Around the state: A bill is filed for the next legislative session that would impose 12-year term limits on school board members, local government officials make their pitches to a House panel against proposed changes in property taxes, metal detectors are installed in four Volusia County high schools, school board members in Leon and Alachua counties are under fire for their comments after Charlie Kirk’s murder, and a religious group is protesting “Witchy Wednesday” videos produced by students at an Orange County high school. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: City commissioners are voting Thursday on a proposal to turn over the historic Olympia Theater to the charter school company Sports Leadership Arts Management. The cost would be $10, but the charter school would be responsible for an estimated $77 million for renovations that would have to be completed within five years. “That cost far exceeds the value for the property and unfortunately, is beyond the financial means of the city,” city officials said in a statement last week. Miami Herald.
Broward: An assistant football coach at Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach has been arrested and accused of child abuse after allegedly punching four students this week. Jamir Clarke, 29, who is also a campus monitor, has been reassigned during the investigation. WSVN. WTVJ.
Orange: A nonprofit Christian legal group is demanding that the school district provide an opt-out for students who don’t want to see videos about “witchcraft rituals” aired during weekly announcements. Witchy Wednesday is produced by students, and Liberty Counsel claims the spots promote witchcraft. Liberty also wants the school to air material by Christian students sharing their beliefs, and has asked the district for a written response by Sept. 30. WKMG. Florida’s Voice. The school board and the town of Eatonville have agreed to sell the historic 117-acre Hungerford School property to Dr. Phillips Charities for about $1 million. A final school board vote is Sept. 30. The charitable group would then collaborate with town officials on a development plan that’s expected to include an early learning center and a community center. Orlando Sentinel. WESH. WKMG. WOFL.
Duval: District officials say a shortage of speech-language pathologists has caused students to miss therapy sessions this school year, and they’re offering two options for them: Take virtual sessions outside of regular school hours or choose in-person sessions during the summer. Twenty-eight speech-language pathologist positions are open in the district. WJAX.
Brevard: Bickering continued at Tuesday’s school board meeting over the teacher whose contract was not renewed because she used a preferred name for a student without parental permission. Union president Anthony Colucci criticized Superintendent Mark Rendell for not rehiring Melissa Calhoun after the state decided she could retain her teaching certificate. “One mistake, one that was addressed and should have been resolved, has now been turned into a political spectacle,” Colucci said. Board members Gene Trent and Megan Wright then chastised Colucci, saying he was driving a wedge between teachers and the board. Florida Today.
Volusia: Metal detectors are now in place at four schools, according to district officials. Atlantic High School in Port Orange, Pine Ridge High in Deltona, Taylor Middle-High in Pierson, and Mainland High in Daytona Beach now have the security equipment, and more schools are expected to get the devices soon. WKMG.
Manatee: A teacher at Manatee Elementary School has been arrested and accused of possession of child pornography. Daniel Armando Munive Viruet was arrested by Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies. He was removed from campus and will have no further contact with students, district officials said. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Bradenton Herald. WFTS. WWSB.
St. Lucie: Port St. Lucie City Council has agreed to pay the school district $11.7 million for 111.59 acres of land that are deemed as surplus by the school board. The district bought the parcels as potential spots for new schools, but enrollment has been declining and officials decided the land would not be needed. City officials are considering using the land for conservation or parks. TCPalm.
Okaloosa: Superintendent Marcus Chambers has been chosen as president of the Florida High School Athletic Association board of directors. Chambers was appointed to the board last year, and his term ends in 2026. WEAR.
Leon: Florida’s Republican Party is demanding that school board member Darryl Jones resign for calling murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk a “racist, misogynist, homophobic Klansman.” In response, Jones said his comments “have since drawn attention from what matters most: our schools, our teachers and our students.” Tallahassee Democrat.
Alachua: School board vice chair Tina Certain also is being urged to resign by Republicans over her social media comments after the death of Kirk. Certain questioned why a “31-year-old uneducated white boy has been glorified.” She acknowledged her comment was “poorly worded,” but says she is not resigning. Gainesville Sun. Mainstreet Daily News. WCJB.
Union: School board members have agreed to lease six electric school buses and charging stations. The cost, about $13,000 a year per bus, will be covered by a federal grant. WCJB.
Colleges and universities: Florida’s Cabinet will vote next week to offer 2.63 acres of land in downtown Miami for President Donald Trump’s presidential library. The land is now used for parking at Miami Dade College. College trustees approved the transfer of the land ownership Tuesday. Miami Herald. Politico Florida. Palm Beach Post.
Talking taxes: Local government representatives insisted Tuesday at a state House panel hearing considering ways to lower or eliminate property taxes that they are properly managing their finances, and that any revisions would make it difficult to give residents the services they demand. Their pushback came Tuesday in the second day of discussions about how the tax might be changed and the implications of any change. News Service of Florida. USA Today Florida Network. School districts and other governmental agencies stand to lose about $18.5 billion in revenues if property taxes are eliminated for homesteaded properties, according to a recent study. Florida Policy Institute.
Also in the Legislature: Twelve-year term limits would be placed on school board members and county commissioners under a bill filed Tuesday for the 60-day legislative session that begins Jan. 13. If the proposal filed by state Rep. Jeff Holcomb, R-Spring Hill, is approved, a constitutional amendment will be placed on the November 2026 ballot. It would need the approval of more than 60% of voters to become part of the state’s constitution. News Service of Florida.
Opinions on schools: Affordability is an enormous problem in Florida, but eliminating property taxes isn’t the answer. Serious relief requires thoughtful reform, not Band-Aid policies that risk school funding and community safety. Miami Herald. Constitution Day reminds us yet again that the general understanding about the elected representative federal government, its laws and institutions is alarmingly shallow. Orlando Sentinel. Our universities should be places of honest and restraint-free critical thinking. Yet here in Florida, our universities are increasingly being held hostage to an overtly hegemonic system of ideological policing by the far right. John W. White, Tallahassee Democrat.
