Around the state: A lawsuit accusing the state of discriminating against parents who oppose book removals from school libraries has been dismissed, school districts around the state are making plans on what to do if immigration officials show up on their campuses, an 8th-grade student in Palm Beach County was hit and killed by a truck near a school, a member of the Gulf County School Board resigns, and teacher of the year awards were announced in the Palm Beach and Brevard school districts. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: The district is among 26 large systems in the United States that received detailed breakdowns of how their students performed on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests. Miami-Dade had the 3rd-best score in 4th-grade reading, 1st in 4th-grade math, 3rd in 8th-grade reading and 5th in 8th-grade math. Florida Department of Education.
Hillsborough: A breakdown of the district’s performance on NAEP tests shows that Hillsborough was 2nd among 26th U.S. districts in 4th-grade reading, 5th in 4th-grade math, 6th in 8th-grade reading and 7th in 8th-grade math. Florida Department of Education.
Orange: A breakdown of the district’s performance on NAEP tests shows that Orange had the 4th-best score in 4th-grade reading, 3rd in 4th-grade math, 12th in 8th-grade reading and 8th in 8th-grade math. Florida Department of Education.
Palm Beach: Kimberly Stalker, a 6th-grade science and engineering teacher at Polo Park Middle in Wellington, has been named the school district’s teacher of the year. Shauntay King of Pine Grove Elementary in Delray Beach was the pick for principal of the year, Guy Tabuteau of Pahokee Middle-High was named assistant principal of the year, and Yasmin Balaguer, an administrative assistant at Allamanda Elementary in Palm Beach Gardens, was chosen as school-related employee of the year. Palm Beach Post. WPEC. Two 8th-grade students at Woodlands Middle School in Lake Worth were hit by a truck near the school on Thursday. One was killed and the other is hospitalized but expected to survive. WPTV. WPEC.
Duval: A breakdown of the district’s performance on NAEP tests shows that Duval had the 12th-best score in 4th-grade reading, 8th in 4th-grade math, 17th in 8th-grade reading and 14th in 8th-grade math. Florida Department of Education.
Polk: School volunteers’ application fee will remain at $25 for those whose duties do not include contact with students out of sight of a district staff member, Superintendent Frederick Heid said this week. The fee is rising to $97.25 on March 1 for volunteers who must undergo Level 2 screenings, which includes being fingerprinted for criminal background checks. Lakeland Ledger.
Brevard: Laura Negi, a 3rd-grade teacher at Sabal Elementary School in Melbourne, has been chosen as the school district’s teacher of the year. Space Coast Daily. WKMG. Florida Today.
Volusia: School board members decided this week to delay further consideration of selling a 48-acre property in DeBary that is being considered for a K-8 school. A developer offered $5 million for the land with the intent of building 200 homes. WKMG. A former high school intensive reading teacher at Taylor Middle High School in Pierson has been arrested and accused of having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old student. The investigation into the actions of Patrick Gingras, 35, began in February 2024, and the districts did not renew his contract. Daytona Beach News-Journal. WKMG. WOFL. WFTV. WESH.
Lake: Academic calendars for the next two school years have been approved by the school board. Schools open for students on Aug. 11 this year and end May 29, 2025, and in the 2026-2027 school year the first day is Aug. 10 and the last May 28. Both years include a week off at Thanksgiving, two weeks over Christmas and a week-long spring break. Daily Commercial.
Marion: A teacher’s aide at Harbour View Elementary School in Summerfield has been arrested and accused of battery against two autistic students. Deputies say Deborah Michelle Rand, 54, hit one student in the mouth and pressed her fingernail into the hand of another. She’s been placed on administrative leave. WOFL.
Leon: The district’s graduation rate declined from 86.1% in 2023 to 85.1% in 2024 and remains well below the state average of 89.7%. Superintendent Rocky Hanna says the district will continue to provide Saturday and after-school credit recovery opportunities for seniors. “I have full faith and confidence that we’ll be back to 90% or greater in the years to come,” he said. Tallahassee Democrat.
Glades: Thirteen new electric school buses have arrived, replacing more than half of the school district’s diesel fleet. For the first time, a majority of students will now travel to and from school in air-conditioned buses. WGCU. WINK. WFTX.
Gulf: District 1 school board member Denny McGlon announced this week that he will resign his seat today. “My family and I have undergone unexpected challenges over the past couple of years, and I know it is time for me to reprioritize and refocus on my personal life,” he wrote in his resignation letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The governor could appoint a replacement to serve until 2026, when the seat will again be on the ballot. Port St. Joe Star. WMBB.
Colleges and universities: Some legislators who voted to end in-state college tuition for undocumented immigrants said they would donate to charities to help those students pay the higher tuition rate. Florida Phoenix.
Book lawsuit dismissed: A lawsuit accusing the state of discriminating against parents who oppose book removals from school libraries has been dismissed by U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor. Those parents contend the 2023 law establishing a process allows appeals to the state when a school board keeps a challenged book in schools, but isn’t available to parents who oppose a board’s decision to remove a book. USA Today Florida Network.
Preparing for ICE raids: School districts around the state are making plans on how to respond if agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement appear on campuses to arrest undocumented students. Miami-Dade. Broward. Tampa Bay area. Lee. Collier. Leon. Northwest Florida. Bay. Gov. DeSantis and the Leglislature are squabbling over details of an immigration bill, but appears aligned on committing teachers, school police officers and other employees to carrying out President Donald Trump’s enforcement policies against undocumented students. Politico Florida.
Around the nation: President Trump has ordered several government agencies to direct federal funds to school choice programs when making discretionary decisions on grants. “Parents want and deserve the best education for their children. But too many children do not thrive in their assigned, government-run K-12 school,” Trump said. Florida Phoenix. Politico. NPR.
Opinions on schools: NAEP allows states to compare their students to other students nationally, and it gives state departments of education important insights that guide future education policy. However, the ideological drive of the previous administration has made the 2024 administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress very flawed, and it must be fixed. Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., the Daily Signal. We need to stop making excuses, roll up our sleeves and get started on helping Florida’s students improve in math so they can access our economy’s most attractive careers. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow. If you have been paying attention, the NAEP results should not shock you. What should shock you is that education systems are not, on the whole, changing course. Robin Lake, The 74. It’s time school boards recognize that parent-driven choices are not a threat to public education but an opportunity. By viewing school choice as a catalyst for innovation, public schools can adopt successful strategies to improve outcomes and attract more families. Inika Williams, Tallahassee Democrat. Florida calls itself the “Education State,” but is undermining public education with political agendas. Anne Watts Tressler, Orlando Sentinel.