Around the state: An elementary school in Manatee County is reopening Monday after being closed for a month by the hurricanes, the former general counsel for the Broward school district pleads no contest to a charge of attempted unlawful disclosure of grand jury proceedings, Duval and Clay schools announce their principal and assistant principal of the year, Hillsborough schools will consider self-insuring, and two elementary school teachers in Bradford County resign rather than follow a new grading policy in the district. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: The former general counsel for the school district pleaded no contest Thursday to a charge of attempted unlawful disclosure of grand jury proceedings. Barbara Myrick, 75, was sentenced to a year of probation, which can be suspended after six months, and ordered to pay $4,751 in fees. She had been accused of illegally sharing information from a statewide grand jury that was investigating school safety issues in the district after the Parkland school shooting in 2018 where 17 people were killed. Her attorney said the case will be appealed. Sun Sentinel. WSVN. Associated Press.
Hillsborough: School officials are discussing the possibility of self-insuring as a way of cutting health-care costs for the district. Under the district’s current plan with Aetna, insurance premium costs are projected to increase from $186.1 million in 2024 to $266.7 million in 2026. Superintendent Van Ayres said, “My wish is to move forward towards self-funded insurance for 2026.” In a workshop meeting, school board members were told that other large school districts have self-funded insurance, which increases the risk for school systems but offers the flexibility on services it offers and can lower administrative costs. WUSF.
Orange, Marion: Voters in both Orange and Marion counties are being asked Tuesday to approve half-cent sales taxes to fund repairs, renovations and maintenance costs for public schools. The tax would be a renewal in Orange County but a new levy in Marion, whose officials say 80 percent of school maintenance requests aren’t fixed because they don’t have the funds. “It’s not to be overly dramatic, but when you look at the data, the growth and our facilities, when you have about half our facilities are over 50 years old, the cost of maintenance continues to climb,” said Marion Superintendent Diane Gullet. WKMG. WCJB. WESH.
Duval: Raines High School’s Vincent Hall was named the school district’s principal of the year Thursday, and Daniel Sapp Jr. of Ramona Boulevard Elementary has been chosen as the assistant principal of the year. Both are now eligible for the statewide awards. WJXT. Duval County School District.
Manatee: Students will return to Anna Maria Elementary School on Monday for the first time since hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the area in late September and early October. They have been attending Stewart Elementary since their school closed Sept. 30. School officials said the damage at Anna Maria Elementary wasn’t significant, but access to Anna Maria Island has been restricted during the recovery from flooding and power outages. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. WFLA.
Collier: Fifty-four teachers from 53 public schools have been selected by the Education Foundation of Collier County as teachers of distinction for the 2024-2025 school year. Golden Apple winners will be selected from the group and honored April 26. Naples Daily News.
Clay: Sarah Brennan of Tynes Elementary School in Middleburg has been named the school district’s principal of the year, and Christina Thompson of Oakleaf High was chosen as assistant principal of the year. Both are now eligible for the statewide awards. Clay Today.
Alachua: A parent has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the school board on behalf of her daughter that alleges Santa Fe High School and the district did not protect the girl from Travis Yeckring, the former head baseball coach. The suit says that during the 2022-2023 school year Yeckring showed the girl, then a sophomore, a sexually explicit photo. A week later he made sexually suggestive remarks to her, she said. She reported them to her teachers and administrators, but no action against Yeckring was taken, the suit alleges. Yeckring was later removed after being accused of crimes against children. WCJB.
Martin: A social studies teacher at Martin County High School was arrested this week in Stuart and accused of unlawful use of a two-way communication device and possession with intent to deliver illegal drugs. School officials said Christopher Morin, 45, who has taught at the school since 2018, would no longer have access to the school or any district building. TCPalm. WPTV.
Hernando: A 16-year-old high school student walking to school Thursday morning was injured when he was hit by a vehicle that ran a stop sign and then drove away. The boy was taken to a hospital for treatment of what the Florida Highway Patrol called non life-threatening injuries. Troopers are searching for the driver. WTVT. WFTS. Hernando Today.
Indian River: An 18-year-old Vero Beach High School student was arrested Thursday after reportedly trying to bring a stolen, loaded handgun into school. A metal detector alerted officers, who found the gun inside the student’s backpack. Police said it had been stolen in Okeechobee County. WPTV. TCPalm.
Bradford: Two district elementary teachers have resigned instead of implementing a new grading policy that is intended to align local assessments with state-level standards. “What this does is mesh two different scales together so we can get a reading on what the classroom performance is like versus the state performance,” said assistant superintendent Karen Clarke. One of the teachers, Cassie Reddish, said, “Basically (the policy changes) their grade up to two grade levels. When I first heard of it I just thought this is crazy, there’s no way this could be real.” WCJB.
Colleges and universities: Karen Holbrook, regional chancellor of the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus, said Thursday that she is retiring at the end of this calendar year. Brett Kemker, regional vice chancellor and vice provost of the Sarasota-Manatee campus, has been named the interim regional chancellor, beginning in January. WUSF. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. A Florida State University philosophy doctoral student died last week after a vehicle reportedly ran a red light and hit him while he was riding his bike Oct. 17. Jan-Felix Mueller, 26, was from Hanover, Germany. Tallahassee Democrat. The abandoned Warehouse in Tallahassee, once home to live music, art performances and more, is being torn down to make way for a nine-story, mixed-use development for student housing. Expected completion is the summer of 2027. Tallahassee Democrat.
Opinions on schools: A survey measuring educational freedom and viewpoint diversity on Florida’s college campuses reveals that faculty and staff are more fearful of cancel culture and self-censor at higher rates than the students they teach. While this problem requires attention, the very positive news is that a large majority of students, faculty, and staff fully appreciate the value of diverse ideas and want to ensure Florida’s higher education system remains a place where questions, debates and dialogue thrive. Chancellor Ray Rodrigues and Samuel J. Abrams, RealClear Education. There are better ways to determine whether a student should graduate high school than passing a state test. Alex Green, Education Week.
