Around the state: Alachua County School Board members must undergo free speech training and future interactions with speakers at board meetings will be monitored by the state after a speaker who criticized a board member was asked to leave a recent meeting, Florida school choice and civil rights pioneer Rev. H.K. Matthews dies at the age of 97, Polk school board member Rick Nolte dies at the age of 69, Broward's school board decides school police officers living on campus will be allowed to keep their leases, and the state's school bus driver of the year is from Martin County. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: Twenty-seven school police officers who had been told in April that they would not be able to continue to live in mobile homes on campuses have gotten a reprieve from the school board, which reversed the decision made by administrators to end the program in February. The housing program began in the 1980s as a way to deter crimes committed on campus, but its effectiveness was questioned by administrators. Sun Sentinel.
Polk: First-term District 3 school board member Rick Nolte has died at the age of 69. He had been on medical leave with an undisclosed illness and has missed every board meeting since January. His term would have ended in November 2026, and a replacement for his seat will be appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Lakeland Ledger. Lakeland Now. Spectrum News 13. WTSP. District officials have released proposed attendance zones for all high schools and will hold a series of town hall meetings to get feedback from residents about the changes. Lakeland Ledger.
Pinellas: Referrals and in- and out-of-school suspensions have increased annually since the 2022-2023 school year, and school board member Caprice Edmond wants district officials to review the discipline data and suggest improvements. Intervention centers have already been set up in middle and high schools to cut down on suspensions. Spectrum News 9.
Brevard: Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said at Wednesday's state Board of Education meeting that he believes the district teacher who used a student's chosen name without a parent's consent deserved a suspension instead of probation, saying it wasn't a harsh enough punishment for what he called an "intentional" act of defying the law. As part of a settlement with the state reached earlier this summer, the teacher, Melissa Calhoun, was fined $750, ordered to take a college-level ethics class, issued a formal letter of reprimand and placed on a one-year probation, which will begin when she starts working again as a teacher. Florida Today.
Volusia: The school district's administrative costs have gone up even as enrollment declined, according to data released by the Florida Department of Education. Between 2015 and 2024, administrative costs went up $6.5 million while enrollment dipped by more than 1,800 students. Daytona Beach News-Journal. A Mainlands High School teacher was arrested this week and accused of aggravated battery against an ex-boyfriend. Lori Coombs, 56, is accused of punching the 77-year-old man. District officials say she has been put on paid administrative leave until the charges are resolved. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Sarasota: After several hours of debate at Tuesday's meeting, school board members tabled discussions on the district's K-12 code of student conduct for the 2025-2026 school year. The code has been revised to comply to state law by using the word "all" for categories of students that need protected instead of using such groupings as race, gender and sexual orientation. Charlotte Sun. This week's meeting was the last for board chair Tim Enos, who resigned to become the chief of the school district's police force. Charlotte Sun.
Escambia: The Rev. H.K. Matthews, a civil rights icon and early supporter of educational choice who said "school choice in the civil rights issue of today," died Monday at the age of 97 at his Brewton, Ala., home. Pensacola News Journal. School district officials are using artificial intelligence programs that violate student privacy laws, the father of a Jim Allen Elementary School student is alleging in a complaint filed with the Florida Department of Education. Rafael Lopez says third-party AI programs are collecting and tracking students' data. Pensacola News Journal.
Santa Rosa: A statewide virtual K-5 charter school based in the county has notified district officials that it is closing its doors Sept. 1. Coastal Connections Academy received an F grade from the state this spring after getting a D a year ago. WEAR.
Alachua: The Florida Board of Education said Wednesday it found probable cause that the school board violated the First Amendment rights of a parent who was asked to leave a school board meeting after criticizing board member Sarah Rockwell. But instead of sanctioning the board, state officials said they will closely monitor how it handles public comments during meetings and determined that board members must undergo free speech training. A parent's objection to a dismissive social media remark by Rockwell about the death of Hulk Hogan prompted the confrontation at the meeting. Politico Florida. USA Today Florida Network. Gainesville Sun. Mainstreet Daily News. WCJB. Florida Phoenix. WJAX. School board members have approved a 1.5% increase in health insurance premiums for employees. Updated premiums are in effect for the 2026 calendar year. Mainstreet Daily News.
Martin: Evonne Eicher, who has been driving a school for the school district for the past 13 years, has been chosen as the 2024-2025 Florida school bus driver of the year. She said she doesn't think she does anything special. "If somebody needs help, I help," she said. "I just do it because it's the way I've been. No matter if it's home, work. I just do it. It's just something I do." TCPalm.
Sumter: District officials have donated two school buses to the Sumter County Youth Center so it can pick up and drop off students at after-school programs instead of relying on the district to make those trips. The donation allows the district to have added room on buses for students who do not take part in those programs. Spectrum News 13.
Certificates of completion: Certificates of completion will be phased out for students with disabilities who attend public K-12 schools, the Florida Board of Education decided Wednesday. Instead, the focus for those students will be to find alternative paths to earning high school diplomas. Critics of the move worry that the change will make it harder for affected students to find a job. Central Florida Public Media.
Opinions on schools: How fortunate the education freedom movement was to have the blessing and involvement of the Rev. H.K. Matthews, and how fortunate the state of Florida was to have his tireless efforts fighting for civil rights. John Kirtley, NextSteps. The state’s new education commissioner, Anastasios Kamoutsas, has managed to cheapen the quality of Florida’s political environment even further by picking fights over side issues that have more to do with dividing Floridians than with teaching our kids how to read and write. When did this become an acceptable leadership style? John Hill, Tampa Bay Times. To elevate math education statewide, Florida must incentivize math endorsements for teachers, invest in math coaching and establish a statewide math infrastructure. Zandra de Araujo, Tampa Bay Times. There is only one strategy that will make any difference for the mathematical future of Florida’s K-12 students. We must attract more individuals with strong math skills to the teaching profession, and we must do what it takes to keep them there. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow.
