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Florida education news: Turnarounds, rebuilding, funding and more

A roundup of stories from around the state.
 
Published Oct. 17, 2018

TURNAROUNDS: Hernando County's long struggling Moton Elementary School takes advantage of a state "Hope" grant to establish a family resource center for its students and parents. The goal is to help with issues outside school that impact academic performance.

REBUILDING: The Hillsborough County School Board approves a plan to rebuild Lee Elementary School, which burned as power was restored to its neighborhood after Hurricane Irma in 2017. Debate continues over whether to rename the school, which is named after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

FUNDING: The Pasco County School Board adopts a resolution urging state lawmakers to allow districts to maintain their local property tax rates to take advantage of rising values.

AFTER MICHAEL: The Florida Association of District School Superintendents sets up a Go Fund Me account to direct donations to school districts hit hard by Hurricane Michael.  • The Escambia County school district launches a fund-raising effort to help neighboring districts facing more severe damages, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

LABOR NEWS: Volusia County teachers union leader Andrew Spar leaves his local to take a post in the Florida Education Association, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

READING MATTERS: A national nonprofit distributes 40,000 free books to Clay County students and educators, the Florida Times-Union reports.

DIVERSITY: The University of Central Florida seeks to gain "Hispanic-serving" status, which opens the door to added funding and services, Hechinger Report reports.

WATER QUALITY: Alachua County schools begin installing water filters to remove lead and other contaminants, the Gainesville Sun reports.

COUNSELING: MCUSA, a south Florida firm that offered free counseling to school districts, closes its doors after settling a federal wage dispute with some of its former employees, the Palm Beach Post reports.

METAL DETECTORS: Plans to install metal detectors in Duval County schools will take up to 90 days to complete, the Florida Times-Union reports. The effort reverses the district's past preference to build relationships with students to discover weapons.

TEACHER PAY: Miami-Dade County superintendent Alberto Carvalho warns the district could lose teachers if its sales tax referendum to boost salaries does not pass, WLRN reports.

TESTING: Newly released ACT results show Florida students scoring below the national average, with a significant achievement gap among demographic groups, Florida Phoenix reports.

QUESTIONABLE RAISES: Broward County School Board members demand answers to how some administrators received raises and stipends without their approval, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

TEEN PARENT PROGRAM: A Sarasota advocacy group raises concerns about the closure of a health clinic at a high school serving teen parents and their children, the Herald-Tribune reports.

ICYMI: Yesterday's Florida education news roundup