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Florida education news: Bills, budgets, lawsuits and more

A roundup of stories from around the state.
 
Published March 13, 2018

BILLS: Only about 6 percent of the 3,250 bills filed in the Florida Legislature this past session made it through both chambers. Just a fraction of those related to education. You heard about the big ones. Read up on the less noticed legislation that got passed, as well as some of the measures you thought might make it through but didn't. • A proposal to tighten oversight of schools accepting tax credit scholarships makes it through, but without language to require teachers to have degrees, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

BUDGETS: Pinellas County superintendent Mike Grego joins a chorus of district leaders in criticizing the Legislature's education budget.  More from NBC Miami.

IN COURT: The Hillsborough County school district tries to get a whistleblower lawsuit tossed out of court. • A group of parents and charter school operators seek to intervene in the HB 7069 lawsuit now in Leon County court, Redefined reports.

STUDENT VOICES: Manatee County students prepare to participate in Wednesday walkouts for school safety, the Bradenton Herald reports. • Lee County schools signal that students might face consequences for walking out of classes, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. More from the Sun-Sentinel, St. Augustine Record, Northwest Florida Daily News

SCHOOL SECURITY: Collier County officials explore options to make schools more secure, including consideration of arming employees, the Naples Daily News reports. • Sarasota County district officials say every safety option is on the table, the Herald-Tribune reports.

CHARTER SCHOOLS: The Palm Beach County school district looks into shutting down a financially struggling charter school, the Palm Beach Post reports.

STUDENT DATA: Leon County superintendent Rocky Hanna blames Florida Virtual School for leaving its servers unsecured, allowing for a data breach, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: The Broward County school district looks for ways to bolster special education staffing in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

TODAY: Florida Constitution Revision Commission, public hearing, 1 p.m., University of South Florida St. Petersburg.