Around the state: A professor from Columbia University has been named as the interim president for the University of Florida, enrollment is down by more than 12,000 in a preliminary head count in Miami-Dade schools, a Duval high school principal says uniforms without the school’s crest do not comply with the dress code, and Lee County teachers object to working an extra 45 minutes a week even if they are compensated for the time. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: Public school enrollment in the district is down by about 12,000 students from last year, according to the first unofficial count by district officials. The district counted 323,297 students on the first day of school this year, compared to 335,474 last year. The first of several official counts will be held the first week of October. If the downward trend continues, the already-strapped district could lose even more funding from the state. Axios.
Palm Beach: An Early Learning Coalition initiative is being credited for helping improve kindergarten readiness from 66% of students in 2022 to 72% in 2024, the largest gain of any school district in the state. New technology programs and more teacher training are part of the initiative, and coaches are working directly with teachers. WLRN. A donation from the Betty Harmon Warner Reading and Emerging Leaders Fund has provided the money to open a reading center at S.D. Spady Elementary School in Delray Beach, expand a model United Nations program at the school and double the number of students who can travel to the United Nations in New York City as part of that program. Palm Beach Post.
Duval: Parents whose children have been held out of Westside High School because of dress code violations met with principal Vincent Foster on Monday to clarify the rules. Foster said if the uniform doesn’t have the school crest on it, it is not in compliance with the school’s policy. That contradicts an earlier statement by regional superintendent Timothy Simmons, who said logos were not required on school uniforms. Foster also denied that specific brands are required to comply. WJXT. A Westside High teacher has been reassigned to duties without student contact after a parent accused him of slamming her child to the ground while playing musical chairs at a pep rally Friday. The 16-year-old student said she suffered a concussion and bruised ribs. WJXT.
Polk: Parents have six weeks to voice their opinions about a proposed rezoning that would affect where more than 2,000 students attend high school. The first meeting is Thursday at Bartow High, followed by five more at other schools or on YouTube. Lakeland Now.
Lee: Negotiations between the school district and the teachers union broke down Monday over a disagreement about working hours. School officials are proposing to add nine minutes a day to teaching time. A union survey of teachers indicated they were not willing to work more, even with compensation. Also proposed by the district were a boost in starting teacher pay by 7% to $54,500, bereavement and parental leave and pay increases for veteran teachers. Negotiations continue Sept. 8. WINK. WFTX.
Brevard: District school buses are now outfitted with artificial intelligence cameras that record drivers who illegally pass stopped buses. Offenders will receive a $225 ticket in the mail. WOFL.
Leon: A Lincoln High School student was arrested Monday and accused of having a loaded handgun in his car that was parked in the school lot. It’s the third weapons-related arrest of students since school began last week. Tallahassee Democrat. WTXL. WCTV.
Alachua: Dozens of Gainesville High School students walked out of lunch period Monday in a show of support for teacher Lauren Watts, who was placed on administrative leave last week after it was disclosed that she gave a “most likely to become a dictator” award to a conservative student. WCJB.
Charlotte: Vaping incidents have declined 26% in schools since the district placed sensors in middle and high school bathrooms, say school officials. There were about 750 incidents during the 2023-2024 school year, and just 500 during the 2024-2025 academic year. WFTX.
Colleges and universities: Donald Landry, an endowed professor of medicine at Columbia University and chairperson emeritus of Columbia’s Department of Medicine, has been chosen by the University of Florida trustees as the school’s interim president. He starts Sept. 1, and replaces Kent Fuchs, who has been the interim since president Ben Sasse stepped down in August 2024 and extended his stay after the Board of Governors rejected the trustees’ choice of Santa Ono, president of the University of Michigan, to replace Sasse. Trustees are expected to begin the search for a permanent president early next year. Politico Florida. Gainesville Sun. News Service of Florida. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Phoenix.
Back-to-school tax holiday: The state’s month-long back-to-school tax holiday ends Sunday at midnight. Clothing, school supplies and computers are among the items that are tax-free if purchased before the deadline. Florida Today.
Around the nation: Schools in Washington, D.C., reopened Monday with thousands of federal troops and law enforcement officers, some of them armed, patrolling in surrounding areas. City and school officials are protesting the presence of officers as “unnecessary.” ABC News. Associated Press.
Opinions on schools: Choice opponents make all kinds of claims about how tax money going to private school students is a drain on public schools, but not of those assertions can withstand even a modicum of scrutiny. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. Florida public university research continues to deliver big results for the state taxpayers who finance it. State University System vice presidents, Tampa Bay Times. The race to purge and restrict books in Florida school libraries is a reflection of conservatives’ fear of a changing world. Diane Roberts, Florida Phoenix.
