By KATE PAYNE Tens of thousands of students have left Florida’s public schools in recent years amid an explosive expansion in school choice. Now, districts large and small are grappling with the harsh financial realities of empty seats in aging classrooms. As some districts are being... Continue Reading
By Melonie Holt, WFTV.com and Charles Frazier, WFTV.com One of the Brevard County school district’s newest career and technical education programs now has a working Marine Sciences Lab. Brevard Public Schools officials hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for their new Aquadome,... Continue Reading
Superintendent Theresa Axford recently announced new selections for district-level roles. Heidi Roberts — coordinator of English, language arts and reading Roberts is the former assistant principal at Poinciana Elementary and served several years as the literacy coach at Gerald Adams... Continue Reading
By Kara Arundel No requests from states to extend spending deadlines for COVID-19 federal emergency funds for K-12 schools have been denied so far, according to the U.S. Department of Education, which has been reviewing the requests. About half the states requested spending extensions from... Continue Reading
By Jeffrey S. Solochek Even before the law took effect in July, school district leaders across Florida raised yellow flags about new requirements to keep all campus gates and doors locked whenever children are present. It took just over a week with students in classes to see just how... Continue Reading
By Ken Jackson Osceola Prosper, the local initiative that offers high school graduates from the county a paid-for Associate’s degree at Valencia College or certification training program is having an impact. That feeling comes from Osceola County, which has brought it forward; Valencia,... Continue Reading
by Zach Hrynowski As parents and children prepare for the start of a new school year, a survey from the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup finds that the experiences young people in the U.S. have in their middle and high school classrooms are closely tied to their confidence and optimism... Continue Reading
By Ana Goñi-Lessan With early votes counted and all precincts reporting Election Day results, Rocky Hanna has won his Democratic primary race for Leon County Schools superintendent. According to the Leon County Supervisor of Elections, Hanna, the incumbent, received 82% of the vote,... Continue Reading
By Jim Saunders The Florida Department of Education on Tuesday issued what it described as a “model policy” to help school districts carry out a controversial new law that allows volunteer school chaplains. Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said in a statement the model policy... Continue Reading
The Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida encourage students to participate in the Hispanic Heritage Month student art and essay contests with the theme “Honoring Hispanic Contributions to Florida’s Success.” Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized and celebrated in... Continue Reading
By Ava Van Valen The High School High Tech program has been changing the lives of students with disabilities throughout Florida, including in Leon County, for 30 years. The program provides Florida high school students with disabilities the opportunity to explore jobs or post-secondary... Continue Reading
By Sarah D. Sparks School safety concerns may worsen ongoing absenteeism in schools, suggest new federal data. Thirteen percent of high school students reported missing school in 2023 out of safety concerns, according to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However,... Continue Reading
