Around the state: A Tampa charter school ordered closed by the school board over security concerns reopens anyway, a Miami charter school company says it wants to use open space in eight Polk County schools, Leon County teachers reject a tentative contract agreement with the district, Sarasota school officials say they are working on a new vision for the district so it can compete with charter schools, and a Pinellas man has died after being struck by a school bus. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Hillsborough: A Tampa charter school for the performing arts defied Tuesday's school board order to close immediately and reopened Wednesday to students. Walton Academy for the Performing Arts principal Tanika Walton said, "We’re not going anywhere because our community needs us." She says the law requires the district to ask a court for an injunction to close the 118-student school, and the school has 10 days to file an appeal. Spokeswoman Tanya Arja said the district will file for an injunction to close the school over security concerns. Tampa Bay Times. WTSP. WFLA. WTVT. Florida High School Athletics Association officials are urging a court to reject an appeal from a Tampa Christian school that claimed its rights were violated when it wasn't permitted to broadcast a pregame prayer over the stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 state football championship game. News Service of Florida.
Orange: A law and economics teacher at Horizon High School in Winter Garden said he was ordered by school officials to remove a poster of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk from his classroom after a student complained about it. William Loggans says there was nothing political about it, and that he hangs posters with inspirational quotes from Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and Ronald Reagan. Kirk's quote was: "Never underestimate the power of your voice and the impact you can have on the world when you speak up for what you believe in." Loggans says he's filed a grievance and hired a lawyer. WESH.
Palm Beach: Dueling protests occurred outside the school board meeting on Wednesday. Some were calling for the removal of board member Edwin Ferguson for calling Charlie Kirk a "racist bigot," and others supported Ferguson's free speech rights. Palm Beach Post. WPTV. WPEC.
Polk: The Miami-based Mater Academy charter school company says it wants to move into unused space in eight district schools under the state's Schools of Hope law: Elbert Elementary in Winter Haven; Frostproof Elementary; Stephens Elementary, Gause Academy and Gibbons Street Pre-K Center in Bartow; Kingsford Elementary in Mulberry; Southwest Middle in Lakeland; and Anna Woodbury Elementary in Fort Meade. Lakeland Ledger.
Lee: Three teachers recommended for termination for comments made about Charlie Kirk after his death are now suspended without pay, district officials say. All three were suspended Oct. 4 and notified that Superintendent Denise Carlin was recommending they be fired. School board members are expected to vote Nov. 4 on the proposed dismissals. Findings from the district's investigations also have been sent to the Florida Department of Education, which could impose additional sanctions. Fort Myers News-Press. Two students set off a series of "stink bombs" Tuesday at Cape Coral High School that caused two evacuations, sent two people to a hospital for treatment and led to an early dismissal. The two will be disciplined and could be criminally charged, says principal Ryan Jackson. WFTX. WBBH.
Pinellas: An 88-year-old pedestrian has died after being struck by a school bus Wednesday in Oldsmar, according to the sheriff's department. The bus was heading to McMullen-Booth Elementary School when the 75-year-old driver made a left turn and struck Julio Cobaich, who was crossing the street in the crosswalk. Two children were on the bus but neither was injured. The investigation is continuing. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA. WFTS.
Osceola: Several bathrooms at Liberty High School in Kissimmee have been closed since last week because of fighting, say district officials. Only bathrooms in one building are open to students. Administrators say that makes it easier to monitor student behavior. No timetable was put on when all bathrooms will be open again. WFTV. WOFL.
Seminole: A Winter Springs High School employee who resigned after having "inappropriate communications" with a student will not be criminally charged because there was no physical relationship, district officials said this week. The employee, who was not named because no charges were filed, was a criminal justice instructor and a former resource officer at a different school. WKMG. The district was rocked this week by three student suicides. Fifteen-year-olds at Lyman High School and Winter Springs High and a 16-year-old from Hagerty High all took their own lives. Counselors are available all week for students at those schools. WESH.
Sarasota: District officials are working on a new vision for public education as a way to compete with charter schools who want to use empty space in public schools. Superintendent Terry Connor is proposing to start district-managed charter schools and introduce micro-schools to appeal to parents. He also suggests transforming under-capacity schools into child-care and early-learning centers that would be given to community organizations to run. Connor wants to have a plan for the school board to vote on by the Nov. 18 meeting. Charlotte Sun. A school bus driver at Sarasota Booker High School has been arrested and accused of sexually abusing a 17-year-old student. Deputies say Daniel Wilson, 42, befriended the girl and allowed her to stay in his Manatee County after she became homeless. He's been placed on leave. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Bradenton Herald. WTSP. WTVT. WFTS. WWSB.
Escambia: The school district has now spent more than $900,000 in legal fees defending against lawsuits over school board decisions to remove books from schools. Almost $600,000 has gone to fight a lawsuit against removals of hundreds of books, and about $312,000 has been spent fighting the authors of And Tango Makes Three over its removal. WUSF. Fearing reprisals from the state, Booker T. Washington High School's softball team withdrew its bid for a $20,000 grant from Sunday's Child, a local nonprofit that promotes diversity, inclusion and equality. Team boosters said they took a "better safe than sorry" approach, even though the district does not forbid funding from the nonprofit. Pensacola News Journal.
Leon: A day after the school board approved a tentative contract agreement between the school district and teachers union, teachers overwhelmingly rejected it. About 73% of the teachers voted against the proposed raises of $400 to $500 a year, with many calling it an "insult." District officials acknowledged the offer was inadequate, but said they had no money to give beyond the $1 million for raises provided by the state. Teachers can now return to the bargaining table or declare an impasse. Tallahassee Democrat. WTXL. WCTV. Superintendent Rocky Hanna said at this week's school board meeting that research into a school consolidation suggestion made by board member Alva Smith is underway. "I already have a number of things identified, but there are pain points in every single one of those," Hanna said. He did not disclose potential cuts. Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee Reports.
Alachua: A tentative agreement on a timeline for searching for a new superintendent was reached at a school board workshop meeting. Kamela Patton has been the interim superintendent for nearly a year, and is under contract until June 2026. Board member Sarah Rockwell suggested that Patton be extended, and that the board issue a request for proposal to search firms within the next month with a goal of having a new superintendent by the start of the 2026-2027 school year. The proposal will be discussed at the Nov. 4 board meeting. Mainstreet Daily News. WUFT. WCJB.
Bay: A tentative contract agreement between teachers and the district would boost starting pay to $50,500 and raise current teachers' pay by $500 a year. The deal has to be approved by union members and the school board. WMBB.
Walton: A school bus driver has been arrested and accused of molesting a teenager. Deputies said the charges against Charles Marcello Buono, 45, was not job-related. The district has started the firing process against him. WMBB.
Colleges and universities: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the 2026-2027 school year has opened and applications will continue to be processed despite the federal shutdown. May 15, 2026, is Florida's deadline for submission. Associated Press. Polk State College has canceled an intro to African-American studies course, saying it violates state law. Lakeland Ledger.
In the Legislature: Florida high school coaches could use their personal funds to help students with basic needs under a bill filed by state Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens. Coaches would be required to report any such assistance provided. Florida Politics.
Guns at schools: Nearly 1,500 weapons were found in Florida schools during the 2023-2024 academic year, according to the most recent state School Environment Safety Incident Report. Nearly 10% of those weapons were guns. WTSP.
Opinions on schools: Charlie Kirk’s murder should have been an inflection point for America’s leaders, a moment to turn down the volume, to explain the meaning of free speech and to repair the contours of our civic debate. John Hill, Tampa Bay Times.
