The big story: Florida Republican leaders have for months discussed their desire to reduce or eliminate property taxes.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is among those who has argued that the tax poses an unfair burden on property owners.
Questions quickly emerged about what would happen to local governments, including school districts, that rely on the revenue to provide their services.
On Thursday, the state House released a series of proposals aimed at setting the future for property taxes. Voters would ultimately decide what happens.
One thing they won’t consider, though, will be ending property taxes for schools. None of the proposals look at changes there.
“All of our proposals have two distinct components. First, they will have language that specifically prohibits an affected government entity from reducing funding for law enforcement.” House Speaker Daniel Perez wrote in a memo to members. “Second, they exempt school taxes. Property taxes comprise 46% of school funding, or about $21 billion.” Read more from Florida Politics, News Service of Florida.
Assisting athletes: A state senator has filed legislation that would allow high school coaches to provide meals, transportation and other assistance to student-athletes if done in good faith. The proposal comes after Miami Northwestern football coach Teddy Bridgewater was penalized for offering support to players.
Charter schools: The Hillsborough County school district filed an injunction to require Walton Academy charter school to close its doors. The school board terminated its charter, citing the school with unsafe conditions.
Diversity: A University of North Florida professor has filed a grievance with the school, contending the removal of terms such as “diversity” and “culture” from his courses was a form of government censorship, The Tributary reports.
Federal shutdown: A lengthy shutdown of the federal government could threaten the funding for cafeteria subsidies in Palm Beach County schools, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Free speech: Palm Beach County school board member Edwin Ferguson stood by his negative comments regarding slain political activist Charlie Kirk as members of the community argued about whether Ferguson should step down, WPTV reports. • The University of Florida is arguing in court that its expulsion of a law student over antisemitic social media posts did not violate his First Amendment rights, USA Today Florida Network reports.
Funding: State lawmakers said budget cuts are likely for Florida’s colleges and universities, WFSU reports.
Mental health: Seminole County schools stepped up counseling services in the wake of three student suicides over the past week, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Parent communication: Seminole County school district and law enforcement leaders are reviewing how to better communicate with parents amid complaints that information did not come quickly enough about an employee who told officers he had thoughts about injuring a student, Spectrum 13 reports.
School mergers: Some Marion County parents are questioning the potential impact on early education that the school board’s proposal to consolidate two elementary schools might have, 352today.com reports.
Student government: Florida State University student senators are feuding over the selection of a member with connections to a pro-Israel organization to a vacant seat, FSView reports.
From the police blotter … A Leon County teacher was arrested on accusations of sexual misconduct with a minor, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
From the court docket … Florida’s attorney general will defend Miami Dade College in a challenge of the school’s move to dedicate land to the state for a future Donald Trump presidential library, the Miami Herald reports.
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Before you go … Is this how to get young people into the library?
Jeffrey S. Solochek is a reporter covering education as a member of the Tampa Bay Times Education Hub in partnership with Open Campus. You can contribute to the hub through our journalism fund by clicking here.
