Top high schools: The Pine View School in Osprey is rated the top high school in Florida and seventh-best in the United States, according to ratings by U.S. News & World Report. Design and Architecture Senior High in Miami is ranked second in the state and 20th nationwide. Miami’s International Studies Charter High School is third in the state and 21st in the United States. Fourth in Florida is Edgewood Junior/Senior High School in Merritt Island, and fifth is Stanton College Preparatory School in Jacksonville. The complete Florida rankings are here, and the complete U.S. rankings are here. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Naples Daily News. Orlando Sentinel.
Career academies: The proliferation of career academies, especially in Florida, is giving more high school students an entryway into a career by blending traditional and technical courses. But some experts worry that the academies may inadvertently promote inequality, since many are started at schools that have a majority nonwhite population. The Atlantic.
Spending tightens: The Escambia and Santa Rosa school districts are cutting back on discretionary spending in their budgets for the 2016-2017 school year. The districts will receive just a 1 percent increase in state money, and school officials don’t expect the financial picture to improve for the next school year. Pensacola News Journal.
New high school: The Lee County School Board approves spending $11 million to buy a 77-acre property for a high school in Bonita Springs. Nearby residents protested the selection of the land, known as the Imperial Parkway site, citing traffic concerns. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News.
Contract negotiations: The Pasco County School District and the teachers union have begin negotiations on a contract for the 2016-2017 school year. Superintendent Kurt Browning recently said he’d like to give teachers a raise of up to 3 percent, and froze spending to save money for an increase. Gradebook.
Teachers honored: Four veteran Duval County teachers are winners of the 2016 Gladys Prior Awards for Career Teaching. Each receives $15,000 from Gilchrist Berg, a Jacksonville area businessman who created and funds the awards. The winners are: Susan Harper, a kindergarten teacher at Tiger Academy; Scott Sowell, a science teacher at Darnell-Cookman Middle/High School; Judy Reppert, a social studies and civics teacher at Martin J. Gottlieb Day School; and Mark McGiveron, a math teacher at Fletcher Middle School. Florida Times-Union.
Open enrollment: Alachua County school officials don’t believe the new law allowing any student to enroll in any school with an opening will have much of an impact on the district. A school spokeswoman says the district has accepted students from other school systems for at least 35 years. This year, 341 students were permitted to enter the district, while 183 Alachua residents requested to attend schools in surrounding districts. Gainesville Sun. The Pasco County School District is dissolving its athletic eligibility committee due to the new law that allows transferring student-athletes to be immediately eligible to play sports. Gradebook.
Magnet programs: Parents tell the Duval County School Board that a third magnet elementary schools is needed on the north side of Jacksonville. There’s one program there now and the board just approved a second. Some board members are reluctant to approve a third. “We can’t magnetize our way into a quality education at every school,” said board member Constance Hall. Florida Times-Union.
Charter schools: Palm Harbor Academy in Bunnell is asking the Flagler County School Board to approve the addition of seventh and eighth grades. If the board approves May 3, seventh grade will be added next year and eighth grade in 2017-2018. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Five charter schools sue the Indian River County School Board, saying they are not getting their share of tax dollars. News Service of Florida. Two parents have taken control of the financial situation at Windsor Prep Academy in St. Petersburg, and have restarted the PTA in an effort to keep the school going. The school’s previous management company, Newpoint Education Partners, quit running the school after it was discovered to be in debt. WFLA.
One-room schoolhouse: Manatee County School Superintendent Diana Greene tours Duette Elementary School, Florida’s last one-room schoolhouse. It’s closing as a school, but Greene is considering keeping it open and making it a destination for field trips to learn more about the history of education in Florida. The district will consider its options next month. Bradenton Herald.
Superintendent search: The Sarasota County School Board sets the parameters for what it’s looking for in a new superintendent. Lori White is retiring in February, and the board wants to vote to hire her replacement by October. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
LGBT Prom: The Unitarian-Universalist Church of Tallahassee is holding a prom Saturday for school-age members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. About 150 are expected to attend. Tallahassee Democrat.
Candidate’s background: A candidate for the Miami-Dade School Board was banned from working in New Jersey public schools after a scandal during his tenure as a school superintendent. Steven Gallon III was charged with stealing more than $10,000 worth of educational services. He took a deal to enter a pretrial intervention program to have the charge dismissed if he agreed to never work for New Jersey public schools again. Gallon says the scandal was “driven by politics.” Florida Bulldog.
March against violence: A group of elementary-age children and some adults in Miami’s Liberty City march for the right to play outside without the fear of being shot. Thirteen children and teenagers have been shot and killed this year in Miami-Dade. WLRN.
Boating classes: State Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, says she’d like to see a safe boating class taught in elementary or middle schools. The Florida Virtual School now offers free online hunting and boating safety classes open to all Florida students age 12 to 18. WGCU.
Club leaders out for now: Adult leaders with Fellowship of Christian Athletes clubs are not permitted at Hillsborough County schools until they are trained next week on district policies and procedures. Tampa Tribune. Tampa Bay Times.
Dean arrested: Courtney Stanley, dean at Horizon Elementary School in Davenport, is arrested and accused of ignoring reports that a school bus driver was sexually abusing special needs students. Lakeland Ledger. Tampa Tribune.
Principal under review: Scot Boice, principal at Nolan Middle School in Bradenton, is “under review” after unspecified allegations are lodged against him, Manatee school officials say. They are not student-related, officials confirm. Bradenton Herald.
Opinions on schools: Two members of the Collier County School Board are not satisfied with the district’s attorney saying the teachers union did not violate a policy or law by distributing materials with political content. Brent Batten, Naples Daily News. There is no single easy fix to improving school lunches, and it may be up to an individual school to find its own solution. Laurie Futterman, Miami Herald. James A. Shanks Middle School in Quincy opens positive lines of communication with parents by making all its special education students eligible for a weekly good-effort, good-behavior certificate. Bill Hoatson, Tallahassee Democrat.
Student enrichment: A year after 18-year-old Onesimo Lopez was beaten to death, members of the Cross Cultural Club at his school, Jupiter High, install a memorial in his honor. Three former Jupiter High students face first-degree murder charges in the death of Lopez. Police say he was targeted because he was Guatemalan. Palm Beach Post. Math students at Doral Academy Preparatory High School finish eighth at the Mu Alpha Theta Convention in Orlando. Miami Herald. Gulf Coast Charter Academy South becomes the first school in southwest Florida to earn Blue Zones Project certification. To qualify, school students must drink more water and get more exercise. Naples Daily News. Eleven students from Gainesville High School’s Academy of Health Professions receive top honors at the Florida Health Occupations Students of America conference and qualify for the National Leadership Conference in Nashville in June. Gainesville Sun.
