Tax hikes for schools: Property tax rates for most Palm Beach County government agencies have remained steady in the past few years, but the tax rate for schools has dropped 20 percent since 2011. In just the past three years, the tax rate has dropped from $7.51 per $1,000 of taxable value to $6.57, which translates to $181 million less in taxes collected for the school district. The decline, which has been dictated by the Legislature, is a prime reason why the district is asking voters in November to approve a special property tax increase that could raise $150 million a year for four years. Palm Beach Post. If Alachua County voters approve a half-cent increase in the sales tax, the school district could receive an extra $22 million a year to upgrade facilities and close the racial achievement gap, which is one of the largest in Florida. Gainesville Sun. Nearly 1,800 items appear on a list of school upgrade projects that will get taken care of if Hillsborough County voters approve a half-cent increase in the sales tax Nov. 6. The tax is forecast to raise $1.31 billion over 10 years, and a school spokesman says nearly half is being set aside to repair air-conditioning systems. Tampa Bay Times.

Active-shooter drills: The state now requires schools to provide training to students on how they should respond to an intruder. But how do you properly explain an active-shooter situation to a kindergarten student? Pinellas County teachers are about to undergo training on ways to present age-appropriate safety information to students. Material will be broken into two groups: for pre-kindergarten through 5th-grade students, and for 6th-12th. It was compiled by the National Association of School Psychologists, the National Association of School Resource Officers and Safe and Sound Schools, and parents whose children died in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)