District disparities: An 18-month study by New York University finds many disparities by race and gender in the Palm Beach County School District. The study also concluded that poor record-keeping prevented a more meaningful investigation of racial disparities in school discipline. Among the recommended changes: more early-intervention programs for struggling students, a district-wide approach to hiring and assigning teachers, and programs to attract more minority teachers. Palm Beach Post.

Capital funding: Florida's superintendents' association is lobbying the state to restore the property tax cap for capital projects and transportation to $2 per $1,000 of assessed value. The rate used to be $2, but was lowered to $1.50 during the recession. Gradebook.

School closings: Many Florida school districts remain closed and activities are curtailed today due to the tropical system passing through the northern part of the state. Florida Times-Union. WFSU. WTLV. WJAX. WTXL. WCJB. Bay News 9. WFTV. WUSF. WESH. WFLA. WKMG. News 13. WWSB. WTSP. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel. Fort Myers News-Press. Gainesville Sun. Ocala Star Banner. Tallahassee Democrat. Port St. Joe Star.

Early PSAT: The Palm Beach County School District will have all 27,000 eighth- and ninth-graders take the PSAT this year. The district hopes the results help identify students who should be taking more college-preparatory classes but aren't. Palm Beach Post. (more…)