Storm recovery: Lack of power is the primary problem for Florida schools trying to reopen their doors. Fifty-five of the state’s 67 public districts were still closed Wednesday. Education Week. WKMG. School districts around the state announce plans to resume classes, with many reassessing on a daily basis. Florida Department of Education. Florida Times-Union. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Today. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Fort Myers News-Press. Naples Daily News. Gainesville Sun. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Flagler Live. WFLA. Some Orlando community centers are offering free child care today to help parents who need to go to work but have children who are still out of school. Orlando Sentinel. Several schools in Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Indian River counties will offer free meals to students and their families today and Friday. Palm Beach Post. TCPalm. Traditional public schools stepped up this week to provide protection and other aid for residents fleeing from the hurricane. redefinED. Tampa Bay Times. The hurricane delays the choice of 25 struggling schools to receive extra financial assistance through the state’s “schools of hope” program. The state Board of Education was supposed to select the winners Wednesday. Fifty-seven schools applied. Miami Herald. Irma causes a gaping sinkhole to open behind an Apopka school. WOFL. Orlando Sentinel. Parents scramble to keep their children occupied while schools are closed. Tampa Bay Times.
State education budget: The Florida Board of Education approves a $21.4 billion request to the Legislature for education funding for the 2018-2019 school year. That’s an increase of 1.85 percent over last year. The request includes an increase in the Florida Education Finance Program of $200 per K-12 student, $421 million for Bright Futures scholarships, $20.6 million more to meet the class size amendment, and $22 million extra for capital projects. Orlando Sentinel. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida.
After the fire: Students and teachers displaced after a fire destroyed Lee Elementary School in Tampa will be moved together to Lockhart Elementary, about a mile and a half away, Hillsborough County School District officials announce. Older students from Lee will attend classes at nearby Young Middle Magnet School until portable classrooms can be set up at Lockhart. Tampa Bay Times. WFLA.
Educators arrested: Two former Okaloosa County school administrators and a school investigator are arrested in connected with a 2016 child abuse investigation. Former Kenwood Elementary teacher Marlynn Stillions is charged with four counts of felony child cruelty, and ex-principal Angelyn Vaughan and school district investigator Arden Farley are charged with felony failure to report suspected child abuse. Northwest Florida Daily News. WKRG. WALA.
School enrollment: Enrollment in Gulf County schools continues to grow. The number of students was initially down 90 from projections, but that number is now at 20 under the forecast and falling. Port St. Joe Star.
Opinions on schools: As states such as Florida prepare to file their plans to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, they should take lessons from the 17 plans already submitted. Tony Bennett, Real Clear Education. There’s no sense in pitting the needs of the Hillsborough County schools against those of county transportation. The two go hand-in-hand, and the state of both shapes the image of this community to the outside world. Tampa Bay Times. Encouraging civic involvement in children and teens means raising individuals who are more thoughtful, compassionate and kind. Zafreen Jaffery, Miami Herald. The fire that destroyed Lee Elementary School in Tampa is a tragedy for the students and staff, who are already coping with strains from Hurricane Irma; for the district, which now must find new spots for those students and teachers; and for the community, where Lee stood as a powerful, stately and historic symbol in the inner city. Tampa Bay Times. Our state is committed to maintaining its own isolated testing system that makes it difficult to compare Florida with other states. Paul Cottle, Orlando Sentinel. Hawthorne High School is facing a sorrowful situation: the closing of the community school, due to a lack of proper support by the Alachua County School Board. John W. Tucker, Gainesville Sun. Pre-tests can be useful if done right and used properly. If not, they can become just another waste of a child’s and teacher’s time. Bill Hoatson, Tallahassee Democrat.
Student enrichment: An orchestra program begins at Mitchell High School in Pasco County, with a feeder program also beginning next door at Seven Springs Middle School. Tampa Bay Times. Fifteen Escambia and Santa Rosa students are named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Pensacola News Journal.
