Around the state: About $1.3 billion in federal funds for school before- and after-school programs that had been frozen by the Trump administration is being released today, several Broward cities are considering starting charter schools, school closures could become an option in Leon County, a principal explains how her Leon elementary school improved from a D grade to an A this year, and home-schooling among black families grew from 3.3% of their households to 16.1% during the pandemic. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: Nineteen 5th-graders at the private KLA Academy in Brickell say their 21-day digital detox of no phones, tablets or video games and only a couple hours of TV a day made them more social and created a new awareness for them about the brain science in screen time. WLRN. A former Doral charter school athletic coach and security monitor was found guilty last week of offenses against a student by an authority figure, video voyeurism by a person over 18 while working at a school, and promoting a sexual performance by a child. Yuniesky Ramirez-Martinez, who worked at the Downtown Doral Charter Upper School when he was arrested in February 2023, will be sentenced Aug. 20. WPLG. WTVJ. WSVN.
Broward: Officials from several Broward cities say they are looking into the feasibility of starting charter schools. A new law that began July 1 makes the process of establishing a charter simpler, and city officials said they are worried their cities will lose schools as part of the school district's "Redefining Broward County Public Schools" initiative that could lead to repurposing or closing schools. Sun Sentinel.
Palm Beach: The mother of a pre-K student at Lighthouse Elementary in Jupiter says toxic mold at the school made her 5-year-old son sick and caused his hair to fall out. Testing ordered by the family confirmed that mold exposure was significantly higher than what’s considered safe. District officials tested the classroom three times and found no mold, and the Florida Department of Health confirmed those findings. Further evaluations will be conducted before school resumes, the district said. WPBF.
Polk: Superintendent Frederick Heid says cuts in federal and state funding for education are forcing the district to begin making contingency plans for the 2025-2026 budget. No layoffs or hiring freezes are planned right now, but he says, "Simply put, our district is being asked to do more with less — and the ones who stand to lose the most are our students. These aren’t administrative issues. These are frontline impacts that affect classrooms, teachers and essential services for our most vulnerable students." Lakeland Ledger.
Brevard: A former Bayside High School physical education teacher has been sentenced to 14-plus years in prison for having a sexual relationship with a student during the 2018-2019 school year. As part of a deal, Jason Maynor, 44, pleaded no contest last month to the charge of sexual battery. WKMG.
Lake: The district's newest school, the K-8 Minneola Horizon Academy, opens next month. It will focus on aviation, aerospace and engineering and welcome as many as 900 students on Aug. 11. WKMG.
Marion: Reading with Horses is a nonprofit's weekly program that teaches children about horses and potential jobs working with them, and then introduces the kids to the horses in the stories. "The actual character comes to bring the book to life with the kids," says Deb Garcia-Bengochea, education director at Gentle Carousel. "I don’t think there’s anything better than that." WUFT.
Escambia: After the school board's decision last week to remove 409 books books from school libraries, the district now tops all Florida counties. It replaces Clay County, which has removed 315. Pensacola News Journal. Hellen Caro Elementary School principal Amy Roby, 53, was arrested last week and charged with driving under the influence following a head-on collision. District officials say they are monitoring the investigation and will follow employee discipline protocols. WEAR. NorthEscambia.com.
Leon: School closures and staff layoffs are among the options the district could consider as it tries to eliminate a projected $12.5 million budget deficit, says Superintendent Rocky Hanna. Tallahassee Democrat. Children's Services Council will provide $2.1 million to keep an after-school program going. The school district had appealed for the funding after the federal government froze grants used for the program. Tallahassee Democrat. WTXL. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals announced Thursday it would not hear an appeal by Tallahassee parents who said the school district allowed their child to identify as a male and use preferred pronouns without their permission. News Service of Florida. How did Sabal Palm Elementary School in Tallahassee jump from a D grade to an A this year? Principal Latoyer Hankerson says she started by focusing on improving the school culture through positive reinforcement and teacher support. Tallahassee Democrat.
Alachua: Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials are recommending that three Santa Fe High School administrators be charged with child neglect and failure to report suspected child abuse. Named in the report are former principal Timothy Wright, who retired after the investigation began, current athletic director Michele Faulk and assistant principal David Rendek. Faulk and Rendek had been assigned to new schools, but are now on administrative leave while the state attorney considers filing charges over the alleged failure of the three to protect female students who reported being sexually harassed by former baseball coach Travis Yeckring. WCJB. Mainstreet Daily News.
Indian River: A new free app has been launched by the school district that will allow parents to track their child's school bus, check the lunch menu, message their child's teacher and more. WPTV. An IR Prep teacher was arrested last week and accused of battery and sexual solicitation of a minor. Deputies say Audley Hewitt, 61, sent sexually suggestive texts and inappropriately touched the 16-year-old student between 2023 and 2025. TCPalm.
Union: Newly named Florida teacher of the year Mark Harrison "has made a tremendous impact on countless students and has earned the admiration of his fellow teachers and the community," says Superintendent Michael Ripplinger. Harrison, an economics and American government teacher at Union County High School in Lake Butler, also drives a school bus every day, helps students through the debate team and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and has even voluntarily helped custodians strip floors during the summer. Harrison won $50,000 and will be the state's ambassador for education for the next year . WCJB. Daytona Beach News-Journal. WTLV. WJAX. WJXT. Florida Department of Education.
Colleges and universities: A potential class-action lawsuit over fees collected for services not provided by the University of Florida during the pandemic may continue, the Florida Supreme Court said Thursday. By a 5-2 vote, the top court overturned a decision by an appeals court that the suit should have been dismissed by a circuit judge because of sovereign immunity. The state's top court decided the issue of refunds and sovereign immunity are subject "to further litigation." News Service of Florida. Trustees at Florida State University and Florida A&M University meet this week to consider a proposed 10% hike in tuition for out-of-state students, starting this fall. WCTV.
Some federal funds released: About $1.3 billion of the $6.8 billion in federal grants to school districts that had been frozen will be released today, U.S. Education Department officials said Friday. Money for before- and after-school programs will be distributed with a new requirement that states must certify compliance with federal civil rights laws. The rest of the funds, which were approved by Congress for summer programs, teacher training, migrant student education, adult literacy and English language instruction, are still being reviewed. Twenty-four states sued the government last week for withholding the grants. Politico. Florida Phoenix. Associated Press. Education Week. Chalkbeat.
Black home-schooling growth: During the pandemic, home-schooling among black families grew from 3.3% of their households to 16.1%. But many said they found available lesson plans problematic, with a lack of inclusive, educational material that was mostly conservative, Christian and Euro-centric. So many of those families have taken it upon themselves to broaden the curriculum in favor of a culturally affirming educational environment. The Guardian.
Driver education law: One of the new laws that took effect earlier this month requires Florida teens between the ages of 15 and 18 to take a six-hour driver's education course before they can get their learner's permit. After getting the permit, teens must complete 50 hours of practice with adults 21 and older and have the permit for a year before testing for a driver's license. The course is free for most Florida students through their school district or Florida Virtual School. Tallahassee Democrat.
Help with resiliency: A new state program is offering teachers materials to help students learn about resiliency traits such as perseverance, gratitude, responsibility, decision-making, critical thinking and more. Resiliency Florida Teacher Resources is a program established by the Florida Department of Education and first lady Casey DeSantis. Florida Politics.
Opinions on schools: How can Florida have, simultaneously, so many great schools and so many failing students? John Hill, Tampa Bay Times. More than 40,000 Florida students didn't use the state scholarships they were awarded last year, and that means school choice is working because even with robust private school growth over the past decade, there still aren’t enough seats to meet demand. Peter Schorsch, Florida Politics. Regulation can protect consumers from the most unscrupulous elements of private schooling without quashing opportunities for new, good schools to take root. Ashley Jochim, Education Next. Florida has been called the "blueprint state" for censorship, but what the state has created is a blueprint for how to protect childhood innocence, uphold parental authority, and ensure our public schools remain focused on education — not ideology. Jennifer Pippin, Florida Today.
