Around the state: Carrying guns in K-12 schools and on college campuses is still forbidden even though open-carry is now considered the law of the state, Duval school officials are talking about consolidating two schools, Sarasota's school board will discuss a proposal to move board meetings from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m., state officials criticize Alachua's superintendent and school board for not getting raises to teachers earlier, and two mothers turn in their sons to police after last weekend's vandalism at a Volusia elementary school. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: Nine district schools located in predominantly minority neighborhoods earned A grades from the state for the first time. Caribbean K-8, Edison Park K-8, Kelsey L. Pharr Elementary, Dr. Henry W. Mack/West Little River K-8, Carrie P. Meek/Westview K-8, Thomas Jefferson/Biscayne Gardens K-8 Academy, Miami Carol City Senior High, South Dade Senior High, and Booker T. Washington Senior High helped the district retain its overall A grade for the sixth straight year. WLRN.
Palm Beach: Jupiter Christian School has announced plans to build a new school to accommodate the demand from new families moving into the area and students getting scholarships from the state. The preK-12 school has 1,100 students now, but a wait list of 700. "We're seeing an exponential demand for school choice, and this is part of that choice," said school president Jay Boggess. "We are absolutely bursting at the seams." Palm Beach Post.
Duval: District officials are considering consolidating Mayport Elementary School and Anchor Academy. Some parents say they are concerned doing so would dilute Anchor's military focus. Meetings about the plan have begun, though the school board is not expected to vote before November. WJXT. At least 24 of the school district's cafeterias failed their recent health inspections. The presence of rats and rodents was the most common problem cited by inspectors. WJAX. Some Ribault High School students say they were never notified that last weekend's homecoming dance had been canceled after fewer than 20 tickets had been sold. Principal Gregory Bostic said that information was conveyed to students through daily public announcements at school and at the pep rally before the football game. WJXT. WJAX.
Osceola: Four district teachers are under investigation by the state for social media comments they made about Republican influencer Charlie Kirk after he was assassinated last week in Utah. The four are on "alternative assignment" during the investigation, and the school board could take disciplinary action against them at a meeting in October. Orlando Sentinel.
Volusia: Two mothers turned their sons in to police for allegedly vandalizing Friendship Elementary School in Deltona last weekend and causing $50,000 in damage. The boys, 12 and 13, face charges of burglary, criminal mischief, trespassing on school grounds and theft. Orlando Sentinel. Daytona Beach News-Journal. WKMG.
St. Lucie: A Fort Pierce private school closed abruptly over the weekend, leaving parents scrambling to find new schools for their children. Creative Learning Lab Academy owners said they had "exhausted all financial resources" and could not go deeper into debt. WPTV.
Sarasota: School board members are expected to vote today on a proposal to change meeting times from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. At least three of the five members indicated their support, though a fourth pointed out that meeting in the mornings could limit attendance of working parents and teachers. Also on today's agenda is a vote on the rezoning for the new Wellen Park High School. Last week, the board discussed a resolution to add a prayer before meetings, which will be discussed at a meeting next month. Charlotte Sun.
Leon: Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said in a letter posted Monday on social media that Superintendent Rocky Hanna and the teachers union are delaying the distribution of raises to teachers. Kamoutsas said he will meet with board chair Laurie Lawson Cox on Sept. 24 to discuss ways to expedite the extra pay. Contract negotiations are ongoing, with district officials offering a $1 million package for raises, which is money the state is providing. Union president Scott Mazur said, "It's not that we don't want to implement the ... money quickly, but if we go ahead and agree to it, we know the district is not going to negotiate any additional dollars, so it puts us in a very compromising position." Tallahassee Democrat.
Alachua: School district officials met with law enforcement and first responder agencies Monday to discuss new state laws governing school security and to make sure everyone is in agreement on protocols. Superintendent Kamela Patton says she hopes to hold these meetings twice a year. Gainesville Sun. Mainstreet Daily News.
Hernando: School board members recently approved a $511.5 million budget, an increase of about $10 million over last year's spending. Enrollment is 22,567, which is a drop of 260 from the same time last year. Hernando Today. At a recent meeting, some county commissioners contended that the school district doesn't teach personal finance. But a district spokesperson says that is not the case, and that state law requires students to complete a financial literacy course to be eligible for a diploma. Hernando Today.
Colleges and universities: A record high of more than 900 students are enrolled at New College of Florida this semester, school officials recently announced. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. A new program to train teacher assistants begins next spring at Beacon College in Leesburg. TAs provide supplemental instruction, behavioral support and life skills training. Central Florida Public Media.
Open carry and schools: Attorney General James Uthmeier declared Monday that residents' open carry of firearms Florida's is now "the law of the state." A court ruling last week struck down the state's open carry ban, prompting the new guidance from Uthmeier. But other gun laws remain in effect, including ones that prohibit people from having weapons on K-12 and college campuses. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida. USA Today Florida Network.
Florida 15th for teachers: Florida ranks as the nation's 15th-best state for teachers, according to a study from the online personal finance company WalletHub. The state's best rankings were 1st for its digital learning plan, 6th for projected competition in 2032, and 9th in average starting pay. Its worst were 49th for average teacher salary, 47th for teacher-student ratio, and 46th for 10-year change in teacher salary. In educational quality, the state was rated 25th. USA Today Florida Network.
Around the nation: About $500 million in federal spending is being redirected to historically black colleges and universities and tribal colleges, the U.S. Education Department has announced. This comes days after the Trump administration cut $350 million in other grants, mostly in programs for colleges with large numbers of Hispanic students. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the money was moving "from ineffective and discriminatory programs toward those which support student success." Associated Press. Florida Phoenix. Twenty-three percent of the top 500 U.S. school districts have changed superintendents in the past year, according to the Superintendent Research Project from the consulting firm ILO Group. That's an increase of 20% over last year. The 74.
Opinions on schools: The Sarasota County School District is committed to advocating for targeted amendments to the new Schools of Hope law that protect students and schools from the unintended consequences. School board member Liz Barker, Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
