Governor’s proposed $115.6B budget bumps K-12 education by $1.2B, Duval sex ed plan and more

Governor’s budget plan: Florida would cut spending by $3 billion under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed $115.6 billion budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. K-12 education would receive an increase of about 4.1%, from $28.48 billion to $29.66 billion, with about $246.7 million going toward teacher raises, up from $202 million this year, and $3.3 billion allocated for state scholarships. Higher education would receive $5.6 billion, a slight decline, with no increase in tuition or fees and $632 million for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. A two-week back-to-school sales tax holiday on clothing, school supplies and computers in August is also part of the budget proposal. Tampa Bay Times. Florida Phoenix. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida. USA Today Florida Network. Florida Politics. Office of the Governor.

Around the state: Duval is considering a sex ed curriculum that emphasizes abstinence, Hillsborough schools are making plans for school improvements with money from a sales tax approved in November, an Okaloosa high school is considering a four-day week, Polk’s school district gets another year to bring an elementary school out of the state’s turnaround program, and Escambia schools announce changes to compete with school choice. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:

Hillsborough: About $188 million in school improvements will be made in the next 15 years with the school district’s share of the half-percent sales tax for county construction projects approved by voters in November. Projects planned include a new elementary school and middle school in Wimauma, and an elementary school near Apollo Beach. A percentage of the revenue will be set aside for future school construction. Tampa Bay Times.

Palm Beach: A longtime substitute teacher in the district has been arrested and accused of possessing child pornography. Deputies said Mark Pentilla, 69, who had subbed in the district for 28 years, is accused of 10 counts of possession of sexual performance by a minor. WPEC.

Duval, Clay: A new sexual education curriculum policy is being proposed that would focus on abstinence, aligning with state law. Information about pregnancy and disease prevention is not required but may be provided, and also under consideration is an opt-out for parents. WJAX. Both Duval and Clay district officials have issued guidance for schools to take when immigration officials visit. They say the protocols adhere to the law while protecting students’ rights. WJXT.

Polk: School district officials have been granted another year to improve Crystal Lake Elementary School into a C-graded school or better. Crystal Lake has received grades of D from the state for the past four years. Without improvement, it is likely to close after the 2025-2026 school year, but Superintendent Frederick Heid said “the school is on a positive trajectory and likely will exit this year.” Lakeland Ledger.

Brevard: School district officials have issued instructions to employees on what to do if immigration officials show up at schools. “Staff have been instructed to ask for identification as well as a valid, signed subpoena or court order and call Brevard Public Schools legal department to confirm the obligation based on the documentation provided,” said district spokeswoman Janet Murnaghan. Florida Today. Cocoa High School officials said a 15-year-old student was arrested Monday after a metal detector discovered he had a handgun. Metal detectors were installed this school year. Florida Today. WKMG. WOFL. WFTV. WESH.

Escambia: Superintendent Keith Leonard said the district will compete with school choice by adding 6th grades to elementary schools, merging two schools into a K-8, and adding 7th and 8th grades to Pensacola High. “In today’s times, public school systems have to do everything they can to compete,” he said. WEAR.

Okaloosa: Destin High School officials are considering instituting a four-day school week next fall, and are asking parents for feedback on the idea. The proposal meets the state requirements for instructional hours, they said. WEAR.

Leon: School district officials say they are planning to put a greater emphasis on teaching students about artificial intelligence. Superintendent Rocky Hanna said research into AI best practices at other districts will be done quickly. “We can bury our heads in the sand and pretend like it’s not going to happen, but it is,” he said. “Now we just have to figure out a way from a K-12 system to embrace it and use it to our advantage.” WFSU.

Alachua: Eight schools in Gainesville are now without school crossing guards, and parents said they are worried about the safety of their children. A police spokesperson said the guards were removed after a guard was hit by a vehicle at Westwood Middle School. WCJB.

Hernando: School board members have voted to terminate a $100,000 contract with Equal Opportunity Schools, a Seattle-based organization that works to expand academic opportunities for all students, but especially those who have been “historically underserved and underrepresented.” Board chair Shannon Rodriguez called it an “equity” program, and said, “We need to focus on meritocracy and not skin color and gender.” Suncoast News.

Charlotte: Vaping is down 50% since Charlotte High School installed sensors and cameras in bathrooms and the district started conducting random vaping sweeps with a vape-sniffing K-9, principal Angie Taillon said at a recent Drug-Free Punta Gorda meeting. Charlotte Sun.

Colleges and universities: The NCAA’s proposed revenue-sharing plan could violate Title IX laws by giving most of the money that goes to college sports programs to football, according to guidance from the U.S. Department of Education. USA Today Florida Network. Enrollment in the Florida Prepaid program is now open through April 30. Prices are the lowest in 10 years, with a four-year university plan for a newborn now costing $135 a month, down from $183 in 2015, while a two-year college plan is $39 a month and a one-year university plan is $34. WESH.

Scholarship applications: Applications for the state’s K-12 scholarship programs opened Feb. 1, but parents trying to renew scholarships through the AAA Scholarship Foundation are being put on hold until the organization receives approval from the Florida Board of Education to administer the program. Two weeks ago, the BOE threatened to cancel AAA’s contract because it refused to comply with state-approved guidelines for eligible purchases. Tampa Bay Times. Step Up For Students, which administers 98% of the state’s K-12 scholarships and hosts this blog, reported Monday that it has received more than 120,000 applications since Saturday. More than 500,000 Florida students are using the scholarship programs to pay for private schooling, tutoring, curriculum, or other supplemental learning. NextSteps.

Around the nation: Plans are in the works for the Trump administration to drastically cut programs and staff at the U.S. Department of Education and ask Congress to eventually close the department, according to reports. An executive order could be issued this week. Politico. NPR.

Opinions on schools: The closer you look at U.S. students’ performance on the NAEP tests, the worse the results seem. This continued slide occurred despite the federal government putting $190 billion into the school system. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. I wish Florida would make the transition from being the “Just Read!” state to being a “Calculate, Too!” state. But instead we seem to be evolving toward being the “Just Never Mind!” state. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow. There’s no compelling educational reason for early school start times. If the costs of athletics, buses, child care and administration are standing in the way of a law contributing to healthier, better educated students, the answer is not for school districts to press the Legislature to make the law go away, but to press the Legislature for more money, more support and, if needed, more time to make a good law work. Sun Sentinel.


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BY NextSteps staff