Around the state: Relief efforts continue after Hurricane Helene, Duval approves a five-year plan that suggests closing schools and building new ones, a bus driver was fired in Palm Beach and Hillsborough officials are still dealing with issues related to a new software system. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Hillsborough: Following a disastrous rollout of a new software system, which caused headaches for teachers and other staff handling some of the district's most important student records, the system is currently here to stay. As the school district tries to make Synergy work, it will also look for other options. Tampa Bay Times.
Palm Beach: School leaders voted to fire a bus driver who left a 15-year-old Suncoast High School student alone at a park 4 miles from the student's home after he missed his stop. The March incident was infuriating and concerning to the parents of the student, who was forced to exit the bus in an area he didn't know. Palm Beach Post.
Duval: The school board here approved a five-year plan on Tuesday that suggests closing schools and building new ones in that time period. The vote was 6-1. Tuesday’s vote triggered a review process that includes a public hearing on Oct. 29, followed by a final vote on Nov. 4. The board will continue to revisit the Capital Plan each year, according to Superintendent Chris Bernier. Jax Today. WJXT.
Manatee: The school district here has unveiled opening plans for a K-8 school. The school will be the first K-8 school the district will construct from the ground up. “We know there’s a lot of interest and excitement for this project,” said Jason Wysong, the superintendent of the school district. Your Observer.
Leon: Student government leaders at Lincoln High told Superintendent Rocky Hanna that they felt safe, for now, regarding the district's safety measures. Tallahassee Democrat.
Alachua: Newberry High is collecting non-perishable items for students at Cedar Key School who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. Headed by the Student Government Association, Newberry has made Cedar Key School part of its community support efforts and will collect the supplies. The school asks for basic toiletries and hygiene supplies, socks, ready-to-eat food and cleaning supplies. Main Street Daily News.
Martin: Officials here are looking into naming rights as a new revenue stream. Tebo Partnerships, which works with school districts across the state, has pitched the idea of selling naming rights to Martin County school facilities. It's a concept school districts have used since the company began in 2014, said managing partner Brian Siatkowski. TC Palm.
Citrus: After Hurricane Helene's wrath last week, a sense of normalcy returned to students and staff in this district on Tuesday. Lecanto Primary and Crystal River High opened their doors to their neighboring schools and made Crystal River Primary School and Crystal River Middle School students and staff feel at home. Crystal River middle and high schools sustained damage during Hurricane Helene. The primary school had significant water damage and remains unable to house its Pre-K through fifth grade students. The middle school campus was deemed not safe due to damage. To help with the recovery efforts, the Citrus County Education Foundation has also established a Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief Fund. BayNews 9.
School emergencies: A trio of lawmakers in South Florida are collaborating to set new federal standards for notifying parents and guardians about school emergencies, ranging from shootings to natural disasters. The bipartisan School Safety Notification System Act — introduced by U.S. Reps. Jared Moskowitz, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Mario Díaz-Balart of Florida, along with Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania — is meant to streamline school emergency alert procedures. It would require districts to develop processes to provide “timely notification of covered threats and emergencies” that happen on school grounds, during school transportation or school-sponsored activities. Florida Politics.
Colleges and universities: A lecture today at Florida Southern College in Lakeland will cover a book on Spanish influence on Florida's formation. The lecture is free and open to the public. Lakeland Ledger. Florida Atlantic University's interim president will get a $100,000 bonus and contract extension. South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Opinions on schools: As technology plays an increasingly important role in Americans’ daily lives, STEM is a fundamental driver of economic success. Beyond that, learning about STEM topics prepares students to thrive in any career. It helps them see the world differently and become highly adept at solving problems and thinking critically. For these reasons and many more, it’s essential that all students — and especially those of color — receive a high-quality STEM education and learn about career options in these critical fields. Carlos Romero, The 74th.
Around the state: Some parents are asking for a reconsideration regarding metal detectors being added at schools in central Florida, new school plans in Manatee, addressing heat-related illnesses for high school football players and the announcement of 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Orange: Integrating agriculture into its schools is important in this school district. Every public school located in Orange County offers it, and agriscience is now offered in 17 middle schools. “They learn to cultivate plants and crops, both edible and ornamental,” said Janet Glenn, the program’s teacher. WFTV.
Duval: Find out which are considered the best public high schools in northeast Florida. The Florida Times-Union.
Polk: An alternative path for a sewer project will avoid disrupting traffic near Lakeland Christian School. LKLD Now.
Manatee: The school district here wants to build five schools by 2027 in a plan that Superintendent Jason Wysong called "aggressive and exciting." District leaders say that by opening several new campuses over the next three years, their goal is to relieve overcrowded schools and keep up with development in the eastern portion of the county. Bradenton Herald.
Nassau: Facing a federal lawsuit over their removal of 36 books from schools, the Nassau County School district reached a settlement agreement to return the books to the shelves of libraries. Forbes. Politico.
Blue Ribbon schools: Several schools in South Florida were recognized this week as 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. NBC Miami.
Metal detectors: Officials in Orange County Public Schools tested a walk-through weapons detection system last school year, but decided against installing the devices at all of its high schools because operation costs were too expensive. Recent arrests at three high schools in Central Florida — Boone, Lake Brantley and Ocoee — for bringing guns or parts of guns onto campuses, in addition to the arrest of students in Apopka and Sanford for posting online threats, has some parents pushing for a reconsideration. “We’re talking about people’s lives here. No cost should ever outweigh saving lives, no one should ever have to say this could have been prevented if we had metal detectors,” said Diane Lorber, a parent of Boone alumni and former chair of Boone’s school advisory council, who wants to see the system installed. Orlando Sentinel.
High school football: The start of the high school football season has brought forth the issue of players collapsing or worse at the start of the season. Players are most at risk of suffering heat-related illnesses due to searing temperatures and high humidity. “We know that heat stroke is the most severe version of heat illness, is the only one that is life threatening and also know that it uniquely afflicting football players specifically at high school and collegiate levels,” said Rebecca Stearns, chief operating officer at the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut. WUSF.
Benefits of crowdfunding: Crowdfunding has long helped teachers afford the school supplies they need for their classrooms. But these fundraising efforts have become an even more critical lifeline in the face of budgets and rising prices. According to a survey of more than 3,000 teachers conducted by AdoptAClassroom.org, a nonprofit crowdfunding platform, teachers received a median classroom school supply budget of $200 last school year – an amount that 93% of the respondents said was not enough to cover their in-class needs. While many teachers choose to subsidize the remainder of the costs, it comes at a steep price. The 74th.
Opinions on schools: The massive resistance to school integration resulted in the foundation of Project 2025’s education agenda. Bettina L. Love, Education Week.
Miami-Dade: Students in this district wrapped classes on Wednesday. While summer vacation is here, the district grappled with challenges during the school year that included a teachers union protest and figuring out compliance with new laws. “Connect and inspire, and to me, that’s what this school year was all about,” said Superintendent Dr. Jose Dotres at a news conference. WTVJ. Meanwhile, the state's book rules are posing challenges for parents and educators. Miami Herald.
Palm Beach: The school board here meets about eight times per year to approve recommendations to expel students. At a meeting on Wednesday, nine students were expelled for a year. Seven of them brought weapons to campus. This school year, Palm Beach County Schools voted to expel 42 students for weapons violations. That is double any other year in the past five school years. WPTV.
Pinellas: Officials in Pinellas school district have selected a developer to build teacher and staff housing in St. Pete. Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Seminole: The debate surrounding the Lyman High School yearbook seemed settled. But on Tuesday, about 100 people signed up to speak on the issue. Fox 35.
Manatee: The new schools superintendent here, Dr. Jason Wysong, officially signed his contract last week. He will begin the job July 1. The retiring superintendent is Cynthia Saunders. WWSB.
Collier: The hearing for Naples grocer Alfie Oakes' lawsuit against the school board here was scheduled for Thursday. The suit claims the board and its search firm violated the Sunshine Law in the superintendent search. In the suit, filed May 17 with the Collier County Circuit Court, Oakes claims the school board allowed search firm Hazard Young Atea & Associates to select 10 candidates out of 45 privately, without public notice, comment or minutes. Fort Myers News-Press.
Alachua: Santa Fe College will start its own charter high school this August. The first cohort of 75 students has already been selected, coming from schools across Alachua County. The Academy of Science and Technology will serve high schoolers who want to pursue Career and Technical Education, or CTE, specifically in health sciences and information technology. Students will have the chance to graduate with their high school diploma, an associate of science degree and at least two industry certifications, all without debt. Main Street Daily News.
School safety: As politicians and activists push for limits on discussions of race, gender and sexuality, some students say the measures targeting aspects of their identity have made them feel less welcome in American schools. WUSF.
Hillsborough: Bhavya Bansal is celebrating both her Sweet 16 and being valedictorian this year, with a record-breaking 11.3 GPA. Her GPA is the highest in the 90-year history of Middleton High. She was also the first female to join the wrestling team. “That’s actually incredible; I’m so humbled and honored to be able to have that privilege to break that record,” said Bansal, whose academic ambition allowed her to skip ahead two years. Bhavya plans to attend Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland in the fall, and wants to be a surgeon. ABC Action News. WPLG.
Federal coordinator: President Joe Biden's administration announced on Thursday several new protections for LBGTQ+ youth and families, including the position of a federal coordinator to counter book bans nationwide. The coordinator will train school districts and advise them that “book bans that target a specific community and create a hostile school environment may violate federal civil rights laws.” Florida Phoenix. NPR.
Textbook study: A study found that most textbooks don't include key events in U.S. history that involve Latinos. NPR.
School year roundup: Educators shared the highlights from this school year, ranging from weird to inspirational. Education Week.
Mental health: Across the nation, about 2,600 health centers operated out of schools in 2017, which is more than twice the number that existed two decades earlier. Some 6.3 million students in more than 10,000 schools had access to the centers, according to the School-Based Health Alliance. School-based health centers offer free services, from flu shots and physicals to contraceptive care and talk therapy, that students can access without insurance or a doctor's office trip. Many offer behavioral health care, which is increasingly in demand as the mental health challenges mount for students. Chalkbeat.
Career advice: The education job market is headed for a dramatic U-turn, with the hiring sprees of recent years headed to a screeching halt. In some areas, the reversal has already started, and districts are pulling down their "help wanted" signs. The 74th.
University and college news: State Rep. Fred Hawkins was selected Wednesday by South Florida State College trustees to succeed retiring school President Thomas Leitzel. Hawkins has served in the House since 2020, and was the lone finalist for the position. Details of his proposed contract won't be available until a June 21 meeting of the trustees, officials said. Leitzel is set to retire at the end of June, and Hawkins is expected to take on the presidency on July 3, pending contract approval. Tampa Bay Times. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel.
Opinions on schools: If our true goal was to kindle fires in the minds of young people, how would we design learning environments? A few suggestions stem from the idea of agency, the inner will that separates humans from computers and other animal species. If students make a decision to learn, there's nothing that can get in their way. And if they make a decision not to learn, there is very little that we can accomplish using carrots and sticks. Kelly Smith, reimaginED.
