Budget deal: The Florida Senate and House reach agreement on an $83 billion state budget. The agreement includes $200 million to attract specialized charter schools to the state to compete with persistently low-performing schools - the so-called "schools of hope" plan - and increases for teacher bonuses and higher education. But the Senate agreed to the House's demand not to allow higher property taxes to increase K-12 per-student spending. The budget must be completed by Tuesday for the session to end as scheduled May 5. Miami Herald. Naples Daily News. News Service of Florida. Gradebook. redefinED. redefinED.

School and cancer: After a briefing about the suspicions of a cancer cluster at the old Bayshore High School property, Manatee County commissioners agree to meet with school board members within the next 30 days to discuss the community's concerns. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Financial situation dire: The financial outlook for the Hillsborough County School District is bleak, school officials tell school board members. Only about a quarter of the needed cuts have been made, while costs and enrollment are rising and public funds are increasingly scarce. Chief business officer Gretchen Saunders said the district may not even be able to honor its 2013 agreement with the teachers union to raise pay. Tampa Bay Times. The district is deficient in keeping its technology updated, according to a critique from its consultants. The student information system, for example, uses a computer language invented in 1959 and outdated hardware that costs about $1.5 million a year to maintain. Replacing technology will take years, says Patti Simmons, the district's supervisor of data analysis. Tampa Bay Times. The board approves new start times for the 2018-2019 school year. WFLA.

Smaller campuses: The Orange County Commission approves a plan to allow the school district to build schools on smaller sites. The new rules allow elementary schools to be built on 7 to 11 acres instead of 15; middle and K-8 schools on 12 to 16 acres instead of 25; and high schools on 40 to 50 acres instead of 65. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

Early degrees: About eight Florida Atlantic University High School students finish high school with a bachelor's degree each year. The Boca Raton school is believed to be the only one in the United States where students can earn a high school diploma and a bachelor's degree at the same time. Associated Press.

Tweet trouble: The Miami-Dade Schools Police Department wants to be more active on Twitter. So a half-dozen people in the department were given the account password and encouraged to tweet. Now the department is having to explain why it's published tweets from Donald Trump criticizing President Obama's Cuba policies, promoting National Drink Beer Day and wondering if marijuana oil is the female Viagra. Miami Herald.

Teacher job security: Thirty-eight school districts in Florida are finding ways to provide job security for teachers that disappeared when Gov. Rick Scott signed a law eliminating tenure in 2011. Pinellas County plans to join that group this week when teachers vote on a proposal to ensure contract renewal for teachers rated effective or highly effective. Tampa Bay Times.

Anti-charter: The NAACP board approves a resolution calling for a calling for a “moratorium on the proliferation of privately managed charter schools.” The civil rights organization has long been an opponent of charter schools, arguing that they represent a privatization of public education. redefinED.

Graduation rates: U.S. high school graduation rates hit a record 83.2 percent in the 2014-2015 school year, according to the White House. Associated Press. (more…)

Zika rules: Broward County school officials are considering changing district policy to fight the spread of the Zika virus. Under the emergency rules, students would be permitted to bring certain insect repellent wipes and lotions to school. The school board will vote on the measure Sept. 7. Sun-Sentinel.

Retention venue: The state and six school districts being sued over the state's third-grade retention policies have until 3 p.m. today to file arguments to the First District Court of Appeal for a change of venue. The defendants want the case to be decided locally, not in Leon County. Leon Judge Karen Gievers has presided over two hearings, and is expected to rule soon. The parents who brought the suit are arguing that whether a student passes or takes the state test should not be the primary criteria for promotion to the fourth grade. Gradebook.

Corporal punishment: More than 109,000 U.S. students were physically punished at school in 2013-14, according to an Education Week Research Center analysis of federal civil rights data. Twenty-one states, including Florida, still allow corporal punishment. About 2 percent of Florida's students attend a school that uses physical punishment. Education Week. WTSP and the Associated Press.

Pledge form: Florida Department of Education officials say the Leon County School District went "above and beyond" the legal requirements to notify students that they can opt out of saying the Pledge of Allegiance at school. Tallahassee Democrat.

Closed captioning: The Florida Department of Education will begin offering closed captioning on the Florida Standards Assessments language arts tests for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. starting with the make-up exams in October. Orlando Sentinel. (more…)

Pledge problems: After some parents protested when their children brought home a waiver to opt out of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at school, the Leon County School District is removing the form from the student handbook. The district apologized for the confusion, and now will simply ask parents to sign a form confirming they have read the handbook, which describes the process to opt out of saying the Pledge. WTXL. WTVT. Tallahassee Democrat. WFSU. WCTV.

School testing: Scores on the most recent ACT tests show that many graduating seniors are unprepared for college-level classes. The average test score dipped from 21.0 to 20.8, and only 38 percent of students achieved the benchmark in at least three of the four core subjects tested - reading, English, math and science. In Florida, 81 percent of graduating students took the ACT, and the average score was 19.9. Associated Press. The Lee County School Board reluctantly passes a testing schedule for the school year. "Is it what we want? Probably not. Is it the best that staff said it could come up with, where it would be approved by the state? Yes, at this time," said board member Jeanne Dozier. Fort Myers News-Press.

Defining participant: The act of participating in the Florida Standards Assessments testing is defined by the state as answering a single question, deputy education commissioner Juan Copa said this week in a court hearing over the state's third-grade retention policies. Answering one question allows a school to count that student in the participation rate, which is important because schools must have a rate of 95 percent or lose money from the state. Copa also said the definition of participating may change from year to year. Gradebook. Both sides are awaiting a ruling by a Leon County judge on the retention case that is narrow in focus but could have a huge impact on the state's accountability system. Orlando Sentinel.

Education poll: Support for charter schools, school testing and merit pay for teachers is rising among Americans, but declining for Common Core standards, school vouchers and teacher tenure, according to an annual survey by the journal Education Next. Orlando Sentinel. Politico. (more…)

High spending at charters: Troubling patterns emerge from a close look at spending at three charters in Pinellas County operated by Newpoint Education Partners. Invoices and other documents indicate the company was buying goods at often inflated prices from companies that were related to Newpoint and its founder, Marcus Nelson May. Records were loosely kept, and the company was taking a monthly fee that ran into five figures. Newpoint was indicted recently by an Escambia County jury on fraudulent billing and money-laundering charges. Tampa Bay Times.

Teachers to sue over pay: Three teachers have notified the Miami-Dade County School District that they intend to file a class action suit over performance pay. The teachers say the district is ignoring the state's performance pay laws and illegally changed the way tenured teachers are paid. Teachers have been shortchanged by $30 million, they allege. Miami Herald.

Retaliation lawsuit: A Palm Beach Lakes High teacher is suing the Palm Beach County School District after he and about 30 other teachers were fired in what he calls a retaliatory measure by Principal Cheryl McKeever. Malik Leigh, a legal studies teacher and also a practicing attorney, says the teachers were targeted because they made complaints about administrators or were thought to be disloyal to McKeever. Palm Beach Post.

Replacing teachers: The Pinellas County School District is moving quickly to replace teachers at five struggling schools in St. Petersburg. More than 80 teachers have been told they can't return to the schools or have asked for a transfer. And four of the five principals have been moved to other schools. The teachers union is calling the process "a hatchet job." Tampa Bay Times.

Bright Futures: Incoming Senate President Joe Negron, R-Palm Coast, says he intends to bolster the Bright Futures program to cover full tuition and fees. When the program started in 1996 it covered full tuition for 179,000 students. By 2015, it covered about half the tuition for 100,170 students. GateHouse Florida.

Education on trial: Closing arguments are made in the civil trial accusing Florida of not fulfilling its constitutional mandate to provide a quality education for all public school students. Attorneys for Citizens for Strong Schools argue that the state's racial achievement gap, emphasis on testing and lack of adequate funding keep it from fulfilling a 1998 constitutional amendment. Attorneys for the Department of Education and the Legislature say the state is a national leader in education and still improving. Circuit Court Judge George Reynolds III is expected to rule within the next several weeks. Orlando Sentinel. Miami Herald. Associated Press. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida.

Charter schools: A state auditor general report shows that the Broward County School District failed to make closing checklists of items such as books, computers and furniture for 5 of 22 charter schools that shut down from 2012-2015. And for 11 of 17 schools with checklists, items on the checklist either weren't returned or weren't documented. Sun-Sentinel. The Bay Haven Charter Academy Board of Directors approves spending up to $300,000 toward a new North Bay Haven Elementary School in Panama City. Panama City News Herald.

School board group: A relatively new school board association is receiving $200,000 in state money to help set up training for members. The Florida Coalition of School Board Members, which champions conservative values, was founded in 2015 as an alternative to the 80-year-old Florida School Boards Association. The FSBA has opposed the Legislature's support for voucher-like programs. Miami Herald.

Pre-K ratings: For a second straight year, no grades will be issued for the 6,200 preschools in Florida's voluntary prekindergarten program. Failures in the ratings process the past two years have prompted the state to skip the ratings for the next two years while officials try to find a better way to rate the schools. Palm Beach Post. (more…)

Construction caps: School officials worry about the effects a construction spending cap bill will have on growing districts. One of the provisions in the House bill limits the amount that can be spent on land, which district officials say is unfair because the price of property varies widely across the state. Another is that construction money collected through property taxes would have to be shared with charter schools. Orlando Sentinel. Fort Myers News-Press.

School recess: Pinellas County School District officials make it official: There will be recess or physical education classes in elementary schools every day for the 2016-2017 school year. Each school will determine its own scheduling. Gradebook.

School pledge bill: Sponsors of the Pledge of Allegiance bill say it's still alive, despite the lack of action in the Senate. The bill would allow schools to post notice of a student's right not to participate in a student handbook instead of having a sign in every classroom. Pensacola News Journal. TCPalm.

NAACP's view: The NAACP says it supports Duval County School Board member Constance Hall's comments about the need to improve school grades. It also discounts Superintendent Nikolai Vitti's claims of being in a hostile work environment. The tiff started when Hall sent text messages to another school staffer that were critical of Vitti. Florida Times-Union.

Charter school rejected: The Lake County School Board rejects a proposed charter school in Minneola that can't open by August as it originally said it would. Officials at the Pinecrest Lakes Academy Charter School will have to resubmit an application when they're ready to open. Daily Commercial. (more…)

Charter school bills: A bill requiring school districts to share capital funding with charter schools is heading to the House floor. The bill also would penalize schools that spend more on construction than is allowed under state law. Politico Florida. Miami Herald. Sun-Sentinel. WFSU. The Florida League of Women Voters says the bill that sets up a state-appointed board controlling charter schools is "an egregious attack on public schools." Miami Herald. News Service of Florida.

Other education bills: Votes on several other education bills are expected today in the House. Among them: making the teacher bonuses program permanent and giving principals more autonomy over struggling schools. Also up for a vote is a bill requiring mandatory recess in elementary schools, but it appears to be dead in the Senate. Politico Florida.

Pledge of Allegiance: Students would be notified in a school handbook about their right to opt out of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, under a bill approved by a House committee. Excused students would not be forced to stand or place their hand over their hearts. AP, via Palm Beach Post.

School funding formula: A bill that would change the state's formula for funding school districts is not expected to pass, according to the sponsor. Rep. Larry Metz, R-Yalah, says he will try again in the next session. Daily Commercial.

Suspensions questioned: Officials from the Flagler branch of the NAACP want access to school records so they can check complaints about the district's out-of-school suspensions for black students. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Staff restructuring: Palm Beach County School Superintendent Robert Avossa is cutting 58 jobs from the school's district offices and redirecting the $4.5 million savings to the district's poorest 66 schools. Palm Beach Post. (more…)

Graduation rates: Florida's public high school graduation rate is improving but is still below the national average and among the bottom 10 states, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Education. The country's rate increases slightly, to 82 percent. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. Sunshine State News.

School testing: State Rep. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland, says school testing is going to be on the Legislature's agenda when it meets next month. Lakeland Ledger.

Internet connectivity: Only 40 percent of Florida's school districts meet the widely accepted Internet connectivity goal of at least 100 kbps per student, according to a report by EducationSuperHighway. THE Journal.

Threat preparations: Sarasota and Manatee school officials say they are ready if threats are made like the ones that closed down the Los Angeles school district on Tuesday. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. In Los Angeles, officials discredited the anonymous email threats and defended the unprecedented shutdown. Los Angeles Times.

Texting rules: The Hillsborough County School Board clarifies the rules for texting between teachers and students. Tampa Tribune. (more…)

Teacher bonuses challenged: The state's program for teacher bonuses is being challenged by Tallahassee lawyer Ronald G. Meyer, who says the award is being unfairly withheld from many deserving teachers, including three in Sarasota. The complaint will be heard by an administrative judge from the state Division of Administrative Hearings. Naples Daily News.

Single-gender schools: Do children — especially those struggling in school — perform better academically when separated by gender? Single-gender schools are controversial, but the number of them is growing quickly. Utah is studying the success of Franklin Boys Preparatory Academy in Tampa. Deseret News.

School's use of restraints: Carlton Arms Education Center, a private school outside Mount Dora that specializes in teenagers and adults with serious intellectual and developmental disabilities, put its clients in mechanical restraints 28,000 times in less than five years. The school is owned by AdvoServ, which cares for 700 disabled children and adults at 77 facilities in three states. ProPublica.

Church vs. state: Pasco County school officials say some teachers are misinterpreting district policies and federal guidelines and wrongly limiting students' religious rights. Tampa Bay Times.

Charter schools:  An analysis by the Associated Press shows that charter schools in 30 districts have closed after receiving as much as $70 million in state taxes since 2000. Associated Press, via Tampa Tribune. A state program that helps charter schools pay for classroom space and equipment has given more than $9 million since 2001 to Palm Beach County charters that later shut down, state records show. Palm Beach Post. In Alachua County, the state lost $1.2 million when seven charters closed. Gainesville Sun. In Miami-Dade, about $7.5 million in state money went to charters that closed. Miami Herald. Marco Island Middle Charter School's partnering with the Collier County district to build a school is an example of how the charter-district relationship should be structured. Naples Daily News. Two Pinellas County charter schools are being closely watched by school officials after parent complaints, academic problems and concerns about the schools' financial practices. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)