Scholarships upheld: An appeals court affirms a lower court ruling that the state's teachers union and other groups do not have legal standing to challenge the program that uses corporate tax credits to issue scholarships to low-income students. The groups claimed the program diverts fund from public schools, but the court ruled there was no evidence of harm. A further appeal is being considered. Step Up For Students, which administers the Tax Credit Scholarship Program, hosts this blog. Associated Press. redefinED. Politico. Orlando Sentinel. Pensacola News Journal. Tampa Bay Times. News Service of Florida. WFSU. WUSF. Palm Beach Post. Sunshine State News.
Retention lawsuit: A Leon County judge has decided to hold another hearing Monday in the lawsuit against the state's policy to retain third-graders who do poorly on the Florida Standards Assessments reading test or opt out. A group of parents is suing the state and six school districts, arguing that more factors should be considered if a student doesn't do well on the test, and that students who are doing well should not need a test score at all. Gradebook.
Sales tax hike: The Osceola County School Board will ask voters on Nov. 8 to approve a half-cent increase in the sales tax to renovate and maintain schools, reduce the number of portable classrooms and upgrade security and technology. The tax would begin in January and is expected to produce about $25 million a year over the next 20 years. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher bonuses: All Bay County School District employees on the instructional salary schedule are now eligible for bonuses under the state's Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship program. Before the school board approved the change, employees such as guidance counselors, math coaches and media specialists were not eligible. Panama City News Herald. (more…)
Retention issues: A judge says she may rule this week in a lawsuit brought against the state's third-grade retention policy. Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers did not grant the request to immediately promote third-graders who did poorly on the state reading test or opted out of taking it, saying she wanted to give the state and the six districts named in the suit time to respond. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. Many school districts in the state offer alternative ways for third-graders to advance even if they do poorly on the state test or opt out of taking it. Gradebook.
Maintenance issues: Palm Beach County school officials say 40 of its 196 schools are in unsatisfactory or poor condition, and seven need to be torn down and rebuilt. Mold, leaks, broken equipment and more are reported. The district and the county are asking voters to approve a 1-cent sales tax in November. Half the proceeds would go for school construction. Sun-Sentinel.
School construction: Almost two years after Broward County voters approved an $800 million school renovation program, no work has been done. School Superintendent Robert Runcie says the district has had a "little bit of a rough start getting out of the box." There have been errors in assessing needs, confusion about advertising for bids, problems in the purchasing department and troubles following Florida's Sunshine Law that caused the district to repeat work. Some costs are running 57 percent above original estimates. Despite the problems, Runcie says the work will be completed by 2022, as originally estimated. Sun-Sentinel.
Back to school: More Florida school districts open their doors to students today. Florida Times-Union. Palm Beach Post. Tallahassee Democrat. Lakeland Ledger. TCPalm. TCPalm. Gainesville Sun. WFLA. Duval County School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti is criticized by school board members for a late and potentially confusing letter going out to parents. The letters inform parents of their "assigned" schools, which could be different from the schools parents have chosen. Board members say the letters are confusing, and were also unhappy that about 265 letters just went out Thursday. School starts today. Florida Times-Union. The Orange County School District opens the Wedgefield K-8 School today. It has room for about 1,200 students. Orlando Sentinel. Volusia County officials start the school year today with a goal of reducing chronic absenteeism by 10 percent. Daytona Beach News-Journal. (more…)
