Financial issues: The Duval County School District again spent more than it took in last year, according to an annual report on the state of its finances. That spending – for unexpected expenses, climbing costs, underutilized schools and more – cut into the district’s net financial position by 15.7 percent last year, and the general… Read more »
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Florida schools roundup: Amendment 8 off ballot, funding for security and more
Amendment 8 off ballot: A judge’s decision that proposed constitutional Amendment 8 should be removed from the Nov. 6 ballot is upheld in a 4-3 vote by the Florida Supreme Court. A Leon County judge had ruled that the amendment is misleading and fails to inform voters of its “chief purpose and effect.” The amendment, put… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: School crimes, security checks, Amendment 8 and more
Safety panel: Florida schools are underreporting crimes by students, painting a false picture of school safety, and skimped on security tests before the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, according to members of the state commission appointed to investigate the shootings. The panel suggests penalizing schools for underreporting crimes in… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Panel rejects cop in all schools, amendment and more
Panel’s recommendations: The state commission investigating the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shootings rejects a move to require a sworn police officer at every school in the state, saying such a mandate would cost about $400 million a year. Instead, the panel approves a recommendation to require at least one police officer at every high… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Election fallout, charter approval data, school security, and more
Term limits and elections: Incumbent school board members in all parts of the state were voted out of office in Tuesday’s primary, prompting Florida School Boards Association executive director Andrea Messina to declare that the term limits outlined in proposed constitutional Amendment 8 aren’t necessary. “I think voters are smart enough to keep elected officials… Read more »
Charter school approvals and applications are both dropping in the state
This summer, the Florida Board of Education overturned the Palm Beach School Board’s rejection of two charter school applications. And this month the Florida Charter School Appeal Commission voted unanimously to support a new charter school whose application had been rejected by the Leon County School Board. These recent conflicts speak to a broader trend… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Tax measures pass, school board elections and more
Tax measures approved: Several school districts around the state asked voters Tuesday to approve tax increases for schools. Here are the results: More than 83 percent of Orange County voters approve a renewal of a special property tax to help pay for teacher raises and to maintain academic, arts and sports programs. Orlando Sentinel. Voters in… Read more »
Democrats, school choice & the big strike that left the big split
This is the latest post in our series on the center-left roots of school choice. The crowd shots that illustrate the Democratic Party’s big split over school choice are, in one key respect, starkly black and white. Or, at least, black, brown and white. On one side: Thousands of teachers on strike, from West Virginia… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Another game shooting, security funding and more
Another game shooting: One person is dead and two others wounded after a shooting as fans exited the Raines-Lee high school football game in Jacksonville on Friday night. No one has been arrested, and deputies say the shootings are gang-related. Duval County Superintendent Diana Greene was at the game, and calls the shooting “unacceptable. This is… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Funds for guns in schools, security alert delay and more
Schools and guns: U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is reportedly considering a plan that would allow school districts to use federal funds to buy guns. The proposal would use money from the $1 billion Student Support and Academic Enrichment program, which was set up to help the country’s poorest schools by improving school conditions and… Read more »
