Around the state: Legislators dealt a rebuke to the governor Monday by quickly adjourning the special session he called and then calling their own, a bill ending in-state college tuition for undocumented immigrant students could be approved today, later school start times for older students would be repealed under another bill filed Monday, Florida is again named No. 1 in education freedom, and Pinellas announces its teacher of the year. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: Superintendent Howard Hepburn has issued guidance to principals that if federal immigration agents show up at their schools, they should call the district’s attorney and not release any students without proper authorization. WPLG. WFOR.
Polk: More than 4,300 tickers for $198 each have been issued to drivers passing stopped school buses in just 11 weeks, according to sheriff’s officials. “We are shocked at the number of tickets we’ve issued to drivers who are NOT stopping for school buses,” said a spokesperson. WFLA.
Pinellas: Dennis Zuercher, a history teacher at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, has won the school district’s teacher of the year award. Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg College has received a $677,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education that it will use to create two academies aimed at improving the knowledge of U.S. history and civics for teachers and students. Spectrum News 9.
Central Florida: Here’s how school districts in central Florida plan to react if immigration officials arrive at schools looking for undocumented students. WKMG.
Palm Beach: A Glades Central High School music teacher who was fired in November is appealing the school board’s decision. Robert Pace, 41, coerced a student to send him nude photos in emails, according to records from a school district investigation. He has not been charged with a crime. Palm Beach Post.
Sarasota: Parents of students are being asked by the school district what kind of cell phone policy they want: a stricter policy broken down by age groups, or whether children should be allowed to carry their cell phones during the school day for emergencies. Surveys are due by Thursday, and the issue will be addressed at a future school board meeting. WUSF.
Escambia, Santa Rosa: Officials from both the Escambia and Santa Rosa school districts are working with the Florida Department of Education to determine if students will have to make up any of the four days lost to a snowstorm last week. Districts are required to have 180 teaching days. Pensacola News Journal. A new Catholic school is opening next fall in Niceville. Holy Family Catholic Academy begins with students in K-4, with plans to eventually expand to 8th grade. It is located on the campus of the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church. Mid-Bay News.
Legislators defy DeSantis: Florida’s legislators sent a message to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday by rejecting his call for a special session on immigration issues, and criticizing the governor for calling it. “I believe special sessions should be used sparingly,” said House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami. “They should not be stunts designed to generate headlines.” Instead, the Legislature is holding its own session this week to consider immigration bills supporting President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. “Sometimes leadership isn’t about being out in front of an issue,” said Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula. “It’s about following the leader you trust. I trust President Trump.” DeSantis accused the leaders of indulging in “theatrics.” Politico Florida. News Service of Florida. USA Today Florida Network. Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Politics. New York Times.
In-state tuition cuts: One bill that Gov. DeSantis and the leaders of the Senate and House did agree on would end in-state college tuition waivers for undocumented students. It passed through several committees Monday and could be approved by legislators today. The tuition break has been in place since 2014, and it’s estimated that about 6,500 undocumented immigrants received the waiver last year. Politico Florida. Florida Politics.
Also in the Legislature: A 2023 law requiring districts to make school start times later for middle and high school students by the fall of 2026 would be repealed under a bill filed Monday. News Service of Florida. Administration of the state’s Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys would be transferred from the Attorney General’s Office to the Florida Department of Education under a bill filed for the 60-day legislative session that opens March 4. The council was formed in 2006 to help black men and boys with their educational advancement. Florida Senate. Another bill would require public high schools to establish a Bright Futures Scholarship mentorship program. Florida Senate.
Education freedom: Florida has again been chosen as the top state for education freedom by the American Legislative Exchange Council. Its index rates states on funding and financing programs, charter schools, home-schooling, virtual schooling, and open enrollment. American Legislative Exchange Council. Florida Department of Education.
Catholic enrollment up: Catholic school enrollment in Florida is up 2.8% in the 2024-2025 school year, to 93,455 from 90,870 last year, according to the National Catholic Educational Association. “(Scholarship) programs are giving more working-class and middle-class Florida families the ability to choose Catholic schools — and more of them are doing just that,” said Bishop Gerald Barbarito of the Diocese of Palm Beach. NextSteps.
Around the nation: Federal grants, loans and other financial assistance have been frozen temporarily by the Trump administration. That includes funding for education, but Social Security and Medicare are exempt. The pause goes into effect today and is expected to last at least until mid-February. “The use of federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism and Green New Deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” said Matthew Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget. New York Times.
Opinions on schools: Even if/when the U.S. Supreme Court allows religious charter schools, enthusiasts need to remember that unions and existing charter management organizations will team up in an attempt to throttle the competition. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. American students’ achievement scores peaked about a decade ago and have been falling ever since. There’s a lot of blame to go around, from cellphones and social media to federal accountability policies. Chad Aldeman, The 74. Re-energizing the charter school movements requires adopting four principles: That they are free, public and open to all; different by design; have a seat for every kid but not at every school; and that they should take money from traditional public schools. Derrell Bradford, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.