/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/FZZ6T6AT2NAUPP5OSOXFH4HQQE.JPG "Florida voters will decide Aug. 23 who sits on school boards across the state.")
The big story: Now that the 4th of July is past, it’s time to pay closer attention to the fast approaching elections.
As promised, Florida’s school board races are shaping up with clear choices for voters to make in just about every county in the state.
One prime example is Pasco County, where a majority of seats is up for consideration. There’s a loosely aligned set of candidates sharing the same conservative talking points on a variety of issues. If they win, Pasco’s district politics could see a significant shift. Read more here.
Three candidates are seeking the only Palm Beach County board seat where an incumbent isn’t running for reelection, the Palm Beach Post reports. They span the spectrum of political views.
Hot topics
State guidance: The Florida Education Association accused the Department of Education of issuing divisive information regarding new laws and initiatives, WUSF reports.
Teacher vacancies: The Duval County school district has about 23% more teacher job openings this summer than a year ago, the Florida Times-Union reports. Several factors are at play, including low pay and new laws. • Volusia County schools are recruiting to fill 365 teaching positions, WKMG reports.
Campus security: The St. Johns County school district plans to increase spending on safety measures by more than $1 million, WJXT reports. • A private company is helping make Duval County schools safer with specialized attack-resistant glass, WJXT reports.
Other school news
A Lake County high school is coming to grips with a scandal that led two teachers to resign. Former administrators are still trying to figure out how things came to such a point, the Daily Commercial reports. The two teachers’ future in education lies with state officials, the Daily Commercial reports.
The longtime leader of Collier County education support groups is stepping away. She’s sticking close to education issues, the Naples Daily News reports.
Don’t miss a story. Yesterday’s roundup is just a click away.
Before you go ... Like the Oregon Zoo says, have an ice day.
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/www.tampabay.com/resizer/ejZXd0q7WuARzBmiYRuj0tmLlNw=/1200x675/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/WXZYD3LMZRD3PIUOPMF6ZWVK6U.jpg "Florida seeks to cut red tape that binds public schools")
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/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/IVCOK6NKTFBUNP4FUI6X45CZ3E.JPG "Florida leads the nation in school book bans. That should terrify us.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/BK7T5GZP5FDRXLYLUDNXJ33KXE.jpg "Corcoran, 2 others make their case to be New College’s next president")
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/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/GRVJJNWS7Q2YNDVY6XSHPACJMM.jpg "Florida university staff could be fired under proposed restroom policy")