The Legislature held a 5th week of Interim Committee Meetings this week. Several bills and topics of interest were considered, including funding, health and safety, public records, and ethics. The outcome of the legislative meetings of interest is provided in the first file below. In addition, updates on several federal issues are provided in the […]
Department of Justice Awards More than $85.3 Million in Grants to Address School Violence
Today, the Department of Justice announced it has awarded more than $85.3 million to bolster school security — including funding to educate and train students and faculty — and support first responders who arrive on the scene of a school shooting or other violent incident. Read More Fact Sheet Listing Award Recipients
Environmentalists mostly welcome Florida’s plan to spend VW settlement money on cleaner buses
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced this week that it will use most of the $166 million it received in Volkswagen settlement money to replace diesel buses and shuttle vans with electric models . . . Some $5 million of that $116 million will help districts replace older diesel school buses with electric […]
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Announces New Initiative to Support Opening and Expanding Charter Schools in Opportunity Zones
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced a new initiative to promote the creation and expansion of high-quality public charter schools in Opportunity Zones across the United States.Currently, more than 70% of Opportunity Zones do not have a public charter school option available to students. Read More
Six things to know about the U.S. Census and Florida
Census Tract 119.04 in Hillsborough County constitutes a perfect rectangle in a densely populated section of West Tampa just north of Al Lopez Park . . . . The Census Bureau defines a tract as “hard to count” if 73% or fewer residents return their Census questionnaires. In the 2010 Census, the mail-back rate for […]
School districts lose another round in court over law that bolsters charter schools
The dozen Florida school districts that sued the Legislature over a controversial 2017 law establishing and funding a new charter school system have suffered another setback in court. While acknowledging the districts had a limited right to challenge the law, a three-judge panel of the First District Court of Appeal found the districts’ legal arguments […]
FSBA Session Spotlight — August 21, 2019
FSBA 2020 Platform Development The FSBA PROPOSED 2020 Legislative and Federal Platforms are available HERE along with related information. Please be sure to review these PROPOSED Platforms and share any comments or concerns you may have with your district’s representative on the FSBA Legislative Committee. There will also be an online Q&A session on Friday, […]
Secretary DeVos Announces School Safety Grant Opportunities
In support of the recommendations from the Federal Commission on School Safety’s (FCSS) final report, the U.S. Department of Education announced today it is now accepting applications for three fiscal year 2019 grant competitions that support locally tailored approaches to school safety. Read More
Hard-Hit Florida School District Awarded More Than $1.25 Million for Hurricane Michael Recovery Efforts
Following the major devastation caused by Hurricane Michael across the Florida Panhandle, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced today a $1.25 million Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) grant award for Bay District Schools. According to local school officials, the funding will be used to provide students with much needed mental health services. […]