Around the state: School districts across the state continue to struggle with spending cuts and the impact they're having on budgets, an Okaloosa County charter high school is adopting a 4.5-day school week, Martin's school district will receive $500,000 through the just-signed budget to help rebuild a school damaged by tornadoes during Hurricane Helene last October, and a first-ever welding camp is drawing interest in Pinellas County. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade, Broward: Law enforcement and school officials in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are reminding drivers that many schools are open this summer and that speed-detection cameras will continue to issue tickets. In Miami-Dade, summer school continues through July 25, and the next school year begins Aug. 14. In Broward, many schools are open through July 17, and Aug. 11 is the first day of school in the fall. Miami Herald.
Orange: An unexpected Trump administration freeze on federal grants to school districts for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more leaves Orange schools without $14 million officials expected to begin handing out last week. The money had been appropriated by Congress. Spokesman Michael Ollendorff said the district was "closely monitoring" the situation, which could "significantly impact funding for critical student services." Orlando Sentinel.
Pinellas: The school district's first ever welding camp is the latest attraction to the summer program at Pinellas Technical College as more students consider alternatives to college. About a dozen students say they are taking the welding class because they like the idea of working with their hands in a creative way, getting into a well-paying profession without piling up student loan debt and because, as 10th-grader Alex Caswell put it, "You get to experience putting two pieces of metal together by molten metal." Tampa Bay Times.
Brevard: An English and TV production teacher at Heritage High School in Palm Bay has been fined and sanctioned by the Florida Department of Education for making sexual remarks to a 10th-grade student between 2021 and 2023, and then retaliating against her after she reported him. Gregory Okretich was placed on probation, fined $750 plus $150 a year for probation monitoring, and ordered to complete an ethics course. District officials said Okretich's contract was not renewed. Florida Today. WESH. Space Coast Rocket.
Volusia: Tim Huth, a teacher, coach, principal and deputy superintendent in the district school system for 36 years, has died at the age of 74. Mainland High School. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Marion: A six-member jury decided last week to acquit a former private school principal who had been charged with child abuse without great bodily harm. Destiny Leadership Academy principal Dontay Akeem Prophet had been accused of hitting and restraining a 10-year-old student for refusing to write an essay. Ocala Star-Banner.
Clay: District officials have taken steps to erase a $10 million budget deficit. Superintendent David Broskie said several administrators have been reassigned to teaching positions and some programs were eliminated or reconfigured. "We are still focusing on prioritizing students in the classroom, minimizing the impact on our employees and not eliminating any programs that our students benefit from," he said. "My hope is that you don't see anything. That’s the whole idea." Clay Today.
Okaloosa: After a Destin High School proposal for a four-day school week was rejected by the Florida Board of Education, the school and the state agreed on a 4.5-days-a-week schedule starting in August. The charter school hours will be 8 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Fridays, students will attend classes from 8 a.m. until 11:55 a.m. Principal Diane Kelley said the agreement will allow students to do internships without missing school. "It’s going to be good for our kids," she said. Destin Log.
Santa Rosa: District officials launched a new app June 1 to help parents get news and alerts about the district and their schools, access staff e-mail addresses, see meal menus and more. On Aug. 4, an update will be released that will allow parents to message teachers directly. Pensacola News Journal.
Martin: Florida's just-signed budget includes $500,000 to help rebuild a Stuart middle school that was damaged by tornadoes during Hurricane Helene last October. Three buildings at Murray Middle School were destroyed. They will be rebuilt at a cost of $2.65 million with the state funds and insurance. WPBF.
Monroe: School board members recently approved an upgrade to the Founders Park baseball field in Islamorada. The project includes replacing the grass field with artificial turf, and building a press box, concession facility, elevated aluminum grandstands with covering, dugouts, locker rooms and storage. The project is estimated to cost $6.1 million, and will also have to be approved by Village of Islamorada officials. Florida Keys Weekly.
Colleges and universities: Florida's Board of Governors is expected to decide at Friday's meeting whether to join five other southern states in creating a new college accreditation organization. The Commission for Public Higher Education would compete with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to determine if schools should be accredited. News Service of Florida. Hillsborough Community College is rebranding by dropping the community from its name. New signs and digital marketing efforts will start popping up in January in the $5 million initiative. Tampa Bay Times. New College will build a contemplation and education center with a $2.5 million donation from the DSF Charitable Foundation led by David and Sara Scaife. Tampa Bay Business & Wealth.
Around the nation: The U.S. House approved President Trump's tax cut and budget bill Thursday, and Trump signed it Friday. It creates the first national school choice tax credit program, ends the pause on college student loan repayments and caps the amount students can borrow for graduate and professional schools, among other things. Politico. Chalkbeat. The U.S. Supreme Court will review two cases next fall to decide whether it's lawful for states to ban transgender females from competing on school sports teams for girls. Politico.
Opinions on schools: Thousands of state 8th-graders were unnecessarily double-tested on a state standardized math exam this spring, and the state is using that data to draw the incorrect conclusion that 67% of those students passed the test, a result that affects districts’ FLDOE-assigned letter school grades. I can only conclude that these students were double-tested in order to inflate their districts’ grades. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow. Orlando gave birth to something extraordinary in 2012 when Evans High School, Children’s Home Society of Florida and the University of Central Florida pioneered the state’s first Community Partnership School. The concept is elegantly simple yet powerfully effective: transform traditional schools into comprehensive support hubs where education, health care, nutrition and family services converge in one accessible location. Andry Sweet, Orlando Sentinel.
