggle the decision on how to make up classroom time lost with the wishes of families to not further disrupt their lives by altering holiday breaks. Some had extra instructional time already built into their academic calendars and chose not to make up any days, while others converted early-release days into full school days or added hours or even minutes to classes. Tampa Bay Times.
