Special session begins: Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative leaders agreed Monday to hold a special session today through Friday to consider immigration legislation that will support federal policies, including a provision that ends in-state college tuition waivers for undocumented students. Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, had previously rejected the governor’s call for a session and instead passed their own legislation, which DeSantis threatened to veto. USA Today Florida Network. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Politics. Florida Phoenix.
Also in the Legislature: Just three weeks before the start of the 60-day legislative session begins in Tallahassee, only one bill has cleared a committee and few bills are even ready for consideration. Squabbles between Gov. DeSantis and legislative leaders have created a bottleneck of bills. Steve Geller, a Broward County commissioner who’s also a lobbyist, said he’s “not sure much is going to pass this year.” USA Today Florida Network. A bill has been filed for the legislative session beginning March 4 that would protect school workers and other state employees who report workplace violations to the state’s Commission on Ethics. HB 495 is sponsored by state Rep. Yvette Benarroch, R-Naples. Florida Politics.
Around the state: An appeals court has upheld a state agency’s authority to deny a Tampa school’s request to broadcast a pregame prayer at a football game, Okaloosa’s superintendent says further anti-bullying measures will be considered after a 13-year-old student commits suicide, a Bay County school receives a refrigerated food locker to improve access for needy families, and Lake County schools announce their teacher of the year. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Hillsborough: A request for a court to reconsider a case of a Tampa Christian school against a state agency for blocking its pregame prayer at a football game has been rejected. A three-judge panel from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year that the Florida High School Athletics Association did not violate Cambridge Christian School’s First Amendment rights by refusing to allow the school to broadcast a prayer over the stadium’s public address system. News Service of Florida.
Brevard: A proposal to adopt a Christian-based personal finance curriculum for high school students is being considered today by the school board. The course aims to “help students avoid loans and other money traps” and give them “the secure future they deserve,” according to the website of national radio host Dave Ramsey. It was approved by the Florida Department of Education and is used in several other school districts. Florida Today.
Lake: Lisa Bryant, a special education teacher at Lake Minneola High School, has been named the school district’s teacher of the year. She’s now eligible for the state teacher of the year award. Daily Commercial. Lake County School District.
Okaloosa: Superintendent Marcus Chambers said Monday that the district is looking for ways to improve its anti-bullying efforts after the December suicide of 13-year-old Payton Raulerson. Her family said she was a victim of intense bullying at school, including from one boy who often urged Payton to kill herself. WEAR.
Leon: More than 200 students would be rezoned for the 2025-2026 school year to help relieve overcrowding at Riley Elementary School in a proposal to be considered by the school board. About 1,700 students now attend Riley, and 206 would be rezoned to attend Ft. Braden, Sabal Palm and Astoria Park. Tallahassee Democrat.
Bay: Parker Elementary is the first school in the district to receive a refrigerated food locker where food for needy families can be available at any hour. “So if you have a family that can’t get to a food source until after work hours or late in the evening, then the food locker will provide that,” said Donna Pilson, executive director of Rebuild Bay County. WMBB. WJHG.
Colleges and universities: Adam Hasner, a former state representative and the executive vice president for a private prison operator, was chosen as president of Florida Atlantic University on Monday by the school’s trustees. Politico Florida. Palm Beach Post. Sun Sentinel. A federal judge has placed a temporary hold on the National Institutes of Health’s announcement that universities and other agencies receiving federal grants may spend no more than 15% of the grants for indirect costs such as facilities and staffing. Florida Phoenix.
Around the nation: Florida is the 20th-most educated state in the country, according to rankings released by the personal finance website WalletHub. Eighteen standards are used in the rankings, including residents’ level of education, quality of schools and achievement gaps between genders and races. The state’s best rating within those categories was 1st for the lowest gender gap in educational achievement. WOFL.
Opinions on schools: While using theme parks and TVs as learning tools might seem ridiculous at first, it ignores the very real challenges families face in finding education that meets their kids’ needs — challenges that traditional schools often can’t solve. Candace Lehenbauer, Palm Beach Post. Threats to schools are undoubtedly harmful and should be met with accountability. However, publicly shaming young children who make them does not serve as a deterrent or rehabilitative purpose. It may do the exact opposite, by introducing vulnerable minds to the criminal justice system so early in life. Aiden Lesley, Sun Sentinel. We all have a duty to raise public awareness about the issue of students safely getting to and from school, and to foster a culture of accountability, prioritizing the lives and safety of our students. Andrew J. Carswell, Florida Times-Union. Apparently, running a college system isn’t enough for the president and board at Indian River State College. Now they plan to run charter schools, too. Blake Fontenay, TCPalm.
