School start times: A Senate committee took the first step Monday to repeal a 2023 law mandating later start times for middle and high schools by 2026. Research shows that older students do better academically with more sleep, and legislators decided two years ago to require high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and middle schools no earlier than 8 a.m. District officials have struggled to comply, saying the law will negatively affect their finances and school transportation. SB 296, which cleared the Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee in a 6-1 vote, would keep the authority to decide start times with local school boards. A companion bill, HB 261, has been offered in the House. News Service of Florida. Florida Phoenix. Orlando Sentinel. WFSU. Florida Politics.
School deregulation: The Senate’s Committee on Education Pre-K-12 also approved a measure Monday to roll back regulations on public schools to help them better compete for students in an era of expanding school choice. One provision in the bill would remove a statewide requirement that students pass algebra 1 and grade 10 English language arts exams to graduate from high school. Students would still have to take the tests, but the results would count for only 30 percent of final course grades. Political Florida. Florida Politics.
Also in the Legislature: The Legislature begins its 60-day session this morning with a joint meeting of the Senate and House and an address by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Bob Jarvis, a Nova Southeastern University law professor, predicts a very “Trumpy” session. “All the Republicans will be trying to outdo each other to satisfy Trump and own the libs.” Politico Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Gray Florida Capitol Bureau. A proposal intended to attract teachers to work in rural areas by helping them pay back student loans won the approval of the Senate Community Affairs Committee on Monday. News Service of Florida. A provision that currently allows school boards to keep books with sexual content based on their “literary, artistic, political, or scientific value” would be revised in a proposed bill that critics say closes the “loophole.” Florida’s Voice.
Around the state: A district judge refuses a state request to dismiss a lawsuit over the removal of books from school libraries, Lee school board members are expected to vote today to ban students’ use of cell phones during school hours, Pinellas school board members will reconsider a proposal to end block scheduling at four high schools, a new law goes into effect that requires school volunteers to pass a background check and pay a $97 fee, and three Orange County students qualify for the national spelling bee. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: A review of school zone speed detection videos suggests that many drivers who violated no laws are receiving $225 tickets anyway. The vendor, BusPatrol, has been issuing an average of 407 tickets a day for six months for total revenue of $19.5 million. Cited drivers have the right to challenge their tickets in a hearing, and have been doing so since last summer, but no hearings have been held. Miami Herald and the Tributary.
Hillsborough: A new high school opening in the fall in Wimauma has been named Aquilla J. Morgan High School, honoring the first black teacher at Wimauma Elementary in the 1960s. With up to 3,500 students expected, it would be the largest high school in the district. Spectrum News 9.
Orange: Three county students have qualified for the Scripps National Spelling Bee scheduled May 22-27 in National Harbor, Md.: Diego Gallegos, 11, a student at Lakemont Elementary School in Winter Park; Louis Avetis, a 12-year-old from Discovery Middle in Orlando; and Aiden Westover, a 14-year-old from Odyssey Middle, also in Orlando. Orlando Sentinel.
Duval: Boundaries could be redrawn for three district middle schools to ease overcrowding at one of them and help fill the other two. School board members will consider the proposal at today’s meeting. Some students would be moved out of Chaffee Middle, which was built for 986 students but has 1,195 and could grow to 1,500 by the 2027-2028 school year. They would go to Westside Middle, which is at 85% capacity, and Lake Shore Middle, which is just 57% filled. Florida Times-Union.
Lee: School board members are expected to approve a proposal at today’s meeting that would ban students’ use of cell phones during school hours beginning in the fall. Current district policy permits students to use cell phones during lunch and between classes, though principals have the option to impose a full ban. WGCU.
Pinellas: A district proposal to end the eight-period rotating block schedule at four south county high schools will get closer scrutiny from the school board after students at those schools spoke out against it at a recent board meeting. They said the schedule was one of the attractions of their school because it allows them to get more immersed in the subjects they’re interested in, and also gives them time to take Advanced Placement classes. Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said the decision was influenced by financial considerations, as the block schedule requires more teachers. Tampa Bay Times.
Manatee: With 16 district schools at or over capacity and five new schools opening within the next two years, school boundaries will have to be redrawn and many students will be shifted to different schools. Superintendent Jason Wysong said that planning has begun but he doesn’t expect any changes before the 2026-2027 school year. “If we go through this process, we don’t want to put people through this and then be back here in 24 months saying, ‘Let’s do it again,’ ” Wysong said. “Ideally, whatever decisions we make have some staying power.” Bradenton Herald.
Sarasota: Pamela Schmidt, a records and evidence specialist for the Sarasota County Schools Police Department, has been named the school district’s school-related employee of the year. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Leon: Facing termination after an allegation of financial misconduct, Griffin Middle School principal Zelena O’Banner resigned Feb. 25. She had been placed on paid administrative leave three months ago, prompting a district investigation. Details of the alleged misconduct were not disclosed. Tallahassee Democrat.
Volunteer law begins: A 2023 law that requires school volunteers to pass a background check took effect March 1. All volunteers, existing and new, must now clear a Level 2 check that requires fingerprinting. The cost is $97, and the photo ID badge is valid for five years. Spectrum News 9.
COVID effect on schools: It’s been five years this month since the COVID pandemic set in and left its marks on schools and everything else in the state. Schools closed in March 2020, though by the fall most of them had reopened. Learning losses still haven’t been recovered, student vaccination rates have dropped and political fights over mask-wearing have intensified as skepticism about the medical community spread, and the number of students being home-schooled or attending private schools has soared. USA Today Florida Network.
Another books suit proceeds: A district judge has denied a request by the state to dismiss a lawsuit against the Florida Board of Education and the Orange and Volusia school boards over the removal of school library books. Six publishing companies, the Authors Guild, five authors and two parents contend the law prohibiting material that describes sexual conduct is overly broad, violates the First Amendment and allows books to be removed with simply a parent’s complaint. News Service of Florida.
Spring break schedules: More than half the state’s 67 county school districts will be off March 17-21 for spring break, but some will begin vacation as late as mid-April. USA Today Florida Network.
Around the nation: When adjusted for student demographics, the National Assessment of Educational Progress results show impressive progress for Florida and other southern states, according to an analysis of test scores by the Urban Institute. After those adjustments, Florida ranks 2nd in 4th-grade math and 3rd in reading, and 22nd in 8th-grade math and also in reading. The 74. Linda McMahon was confirmed as U.S. education secretary Monday by the Senate. Associated Press. Politico Florida. Florida Phoenix.
Opinions on schools: Recent scores from the NAEP show that policymakers need to accelerate and expand student-centered policies now more than ever. Patricia Levesque, Florida Politics.
