Florida schools roundup: Final education budget, Bright Futures and more

florida-roundup-logoEducation budget: Florida plans to spend $31.8 billion on education in the 2016-2017 school year. K-12 will receive $20.2 billion, an increase of about 2.3 percent. Per-pupil spending will go up by $71, an increase of 1 percent. The Legislature will vote on the $82.3 billion state budget Friday. Politico Florida. Superintendents in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties criticize the education budget. Pensacola News Journal.

Bright Futures: The state estimates that 100,170 Florida students will qualify for Bright Futures scholarships in the 2016-2017 school year. That would be a decline from 128,545 this year. The budget also will shrink by about $20 million, to $217.3 million. Orlando Sentinel.

New board member: The Florida Senate confirms Tom Grady to the state Board of Education. Grady, 57, is a securities lawyer from Naples, a former legislator and a close friend of Gov. Rick Scott. He’s been serving on the board since his appointment last fall. His term ends Dec. 31, 2018. Miami Herald.

Board, superintendent meet: Duval County School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says he has accepted an apology from school board member Constance Hall for insults she made about him in text messages. Vitti and the board met Tuesday with a facilitator to try to tamp down the tension in their relationship. Florida Times-Union.

Test participation: Student participation is an important part of the Florida Standards Assessments testing. But the Department of Education is reluctant to answer questions about what constitutes participation, beyond what is written in the state statute. Gradebook.

Evaluation complaints: Orange County teachers tell school board members that they’re frustrated with the district’s evaluation system and can’t understand why so few teachers received the highest possible rating last year. Orlando Sentinel.

Charter schools: A charter school management company beset by financial problems at the four schools it manages in Pinellas County has been sold. Newpoint Education Partners sold its assets to Alliance Ed of Florida Inc., a nonprofit affiliate of the Alliance Education Services Inc., of Durham N.C. Tampa Bay Times. The Bay County School Board will sign a grant application that will fund Central High Charter School. The district was reluctant, but reversed course when it was assured the charter school was no longer managed by Newpoint Education Partners. Panama City News Herald.

Staffing up: The Pinellas County School District is staffing up its turnaround team, which will focus on seven struggling elementary schools. Gradebook.

Paraprofessional hiring: The Manatee County School District is planning to hire more paraprofessionals for the next school year to cover teacher absences and help students who don’t speak English. “It’s going to save us money on paying for substitutes if you’ve got a person on hand to cover the classes,” Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Cynthia Saunders told the school board. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Rehiring urged: A group of Manatee County residents lobby the school board to rehire Bob Gagnon, a former principal and interim superintendent. Gagnon was fired in 2015 when he was accused of failing to report an alleged inappropriate sexual relationship between a school liaison and a student. He was criminally charged, but the charges were dropped, and he was also cleared by an administrative judge. He received back pay and legal expenses, but is now suing the district. Bradenton Herald.

Teacher contract: The Lee County School Board approves the contract between teachers and the school district. Fort Myers News-Press.

School calendar: The Collier County School District will invite six parents to help set the school calendar. This year the school board approved an earlier start date, and had to reverse its decision after parents complained. Naples Daily News.

Florida women honored: Manatee County school libraries are the first in the state to get copies of a book honoring the accomplishments of Florida women. They Dared to Dream, Florida Women Who Shaped History, written by Doris Weatherford, details Florida women’s contributions and achievements. Bradenton Herald.

High school site suit: A group of Bonita Springs residents who live near the proposed site for a new high school is planning to sue the Lee County School District. The group says the district did not follow proper procedure in choosing the site. Fort Myers News-Press.

New school for girls: A girls-only school for Orthodox Jews is opening this fall in Boca Raton. The Hadar High School for Girls will begin with a class of ninth-graders. Sun-Sentinel.

School improvements: The Leon County School Board approves a $4.2 million expansion and remodeling project at Hawks Rise Elementary School. Tallahassee Democrat. The St. Johns County School Board approves several building projects that are being funded with a half-cent sales tax increase approved by county voters in November. St. Augustine Record.

School closing: The Manatee County School Board approves a public hearing for a school rezoning plan that includes the closing of Orange Ridge-Bullock Elementary School. Bradenton Herald.

Assistant superintendent: The Lee County School Board hires William Law to be the assistant superintendent of operations. The job opened when Greg Adkins was promoted to the superintendent’s job last fall. Fort Myers News-Press.

Phone upgrade: The Citrus County School Board approves a $767,000 contract with Verteks Consulting to put a telephone with a school emergency notification system in every classroom in the district. Citrus County Chronicle.

Sexual abuse lawsuit: A lawsuit filed in Hillsborough County alleges that a student of the now-defunct Mary Help of Christians School was sexually abused by a teacher in the 1970s. The victim disclosed the abuse just last year. The accused teacher died in 1994. Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Tribune.

Notable deaths: The principal of Croissant Park Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale was killed last weekend in a motorcycle accident. Jamie Maradiaga, 48, was a passenger on the motorcycle and was not wearing a helmet. Sun-Sentinel. Neriah E. Roberts, an educator who helped in the transition from segregated to integrated schools in Polk County, has died at age 83. Lakeland Ledger.

Opinions on schools: New, supposedly more sophisticated teacher evaluation systems in 19 states, including Florida, haven’t made much of a difference in how teachers are judged, according to a survey. Should anyone be surprised? Rick Hess, Education Week. Fidgeting in class is a sign that students aren’t getting enough movement during the day. Laurie Futterman, Miami Herald. The Orange County School District is a national leader in providing healthy food to needy students at school. Nancy Robbinson, Orlando Sentinel. The state needs to find ways to boost funding for schools. Daryl Flynn, Orlando Sentinel. Opting out of school testing is civil disobedience at its best. Bradenton Herald.

Student enrichment: Six students from Nova Southeastern University University School in Fort Lauderdale develop a Kar Kit with 11 items they believe every driver should have in a car. The project is part of the Junior Achievement Fellows program, a competition that allows high school students to gain hands-on experience as entrepreneurs. Miami Herald. Strawberry Crest High School’s cheerleaders win the state competition for a second straight year and finish third nationally. Tampa Tribune. Two Lego robot-building teams from Poinciana Elementary School in Boynton Beach have been invited to worldwide competitions. Palm Beach Post. A group of Ransom Everglades students create an online voter guide with information from more than 500 sources. Miami Herald. A campaign in Auburndale raises money to help feed student-athletes at away sporting events. Winter Haven News Chief. Vasundara Govindarajan, a 12-year-old at Archimedean Academy in Miami, wins the Miami-Dade County spelling bee to earn a spot at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. Miami Herald. The Lakeland Senior High Marching Band will take part in Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day parade Saturday. Lakeland Ledger. Edgewater Public becomes the first K-5 school in Florida to be STEM certified by AdvancED, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of education professionals. Daytona Beach News-Journal.


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BY NextSteps staff