Around the state: The Trump administration announces the release of $5.5 billion in grants for schools that had been frozen, Florida schools miss out on $200 million a year in Medicaid funding for mental health services, Florida State University joins the University of Florida in boosting tuition rates 10% for out-of-state students, and DeSoto school officials contract with a developer to build affordable housing for district employees. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: School officials are exploring the possibility of leasing district-owned property to Barry University to start a private K-12 school. The proposal allows for the possibility that the deal could expand beyond the lease to include joint programs that "benefit both high school and university students." Miami Herald. Miami city commissioners have authorized the city manager to begin negotiations to sell the historic Olympia Theater to the Sports Leadership and Management charter school company for $10. SLAM has promised to spend up to $50 million to restore the theater and continue to use it as a venue for entertainment and school activities. WLRN. WFOR. G. Holmes Braddock, a member of the school board from 1962 to 2000, died last week at the age of 100. He helped lead the district through desegregation and a three-week teachers’ strike during the 1969-1970 school year. Miami Herald. Florida Politics.
Broward: Superintendent Howard Hepburn says the district will move ahead with school closures even after receiving its second straight A grade from the state. An enrollment decline of more than 8,000 is projected for this year, and almost 60 schools are expected to be under 70% capacity in the fall, the level at which schools are considered under-enrolled. Hepburn also outlined changes for the coming school year in the district, including new schools, the addition of armed guardians in schools and more. Sun Sentinel. WSVN. WPLG. WFOR. WTVJ. Tuesday, school board members will consider a change in the cell phone policy that would allow students to use their phones at lunch. Current policy prohibits students from using their phones from the morning bell until dismissal. Sun Sentinel.
Duval: The former vice president of the Duval teachers union will plead guilty of fraud at a court hearing Aug. 4, prosecutors say. Ruby George and her codefendant, union president Teresa Brady, are accused of stealing $1.2 million by cashing in unearned leave time. Jacksonville Today. Dozens of documents containing personal student information, including disciplinary action, were found strewn across a northwest Jacksonville roadway last week. District officials say they are investigating how it happened. WJXT.
Leon: The school district will pull in an extra $10 million during the coming school year because of more property tax revenue, but Superintendent Rocky Hanna says it still faces a $17 million budget decrease to $649 million from $666 million a year ago. "We're doing the best we can to manage and to keep people employed this year. We had to reassign some folks because of the freeze on the federal grants but we haven't had to release anyone," Hanna said. Tallahassee Democrat.
Alachua: A $585.1 million budget was tentatively approved last week by school board members. If no changes are made, the budget for this fiscal year would be $27.6 million less than last year's. A public hearing is scheduled Thursday. Mainstreet Daily News. School board member Sarah Rockwell is being criticized for a Facebook post made after professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died. "Oh did Hulk die? I didn’t even know. Good," she wrote. "One less MAGA in the world." She later apologized and said it was a "cruel and flippant comment" and that she "never have and never will wish harm on anyone regardless of whether we share political views." WCJB.
Bay: Two teachers who were arrested this summer have been suspended without pay. Sean Patrick Watson Jr., 34, who works at Rutherford High, was arrested July 15 and accused of having sex with a minor. Summer Chester, 40, a teacher at Surfside Middle, was arrested and accused of assault after a fight in a bar. Panama City News Herald.
Citrus: County commissioners are proposing that impact fees, which help the school district keep up with growth, be increased by 65%. The last time the impact fee for schools was changed was in 2021 when it was set at $7,949 for a single-family home, with $2,059 going to schools. This proposal would increase the total for that same home to $13,109, with $5,296 going to schools. Commissioners have scheduled a public workshop Tuesday to discuss the proposal. Citrus County Chronicle.
Flagler: A school board member's challenge of proposed restrictions against her business was supported last week by the Florida Ethics Commission. A commission staff attorney had recommended that District 5 board member Lauren Ramirez's business, Salus Medical Training, which provides CPR training, medical camps, phlebotomy certifications, babysitting certifications and and more for both youths and adults, not be permitted to enroll district students in any courses, or hire district employees. Flagler Live.
Putnam: Putnam Classical Academy private school in Palatka will add a 6th grade when schools open Aug. 18. The school opened in 2023 for kindergarten and 1st-grade students. It added grades 2, 3, 4 and 5 in 2024. Between the Little Sprouts Learning Center preschool and the K-6 grades, Putnam Classical now has 318 students, but more are expected to enroll before the first day of classes. Palatka Daily News.
Sumter: A state investigation has found that an employee of the Villages Charger School altered a letter the Florida Department of Education sent to the school about the amount of a workforce education grant. Superintendent Logan Brown said the district's practice of "altering award letters for informational purposes" has been permanently ended. WFTV.
DeSoto: School board members have agreed to work with a developer to build low-cost housing for educators on property owned by the district. Up to 80 apartments would be built on a 6-acre parcel of land owned by the school district near Nocatee Elementary School, about five miles south of Arcadia. Rents would range from $750 to $1,400 a month, including utilities, and the apartments would be set aside for teachers and other district employees who make between 60% and 80% of the area's median income. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Colleges and universities: Florida State University trustees raised tuition rates by 10% for out-of-state students. WCTV. The U.S. Department of Education has received a complaint targeting an FSU program that awards 32 scholarships that donors prefer be directed to black students. Florida Phoenix. As the Trump administration pushes states to top offering in-state tuition to undocumented students, University of West Florida trustees decided last week to no longer offer those students in-state tuition and fees. Politico. Pensacola News Journal. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week that would limit colleges from steering money to high-profile sports like football and basketball at the expense of other sports. Politico.
Rest of federal funds unfrozen: The Trump administration announced Friday that it was releasing to schools the remaining $5.5 billion it had frozen July 1 to review whether the use of the funds aligned with White House priorities. A week before, the administration had unfrozen about $1.3 billion that had been approved by Congress for before- and after-school programs. The rest of the money was targeted for teacher training, adult literacy, English language instruction and other programs. Politico. Associated Press. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Phoenix. Axios. WUSF. Florida Politics. The 74. Education Week. Chalkbeat.
Missing mental health services: Advocates of mental health services for students say the state has missed out on about $200 million a year in Medicaid funding to support children’s mental health counseling, physical therapy and more. Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times.
New teacher standard: Teachers who work with struggling readers are now required to have a "reading endorsement or a micro-credential," says state Rep. Dana Trabulsy, R-Fort Pierce. The change was approved by the Legislature to boost student reading scores, which declined last year. WCTV.
Opinions on schools: When parents concoct reasons to put their unvaccinated child in school, they’re making reckless health decisions that affect other people’s children, not just their own. Frank Cerabino, Palm Beach Post. Reforming a school district's health-care plan can significantly improve potential budget deficits. In Osceola, we hired a benefits adviser who works on a transparent fee and does not receive cuts or kickbacks, and we created an in-house health center to focus on preventative care. Osceola Superintendent Mark Shanoff, Orlando Sentinel. Public school districts with budget issues might consider addressing them by offering "a la carte" courses to scholarship recipients, leasing surplus classrooms to private providers, and fostering a robust K-12 ecosystem. William Mattox, Florida Politics.
