Budget and Bright Futures: Florida House leaders introduce what they call an austere state budget of about $85 billion, which is about $2.5 billion less than Gov. Rick Scott has proposed. One of the areas the House would cut back on is higher education spending, in part by not expanding the coverage to 75 percent… Read more »
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Florida schools roundup: Schools of Hope, Hope Scholarship and more
Schools of Hope extension: A Florida Senate committee is considering a plan that would give school districts another option for trying to turn around persistently low-performing schools. Right now, the state gives districts three options for those schools: close them, convert them to charter schools or hire an outside operator to run them. A fourth… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Board pay, charters, Blaine Amendment and more
No end to board pay: The Constitution Revision Commission rejects a proposal to end pay for members of local school boards. A majority of the members expressed concerns that ending pay would limit the diversity of candidates, especially in poor and rural counties. “If you cannot work for free, you cannot be a school board… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Scholarships oversight, court challenge and more
Scholarship oversight: The Florida House Education Committee is proposing new rules governing private schools that accept state scholarships. The legislation, still in draft form, would require state visits to all private schools before they can participate in one of the state’s three K-12 scholarship programs, compel schools to provide a list of teachers and their credentials to… Read more »
School choice-related proposals coming before Fla. constitution revision panel
The education panel of Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission will consider some of its most closely watched proposals on Friday. A handful of them could have big school choice implications. Here’s a quick guide to the debate. Charter districts In recent years, the state Legislature has given more district schools the same freedom from state regulations that charter… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Schools of Hope rule, Bright Futures bill and more
Schools of Hope: The Florida Board of Education approves a rule that will allow highly regarded charter organizations to apply for money from the state starting next month to open schools in areas with persistently low-performing traditional public schools. The rule outlines the process by which these companies can become operators of “Schools of Hope” as… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Cold again closing schools, pensions and more
Cold closing schools: A cold front is expected to bring freezing temperatures and icy conditions into north Florida today. The Walton, Escambia, Jackson, Holmes, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa school districts have closed all schools, and Bay County is limiting after-school activities. Northwest Florida Daily News. WMBB. WEAR. Pensacola News Journal. Destin Log. Panama City News… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Adequacy suit, payments to charter schools and more
Adequacy review: Plaintiffs are asking the Florida Supreme Court to review a lower court’s decision denying their claim that the state doesn’t adequately fund public schools and therefore violates the state constitution. The lower court ruled that funding was adequate and that the lawsuit dealt with “political questions not subject to judicial review.” An appeals court agreed…. Read more »
Judge declines to block district payments to Fla. charter schools
A Leon County circuit judge rebuffed a South Florida school district’s attempt to block millions of dollars worth of local funding from going to charter schools under a hotly contested new law, according to multiple people briefed on the case. The Palm Beach County School Board had asked Judge James Shelfer to block the state… Read more »
Florida schools roundup: Bright Futures, Schools of Hope rules, statue and more
Bright Futures: The Florida Senate unanimously approves a higher education bill that includes the permanent expansion of the Bright Futures scholarships program. S.B. 4, which was sponsored by Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, would provide full funding of tuition and fees for the 41,000 students who qualify for the Academic Scholar award. Those students must have… Read more »
