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Schools, universities take steps toward reopening

A roundup of Florida education news from around the state.
 
In-person student ACT testing is set to resume in some schools in June.
In-person student ACT testing is set to resume in some schools in June.
Published May 28, 2020

Schools remain closed for now. But they’re inching toward reopening, with discussions continuing about how to bring everyone together safely. One baby step will be an in-person ACT exam in June. Read on for that and more Florida education news.

Still need an ACT score for college or scholarships? The test remains a go at several Florida high schools in June.

It’s back to in-person courses at USF this fall. But they’ll return to online after Thanksgiving — just in case. • The Florida Board of Governors anticipates campus life will be different than usual upon reopening, Florida Phoenix reports. • The Board has a virtual meeting at 1 p.m. today to discuss its plans.

Some of these GPA’s are astronomical. See the lists of all the Tampa area valedictorians and salutatorians.

Who’s in charge here? Hillsborough County superintendent Addison Davis names a second wave to the leadership team of the nation’s seventh largest district.

He ended a decade of public office in 2018. Now former St. Petersburg councilman Karl Nurse wants to join the Pinellas County School Board.

School districts are trying to figure out how to maintain social distancing on school buses, which usually run two or three to a seat. [ Times (2005) ]

How do you social distance on a school bus? Duval County schools are trying to figure that out, WJXT reports.

Districts still want to know what parents think about reopening school. Citrus County is the latest to launch a survey, the Citrus County Chronicle reports. • The Manatee County school district meanwhile unveiled possible changes and asked for feedback, the Herald-Tribune reports. • And the Monroe County school district has formed a task force to discuss options, WLRN reports.

Many details remain in flux. School district officials continue to examine the pros and cons of the different models they might adopt, TC Palm reports.

Show them the money. The Polk County School Board urges state officials to apply for a share of the CARES Act funding for education, the Ledger reports. (Our note: According to a US Department of Education spokesperson, Florida has applied for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund, which has a June 1 deadline. There’s another related fund that has a July 1 deadline.)

Millions of Florida children temporarily have no access to free school meals. The federal government has approved food benefits for those children, Florida Politics reports.

Come together. Despite some reservations, the Volusia County School Board decides to merge two elementary schools into a single K-8 campus, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

And the top teachers are ... The state has begun revealing finalists for Florida Teacher of the Year, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Have you heard about the naked vandal? He apparently spent the entire day in Miramar High doing damage, the Miami Herald reports.

A Santa Rosa County senior was left out of her school’s yearbook. The school is sending out stickers of her portrait to adhere the book. A family friend gave the girl a dolphin cruise, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

About 100 Brevard County teachers fell through a pay loophole when the state moved away from step increases nearly a decade ago. The district has now made them whole, Florida Today reports.

Aim high. The new Indian River County superintendent sets a goal for all district schools to be rated A within five years, TC Palm reports.

Did you miss a story? Here’s the link to yesterday’s roundup.

Before you go ... It’s virtual graduation time. So it makes sense that it’s also virtual band playing ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ from home time. Courtesy of several Pasco County band students. Read about their performance, then check it out.

To keep up on the latest stories from around Florida, visit the Tampa Bay Times Gradebook. Join our daily Facebook conversation to share your views. And be sure to share this roundup with your friends and colleagues. Know someone who might want to sign up for the Gradebook newsletter? Share this link. We want to hear your remote learning survival stories. Send an e-mail to jsolochek@tampabay.com. - Jeff