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Florida education news: Amendment lawsuit, charter appeals, safety and more

A roundup of stories from around the state.
 
Published July 13, 2018

AMENDMENT 8: Calling the title and summary "misleading," the Florida League of Women Voters asks the Leon County Court to remove Amendment 8 from the November ballot. The measure includes three items — civics education, school board term limits and, most controversially, a possible state charter school authorizer. Yet the complaint contends the amendment doesn't mention charter schools at all.

CHARTER SCHOOLS: The Florida Board of Education is set to approve two long-challenged Palm Beach County charter school applications, after the Palm Beach district lost its court battle to maintain control over which charters open in its boundaries. • Three more charter schools are to open in Hillsborough County this August, pushing the district's charter enrollment well over 10 percent. • A proposed charter school for Waldo in Alachua County is unlikely to open in 2019 as planned because of troubles securing grants, WUFT reports.

CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Candidates for four Pinellas County School Board seats tackle key issues during a forum. • Okaloosa County School Board candidates explain their campaign priorities during a forum, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

LABOR NEWS: Performance evaluations remain the focus of Pasco County teacher contract negotiations.

SAFETY: School principals from around the nation discuss campus security and other pressing matters while at a conference in Orlando, WMFE reports. • The U.S. Secret Service offers guidance to schools in assessing which students might be at risk of becoming a shooter, the Associated Press reports. • The Palm Beach County school district's former police chief will become an elementary school officer, but keep his chief's salary, the Palm Beach Post reports.

DRESS CODE: Indian River County parents complain about a last-minute dress code change, prompting at least one School Board member to call for a year delay in implementation, TC Palm reports.

TAXES: Miami-Dade County school district officials revise tax referendum ballot language after some people find its objective confusing, the Miami Herald reports.

SUPERINTENDENTS: Brevard County's incoming superintendent makes his first public comments as he takes the helm, Florida Today reports. Biggest news: Cafeteria offerings might change.

SUMMER LEARNING: A Sarasota County elementary school keeps youngsters enthralled with its six-week summer academy, the Herald-Tribune reports.