Around the state: The Duval School Board is voting on negotiating contracts to sell its current headquarters, interim president begins at University of Florida, enrollment drops continue in some counties and students adjust to phone restrictions at school. 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 is set to vote on negotiating contracts to sell its current headquarters on Jacksonville's Southbank and purchase a newer building. Voting yes would authorize Superintendent Christopher Bernier to negotiate final contracts for both transactions. More votes would still be needed to complete the deals. The board is expected to act on Oct. 7 to formally approve or reject a $20 million offer from the nonprofit Fleet Landing retirement community to buy the current headquarters for a new development, the school district said in a Sept. 1 message posted on its website. The Florida Times-Union. Yahoo News.
Volusia: Teens in this county can now take a new online driver's education course to meet a recent state law requiring completing a course before getting a learner's permit. The law requires teens 15-17 to complete a driver's education course before obtaining a permit. It is part of a larger effort to lower teen crash rates. "... The better that we can educate our young drivers, the safer our roads will be,” said Florida Safety Council Executive Director Christopher Earl. WFTV.
Enrollment drop: Schools in Tampa Bay are seeing fewer students in their classrooms than last year, according to preliminary 10-day counts from the districts. A drop in enrollment was expected, but some experienced a larger decline than anticipated, which could be detrimental for school budgets. Various reasons have contributed to the decline of enrollment nationwide, which include falling birth rates and education options outside of public school. In Pinellas, for example, the school district saw its student population decline from 77,854 to 74,203. Lee Bryant, president of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, said "We're actually having more of a student loss than we anticipated, which means we'll have even less money coming into the county. The less money we have, the harder it is to keep our teachers employed." WUSF.
Phones in schools: As students headed back to school in the past few weeks, some are without a particular item: their cell phones. More states than ever are banning students from using the devices during school hours. Some hope students will see the long-term benefits, while others don't agree with the idea of a ban. WUSF.
Colleges and universities: Donald Landry, a former Columbia professor, is set to serve as interim president of the University of Florida. UF's Board of Trustees tapped Landry as the new interim leader starting Sept. 1 after a year of leadership at Florida's top-ranking public university being up in the air. Before the university's trustees, Landry reinforced that his goal as UF president would be to establish neutrality, meaning that the university would only weigh in on issues when it affects the "central core interest of the university." NWF Daily News. WCJB. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Opinions on schools: The COVID crisis catapulted peripheral educational trends into the mainstream, not only creating the opportunity for new schools and spaces to emerge but, more importantly, permanently altering the way parents, teachers, and kids think about schooling and learning. The pre‑pandemic tilt toward homeschooling and microschooling has converged with five post‑pandemic trends that are profoundly reshaping American education for families and founders. Kerry McDonald, the 74th. Florida does not have a cap on charter schools. Rather than treating highly successful schools specializing in educating disadvantaged students as a public menace, Florida is rolling out the red carpet for highly effective school models. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps.
