Sparking the evolution of education choice
Help is on the way for struggling young readers in the Pelican State, thanks to some inspiration from the Sunshine State. Lawmakers in Louisiana recently approved HB 85, which established a statewide reading scholarship program named for the late state Rep. Steve Carter, a former Louisiana House education chairman who[Read More…]
Florida has been a leading K-12 innovator for years, so it is no surprise it became the first state to offer education savings accounts (ESA) to children in public schools. Launched in 2018 to 5,375 students, the Reading Scholarship provides students in third through fifth grades accounts worth up to[Read More…]
DOE budget request: The Florida Department of Education’s budget request to the Legislature calls for a spending boost of $200 per student. Among the specific spending requests are $100 million more for school safety, $67.5 million for training and arming school staffers and an additional $10 million for student mental[Read More…]
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[Read More…]
Medical marijuana: Many Florida school districts are defying the state law that allows students to use prescribed medical marijuana at schools. State law requires all school districts to have a written policy governing medical marijuana. But that same law exempts schools from accommodating on-campus use of medical marijuana. So some[Read More…]
Cruz’s statement released: Nikolas Cruz, accused of shooting 17 people to death at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, told police he had been hearing voices that told him to buy a gun and to “burn, kill, destroy.” Left alone during the interview, Cruz was recorded talking to[Read More…]
Shootings review halted: Broward County school officials are suspending a retired FBI agent’s investigation into the actions of school employees during the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. The reason given is to avoid duplication with the investigation by the state-appointed safety commission. “We recognize that the staff[Read More…]
New rules for scholarships: The Florida Board of Education approves rules for two new scholarship programs created by the Legislature. The Hope Scholarship gives students who are victims of bullying, intimidation, sexual offenses or violence the opportunity to ask for a transfer to another public school or to receive a[Read More…]
