Around the state: The “rural renaissance” bill clears a committee and is now headed to a full vote in the Senate, a federal judge declines to issue an injunction in a case challenging a state bill that restricts social media access to students under 16, Hillsborough and Osceola school districts announce their educators of the year, Alachua teachers and the district continue to spar over pay raises, and Orange County officials arrange for Uber rides for Jones High School parents to attend that school’s graduation ceremony. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: Members of the Village of Pinecrest council voted last week to more than double the capacity of True North Classical Academy, from 280 students now to more than 600 by 2028. The vote had been delayed twice by nearby residents’ concerns about traffic, which were addressed by the village’s mitigation plan. WLRN.
Broward: A Nova High School classroom monitor and head boys basketball coach has been arrested and accused of unlawful sexual activity with a minor. District officials said Dequan Andre Sierra, 29, has been reassigned away from students during the investigation. WFOR. WSVN. Two 19-year-old students at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale were arrested last week and accused of repeatedly punching a teacher in the face. WPLG. WSVN.
Hillsborough: Leto High School history teacher Henry Bryson has been named the school district’s teacher of the year. Also honored were principal of the year Emily Tirelli of DeSoto Elementary and support employee of the year Bonnie Walters of Tampa Palms Elementary. WTVT. A math teacher at Tampa Preparatory School has been arrested and accused of stealing $75,000 from Alessi Bakery. Rosa Baskin Harwell, 47, worked at the bakery on the weekends counting cash, balancing books and preparing cash deposits. Tampa Bay Times. WTVT.
Orange: Families of Jones High School students that had complained about the distance to the school’s graduation ceremony this spring are getting some help from the Orlando City Commissioner, which struck a deal with Uber to provide round-trip ride vouchers good for a maximum of $30 per round trip per person. WKMG. WFTV.
Palm Beach: District officials have begun a review of their diversity, equity and inclusion policies to “ensure compliance with evolving state and federal guidelines,” according to Superintendent Mike Burke. Palm Beach Post. A former counselor in the Jupiter Farms Elementary School after-school program has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years of probation after pleading guilty in November to having a sexual relationship with a then-17-year-old student in 2023. The victim said she was a “willing participant” and that Sebastiano Scionti, 27, “is by no means a threat to society and never was.” Palm Beach Post.
Duval: A settlement has been reached in a father’s lawsuit against the school district over the death of his daughter at a school function in 2023. Kayleen Brown, a 17-year-old senior at Atlantic Coast High School, died after suffering a nut-related allergic reaction. The wrongful death lawsuit contended that the district knew about the allergy but failed to follow the necessary protocols to ensure her safety. The terms of the settlement were not announced. WJXT.
Lee: A $180,000 contract the school board awarded Ballard Partners for federal lobbying services is being questioned because Ballard has ties to Terry Miller, a political consultant who has worked with several board members. School board members defended the decision, saying the deal stipulates that Ballard Partners’ team members from the Fort Myers office won’t be involved in providing any services. Fort Myers News-Press.
Brevard: Each of the school district’s 16 high schools now has metal detectors to screen students and visitors for weapons, officials announced last week. Melbourne High was the first to get the detectors last year. WKMG.
Marion: School board members say they are satisfied with the agreements they have with the sheriff and the Ocala and the Belleview police departments to provide resource officers in schools, but would like to reduce the nearly $5.5 million cost. Dennis McFatten, the district’s executive director of safety and security, has been asked to meet with the agencies to discuss ways to lower expenses. Ocala Star-Banner. Florida’s Commission on Ethics said it found no probable cause to pursue an allegation that school board member Sarah James used school staff to print materials for her day-care business. Ocala Star-Banner.
Osceola: Coreen Goerner, a math instructor at Tohopekaliga High School in Kissimmee, has been named the school district’s teacher of the year. Also honored were principal of the year Thomas Rademacher of Neptune Middle, assistant principal of the year Amanda DeRight of Central Avenue Elementary, and school-related employee of the year Joe Castillo of Lakeview Elementary. Orlando Sentinel. Positively Osceola. Osceola County School District. The district’s plan to integrate some students with disabilities into regular classrooms and force others with more intense special needs to change schools is drawing criticism from those students’ parents. They say they were blindsided by the proposal, and that the disruption will be detrimental to their children. WFTV. WESH.
Alachua: After teachers rejected a proposed 1.6% pay raise from the district in January, negotiators then cut the offer to 1%. Union officials have been asking for 3.5%. Danielle Engelhorn, a teacher at Carolyn Beatrice Parker Elementary School, calls it the “lowest increase in the whole entire state of Florida.” The next negotiation session is April 3. WCJB. Several teachers at M.K. Rawlings Elementary School in Gainesville say they aren’t getting the necessary support from the state and district to improve its D grade, which is required to lift the school out of the state’s turnaround program. If it doesn’t, principal Stella Arduser is likely to be removed. WUFT. Gainesville city officials want to partner with the school district to renovate Citizens Field in Gainesville, which is used by high school football games. School board members said the district can’t spend money on property it doesn’t own, and asked school officials to develop options to transfer ownership. Mainstreet Daily News.
Bay: District officials are considering a proposal for a new middle or K-8 school in the eastern part of the county or expanding Tyndall Academy. A search is on for a location. A school is needed because of enrollment growth and damage to existing schools from Hurricane Michael in 2018. WJHG.
Hernando: A year after Ray Pinder was named interim superintendent, school board members will evaluate him to determine if he will be hired into the role on a permanent basis. Pinder will meet with individual board members to discuss their evaluations of his performance before April 21, and a board decision is expected by May 6. Hernando Sun.
Martin: Two students at Hidden Oaks Middle School were arrested last week and accused in separate incidents of having weapons on campus. A 12-year-old allegedly had a weapon at school, and a 14-year-old is accused of having a homemade shank on campus. WPTV.
Citrus: The school district was rocked last week when two educators died the same day. Lecanto Middle School teacher Crystal Hix Jackson died in an auto accident on her way to school Wednesday, and later in the day it was announced that director of curriculum and instruction Shawyn Newman, a former Lecanto High School assistant principal, had died of cancer. Citrus County Chronicle.
Jackson: A contract for the third phase of the Grand Ridge K-8 School was approved by school board members last week. Superintendent Hunter Nolen said the project is ahead of schedule and the school should open in August 2027. WMBB.
Colleges and universities: The University of South Florida is under federal investigation for allegedly awarding “impermissible race-based scholarships” on a racial basis. The McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program was established in 1984 and awards funding to African American and Hispanic graduate students. WUSF. The Oracle. Tampa Bay Times. Associated Press.
Social media suit: A federal judge has declined to issue a temporary injunction against the state law that restricts social media access for students under 16 years old. Trade associations requested the injunction on behalf of the social media companies Meta, Alphabet and Snapchat, but Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled they didn’t prove those companies would be affected by the law. Politico Florida. Florida Phoenix. Fresh Take Florida.
In the Legislature: A bill touted as a “rural renaissance” was unanimously approved Thursday by the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee and is now headed to a vote in the full Senate. SB 110 would, among other things, provide funding to recruit and retain teachers to rural counties, install broadband Internet capability and more. News Service of Florida. Private school students whose middle or high schools don’t have sports could play on public or other private school teams under a bill approved last week by the House Education and Employment Committee. Florida Politics. A proposal to drop the requirement that high school seniors pass Algebra 1 and 10th-grade language arts tests to be eligible to graduate is moving through the Senate but has no companion in the House. Orlando Sentinel.
Opinions on schools: Florida’s economic future hinges on successfully dealing with chronic student absenteeism and investing in improved math proficiency in rural schools. Keith Richard, Florida Politics. There is evidence that comprehensive sex education — not finger-wagging over abstinence — has shown time and time again to reduce or delay sexual activity among students. The state’s decision to withhold information is counterproductive. Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel. The pandemic gave the country a chance to rethink how states and school districts deliver quality education by creating create more flexible, innovative learning models tailored to students’ varied needs. We blew it. Robin Lake and Paul Hill, The 74.
