Florida voucher program for home-schoolers on pace to at least double this year
A state voucher program that began in the 2023-2024 school year is on pace to double in size — at least — as applications roll in from families who educate children at home and are seeking funds to make a range of purchases. What’s known as the Personalized Education Program provides voucher funds to students who are not enrolled full-time at public or private schools. The program was established through a 2023 law (HB 1) that massively expanded the state’s voucher programs. [Source: News Service of Florida]
See also:
» As Florida school vouchers grow, some payment problems remain
Florida’s State Board of Education joins fight against Title IX changes
The State Board of Education on Wednesday approved changes in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s bylaws that include replacing mentions of the word “gender” with the word “sex,” amid a larger dispute between federal and state officials. The changes came as Florida and other Republican-led states are challenging a Biden administration rule that would help carry out Title IX, a decades-old law that bars discrimination in education programs based on sex. The federal rule, in part, would require that discrimination on the basis of gender identity be included under the broader definition of sex discrimination. More from the News Service of Florida and the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida schools say maintaining student laptops for all is getting too costly
Putting laptops in the hands of thousands of students — and keeping them running and up to date — has proved to be pricey. The Orange County Public Schools’ laptop repair budget for the school year that ends this week is $1.6 million. School leaders say they are not second-guessing the laptop initiative, which has been paid for mostly with money from a voter-approved sales tax and mirrors efforts in school systems nationwide. But they are looking at ways to curb costs. [Source: AP]
Florida's book challenges were prelude to national issue ahead of 2024
They say that education is at the heart of a strong democracy, but ahead of 2024’s presidential election— how and what students are taught in public schools has become a major political issue. Few places is that more apparent than in Florida. Here, book challenges have led to the restriction of hundreds of titles from school district libraries and even more headlines over the last two years. [Source: WFTS]
Florida is establishing the ‘Office of Ocean Economy’ at FAU, pushing to advance discoveries
Florida’s new Office of Ocean Economy — a statewide effort to harness public and private research, education, technology and business applications involving water — will be housed at Florida Atlantic University. The effort, which envisions a collaboration among all state universities and businesses, was sponsored by Democratic and Republican state lawmakers from South Florida. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› UF bans student named in Chinese smuggling probe from campus for 3 years
The University of Florida on Saturday banned a student from its property for three years whom the Justice Department accused of being involved in a multimillion dollar scheme to divert biomedical samples of dangerous drugs and toxins from a campus laboratory to China.
› State audit finds questionable spending by Marion County school district
A recent Marion County School District audit uncovered several issues, including millions of dollars in questionable costs. The Florida Auditor General found that the district, despite state Board of Education rules, did not timely report information to the state Department of Education about a former employee who was dismissed and later convicted of an offense in July 2023.
› Florida charter school says child care provider failed to keep students safe
One of the Tampa Bay area’s largest charter school systems and one of its key service providers have landed in court over the question of who will offer early learning and extended day programs at the group’s nine campuses. Plato Academy has accused Superior Schools, which has run the programs for years, of violating state school safety rules and is trying to push the company out. Superior is pushing back.
› New Broward Schools Superintendent Howard Hepburn says he’s here to stay
Howard Hepburn is vowing to become a different kind of superintendent for Broward County Schools — one who actually stays. Hepburn, 45, signed a three-year contract May 21 at an annual salary of $340,000. He became the sixth person in three years to hold the title of superintendent. Since longtime Superintendent Robert Runcie stepped down in 2021, the district has had a revolving door of leaders, with four different people serving as superintendent in 2023 alone.