Around the state: A Polk school that got an A grade from the state is now classified as a persistently low-performing school under the Legislature's revised definition, many school employees are being disciplined for their social media comments after the assassination last week of Republican influencer Charlie Kirk, a consulting company founded by Clay County's tax collector has been collecting $1 million-plus a year for acting as a consultant for a charter school, Highlands County cuts 22 teachers and more than 50 other district jobs because of a decline in enrollment, and Volusia's superintendent has been named the best in the country. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: The school district was out of compliance on more than half of its reviews of students believed to be at risk of harming themselves or others during the first half of the last school year, according to a recent internal school district. Most of the findings cited paperwork problems, but in some cases parents were not notified and in others school staff didn't follow up on the students’ behavior. Behavioral threat assessments were changed after 17 students and employees were shot to death at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. Sun Sentinel.
Hillborough: A 16-year-old Aquila J. Morgan High School student was arrested Friday and accused of having a knife on campus. Deputies said the 3.5-inch weapon was found in the student's backpack. WTSP.
Palm Beach: A $5.9 billion budget that includes a small tax rate increase was approved last week by the school board. "This year has been challenging more so than other years because not only are we facing challenges with our funding, limited funding increases from the state and only a 1.3% increase in per student funding, but also an anticipated decline in our enrollment," said chief financial officer Heather Frederick. Palm Beach Post.
Polk: A district school that received an A grade from the state in July is now on a list of Florida schools designated as persistently low-performing. The K-8 magnet Jewett School for the Arts in Winter Haven made that list after the Legislature approved a law that changed the definition of "persistently low-performing schools," expanding the list from 51 schools to 267. That designation improves the opportunities for charter schools known as Schools of Hope to broaden their areas where they can start schools. "This is again, part of the grift to move public dollars for public education to private corporate hands, because they have to try to demonstrate that schools are failing by their made-up metrics so that they can justify the moving of public dollars to private hands," said teachers union president Stephanie Yocum. Lakeland Ledger.
Lee: School board members approved a $2.92 billion budget at a meeting last week, which is $114.7 million less than last year's spending. WGCU.
Volusia: The national superintendent of the year is Volusia's Carmen Balgobin, the National Association of School Superintendents announced Thursday. Balgobin was hired in 2022 by the district, which has subsequently earned its first A grade from the state in 16 years and has a 93.7% graduation rate. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Armando Arends, 65, a teacher at Blue Lake Elementary School in DeLand, was arrested last week and accused of making a false report about planting a bomb. WKMG. WOFL. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Authorities are trying to identify two masked young men who were caught on camera after vandalizing Friendship Elementary School in Deltona on Saturday. WOFL. WKMG. WFTV. WESH.
St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River: The three Treasure Coast school boards adopted budgets last week. St. Lucie approved a $1.14 billion budget, while Martin's will be $589 million and Indian River's is $420.5 million. TCPalm.
Marion: Sheriff Billy Woods took to social media last week to issue a grievance against the school board for not allowing him to use gun detection dogs at elementary schools. WCJB. WESH. Ocala Star-Banner. South Marion High will be the name of the school opening in the fall of 2026 in the southwest part of the county, district officials announced last week. The $165 million school can accommodate more than 2,000 students. Ocala Star-Banner. WFTV.
Sarasota: Businessman Jimmy Glover has announced his candidacy for the District 1 school board seat. Heidi Brandt is also a candidate for the seat currently held by Bridget Ziegler, who has yet to announce her plans. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Fred Gilmore, a teacher, coach and athletic director for 32 years at Booker High School in Sarasota, has died. WWSB.
Clay: A Fleming Island charter school started by the Clay County tax collector is paying 10% of all the school’s revenues for 15 years to a two-person management company also started by the tax collector. St. Johns Classical Academy paid Diane Hutchings' company $1.25 million during the 2023-2024 school year, and Hutchings also makes $198,200 annually as tax collector. Florida Trident.
Escambia: A proposal to eliminate citizen-based school book review committees will be considered at Tuesday's school board meeting. Three of the five members expressed support for the change during a board workshop meeting last week. Instead, books would be reviewed by school library staff and then the superintendent, who would make a recommendation to the board. Pensacola News Journal. About 900 students at two elementary schools, and their families, can begin receiving free on-campus medical, dental, optometry care, after-school tutoring and other services in January. Brentwood and West Pensacola elementaries have been chosen for the Healthy Schools Escambia initiative, joining Global Learning Academy and O.J. Semmes Elementary in the five-year pilot program that was approved last fall by the Escambia Children's Trust. Pensacola News Journal.
Highlands: School board members approved a $212.8 million budget last week. It accounts for an enrollment decline of 317 students since the fall of 2024 by cutting 75 jobs, including 22 instructional positions. Highlands News-Sun.
Jackson: Teachers at the alternative Hope School in Marianna are asking the school board for assistance to deal with increasing violence. They say more than 50 code reds have been called at the Center for the Advancement of Children’s Learning, which shares the campus, and they want the schools on separate campuses. WMBB.
Colleges and universities: Donald Landry was confirmed as the University of Florida's interim president by the state Board of Governors on Thursday. Politico Florida. Associated Press. Tampa Bay Times. Florida Phoenix. WCJB.
Educators warned about Kirk comments: Florida educators were warned Thursday by Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas not to make negative comments about the assassination of Republican Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. He said he would investigate any teacher who engaged in "this vile, sanctionable behavior." Several educators have been reported for their social media posts, from Miami-Dade, Lee, Duval, Pinellas, Clay, Martin counties, and elsewhere in the United States. Politico Florida. Orlando Sentinel. WTVJ.
State appeals book ruling: Florida has filed an appeal of a federal judge's ruling that a 2023 law banning books that describe sexual conduct is unconstitutional. News Service of Florida.
Legislature's budget concerns: House budget chief Lawrence McClure, R-Dover, said Friday that the Legislature will need to find ways to trim the state's 2026-2027 budget because of deficits projected for the following two years. Growing Medicaid and state employee health insurance costs, and increases in spending on schools and state K-12 scholarships will pressure future budgets. The 60-day legislative session begins Jan. 13. Politico Florida. USA Today Florida Network. News Service of Florida. Florida Politics.
Around the nation: A transgender high school student in South Carolina can continue using the boys bathroom while his lawsuit continues through the courts, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week. Florida Phoenix. Education Week.
Opinions on schools: I can’t imagine, in a state with so many pressing issues, anyone with any position of responsibility in Florida waking up and thinking: What we really need today is to stop vaccinating children. John Hill, Tampa Bay Times. We've been told that competition would force public schools to improve. But public schools were never built to compete. They were built to serve everyone. When we measure them by a standard designed for market winners and losers, we undermine their very purpose. Etienne R. LeGrand, Miami Herald. The 250th anniversary of the U.S. is a reminder that if we want tomorrow’s citizens to protect and improve our system of government, we have to give them the tools to understand it today. That work starts by supporting civics educators. Liam Julian, Miami Herald.
