Around the state: A federal judge has ruled that Escambia school board members are shielded by “legislative privilege” from giving depositions in a lawsuit over the removal of children’s books from school libraries, St. Johns County school officials will revise the district’s policies on restraining students with disabilities as part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Education, Alachua school board members delay deciding on appointing an interim superintendent, a poll suggests the constitutional amendment to make local school board elections partisan will struggle to pass, and school districts consider how to make up classroom instruction time lost when schools were closed for hurricanes. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: Some parents of students at Cypress K-8 Center are expressing concern after a 7th-grader who made a shooting threat against the school Friday was allowed back in classes Monday. District officials said the boy’s threat was considered non-credible. When word got around that the boy was in school, some parents took their children home early. “You know that they are scared,” said one student’s mother. “They think that they are going to get get shot and they think that they are not caring for their feelings.” WSVN.
Broward: School board members meet today to discuss whether students will have to make up three days of classroom time lost to hurricanes Helene and Milton. One proposal would have students return to school from winter break a day early, on Jan. 6, which had been designated as a teacher workday. That teacher workday would move to Jan. 10, which would then become a day off for students. District officials said they have enough instructional hours in the second semester to more than cover the time missed. But if more days are needed because of more storms or emergencies, classes could be held Monday, Nov. 25, and Tuesday, Nov. 26, during Thanksgiving week, and Monday, March 31, which is the last day of spring break. Sun Sentinel.
Hillsborough: A physical education teacher at Sligh Middle Magnet School in Tampa was arrested Monday and accused of having a loaded gun at the school. Police said Akeem Barthol, 32, left the gun in a backpack “unsecured in a gym storage area,” where it was found and taken by a 13-year-old student who was also arrested. No one was threatened or injured, according to police. Tampa Bay Times. WTVT. WFLA. Walton Academy charter school in Seminole Heights reopened Monday after being closed nearly two weeks because of damage caused by Hurricane Milton. WFTS. School district officials are asking the public to suggest names in an online survey for the technical college set to open in Plant City next year. Subjects in the one-year school include industrial electricity, welding, construction, HVAC and forklift certification. School board members will vote on a name Dec. 17. WFLA.
Orange: An extra half-cent sales tax for schools that was first approved in 2002 is up for renewal Nov. 5. The tax generates about $350 million a year that has been used to build 65 new schools, renovate 136 older ones, and update technology and security. If approved by voters, the tax will be extended through 2035. Orlando Sentinel. A school secretary at Hunters Creek Middle School in Orlando has been arrested and charged with possessing child sex abuse material. Federal agents said Mitchell Regan, 36, admitted sending and receiving images through a social media app. He’s been placed on administrative leave. If convicted of the charges, Regan could be sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Orlando Sentinel. WOFL. WFTV. WESH.
Duval: Reginald Blount and Hank Rogers are competing on the Nov. 5 ballot to replace Warren Jones as the District 5 member of the school board. Jones has represented the district for two terms, but cannot run again because of term limits. Rogers, the chief operating officer of the nonprofit I’m a Star Foundation since 2020, says his priorities are maintaining traditional public schools, school safety and making mental health resources available to students and their families. Blount is an adjunct professor at Florida State College at Jacksonville in adult continuing education. He wants to improve academic standards and vocational training, protect children from inappropriate reading material, and start a fund-raising campaign to improve school buildings. Florida Times-Union.
Pinellas: Voters are being asked Nov. 5 to renew and expand the school district’s local-option property tax. Since 2004, the half-mill tax revenue has been used to pay bonuses to teachers and bolster arts, reading and technology classes. This year, the district is asking that the tax be doubled to 1 mill, which would allow it to raise pay for employees other than teachers or administrators. Four years ago the tax was approved by 79 percent of voters. Tampa Bay Times.
Brevard: The school district’s former chief strategic communications officer says his contract was “unjustly” not renewed after he questioned the ethics of board member Matt Susin. Russell Bruhn contends Susin wanted more positive content that benefited his re-election campaign. Superintendent Mark Rendell said Bruhn’s allegations were invalid, but ordered an investigation that concluded Susin’s communications with the district staff were in compliance with policies and didn’t benefit his campaign directly. Florida Today.
Seminole: County voters will decide Nov. 5 whether to renew an extra penny of sales tax to raise money for improving schools, reducing traffic and flooding, improving parks and recreational opportunities, buying environmentally sensitive lands and improving public safety. The tax has been in place since 1991, and if renewed will continue through Dec. 31, 2034. WKMG.
St. Johns: District officials have agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to revise the policy on restraining students with disabilities. In an investigation, OCR found that the district used restraints on students with disabilities more than 2,600 times during the school years that began in 2017 and 2018. The settlement calls for the district to review whether affected students need further instruction because of school time missed while restrained, revise the policy and manuals, start a monitoring program, train staff and develop a process for accurate reporting. WJAX. U.S. Department of Education.
Sarasota, Manatee: Students missed 10 days of school during hurricanes Helene and Milton, and Sarasota Superintendent Terry Connor announced a plan Monday to make sure that the district meets state required instructional minutes while preserving scheduled holiday breaks. Starting Oct. 21, all high school classes will last 48 minutes. Jan. 6 will now be a student day, with the professional day that had been scheduled moving to Jan. 17. March 14 and May 29, which had been teacher development days, are now full days for students, and all scheduled student days will now be full days, including days during semester exams. Grading periods have also been adjusted. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Charlotte Sun.
Escambia: A federal judge has ruled that school board members are shielded by “legislative privilege” from giving depositions in a lawsuit over the removal of children’s books from school libraries. Parents, book authors, the publishing company Penguin Random House and the free speech group PEN American Center contend in the lawsuit that the school board violated their First Amendment rights, and wanted to question them about their reasons for removing the books. But U.S. Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho ruled that the board members were making a “policy judgment” that they are elected to do. News Service of Florida.
Alachua: School board members decided Monday to delay further discussion of appointing an interim superintendent until a meeting Nov. 4. At a special meeting Monday, the board could not come to an agreement on how to temporarily replace Superintendent Shane Andrew, whose firing last week is effective Nov. 15. Alachua Chronicle. Mainstreet Daily News.
Indian River: A Sebastian River High School criminal justice teacher is likely to be fired next month, despite an administrative law judge’s recommendation that he be reinstated. Joe Nathaniel, who has been teaching for 18 years, has been on unpaid suspension since July 2023 after being accused of having sexually suggestive discussions in his classroom. Superintendent David Moore asked the school board Monday to fire Nathaniel for violating the district’s policies for teacher conduct. Board members agreed, and will take a final vote during a meeting in November. TCPalm. Board members also voted to raise Moore’s pay from $195,699 to $239,000. TCPalm.
Flagler: Long dropoff and pickup car lines at Imagine Schools in Palm Coast are jamming the two-lane road to the school and creating dangerous situations when drivers not picking up a student cross the double yellow lines to get around, say parents. “There was almost a head-on collision more than once, out of frustration,” said parent Barbara Larsen, who lives in a neighborhood affected by the lines. City officials say they are working on the problem, but don’t have a solution yet. Spectrum News 13.
Colleges and universities: A Center for Water and Vessel Engineering will be started at the University of West Florida with a $3.32 million grant from the organization that oversees the distribution of funds recovered in a settlement over damages caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Triumph Gulf Coast. WEAR. Rayzor Ray is the name for the new manta ray mascot at Florida State College at Jacksonville. It was chosen by students, faculty and staff over five other nominations. Jacksonville Today.
Partisan board elections poll: A poll released Monday by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab suggests Amendment 1, which would require school board candidates to disclose their political parties, could struggle to be approved by voters Nov. 5. It currently has 41 percent support, with 30 percent opposed and another 30 percent undecided. Constitutional amendments must be approved by more than 60 percent of voters to go into effect. USA Today Florida Network.
Opinions on schools: Legislative trends indicate that programs expanding access to à la carte education are easily justified on both prudential and moral grounds. Parents using education savings accounts are entirely free to hire and fire à la carte vendors and service providers, whereas they have no ability to select or fire public school personnel. The vendors are directly accountable to families. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps.
