Around the state: A bill is filed for the legislative session that would allow high school and college students in work-study programs and internships to voluntarily accept less than the minimum wage, a Pasco County teacher is arrested and accused of strangling her autistic 6-year-old son, discipline proceedings move forward against teachers in several districts, and a study of a large Florida school district suggests school cell phone bans have modestly helped raise academic performance. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: A Belen Jesuit Preparatory School student was Baker-Acted after showing a classmate a gun during a Facetime call last week. It showed the boy with the gun, which he said he took from his grandfather, and in a voice memo said, "Tomorrow it is going down." Miami Herald.
Hillsborough: Parents began scrambling Monday to find new schools for their children after a judge ruled Friday that the Walton Academy for the Performing Arts charter school had to close immediately because of security concerns. District officials are providing assistance to parents. WFLA.
Orange: Cornerstone Charter Academy in Belle Isle has announced a $45 million expansion project to boost capacity to 2,500 students at the pre-K through 12th-grade school. A biomedical science academy opened in August, and a $10 million elementary school is expected to open after Thanksgiving. Also in the works is a student services center and a gymnasium. WFTV.
Polk: A teacher who used racially charged language when singing a birthday song to a student has been reprimanded but will not lose her job, district officials have announced. The Floral Avenue Elementary teacher meant no harm and did not target the student, the district determined. The student's family has announced it intends to file a lawsuit. WTSP.
Pasco: A graduation enhancement teacher at the West Pasco Education Academy in Hudson has been arrested and accused of murdering her autistic 6-year-old son. Deputies said Justine Mroz, 40, called the sheriff's office Sunday morning to report the death of her son Elliott Perez. She told deputies he began banging his head on the floor and hitting himself, then attacked her when she tried to restrain him. She said she "snapped" and strangled him, then tried to kill herself. WFLA. WTSP. WTVT. Tampa Bay Times.
Brevard: Grief counselors are available at Odyssey Charter Jr./Sr. High School in Palm Bay after a janitor died last weekend while kayaking. Edgar Almeida was 64. In a note to parents, school officials wrote, "Mr. Edgar’s kindness and care touched everyone, and he will be greatly missed by all our students and staff. Mr. Edgar quickly became part of the fabric of our Odyssey community and made us all feel at home." WKMG.
Marion: The potential merger of Madison Street Academy of Visual and Performing Arts with Fordham Early Learning Academy is drawing criticism from Madison parents. Merging the schools was one of four options presented at a recent school board meeting as a way to better use facilities. Parents pointed to potential traffic problems, and a town hall meeting between parents and district officials will be held Monday. WCJB.
Sarasota: Superintendent Terry Connor said the state's Schools of Hope program that allows charter school companies to use vacant space in district schools is a "major concern for a school district like ours, (which) is a high-performing school district and provides so many educational options within the county. I don't see that the Hope operators are really going to provide anything more than what we're providing here as part of our educational portfolio." WUSF.
Clay: A chorus and drama teacher at Lake Asbury Junior High School faces disciplinary action from the state for making what Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas calls "inappropriate and disturbing" social media posts. Evan Gould wrote that he hopes "the unvaccinated die quickly." The Florida Department of Education has found probable cause to sanction Gould's educator certificate, which is valid through June 20, 2031. Gould can request a formal hearing before an administrative law judge. Florida's Voice.
Escambia: A custodian at Blue Angels Elementary School in Pensacola has been arrested and accused of trying to lure a child for sex. District officials said Chad Wren, 56, resigned Monday. WEAR.
Okaloosa: Enrollment has declined by 452 students this year, district officials have reported, and about half the decline is in school kindergartens. That dip, which district officials attribute to state scholarships, has left the district with a $4 million budget deficit. Get the Coast.
Leon: A dispute between the school board and the city of Tallahassee about $2.3 million in unpaid fire fees is over after the city chose not to pursue legal action. Four years ago, the board stopped paying the fee on the advice of its lawyer. In February, the city pressed the school board for the balance. After the board refused, City Manager Reese Goad said, "the next step would be to pursue legal action if that was the decision, but the city attorney's office has not done that." Tallahassee Democrat.
Alachua: A hearing has been scheduled Jan. 28 to determine if a Gainesville High School history teacher will keep her teaching certificate after being accused of giving a student an award for being "most likely to be a dictator." Lauren Watts was removed from her classroom and an administrative complaint was filed against her. WCJB.
Flagler: A recent school safety assessment recommended that the school district add more security cameras, install mirrors around campus to improve visibility, and consider adding vehicle barriers and weapons detection systems like metal detectors. School board members are expected to discuss the recommendations at their Oct. 28 meeting. WESH.
Hamilton: School board members recently approved a new cellphone policy that allows students to bring their phones and electronic devices to school under certain circumstances. Elementary and middle school students aren't permitted to use those devices during the school day, while high school students can't use devices during instructional time unless approved by a teacher. Some areas at high schools will be designated as spaces where devices can be used with permission. WCTV.
In the Legislature: High school and college students in work-study programs or internships could choose to opt out of receiving the minimum wage under a bill filed for the 60-day legislative session that begins Jan. 13. HB 221 would require students under the age of 18 to have a parent or guardian sign off on the waiver, and employers would not be permitted to coerce students to take less pay. The state's minimum wage went up to $14 an hour in September, and jumps to $15 an hour next fall. Central Florida Public Media.
Cellphone ban impact: A study of the impact of a cellphone ban in one unnamed large Florida school district suggests that students at schools with high phone usage had improved test scores modestly two years after the ban began. Student attendance also improved. But the bans led to a significant increase in student suspensions in the first year, especially among black students, though the disciplinary actions declined the second year. Hechinger Report. Chalkbeat.
Around the nation: Federal funding for Head Start programs will be cut off at the end of the month if the federal shutdown continues. Some of those programs have been running on reserves since Oct. 1, and another 134 will stop receiving funding Nov. 1. Associated Press.
Opinions on schools: What’s happening at Vero Beach Elementary in Indian River County is not a formula, but it’s proof that public schools can change and — especially in today’s educational landscape — can compete. Jeff Martin, Tampa Bay Times. Maybe it’s time to talk about science and engineering education and national security in the same sentence, after all. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow. When schools can’t maintain enrollment, there’s less funding to support students and teachers. The environment eventually devolves into the kind of classrooms families do not want to return to. Inika Williams, Tallahassee Democrat.
