Teachers and guns: Florida should change state law so some teachers can be armed, says the chairman of the state commission investigating the Feb. 14 massacre of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. "We know from the history of these things that the majority (of school shooters) are stopped by school personnel," says Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. "People need to keep an open mind to it as the reality is that if someone else in that school had a gun it could have saved kids' lives." Associated Press. Tampa Bay Times. The Palm Beach County School District is one of eight in Florida to miss the deadline to submit a mandatory school-security review by the Oct. 31 deadline, but that “in no way means that the district is not compliant or responsive to the requirements of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Safety Bill,” says Frank Kitzerow, district police chief. Palm Beach Post.
Tax collections accelerating: Hillsborough County voters just approved an increase of a half-cent in the sales tax to help schools with repairs and construction, and already the Florida Department of Revenue is projecting the measure will bring in more money than expected. School officials thought the tax would bring in just under $140 million a year. The new projection is for $151 million in 2019, and as much as $1.7 billion could be raised over the 10-year life of the tax hike. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)
Transgender fight: Dozens of Pasco County parents are calling on the school board to reverse its decision to allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity choice. "Our gender is not assigned. We are created male and female. God is good," resident Harry Chamness told the board. The fight has focused on Robert Oppedisano, a physical education teacher at Chasco Middle School who has refused to monitor the boys locker room because he's uncomfortable watching over a student who was born a female but identifies as a male. He's asked the Liberty Counsel to protect his rights and his job. Superintendent Kurt Browning says, contrary to Internet reports, Oppedisano has not been disciplined for his refusal. Tampa Bay Times.
Board members sworn in: New school board members are sworn in and new chairpersons selected at districts around the state. Miami-Dade. Duval. Broward. Brevard. Hernando. Pasco. Lee. Manatee. Sarasota. Alachua. Marion. Leon. Volusia. Monroe. Charlotte.
