Around the state: Florida's attorney general files a friend of the court brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision barring the broadcast of a prayer at a football game, Florida's PTA and others join a national lawsuit over the freezing of funds for school districts, the state's DOGE announces it will begin auditing local government agencies, Miami-Dade and Sarasota school boards discuss diversity policy changes, and a K-8 charter school in Palm Beach County announces it won't reopen next month. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: Changing the name of the school district's diversity committee will be discussed at today's school board meeting. The proposal would rename the Diversity, Equity and Excellence Advisory Committee to the "Educational Opportunity and Access Advisory Committee," which it says "better reflects the committee's purpose and responsibilities" and aligns with Florida law. Its mission of eliminating disparities and educational barriers among students would remain the same. A final vote is expected in September. Axios. District officials got a demonstration Tuesday of how drones might be deployed to deal with a school shooter. A Texas company said the armed drones can be in the air within seconds of a silent alarm being triggered. Legislators allocated $557,000 for a pilot program in three districts. WFOR.
Broward: Universal free lunches are ending in the district, and this week the school board voted to give $500 to every school to help students who had relied on the meals. The money won't go very far, board members acknowledge, but they hope it will encourage parents to complete the federal paperwork required to determine eligibility for free meals. Sun Sentinel. WLRN. WTVJ.
Palm Beach: A K-8 public charter school in West Palm Beach recently announced it won't reopen next month, leaving 170 students scrambling to find a new school. Florida Charter School Alliance says University Preparatory Academy in West Palm Beach is closing because it has received state school grades below C in each of the past three years. WPEC. School board chair Karen Brill is running for re-election in 2026, she has announced. Brill first won the District 3 race in 2010, and is the only declared candidate so far. If she draws an opponent, the primary is Aug. 18, 2026. Florida Politics.
Sarasota: School board members agreed Tuesday to change the district's anti-discrimination policy so it would align with state law. The change, which drew protests from parents and students, removes references to race, gender, sexual orientation and disabilities and instead offers protections against harassment and bullying for "all" students. The vote still has to be finalized. WTVT. Multiple students and teachers over the past decade at Garden Elementary School in Venice say they have shown symptoms of respiratory problems that are caused by exposure to mold, and have pushed the school district to address the problem. The district is being accused of taking too long to address the problem and then, when it did, not properly fixing it. Charlotte Sun.
Bay: Several school board members said Tuesday that Superintendent Mark McQueen was too lenient when he decided to suspend Bay High School principal Blythe Carpenter for five days for a breach of ethics. An investigation disclosed that Carpenter used a school golf cart for a year and used $2,600 of the district's money to repaint it. "I can just say that I absolutely disagree with the lack of 'Putting the A in Bay' of accountability on this one," said board member Chris Moore. "I really feel we’ve done a disservice to the district, and to Bay High School. WMBB.
Flagler: A request from the Volusia Flagler YMCA for a $3 million contribution to help build a New YMCA in Palm Coast got a frosty reaction from school board members. The district is already in a financial bind of its own, and the board expressed more interest in future access for students and employees once the Y is built than in giving money for construction. Flagler Live.
Colleges and universities: Four schools in the state's higher education system have been removed from the watch list after maintaining or improving their scores in the annual assessment of performance: The University of Central Florida, Florida A&M University, University of North Florida and Florida Polytechnic University. Lakeland Ledger.
Coming soon, audits: Gov. Ron DeSantis says onsite audits will soon be conducted on county and city governments, and perhaps school districts, by the state's new Department of Governmental Efficiency. Targeted are agencies that reportedly failed to turn over financial information requested by DOGE and have been accused of wasteful spending. First up are the Broward County and city of Gainesville, which the governor says have Green New Deal and diversity, and equity and inclusion policies. Politico Florida. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Sun Sentinel. USA Today Florida Network. Gainesville Sun. News Service of Florida. WUFT.
State backs prayer case: Florida is joining 17 other Republican-led states in filing a friend of the court brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a case of a Tampa Christian school that was banned by the Florida High School Athletic Association from broadcasting a prayer over the stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 football game. Florida Phoenix. Florida Politics.
Suit over frozen funds: School districts, teachers unions, the Florida PTA and other organizations have joined a nationwide lawsuit filed in Rhode Island against the U.S. Department of Education for freezing $6.8 billion in funds for schools that had been approved by Congress. About $1.3 billion was released Monday for before- and after-school programs. WTXL. WFTS.
School social media status: A law signed last year that would ban anyone under 16 from using social media platforms, except for 14- and 15-year-olds who have parental permission, won't be enforced when schools reopen next month until court cases challenging it are resolved. Schools start Aug. 11 in most districts. USA Today Florida Network.
Opinions on schools: Florida is the only state I'm aware of that has taken four key steps to support teachers who want to start their own schools. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. Florida can make its already thriving dual enrollment program even better by simplifying how courses are funded and expanding guidance and awareness of dual enrollment and its benefits. Braulio Colo, Tallahassee Democrat. Community partnership schools are strategic investments in the lives of students, but also in raising the workforce of the future — a workforce that is skilled, empowered and ready to give back to the community that built the stepping stones to their success. Isaac Henderson, Tampa Bay Times.
