Families hope Florida school results will prevent campus closures

The big story: The recent release of school and district grades based on student performance in Florida has raised a new set of questions for communities dealing with school closures.

Some Duval County residents argued that the strong results showed why their district should not close their children’s schools.

“They need to go back to the drawing board and figure out which schools actually need a change and an injection of funding and new buildings and which ones don’t,” said parent Emily McCarthy. Read more on WJXT.

Broward County School District officials, meanwhile, hope the district’s A rating will draw children back to under-capacity schools, reducing the need to close them. Read more in the Sun-Sentinel.

Current subjects

Tax referendums: Attorneys for the Hillsborough County Commission argued in court documents that the School Board cannot dictate the timing of the school district’s proposed property tax referendum. The board filed a lawsuit after the commission refused to put a district-wide referendum on the November ballot.

Vouchers: Discussions are continuing over what action, if any, the state could take against a private Islamic school that receives vouchers after the school’s imam made inflammatory comments about Jewish people, WFSU reports.

Best teacher: Hernando County math teacher Jaime Suarez has been named Florida’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.

President seeks: The search firm leading Florida Atlantic University’s search for a new president has been warned not to advertise the position in publications that focus on minority groups or diversity issues, the Florida Phoenix reports.

Impact costs: The Pasco County Planning Board gave initial approval to increase school impact fees. The county commission still needs to act.

Registration: State planners estimate that enrollment in traditional public schools in Florida will decline over the next six years, Florida Phoenix reports.

Elections: The Florida Democratic Party announced its endorsement of 11 school board candidates across the state, shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a list of 23 endorsements, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. • Legal maneuvering continues in the debate over how to fill the remaining term of a Manatee County school board member who is stepping down to run for the state House of Representatives, SRQ reports.

Charter schools: The Lake Wales charter school system has reached a settlement agreement with its fired principal, averting a threatened lawsuit, Lake Wales News reports. • The Redland Migrant Christian Association charter school in Wimauma has a new principal, WUSF reports.

Bus rides: About 1,100 students in the Duval County School District will no longer be eligible for bus transportation in the new school year, Jacksonville Today reports.

Book bans: The Escambia County School District, at the center of a lawsuit over censorship of library books, leads Florida in the number of books removed from school shelves, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

From the police bulletin… A Hillsborough County elementary school principal has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and fleeing police.