Cost of a tax break: Preliminary calculations estimate that Florida school districts would lose millions of dollars in tax revenue if the Legislature approves a bill capping education property taxes for Floridians over 65 who have owned and lived in their homes for at least 25 years, and voters approve it as a constitutional amendment. In Pasco County, for instance, the district would lose about $744,567 if the law eliminates school taxes for anyone 65 or older who qualifies, as originally proposed in the bill, and $201,760 if education taxes are capped at the current level. The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah. Gradebook. Florida Phoenix.
Fund for Parkland victims: If the Legislature approves a $160 million fund to compensate families of the 34 people killed or injured in the Parkland school shooting, it would be be sidestepping the usual state process and give the victims preferential treatment over other people hurt by government negligence. The state already has a process in place for compensating such victims, but the state's liability is capped at $200,000 for one victim and $300,000 for all victims in the same incident. Payments above that require legislative approval, which can take years. Sun Sentinel. (more…)
Arming teachers: A bill that would broaden the state's 2018 armed guardian law and allow some teachers to carry guns in schools clears the Senate Education Committee in a 5-3 vote along party lines, with Republicans in the majority. Last year's bill specifically prohibited the arming of teachers, but calls grew to change that after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission recommended arming willing teachers. Senate Bill 7030 also broadens state oversight over districts' compliance with the law's security rules, and would require sheriffs to train teachers in districts that opt in. The bill may get a hearing in the appropriations committee before heading to a Senate floor vote sometime after the Legislature opens March 5. News Service of Florida. GateHouse. Associated Press. Tampa Bay Times. Gradebook. Politico Florida. Tallahassee Democrat. Florida Politics.
Superintendent's contract: Cynthia Saunders is approved as school superintendent in a 3-2 vote by the Manatee County School Board. The contract runs through June 30, 2021, and pays her $196,000 a year. She had been acting as interim superintendent since Diana Greene left last summer. Her ascension was delayed last year when Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart accused Saunders of manipulating student data to inflate the district's graduation rate. Saunders is negotiating a settlement with the DOE in which she would neither admit nor deny the charge. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (more…)
Issues for BOE: In its only meeting before the legislative sessions begins March 5, the Florida Board of Education urges lawmakers to boost funding for armed security and mental health services in schools, and to give districts greater flexibility on how they deploy the guardian program that arms school staff. Also, new Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran wants to streamline the application process for Hope Scholarships for bullied students, and said unused funds could be redirected into other programs, and Escambia Superintendent Malcolm Thomas pleaded for more help for districts that were devastated by Hurricane Michael. Gradebook. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida. Pensacola News Journal. BOE members say they could consider differentiated pay to help address the teacher shortage. WFSU. Corcoran will be paid $276,000 a year, the same as his predecessor Pam Stewart. Associated Press.
School closings expected: Bay County School Superintendent Bill Husfelt says a loss of students and the repair bills for schools damaged by Hurricane Michael last October will force the closing of some schools. The district has lost nearly 2,500 students, a number that could increase to 4,700, and faces repair bills of up to $300 million. Husfelt says most of the closings will be elementary schools. “Financially, we just can’t afford to keep all of our schools open at the low level some of them are at, so we’re going to have to make some decisions," he says. Panama City News Herald. (more…)
