Florida schools close ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole
The big story: School’s out for Nicole.
With the storm path tracking across the state, several more school districts decided to cancel classes for Thursday. Among the big concerns: Buses can’t travel the roads safely in winds over 35 mph.
Hillsborough County schools plan to remain shut through the weekend. Pinellas and Pasco schools intend to reopen for Veterans Day. Hernando County, too.
Check out the full list of closures from the Florida Department of Education. See the latest storm track information from the National Hurricane Center.
Hot topics
On elections: Winners of school board seats across Florida now must pivot from campaigning to governing. After some bitter politicking, the adjustment might take time. • St. Lucie County voters renewed their school district’s local-option property tax for another four years, TC Palm reports. • Marion County voters also reapproved their district’s property tax referendum, the Ocala Star-Banner reports. • A suspended Broward County School Board member conceded her reelection bid, the Sun-Sentinel reports. • A veteran Palm Beach County board member fended off a challenge from the right to win reelection, the Sun-Sentinel reports. • Lee County superintendent Christopher Bernier is assessing his options after voters chose to convert his job to an elected position, WFTX reports.
Tenure: Some university faculty and administrators raised concerns about a proposal to tie tenure decisions to adherence to Florida’s new law governing instruction about race issues. The Board of Governors advanced the measure for further consideration.
University presidents: Ben Sasse is officially the University of Florida’s next president, having won confirmation from the Board of Governors. • Ken Jessell was confirmed as the new president of Florida International University, the Miami Herald reports.
Other school news
The Venice High School marching band has a new gig after turning down a Disney World performance. The group will march in a city holiday parade, which is not demanding students cover their school’s Indians mascot, the Herald-Tribune reports.
Eight Hillsborough County teens received new laptops from the Clerk of the Court’s office. They participated in a program designed to help girls overcome obstacles to success in school, WTSP reports.
It’s award season in Florida schools. The Bay County district named its five finalists for teacher of the year, WMBB reports. • The Manatee County school district announced its principal and assistant principal of the year, the Observer reports.
From the police blotter ... A Duval County elementary school student faces expulsion amid accusations of bringing a gun to school, as police investigate the situation, WJXT reports. • A Bay County high school student was arrested on allegations of sexually assaulting two students during school, the Panama City News Herald reports.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
Before you go ... This German animation group Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell popped up in trending videos with this interesting explanation of why not to send nuclear waste into space. Sharing.
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