Around the state: Legislative infighting intensified Wednesday, senators approved bills placing restrictions on citizen initiatives and requiring schools to provide student-athletes with electrocardiograms, more than 800 Orange County teachers are informed they won’t be back in their classrooms next year, an undisclosed number of Broward students were exposed to a classmate with tuberculosis, and Gov. Ron and Casey DeSantis’ Hope Florida initiative is starting to spread into public schools. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: An undisclosed number of students at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale are confirmed to have been exposed to a classmate with tuberculosis, district officials said Wednesday. The student with TB is doing fine, said Superintendent Howard Hepburn, but the news had an impact on attendance: 475 of the school’s 1,900 students were absent, more than double the typical number, and many of the students who were in attendance chose to wear masks. WSVN. WFOR. WTVJ.
Orange, Lake: More than 800 Orange County teachers have been informed they won’t be returning to their classrooms next year, at least in part because of a decline in student enrollment. District officials said the teachers will have the opportunity to transfer to other schools, but placement is not guaranteed. Last week, the district agreed to pay a consultant $935 for every former public school student who left the district but was convinced to return. Orlando Weekly. WOFL. WESH. Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey announced a plan Wednesday to take their Hope Florida initiative into local school districts, with Orange and Lake being the first to join the Department of Education’s pilot program. Liaisons at schools will be identified and trained to help connect students in need with non-government resources. WKMG. WESH. A Eustis High School student was found on campus with a loaded gun Wednesday, police said. No one was injured. WFTV.
Volusia: A lawsuit against the school district brought by a student who was sexually abused by a teacher has been settled for $200,000. Arin Hankerd, who was a teacher at Atlantic and Mainland high schools, is serving 21 years in prison for abusing at least two students. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Manatee: A 5th-grade teacher at Gullett Elementary School in Bradenton has resigned after being accused of grooming an 11-year-old student. Deputies said they were also investigating Jarrett Williams’ conduct, and expect to file non-sexual charges. WWSB. WFLA. WTSP.
St. Johns: Kelly Services has been hired by the school board to supply substitute teachers for the district. Officials said the move will “significantly improve overall substitute fill rates across our schools,” but some subs say Kelly told them it would cut the extra $20 the district was paying for subs who worked on Mondays and Fridays. WJAX.
Marion: School board members have approved a one-year, $169,000 contract for interim superintendent Danielle Brewer, who has been the district’s senior executive director of high schools and secondary curriculum. She will take over this summer for Diane Gullett, who resigned. WCJB. Ocala Star-Banner.
Sarasota: Parents of Venice High School students are unhappy with the school district’s rezoning options for Wellen Park High School, which opens in the fall of 2026. A significant portion of the students being zoned would come from Venice High, and only rising seniors and choice students from that school would be allowed to stay. Charlotte Sun.
Martin: Authorities said they confiscated a knife earlier this week from a student at the Spectrum Academy alternative high school in Stuart. It had been hidden in a school bathroom for several days before a school resource received a tip about it. TCPalm. WPEC.
Charlotte: A teacher at Punta Gorda Middle School was arrested this week and accused of sexually assaulting a high school student under the age of 16. Dagoberto Miquel Pena, 36, who was also a coach at Charlotte High School, has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of the police investigation. Charlotte Sun. WINK. WFTX. WWSB. WGCU. WBBH.
Legislative feuding: When the legislative session may end remains uncertain because of the growing feud between the Senate and the House. Senators have criticized the House for stripping key provisions from several bills, including Senate President Ben Albritton’s priority to fund a “rural renaissance.” House Speaker Daniel Perez accused the Senate of “emotional blackmail” over a spat naming a health center after Democratic Sen. Darryl Rouson. And Gov. Ron DeSantis piled on, calling the House the “House of pettiness.” The session was scheduled to end Friday, but the infighting has stalled negotiations over a state budget, which must be approved before adjournment. USA Today Florida Network. News Service of Florida.
Ballot initiatives changes: Senators approved a bill Wednesday that imposes new restrictions on citizen initiatives, including requiring amendment sponsors to post a $1 million bond, cutting the timeline for collecting signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, stiffening penalties for violations, and prohibiting the use of public money to campaign for or against a proposal. A final vote on the measure is expected today in the Senate, and the House has already cleared it. “The purpose of this bill is to have citizen initiative amendments that are valid, that are not corrupt, and properly show the will of the people of Florida,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Don Gaetz. USA Today Florida Network. Florida Politics.
Also in the Legislature: A bill requiring schools to provide student-athletes with electrocardiograms was approved by the Senate on Wednesday and is headed to the governor’s desk. WTLV. Members of the House have cleared a proposal that requires K-8 school employees and contractors in before- and after-school programs to be trained on dealing with on allergic reactions and anaphylaxis emergencies. Florida Politics. Gov. DeSantis signed eight bills into laws this week, including one that authorizes districts to have glucagon on hand at schools to administer to regulate blood glucose levels in diabetic students. It takes effect July 1. WTLV.
School lobbying costs: Nine Florida school districts have spent a collective $2.5 million over the past 15 years on lobbying members of Congress. Miami-Dade tops the list with almost $1 million spent, according to the congressional lobbying database, followed by Broward at $840,000 and Hillsborough at almost $300,000. Florida Trident.
Florida VPK growth: Florida’s voluntary pre-kindergarten program has become the third-largest in the country since it began in 2005, with 2.6 million children enrolled. Approved by voters in 2002 as a constitutional amendment, VPK provides for 540 instructional hours for 4-year-olds during the school year and 300 hours during the summer. TCPalm.
Around the nation: A majority of U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared receptive Wednesday to the argument that public money can be used to fund a private religious charter school in Oklahoma. A state court had earlier ruled against the charter school. Justice Amy Coney Barrett has recused herself, meaning a 4-4 tie would let the state ruling stand. A decision is expected in late June or early July. New York Times. Associated Press. The 74.
Opinions on schools: States must continue to test their students, regardless of what the federal government decides about testing. Statewide exams are designed to serve four critically important purposes: monitoring of statewide educational growth and achievement; evaluation and continuous improvement; transparency and public engagement, and the signaling of expectations for student learning. Scott Marion, The 74.
