School rebuilding proposed: Hillsborough County school officials say they want to rebuild the historic Lee Elementary School in Tampa, which was severely damaged by a fire in September 2017. If the school board approves the plan, contractors will preserve the brick exterior but redesign the interior to conform to modern[Read More…]
Tag: Eric Robinson
Florida schools roundup: Budgets, school crowding, guardians and more
Financial issues: The Duval County School District again spent more than it took in last year, according to an annual report on the state of its finances. That spending – for unexpected expenses, climbing costs, underutilized schools and more – cut into the district’s net financial position by 15.7 percent[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Response to suit, closed meetings, security and more
State responds in suit: Lawyers for the state are urging the Florida Supreme Court to dismiss a case challenging the constitutionality of the way Florida funds its education system instead of sending it back to a lower court for further review. Last December, an appeals court decided that a trial[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: School security plans, budget blues and more
School security: The Sarasota County School Board approves a plan to create an internal school security department over the next two years. The plan, which would cost the district $3.1 million, calls for hiring 30 officers and placing them in elementary schools for the 2018-2019 school year, and adding 26 more[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Florida aces nation’s report card, security and more
Nation’s report card: Florida is the only state that improved in the National Assessment of Educational Progress math exam, according the annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics. Florida is also just one of nine states showing improvement in the reading exam. Among the nation’s larger districts, Hillsborough County was[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Teacher protests, texting troubles and more
Teacher protests: The proliferation of teacher protests across the United States is a sign of a deepening dissatisfaction with the conditions of the educational system, such as low teacher pay, a sense of not being valued, violence in schools, budget cuts and funding inequalities, says Darleen Opfer, an education analyst at[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Anti-charter fight, graduation rates, security and more
Fighting against charters: Leon County School Superintendent Rocky Hanna is ignoring the recommendation of a review committee and is asking his school board to reject the applications of two companies that want to build charter schools. Hanna says the schools aren’t needed, and that he doesn’t like that charters don’t[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Charters, regulations, recycling success and more
Creating charters: Erika Donalds, a member of the Collier County School Board and the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, has already proposed constitutional amendments that would eliminate pay for school board members and impose term limits on them, end the election of school superintendents and allow legislators to “make provision” for educational[Read More…]