Around the state: Contract negotiations move forward in Duval, discussion about new schools in St. Johns, state officials are set to remove the vaccine mandate and non-lethal drones could be used in schools. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Duval: The School Board in this county has officially given officials the green light to move ahead with contract negotiations surrounding the relocation of the district's headquarters. During a meeting on Tuesday night, the school board voted 6-1 to allow DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier to proceed with negotiations. A local nonprofit has a $20 million offer on the table to buy the current riverfront property that houses the headquarters. Board members are scheduled to vote on the headquarters sale during their Oct. 7 regular meeting. The School Board must approval all major decisions regarding real estate. News4Jax. Meanwhile, a nonprofit organization offering Bible classes to students sparked a debate during the meeting. The superintendent and school board chair both confirmed that the school district does not have a partnership with LifeWise, the nonprofit that will offer Bible classes to students. Parents have the right to allow their children to take part in the off-campus classes because of a state law. First Coast News.
St. Johns: The school district here held the first of two town halls Tuesday to address updating attendance zones to accommodate two new K–8 schools set to open in the 2026–27 school year. During the town halls, the district is bringing together School Board members, staff and the public to answer questions and hear feedback. The schools are currently under construction, and the district needs the new schools to keep up with the county’s rapid growth. News4Jax.
Escambia: The second highest number of school shootings in the nation's history was in 2024, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. Now, the company Campus Guardian Angel is targeting the threat with non-lethal drones for schools. The program is taking flight in Florida. The drones will not replace physical officers and are designed to take down active threats in schools. WEAR.
Alachua: The School Board in this county unanimously approved the second reading of several policy amendments on Tuesday, which included discussions on the use of personally owned wireless communication devices by students. During Tuesday’s regular meeting, the policy that arguably drew the most discussion amongst the board was regarding student use of WCDs. “This amendment aligns with House Bill 1105, which amends Florida Statue 1006.07 and sets forth the prohibitions for student’s use of personally owned wireless communication devices – or WCDs – for elementary, middle and high school students,” Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Deborah Terry said. Main Street Daily News.
Indian River: Schools in this county are not seeing a significant decline in student enrollment. The total enrollment for the district is down just 1.2% from the previous year. The official count for this school year is 14,073 students — down 174 kids from September of last year. WPEC.
Vaccine mandates: Florida is set to end all state vaccine mandates, state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced during a news conference on Wednesday. The state for decades required vaccines for kids attending school, including shots that protect against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chickenpox and Hepatitis B. The state Health Department, Ladapo said, can scrap its own rules for some vaccine mandates, but others would require action by the Florida Legislature. Miami Herald. WFLX. CBS Miami. ABC News.
AI success: Florida Virtual School joined the University of Florida and the Concord Consortium to launch a pilot course called AI in Math this summer. The goal is to introduce middle and high school students to AI concepts using interactive lessons. Tampa Bay Times.
Opinions on schools: The school board’s decision to close six schools didn’t buy Hillsborough another five years to confront its glut of empty classrooms. It didn’t even buy three. In fact, in 2024, the first year the full closure plan took effect, Hillsborough had the same number of schools (83) operating at or below 70% capacity as it did in 2022, when discussions about closings first got underway. John Hill, Tampa Bay Times.
