Around the state: A bill that could expand the number of “schools of hope” in the state is approved by a Senate committee, Gov. Ron DeSantis threaten to veto a pending bill that would change the rules of university presidential searches, Broward’s school board extends the contract of Superintendent Howard Hepburn, Alachua’s school board kills a year-round school schedule for Rawlings Elementary, the number of homeless students is up in Manatee and Sarasota counties, and a Brevard teacher who went back to the classroom after helping host a house party with alcohol and 100 students has been placed on leave after a new video of the incident surfaces. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: School Superintendent Howard Hepburn received three more years on his contract and a $10,000 raise in a vote Tuesday by the school board. Hepburn will now have a base salary of $360,200, and his contract runs until June 30, 2030. Board members praised Hepburn for the stability he’s brought to the district, and for lifting the district’s grade from the state to an A for the first time since 2011. Sun Sentinel. WPLG. WSVN.
Orange: A student at Jones High School in Orlando was arrested Tuesday and accused of having a weapon on campus. Police said the gun was found in the student’s backpack during a random search. WFTV. Orlando Sentinel.
Pinellas: The school district is expected to lose almost 3,000 students next year, which will mean 400 teaching jobs will not be filled, district officials acknowledged at a meeting Tuesday. Retirees, teachers who are willingly leaving and those whose contracts are not being renewed will probably cover that 400. Some teachers who plan to stay could have to move to another school because of enrollment changes. WFTS.
Brevard: A teacher who helped host a house party with alcohol and 100 teens but was recently returned to the classroom has been placed on administrative leave again after a police video was released that shows her profanely addressing a police officer. Tuesday, district officials cited the video as justification for placing Karly Anderson on leave pending further investigation. Earlier in the week, some parents criticized the district’s decision to fire a teacher who called a high school student by their preferred name but allow Anderson back in an elementary school classroom. “That’s just ridiculous. It’s ridiculous,” said parent Ashley Fernandez. WESH. Florida Today. WKMG. WOFL. WFTV.
Manatee, Sarasota: The number of homeless students in Sarasota and Manatee counties is rising again. Manatee’s count is now at 1,524, up from 1,203 last year, and Sarasota’s number was at 1,055 in 2022-2023 after dipping to 611 after the pandemic. Statewide, the number of homeless students was at about 65,000 during the pandemic but spiked to almost 95,000 during the 2022-2023 academic year. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Okaloosa: This school year’s resurrection of the agriculture program at the Baker School after its cancellation several years ago has attracted a new teacher and 126 students who have interest in possibly pursuing a career in the field. “The agricultural program at Baker School is a shining example of how we are expanding opportunities for students to explore their interests and develop real-world skills,” said Superintendent Marcus Chambers. Ten new classrooms with modern technology are being added for the 2026-2027 academic year. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Alachua: A year-round school program at Rawlings Elementary School was killed by the school board Tuesday. Enrollment at the school had dropped 20%, and student achievement remained disappointing. Rawlings and Metcalfe were originally part of the state’s pilot program, but Metcalfe was withdrawn from the program before it started. Mainstreet Daily News.
Hendry: A 17-year-old LaBelle High School student was arrested Tuesday and accused of trying to bring a pellet gun into the school. A weapons detector tipped off officers, who found the gun in the student’s backpack. WBBH.
Colleges and universities: Forty faculty members at Jacksonville University are being laid off as the school eliminates some majors in a bid to save $10 million. “It is our responsibility to continually evaluate how to (focus) our resources at the intersection of student demand and real-world opportunity,” said President Tim Cost. Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville Today. WJXT.
Boost for ‘schools of hope’: A proposal that could widely expand the state’s “schools of hope” program won the approval of a Senate committee on Tuesday. Florida has 12 such schools now, which can open in the attendance zones or within 5 miles of “persistently low-performing” public schools. SB 1708 would change the definition for such schools to those in the bottom 10% of schools on state standardized tests. “This creates a pathway for more high-performing, high-outcome (schools of hope) operators to enter into communities,” said bill sponsor Sen. Alexis Calatayud, R-Miami. News Service of Florida.
Governor threatens bill veto: Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened Tuesday to veto a bill that would change how university presidency searches are conducted. HB 1321 would end the public records exemption for searches, make personal information about candidates public, and bar the governor and executive branch employees from getting involved in searches. DeSantis said the bill would “kneecap” his higher education reforms. “What the bill would do (is) neuter our ability to keep universities in line and to build off the success. Because you know what, if we can get good, strong conservative leaders to be willing to run universities, that should be a good thing. You want the governor involved in ensuring that.” The House could vote on the bill today. Politico Florida.
Also in the Legislature: A $1.83 billion tax cut bill was approved Tuesday by the Senate Finance and Tax Committee. The House plan proposes a drop in the state sales tax from 6% to 5.25%, and does not include back-to-school and other sales tax holidays. News Service of Florida. A bill that would align the state’s school and student grading systems was approved Tuesday by a House subcommittee. The alignment is expected to help parents to more easily choose schools. WPLG. Florida Politics. For the second time in a month, a Senate committee has rejected a Gov. DeSantis appointee for a university trustee position. Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education voted unanimously against former state Rep. Joel Rudman for a seat as a Pensacola State College trustee. Politico Florida. Florida Politics. A bill that allocates $1.2 million to a Pasco man for life-altering injuries he suffered in a 2006 crash with a school bus has been approved by the Senate. Florida Politics.
Around the nation: A national push to build support for a proposal in Congress offering federal tax credits to donors toward options outside of traditional public schools began Tuesday in Tampa. The bill would “supersize” funds available in Florida, said Anthony J. de Nicola, chair of the Invest in Education Foundation a national organization that supports school choice. Donations would go toward scholarships that would give students options to attend schools outside the public school system. Tampa Bay Times.
