Around the state: Florida is suing two school textbook publishers for allegedly overcharging some school districts for materials, the use of wireless communications devices is now banned during the school day in Brevard County, several Duval school board members have questions about a proposal to sell the administration headquarters and buy another building, immunization rates for kindergarten students in Broward continue to decline, and some Palm Beach County parents are complaining that their children have to sit on the floor or stand in the aisle during school bus rides because of overcrowding. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: Immunization rates for kindergartners have dropped to 82.2% for Broward students, the lowest level in 15 years. The statewide rate is 88.8%, which is short of the 93.3% national average. Health experts say 95% is needed to ensure the likelihood that a single infection will spark an outbreak. Sun Sentinel. WLRN. The percentage of 2-year-olds who are fully immunized is also declining, from 85.5% a decade ago to 75.7% in 2024, according to the Florida Department of Health. WUSF.
Hillsborough: Victory High School in Tampa is the only school in the state where students have to be drug users to be admitted and where students get second, third and even fourth chances when they lapse. “We want them to know we’re here for them no matter what, even if they take a step back,” says school founder Tina Miller. “We want them to be alive.” Tampa Bay Times.
Palm Beach: District school buses are so overcrowded that students are being forced to sit on the floor and stand in the aisle, say parents who have taken to social media to complain. They contend their children are not safe because they aren’t wearing seat belts, which are required by state law on all school buses purchased after Dec. 31, 2000. District officials say they make daily adjustments, and that these sorts of issues are typical early school-year challenges. Palm Beach Post.
Duval: Some school board members expressed doubts Tuesday about a proposal to sell the school district headquarters for $20 million and buy a new property for those offices for $14 million. Cindy Pearson, Reginald Blount and Darryl Willie questioned the location and the lack of an adequate space for board meetings. Superintendent Christopher Bernier supports the move, and chief operations officer Jim Culbert called it “an incredible deal for the district.” The final decision will be made at the Sept. 2 board meeting. Florida Times-Union. WJAX. WJXT. Board chair Charlotte Joyce is calling for a grace period for parents to comply with school uniform policies. Some students at Westside High School have been kept out of class because their clothes didn’t meet the new dress code. WJXT.
Brevard: A new policy that bans the use of all wireless communications devices during school hours was approved Tuesday by school board members. It’s broader than the state law because it includes high schools, and goes into effect next month. Florida Today. An Astronautics and Flight Exploration Academy is now open for students at Merritt Island High School. The program includes hands-on experience with flight simulators, VR space simulators, drones, launch balloons and Mars rover robotics. Space Coast Daily.
Santa Rosa: The guardian of a former Gulf Breeze High School student is suing the school board, alleging that she was sexually assaulted by a classmate in the boys locker room in 2024. School administrators ignored trouble signs and did not have basic safety measures in place, the suit contends. Pensacola News Journal. WEAR.
Bay: School Superintendent Mark McQueen and county commissioners have begun discussions on how to start an emergency services training program in local high schools. Students would learn about jobs as police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and possibly lifeguards, with the goal of preparing students to graduate and immediately step into first responder roles in the county, says Commissioner Daniel Raffield. WJHG.
Martin: School board members voted Tuesday to join a lawsuit brought by districts around the country against social media companies such as Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok. More than 1,700 school districts, including 45 in Florida, have joined the suit that contends the companies used algorithms and addictive mechanisms targeting children. TCPalm.
State suing publishers: Florida has filed a lawsuit against two textbook publishers for allegedly overcharging state school districts for materials 5,900 times between 2016 and 2022. Attorney General James Uthmeier said Tuesday that McGraw Hill LLC and Savvas Learning Company LLC broke state law by deliberately charging some school districts more than the lowest price they offered to other districts. Florida law requires publishers to give all school districts the best price offered anywhere else in the country. Florida is seeking civil penalties between $37.5 million and $60 million that would be returned to districts. The publishers denied the accusations. Politico Florida. USA Today Florida Network. Florida Phoenix. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Politics. WJXT. WPTV. News Service of Florida. WOFL.
Book decision appeal: Gov. Ron DeSantis says the state will appeal a federal judge’s ruling against part of a 2023 state law that places restrictions on school library books. The judge said a portion of the law that bans pornographic books is too vague and violates the First Amendment. “We will be vindicated in this,” DeSantis predicted. USA Today Florida Network. Florida Politics.
Home help for teachers: Applications are now being taken to help teachers, veterans, first responders and other essential workers buy homes in their communities. Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program is a state program that has $50 million to provide up to $35,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance. Last year, 6,174 families across 63 Florida counties received $100 million in aid, or about $16,198 each. Pensacola News Journal.
Around the nation: Teachers unions in Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Missouri and South Carolina have filed lawsuits challenging school vouchers, and judges in Wyoming and Utah have ruled in favor of the unions. The 74.
Opinions on schools: Florida’s enrollment shifts are real, but data shows the “voucher drain” narrative overstates the impact. The real challenge for districts is families choosing other options. Districts that adapt and compete for students will keep both enrollment and funding, leaving students, families and taxpayers better off. Patrick R. Gibbons, NextSteps. The first priority for property tax reform should be the repeal of the statewide school tax, known as the required local effort, which is an outdated remnant of 20th-century education bureaucracy that no longer aligns with the realities of empowering students and parents. Matt Caldwell, Florida Politics. Some Palm Beach County middle schools are requiring documentation of pediatrician and parental discussion of weight for students deemed obese. This practice is stigmatizing and harmful to students, potentially exacerbating body image issues and shame. Allison Kuipers, Palm Beach Post.
