Around the state: An appeals court panel rules that the state law banning a teacher’s use of preferred pronouns did not violate her First Amendment rights, St. Johns teachers will get raises ranging from $4,500 to $8,888 thanks to a property tax hike approved by voters last November, Hendry’s superintendent said the district might have to lay off workers if the state approves FPL’s rate hike request, and a Seminole County police officer is named the state’s school resource officer of the year. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: The Trump administration’s surprise decision to freeze $6.8 billion in federal funds that were supposed to be released to school districts Tuesday leaves the Miami-Dade district without $45 million it was counting on for migrant education, teacher development, English-language instruction and other services for high-need populations. “We pray that (the frozen funds) do not become permanent, which could result in catastrophic learning and life consequences for children and families across Miami-Dade,” said school board member Steve Gallon. Miami Herald. WPLG.
Broward: A physical education teacher at Westchester Elementary School in Coral Springs has been arrested and accused of possessing child pornography. Police said Craig Rogers, 60, posted images of clothed students from his office at the school on the social media platform KiK, and referred to himself as the “pervert teacher” in chat group messages. District officials said Rogers had been reassigned out of the classroom after his arrest in April on a charge of stalking. WPLG. WSVN. WFOR. WTVJ.
Hillsborough: A state law banning a district teacher from using her preferred pronouns in the classroom has been upheld by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Katie Wood, a transgender math teacher at Lennard High School in Ruskin, claimed in the suit that not allowing the use of preferred pronouns was a First Amendment violation. She won an injunction in a district court, but two of the three appeals judges vacated it by ruling that Wood was acting in her duties as a government employee paid to speak on behalf of that government, and not as a private citizen, and therefore has no First Amendment right to indicate her preferred pronouns. News Service of Florida. Florida Phoenix. Education Week.
Polk: A 5th-grader at Sandhill Elementary School suffered traumatic injuries just before the end of the school year when another student threw a metal drink container that struck him on the head, leaving the boy with a skull fracture, an epidural hematoma and a shift of his brain by about 5 centimeters due to intracranial pressure. The attacker was arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. During the past school year, the district reported 43 arrests of students on campuses, up from five in the previous year, and a year-over-year increase of 36.4% in reports for assault/threat/intimidation and 80.9% for fighting with injury/intervention. Lakeland Ledger.
Seminole: A veteran Oviedo Police Department officer has been chosen as the Florida school resource officer of the year by the Florida Association of School Resource Officers. Ashley Pierce has been an SRO for 16 years, and is assigned to Lawton Chiles Middle School. WFTV.
Volusia: Free meals will continue for all students during the 2025-2026 school year because of the district again qualifies to benefit from the Community Eligibility Provision within the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The designation also means families will not be required to submit income applications for free and reduced-price meals. WFTV.
St. Johns: District officials and the union representing teachers have reached an agreement on how much money from a voter-approved property tax in November will go toward higher salaries beginning in the next school year. Teachers with 0-5 years of experience will receive $4,500 more, while 6- to 10-year teachers will get $5,555, 11- to 15-year teachers $6,666, 16- to 20-year teachers $7,777, and teachers with 21-plus years will receive an additional $8,888. Non-instructional employees get $6,516. WJAX.
Escambia: A newly approved state law will require electrocardiogram tests for all high school student-athletes for the 2026-2027 academic year, something the Escambia school district has already been doing on request for the past four years. Every year, on the first Saturday of June, the district offers the free ECGs. WEAR.
Hendry: School Superintendent Mike Swindle said if a proposed Florida Power & Light rate hike is approved, the district may have to lay off employees. FPL is proposing an increase in rates over four years that would add $211,000 a year for the school district. “The only way we can meet that is by cutting positions, and what that equates to is three and half teaching positions,” said Swindle. The Public Service Commission will consider FPL’s request later this year. WFTX.
Colleges and universities: The just-signed state budget includes $128 million in new funds for Florida State University, $65.5 million for Florida A&M and about $44 million for Tallahassee State College. Newly named FAMU President Marva Johnson said its funding “is nearly double what we took home from last year’s legislative budget request.” Tallahassee Democrat. WCTV.
Around the nation: Within the Trump administration’s budget bill that was approved by the Senate and is expected to get a vote in the House today is a tax credit voucher program that would direct federal funds to private school school tuition. Here’s a look at how the program would work. Education Week.
Opinions on schools: Gov. Ron DeSantis wants Floridians to vote to cut their property taxes, but he doesn’t want them to know what will happen if they do. That’s the only fair interpretation of the governor’s decision to veto a $1 million study that would examine Florida’s property tax structure and predict the impact to local schools and governments if they suddenly had to make up a big revenue shortfall. Orlando Sentinel. My physics department is not being punished for anything it’s done wrong as federal grant support declines, nor is Florida State University. What we are experiencing is the result of a fundamental change in the value that our national leaders place on basic scientific research. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow. School choice upends the longstanding relationship between a guaranteed school funding based on geographic assignment and a brick-and-mortar education delivery model. Flipping that script introduces uncertainty and trepidation, emotions that are easy to capitalize on in statewide political campaigns. Patricia Levesque, Education Next.
