The big news: Will Hillsborough County voters decide whether to keep an appointed superintendent in charge of the nation’s seventh largest school system?
The decision rests in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ hands. And so far he’s been mum on the issue. But he has to act soon.
Lawmakers sent the governor HB 4027, which would call a November referendum on the superintendent’s fate, at the behest of the Hillsborough legislative delegation.
Rep. Michael Owen, R-Apollo Beach, said the bill he sponsored would put added accountability into the district’s administration, and free the superintendent to listen to the public without worrying about offending the school board.
Critics meanwhile worried about injecting politics into the system, and also limiting the scope of who may run the district. The measure won unanimous support in the Senate after passing the House along largely partisan lines.
The Senate action came a day after the school board extended superintendent Van Ayres’ contract to January 2029.
DeSantis has until Thursday to act on the bill. If it becomes law, the referendum would take place in November, with the superintendent election set for 2028 if voters approve.
Hot topics
Testing: The Pasco County school district wants more high schoolers to take their AP, IB and AICE exams. Officials’ first idea to make it happen didn’t go over too well, though.
Rays stadium: A handful of buildings on Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry Campus won’t be razed if a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium comes to the site.
Kids Count: When it comes to children’s wellbeing, Florida has made progress in some areas but remains ranked low nationally in several categories, Florida Phoenix reports.
Elections: Heightened attention to school board politics during the COVID-19 pandemic did not translate into increased participation in Florida’s board elections, Education Week reports. • A Duval County school board candidate used AI to create a fake campaign image appearing to show him surrounded by Black supporters, WJAX reports.
Charter schools: Three new charter schools are on their way to Hernando County, Tampa Bay Beacons reports.
Campus consolidations: The leaders of two Lake County middle schools came together in a show of support for merging their schools into one, WKMG reports.
Ballot measures: Jacksonville officials continue to debate the fate of a local-option property tax referendum for school district pay, WJXT reports.
Quick quiz
The conservative makeover of New College in Sarasota continues to garner national attention. What’s the latest?
a) Another documentary, this time by conservative activists
b) A half-hour comedy review on HBO
c) An investigative report in the NY Times
Find the answer in this story from the Tampa Bay Times.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
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