Around the state: University of Florida trustees approve a 10% increase in out-of-state tuition rates and Florida State University is expected to follow, all books targeted by the state as "pornographic" have been removed from Pinellas and Pasco school libraries, several districts around the state meet to decide how to cut projected budget deficits, and the state Department of Education orders the FHSAA to review its "antiquated" rules after a Miami-Dade school suspended its volunteer football coach for paying some expenses for players. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: Ten days after Miami Northwestern High School suspended volunteer football coach Teddy Bridgewater after he acknowledged paying some routine expenses for his players, the Florida Department of Education has ordered the Florida High School Athletics Association to review its policies and "ensure a common sense approach to support student athletes and families ..." Bridgewater's suspension was widely criticized as too harsh, including by DOE Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas. In a letter to the FHSAA, he wrote: "I believe many of the FHSAA's policies may be antiquated and out of step with the current landscape of school choice in Florida." USA Today Florida Network.
Palm Beach: Former Boynton Beach city commissioner and college professor Christina Romelus has announced her candidacy for the District 4 seat on the school board. Current seat-holder Erica Whitfield is leaving the board to run for the Palm Beach County Commission. Romelus, 37, now the CEO of the leadership training firm PolitCALM, is the first announced candidate to replace Whitfield. Florida Politics.
Pinellas, Pasco: School officials in Pinellas and Pasco agreed this week to remove all the books from school libraries that the state calls "pornographic," citing Hillsborough's experience. In June, the Board of Education ordered Hillsborough officials to get rid of the books within two weeks or face punishment. "The state board was very, very clear with their concerns," said Pasco superintendent John Legg. "They sent a signal to the whole state." Tampa Bay Times. Pinellas district officials are holding a public forum today to explain the potential impact of a federal funding freeze and the system's projected budget cuts. "It's important for the public at large to see how these cuts are affecting their schools," said board member Katie Blaxberg. Axios. WUSF.
Escambia: An appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling in favor of the school board over a student's death at Sherwood Elementary School in 2017. Audi Anderson, 4, died days after he asphyxiated on food while eating lunch. His parents sued the district in 2019, alleging negligence. A circuit judge ruled in the school board's favor, saying the parents didn't give the state-required pre-suit notice of the claim" and then dismissed the suit because the statute of limitations had passed. Pensacola News Journal.
Santa Rosa: Anyone who wants to speak at a future school board meeting is now required to submit a speaker form before the meeting, school board members decided this week. Previously, residents who wanted to speak but didn't submit the form could comment at the end of the public forum period. Pensacola News Journal.
Alachua: School board members meet today to discuss the district's 2025-2026 budget. A $6 million-plus budget deficit has been forecast. WCJB.
Bay: Citing improvements in district schools, officials have announced that the Master Teacher Program will be in just two schools this year, down from seven last year. Oscar Patterson Elementary Magnet School and Cedar Grove Elementary School, which improved their school grades to escape the state turnaround program, will be the only schools to retain experienced teachers who mentor their colleagues as a way to improve teacher quality and student performance. "We wanted to give them an extra year of support to maintain that status," said a district spokesperson. WMBB.
Charlotte: School board members meet today to discuss how to deal with a projected $9.5 million deficit for the 2025-2026 school year budget of $555 million. Among the possible moves the district could make are streamlining departments, removing degree supplements for administrators, limiting out-of-county travel, and instituting a hiring freeze. Charlotte Sun.
Flagler: All school district's departments have been ordered to cut their budgets for next year by 4%. School officials are trying to offset the $800,000 in federal grants money that was frozen and the projected loss of millions because of an anticipated increase in the number of district students using state scholarships to leave the public system. Flagler Live.
Highlands: Superintendent Brenda Longshore is now proposing cutting 76.5 positions from next year's budget, which would reduce the number of jobs in the district from 1,773.1 to 1,696.6, as a way to deal with a projected budget deficit of $1.7 million. Eighteen teacher's jobs would be eliminated, along with 23 school support jobs and three administrative positions. Highlands News-Sun.
Colleges and universities: Out-of-state tuition costs are going up 10% starting this fall, University of Florida trustees decided Wednesday. It's the first time in 10 years that the rates have been increased. School officials say they face a potential $130 million budget deficit. Trustees also said they plan to begin a search for an interim president soon, as Kent Fuchs' contract expires July 31. Gainesville Sun. Independent Florida Alligator. News Service of Florida. Florida Phoenix. Mainstreet Daily News. Florida State University trustees are expected to vote today on a proposal to raise out-of-state tuition by 10% for this fall's incoming students. Florida A&M University decided not to pursue an increase. Tallahassee Democrat. WTXL. The University of Miami is under state investigation for giving scholarships to undocumented students through the school's dreamers program. Florida Phoenix.
Opinions on schools: Politicians in Florida spend way more time trying to restrict reading than encouraging it. Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel. We are close to a time (if we haven’t reached it yet) where we can consider every family in Florida to be a choice family. There are still gaps in information where some families might not realize that they are eligible for choice programs or areas where choices are constrained, but those deficits are closing and our mindset needs to change as that happens. Michael Q. McShane, EdChoice. Fiscal conservatives pride themselves on demanding receipts, progressives on demanding equity. Without national metrics, both lose their yardstick, and students lose most of all. Jason Godfrey, The 74.
