Charter company indicted: Newpoint Education Partners and three other companies are indicted for grand theft, money laundering and aggravated white collar crime by an Escambia County grand jury. Newpoint managed charter schools for 21st Century Academy of Pensacola. The indictment alleges that Newpoint and its vendors fraudulently billed the academy hundreds of thousands of dollars for supplies, equipment and services and laundered the proceeds through multiple bank accounts. In 2015, the school board revoked the charters of two Newpoint-run schools in Escambia for tampering with grades and misusing public funds. Newpoint also has had financial problems with four of the five schools it manages in Pinellas County. Pensacola News Journal. Tampa Bay Times.

Top teacher finalist: Donald Blake, a technical education specialist at Marchman Technical College in Pasco County, is one of five finalists for Florida Teacher of the Year. The winner will be announced in July. Tampa Bay Times.

School lunch laws: A proposed change in the federal school lunch program could cut off free meals for thousands of Florida students. The law now says any school with 40 percent of its students eligible for free or reduced-prices lunches can also offer free breakfasts and lunches to all students. The change, which is now before the U.S. House, would raise that threshold to 60 percent. Florida Politics. WJCT.

Impact of new laws: A summary of the impact of the state's new education bills on school districts has been issued by the Florida School Boards Association. Florida School Boards Association.

Crime in schools: Violent crimes and bullying are down in the nation's schools, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Justice Department. "Bullying is down, crime is down, but it's not enough," says Peggy G. Carr, acting NCES commissioner. About 3 percent of students 12 to 18 years old said they were victims of crimes at school in 2014, and about 1.3 million students were suspended for at least one school day for violence, weapons possession or alcohol violations. Associated Press. Education Week. (more…)

Plan questioned: Leaders in St. Petersburg's black community expressed skepticism that the plan to overhaul five high-poverty elementary schools will work, and are upset that the plan was developed without their input. Members of the Concerned Organization for Quality Education for Black Students say they've heard promises from school officials before, but little has changed. The plan calls for hiring a minority achievement officer, creating special centers for students suspended out of school, and establishing a "transformation zone" with intense support for Pinellas' failing elementary schools. The proposal also would pay teachers in those schools up to $25,000 more a year, create a longer school day and allow more control at the school level over the curriculum and schedule. Tampa Bay Times.

Construction rules: The massive education bill passed by the Legislature contains potential relief on construction costs for school districts. School facilities now must be built using a more stringent set of standards called the State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF). House bill 7029 would loosen four specific SREF rules, as long as districts get public support, show the cost savings and ensure student safety. Politico Florida.

Promise Zone: The Escambia County School District is partnering with other community organizations to seek a Promise Zone designation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a Pensacola neighborhood. Sixty-four urban areas have applied for the designation, but only five will be chosen. Promise Zone receives priority access to federal investments on initiatives on poverty, education, crime and health-care. Pensacola News Journal. Rick's Blog.

School changes: The Duval County School Board approves new academic programs at four schools. Andrew Jackson High and R.L. Brown Elementary will become magnet schools. John Love Elementary will become a preschool to second-grade school, and Longbranch Elementary will be for grades 3-5. The board also voted to suspend or fire two teachers, two teacher's aides and a security guard. Florida Times-Union.

Cost of security: Miami-Dade school officials want to add 7,000 school security cameras to the 12,000 they already have. The cost would be $10 million spread over five years. Miami Herald. (more…)