Around the state: Students at private colleges could lose state tuition help, changes are proposed to the special education program in Osceola, some colleges are looking to enroll Hispanic students, early kindergarten registration comes with a big reward in Leon, nationwide graduate school rankings were released and discussion continues about how to classify charter schools. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Osceola: Education advocates and parents planned to rally outside Osceola County schools ahead of proposed changes to the district’s special education program. The district has proposed consolidating its special education program into hubs on a handful of campuses, which forces some into general education classrooms and others to transfer schools. Parents say the situation is inconvenient, and some question the legality of the changes. Students with disabilities have the right to a public school education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Central Florida Public Media.
Leon: Early kindergarten registration in Leon County schools could come with a big reward: A two-year Florida Prepaid Scholarship. Families who enroll their kindergartners by May 16 will be entered into a drawing for the college scholarship. The award is an incentive for parents to enroll kindergartners to help schools prepare for the first day of school on Aug. 11. “We are expecting to see an uptick in kindergarten enrollment for next school year,” Hartsfield Elementary School Principal John Olson said. Tallahassee Democrat.
Martin: Principal Sarah Tuthill of Felix A. Williams Elementary School in Stuart has been named finalist for state principal of the year. Finalists are chosen based on their contributions to the school culture, academic performance and professional learning, officials said in a statement. The 2025 principal and assistant principal of the year will be announced on Friday. TC Palm.
Highlands: The school district here is updating its General Education Development test policy, which includes removing the requirement for an underage waiver for 16 and 17-year-olds. New language in the policy states that a student may be awarded a state of Florida high school equivalency diploma based on successful testing. Highlands News-Sun.
Private schools: Private college and university are concerned about cuts to EASE grants, which provide assistance for undergraduates hoping to afford them. House lawmakers have proposed requiring the schools to meet set criteria in areas such as graduation and student retention rates in order for their students to receive an EASE grant. The proposal could effect as many as 22,000 students. Orlando Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times.
Charter schools: The U.S. Supreme Court will take up a case that could decide whether charter schools are state actors or operate privately. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and allied groups are set to file briefs to the high court this week before arguments scheduled for April 30. Charter schools receive taxpayer dollars and don’t charge tuition, but have significant autonomy to operate independently and privately, outside the bounds of some state and local regulations that apply to traditional public schools. Politico.
In the Legislature: The Florida Legislature is on track to reverse course on a policy that allowed the hiring process for university presidents to occur behind closed doors. Several parts of the bill would also weaken the control the state’s governor has over public colleges and universities. Central Florida Public Media. The House Education and Employment Committee has more than a dozen bills on its Tuesday agenda. The Senate Rules Committee has a bill on the agenda about reporting teacher arrests. The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee will consider a bill on teacher certification. Also, the House Pre K-12 Budget Subcommittee will consider three bills. Tampa Bay Times.
Colleges and universities: New College of Florida may soon take over stewardship of a local art museum and another branch campus, but critics say NCF lacks the means or capability to manage either. Inside Higher Ed. A University of Florida student from Colombia was arrested and taken to an immigration detention facility. Florida Rep. Yvonne Hinson said Zapata Velásquez’s detention by immigration authorities shouldn’t have happened over a traffic violation. “Why not give a ticket, but to be detained for such an offense is outlandish and quite alarming,” she said in a statement. WPLG. Tampa Bay Times. Meanwhile, colleges around the U.S. say some international students’ visas are being revoked. Orlando Sentinel. A Spring Career Fair will be held at Santa Fe College today. Main Street Daily News. Some colleges are targeting a long-neglected group: Hispanic students. But some say efforts to enroll and support Hispanic students are being complicated by the withdrawal of diversity programs and financial help for undocumented students. NPR. The University of Florida’s graduate programs in law, business, education and engineering were the best available in the Sunshine State, according to nationwide graduate school rankings released on Tuesday. No university or college in Florida cracked the top five nationwide among graduate programs in law, business, engineering or education, where UF’s graduate program came in tied for sixth and Florida State University’s program came in tied for 18th. Those education rankings represented a 10-place jump for UF, but a four-place drop for FSU. Gainesville Sun.
Opinions on schools: A closer look at enrollment trends. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. Florida needs to fix the way it selects presidents of universities. House Bill 1321 and Senate Bill 1726 would open up the process. It repeals the current public records exemption for state university and state college presidential applicants, which keeps any personal identifying information of non-finalist applicants confidential. The move may have helped some applicants shield their aspirations from their current employers, but it left the public in the dark. Douglas C. Lyons, Ft. Myers News-Press.
