From books to elections, it's all schools, all the time
Dear Herald-Tribune subscribers,
School has been back in session for less than two weeks, but education topics are fully dominating the news landscape.
Our education reporter, Steven Walker, found out that the Sarasota School District will freeze purchases and donations of books until at least January, as it determines how to comply with new state laws on school materials. That in turn led to questions in the community about what was allowed and what wasn’t, so we provided a fact check. By week’s end, the district added a ruling that it was rejecting donated dictionaries from the Venice Rotary Club meant for elementary students, for now. Meanwhile, new state laws also prompted the district to update its policies related to students seeking support regarding sexual orientation and gender identity.
Away from the classroom, school board elections continued to be some of the most closely watched and heated races. Controversy over an outside group’s advertising even caused some candidates it was supporting to distance themselves. The governor is spending his own campaign cash to support school board candidates in Sarasota – also a political rarity.
And those elections are finally here. Tuesday is primary election day, featuring party primaries and non-partisan races, including school board, in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you don’t know your polling place, contact your local Supervisor of Elections office or go to www.votemanatee.com or www.sarasotavotes.gov.
Jennifer Orsi
Executive Editor
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Your Week in Sarasota/Manatee
