Education bill signed: Gov. Rick Scott signs HB 7029, the sweeping education bill passed during this year’s legislative session. The law allows students to attend any public school in the state with an opening, lets high school athletes transfer and be eligible immediately, and gives charter schools a higher proportion of state money for construction. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel. Sunshine State News. Florida Politics. Pensacola News Journal. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida. Associated Press. St. Augustine Record. Here's a summary of what's in HB 7029. Pensacola News Journal. Here's a summary of the five education-related bills Scott signed. Gradebook. Small private, charter and Christian schools say the state’s education bill allows the Florida High School Athletic Association to prevent them from competing for state championships. Florida Politics.

Schools still going: Four financially troubled Pinellas County charter schools continue to operate even though its management company has apparently withdrawn. That company, Newpoint Education Partners, has been silent since it issued a false statement saying the company had been obtained by Alliance Ed of Florida. Meanwhile, parents and the boards of Windsor Prep and East Windsor Middle Academy in St. Petersburg and Newpoint Pinellas Academy and Newpoint Pinellas High in Clearwater continue to keep the schools going. Tampa Bay Times.

Recruiting success: The Leon County School District says it has recruited back about 500 students from private, charter and developmental research schools. It's a small portion of the 8,000-plus students who have left public schools for home-schooling, private and charter schools. Tallahassee Democrat.

Businesses and schools: Tampa Bay area business leaders are giving financial advice to Pinellas school principals as part of the Executive PASS program. The program operates in 34 Pinellas schools and in three other Florida counties. WUSF. (more…)