Florida ponders whether partisanship has a place in education

Big story: As voters across Florida cast their ballots early before Election Day, they have the opportunity to decide whether to change the state constitution to allow for partisan school board elections, the News Service of Florida reports.

Some say the change will allow for greater transparency in what candidates put forward. Others, including a state student group, argue it would bring too much politics into an already divided territory where serving children should be the main goal, WLRN reported.

They encourage voters to look at candidates’ qualifications and priorities rather than making decisions based solely on party affiliation. Vox explored Florida’s First Amendment and the role of politics in education in its latest podcast, “Today, Explained.” Listen.

A similar debate is playing out in the Pasco County school superintendent race, which is already partisan. One of the candidates is running without a party affiliation against a well-funded Republican, hoping to lose. His supporters are beginning to believe that this can happen. Read more here.

In Flagler County, a candidate backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis lost his primary bid to serve on the school board. Now DeSantis has appointed him to finish out the early term of a board member who resigned too late for elections to choose her replacement, Ask Flagler reports.

Hot Topics

Available housing: The Monroe County School Board continues to work out the details of providing housing its employees can afford, the Key West Citizen reports.

Cost reduction: The Hillsborough County School District is looking to save on health insurance costs by self-insuring, WUSF reports.

Intellectual Freedom Study: An annual survey of the public university system found that students and staff believe they have more freedom of speech than is offered at other schools across the country, Politico Florida reports. About 14% of students and 12% of staff took part in the event. More from Florida Phoenix.

ZERO: The Board of Governors wants more information on how a recent agreement to compensate student-athletes will impact the future of college sports in Florida, the News Service of Florida reports.

Special Education: Some St. Johns County parents say their special needs children are being treated unfairly at school, despite the district’s efforts to reduce the use of restraints on disruptive students, Jacksonville Today reports.

School choice: Palm Beach County Schools has added ten new majors ahead of the application window, the Palm Beach Post reports.

Teacher’s salary: The Collier County School District increased its minimum teacher salary to $57,000 a year, the second-highest in Florida, WBBH reports.

From the police bulletin… An Osceola County High School student was arrested on charges of making death threats against the school, WKMG reports. • Law enforcement investigated reports that an Indian River County High School student brought a weapon to school. It turned out to be an unloaded plastic air pistol, TC Palm reports.

From the court record… A former Port St. Lucie assistant police chief avoided jail time thanks to a plea deal in a case described as a scheme to falsify records to allow high school football players to compete on Martin County teams for which they were not zoned, WPTV reported.

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Before you go… Are you ready for the Great Pumpkin?