Around the state: Bills requiring schools to show students in grades 6-12 a fetal development video and loosening the mandate on locked gates and doors at schools are proposed for the 2025 legislative session that begins Tuesday, Polk’s school employees would receive raises of up to 7% under a tentative contract agreement, Lee’s school district is eliminating its DEI office, and a federal judge suggests the state’s argument to ban social media accounts for students under 16 is a “hard road to hoe.” Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: Tony White has been elected as the president of the United Teachers of Dade, the union representing more than 27,000 teachers and employees. He has been the union vice president for the past nine years. He won 80% of the vote, and will replace Karla Hernandez-Mats when he’s sworn in May 22. Miami Times.
Broward: A sex education curriculum submitted to the state last September has still not been approved, possibly because it includes teaching about birth control and other contraception. Districts that have gotten their courses approved have focused on abstinence. Sex education isn’t required, but districts that choose to include it must get the state’s approval of the courses, and allow parents to opt out. Sun Sentinel. The district’s plan to turn Broward Estates Elementary School into an early learning center is welcome for residents in the Lauderhill neighborhood, but they say it doesn’t replace the loss of the school. WLRN.
Orange: A school secretary at Hunters Creek Middle School in Orlando has pleaded guilty to charges of possession and distribution of child sex abuse material. Mitchell Regan, 36, was arrested last year. He could be sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on each count. WFTV.
Polk: School employees will get raises of up to 7% under an agreement reached last week between the school district and the Polk Education Association. Teachers are scheduled for pay hikes of $1,200 to $3,900, or 4.5% to 7%, and paraprofessionals and secretaries will receive $500 to $2,400, retroactive to last summer. Union members and the school board still have to sign off on the deal. Lakeland Ledger. WFLA.
Lee, Collier: The Lee County School District’s diversion, equity and inclusion office is being eliminated as a response to the U.S. Department of Education’s directive to end “race-based decision-making” or risk losing federal funding. Program director Jarrett Eady will become the director of continuous improvement. In Collier County, school officials say they are aligning with the directive by continuing to commit to creating a positive, accepting, safe and discrimination-free environment for students and staff. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News.
Pasco: Changes in the school district’s 3-year-old policy of banning comments on its social media posts will be considered by the school board after complaints from parents and county residents that it violates their First Amendment rights. One proposal would be to allow comments but not have the district not engage with commenters. “Our social media is really going to be one-way posts,” said assistant superintendent Kevin Shibley said. “We are an education institution. We are not in the business, nor do we have the resources, to be social media content moderators.” Tampa Bay Times.
Brevard: School board members indicated at a workshop meeting last week that they favor switching from the use of alternative learning centers for juvenile offenders to a diversion program that includes out-of-school suspension, weekly counseling, a conduct agreement and a ban on extracurricular activities. The North Central ALC in Merritt Island and the South ALC in Melbourne would be repurposed. Florida Today. Space Coast Rocket. Palm Bay police have temporarily shut down speed detection cameras in school zones after several inaccurate violations were reported. Florida Today.
Volusia: In her first state of the district address last week, Superintendent Carmen Balgobin detailed improvements in the graduation rate and progress toward earning the district an A grade from the state. Volusia has topped the state graduation rate in each of the last four years and its 93.7% performance in 2024 places it in the top 10 among districts. Daytona Beach News-Journal. A student at Campbell Middle School in Daytona Beach was arrested Friday and accused of having a pellet gun at school. No injuries were reported. WKMG. WFTV.
Marion: Marion County Virtual School has been named the Florida Virtual School franchise of the year for its “instructional practices and individualized support (that) have driven high student performance outcomes,” said FLVS senior director of partner services Larry Banks. A staff of 42, including 36 teachers, provides instruction to more than 2,200 students. WCJB. WFTV.
Sarasota: The school district now has 14 charter schools, and more are on the way as education choice proliferates in the state. With that growth comes changes in the relationship, particularly as the competition for students intensifies. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. A private school in Sarasota is giving about 60 students extended lessons about nature and in nature, with about 70% of their school time spent outdoors learning about gardening, archery, cooking and more. Roots Academy was started by Briana Santoro, and expects to grow to 75 students in preK-8 by next year. NextSteps.
Escambia: Teachers are asking the school board to provide written instructions on how they’re supposed to deal with immigration and law enforcement officials when they appear at schools. Ferry Pass Middle School teacher Carol Cleaver suggested at a recent board meeting that Escambia adopt the Lee County School District guidelines, which she called clear on legal and illegal actions. Pensacola News Journal.
Bay: Talks are underway between the school district and a cultural exchange program to provide eight to 10 qualified, certified, English-speaking teachers in high-need subject areas starting next fall. TPG cultural exchange services is a U.S. Department of State-designated J-1 visa sponsor. It has produced more than 1,500 cultural exchange teachers in Florida. WJHG.
Martin: A message a Port Salerno Elementary student put in a bottle and tossed in the Atlantic Ocean off the Bahamas 16 years ago as part of a class project was discovered Jan. 27 in St. Kitts, about 1,000 miles away. Authoring the note was Tyler Neelon, then a fifth grader who now lives in Fort Pierce. “I’m kind of in shock. It’s been so long,” he said. “It makes me feel so happy.” TCPalm.
Indian River: An appeals court has ruled that the school board violated the state’s Sunshine Law by failing to provide notice of social studies textbook adoption committee meetings or keeping minutes of the proceedings in 2016. The challenge was made by the conservative education activist group Florida Citizens Alliance. TCPalm.
Highlands: A plan to merge Lake Placid Middle and High schools is drawing criticism from parents who are calling it a hastily reached decision without getting their input. Superintendent Brenda Longshore agreed she could have done a better job communicating the change at the schools. Parents also questioned the appointment of Lake Placid High principal Kevin Tunning to also oversee Lake Placid Middle when the principal’s job came open. Highlands News-Sun.
Walton: The county’s school district is ranked No. 1 in the state in education by the Florida Policy Institute’s 2025 Child Well-Being Index. Counties are rated by the percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds not enrolled in school, fourth grade English Language Arts scores, eighth grade math scores and high school graduation rates. Get the Coast.
Jefferson: The school district has decided to hire a chief financial officer instead of contracting the work out, after years of complaints from the school board. Lisa Levingston English began Jan. 27. Monticello News.
Legislative preview: A potentially unpredictable legislative session begins Tuesday. Lawmakers have been more willing lately to buck the will of Gov. Ron DeSantis, but it’s unclear if that will have any lingering effect on the direction of legislation. Education-related bills include reconsideration of a law requiring later school start times for middle and high schools, potential changes in the K-12 funding formula, students’ cell phone use at school, school board term limits, educational assistance for rural schools, and more. Politico Florida. USA Today Florida Network. Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald. Florida Phoenix. The Center Square.
Fetal development bill: Florida schools would be required to show students in grades six through 12 videos of human fetal development as a provision in the sweeping education HB 1255. It’s widely seen as an attempt to use the video called “Baby Olivia” to discourage abortion, though the sponsor, Rep. Dana Trabulsy, R-Fort Pierce, said, “We teach students about the life cycle of plants and animals. I think that we have a responsibility to ensure they understand how a human life forms and grows.” Democrats called it “anti-abortion propaganda.” Orlando Sentinel. Florida Phoenix.
Also in the Legislature: A requirement that school doors and gates be locked at all times when students were on campus would be modified under proposed SB 1470 to “school supervision hours.” Tampa Bay Times. A bill is proposed that would create a pilot program in six Florida school districts in which student cell phone use would be banned during the school day, and at school activities on-campus and off-campus during the school day. Florida Politics. The Capitolist. Companion bills would require schools to have emergency action plans to treat anaphylactic reactions and provide training for employees. Florida Politics. A timeline for notifying parents when a school employee is arrested would be set under SB 1374. WJAX.
Social media ban panned: While a federal judge did not rule Friday on a request for a preliminary injunction against in a lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on social media for students under 16, he did say the state has a “hard row to hoe” to justify its position since the law may violate First Amendment rights. Fresh Take Florida. Florida Phoenix.
Opinions on schools: Of the 140 bills filed in K-12 education for the 2025 regular session of the Florida Legislature that starts Tuesday, none address the teacher supply issue in math and science. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow.
