Around the state: Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the repeal of a law requiring later middle and high school start times and an updated school safety bill that changes when school fences and doors have to be locked and allows armed guardians in child-care centers, a proposal to increase the Escambia superintendent’s pay by 19% was pulled after it ran into a torrent of criticism, Orange’s school board says the state budget stalemate is affecting their ability to plan their own spending, and Pasco school leaders want to push middle-schoolers to take algebra 1. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Orange: School board members say the state’s budget stalemate is making it hard for them to plan their own budget, because they don’t know how much money they can expect from the state. “At this time, we do not know if there will be a reduction to sales taxes, property taxes, or a combination of both, all of which will have an impact on state revenue, affecting school funding and tax revenues,” district chief financial officer Doreen Concolino said at this week’s workshop meeting. The uncertainty is compounded by declining enrollment as students take state scholarships to attend private schools or learn at home. Central Florida Public Media.
Palm Beach: Students at Palm Beach Lakes and Spanish River community high schools received diplomas at graduation ceremonies Wednesday. Palm Beach Post. A social studies teacher and coach at Santaluces Community High School in Lantana was arrested this week and accused of hitting a student with a whiteboard. Christopher Winkles, 52, was charged with child abuse, and district officials say he has been fired. WPEC.
Duval: Graduation ceremonies were held this week for students from Raines and Riverside high schools. Florida Times-Union. Free school lunches are ending next fall at 37 schools. Free breakfasts will continue. Jacksonville Today. WJXT.
Polk: Students from Mulberry and Lake Region high schools, and Bartow High, Bartow International Baccalaureate School and Summerlin Academy received diplomas in graduation ceremonies this week. Lakeland Ledger.
Pasco: A new progression of math courses will be launched next fall in the school district, with a goal of having 8th-graders ready for algebra 1 so they progress to calculus by 12th grade. Superintendent John Legg called algebra 1 a gateway to success and said it must become an expectation for middle-schoolers. “Eighth-grade algebra is not acceleration,” Legg said. “It is the really the new norm.” Tampa Bay Times.
Brevard: The community and school board member John Thomas continued to push for the rehiring of an English teacher whose contract was not renewed because she called a student by a preferred name without the approval of a parent. Thomas’ colleagues Katye Campbell and Megan Wright did say Melissa Calhoun could reapply for a position in the future if her teaching certificate isn’t revoked by the state. Board members Matt Susin and Gene Trent did not speak on the issue. Neither did Superintendent Mark Rendell, who made the decision to not renew Calhoun’s contract. Florida Today. Cocoa, West Shore and Astronaut high school students received diplomas at Wednesday’s graduation ceremonies. Florida Today.
Marion: A 17-year-old Belleview High School student was arrested this week and accused of having a gun on campus. After receiving a tip, school resource officers found the weapon in the woods behind the student’s car in the parking lot, and the student admitted bringing it to school. WFTV. WCJB.
Sarasota: Child-care fees were increased $1 a day by the school board at this week’s meeting. Parents with a child who needs care both before and after school five days a week will now pay $10 more a week. Superintendent Terry Connor said the boost will “cut away” some of the district’s cost burden for staffing and resources. Charlotte Sun.
Escambia: A school board members proposal of a 19% pay increase for Superintendent Keith Leonard was withdrawn this week after it drew criticism from teachers and members of the community. Leonard makes $172,250 a year, plus bonuses and benefits, and the proposal would have boosted him to at least $205,000. Teachers union president Darzell Warren said, “I don’t think anyone in this district would disagree with (a pay raise for Leonard). What your employees are asking is, ‘Why so much?’ ” Pensacola News Journal.
Leon: Members of the teachers union have voted to continue operations. The state called for an election after a majority of eligible members were not paying dues. Voting took place between April 22 and May 20, and only 570 of the 2,277 eligible teachers voted, with 98% agreeing to retain representation. But president Scott Mazur said if at least 60% of eligible members aren’t paying dues, the union will have to go through the certification process again. Tallahassee Democrat. Students from Rickards High School received diplomas at their graduation ceremony Wednesday. Tallahassee Democrat. A Rickards High student was arrested Wednesday and accused of attacking a school employee during a dispute over the return of an electronic device. WTXL.
Bay: Deane Bozeman School seniors were presented with diplomas at this week’s graduation ceremony. Panama City News Herald.
Martin: Seniors at Jensen Beach High School picked up their diplomas at this week’s graduation ceremony. TCPalm.
Citrus: Crystal River High School graduates were honored in a graduation ceremony this week. Citrus County Chronicle.
Later start times repealed: A bill that repeals a 2023 law requiring later start times for middle and high school students was signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Ron DeSantis. School districts around the state complained that trying to comply with the law was going to be expensive and cause transportation problems. Florida Politics.
School safety bill signed: DeSantis also signed an updated school safety bill into law Wednesday. Included in SB 1470 are new guidelines on when school fences and doors have to be locked, updated training requirements for school security guards, an expansion of the armed guardian program to child-care centers, and more. News Service of Florida. Lakeland Ledger. Florida Phoenix. Florida Politics. WTXL. Florida Senate.
Other new laws: Other education-related bills signed into law by the governor this week include HB 447, which requires schools to teach students at all levels about disability and awareness during the first two weeks every October; and SB 1514, which requires public K-8 schools to train school staff how to respond to respond to allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. WKMG. Florida Politics.
DeSantis on choice: Gov. DeSantis said Wednesday he was a champion for school choice, and that “no one’s done more for school choice as governor than I have, and I am proud of that.” He also expressed support for the public school system. “I’m going to support school choice, but I’m also going to support the school districts,” he said. “I want to have good teachers in the school districts. I want to have good programs there.” Florida Politics.
Around the nation: Growth in the microschool industry isn’t just in the number of schools; it’s also in the number of students per school. The median enrollment was 16 students in 2024, but that has jumped to 22 and some have as many as 100, according to an analysis by the National Microschooling Center. The 74.
Opinions on schools: The Legislature is considering dueling but related proposals from each chamber that would harm the state’s school choice scholarship programs by adding overly bureaucratic regulations. These changes will negatively impact families that deserve the freedom to access schools that work best for their kids. Nathan Hoffman, Florida Politics.
