Until Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin asked for the numbers to be detailed and published, the school district was hiding $10 million it is receiving from the state only for it to be redistributed to families who use use the money–an average of $8,000 per student–to pay for private, religious or home school bills, and for transportation. The amount of public money going to private schooling is surging, as are the number of students going that route.
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Derek Barrs, Flagler County School Board Candidate District 3: The Live Interview
Derek Barrs is one of four candidates in two races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 20 primary, facing Janie Ruddy in District 3. School board elections are non-partisan races: all registered voters in Flagler County are eligible to cast a ballot in the two races–whether registered Democratic, Republican, Independent or from a minor party.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, July 29, 2024
Eisenhower’s convertible trip to Karachi, Pakistan, in 1960, America’s dwindling reputation abroad, Springsteen’s, “This Land is Your Land,” a few words from James MacGregor Burns.
How Jefferson and Madison’s Friendship Shaped Separation of Church and State
Only 19% of Americans say the United States should abandon the principle of church-state separation. That said, criticism appears to be on the rise, particularly among political and religious conservatives. And such criticism comes from the top.
Flagler Cares Offers One-Stop Help Night on Range of Social, Medical and Legal Services
Join Flagler Cares and other community partners for this one-stop Help Night offering a range of social, medical, legal and other services from 3 to 7 p.m. July 31 at Flagler County Village, City Marketplace, 160 Cypress Point Parkway in Palm Coast. Help Night is on the third floor of Building B, Suite 304.
J.D. Vance Eclipses DeSantis. But He Might Want to Watch His Back.
If Trump wins and somehow doesn’t declare himself president-for-life, Vance will be the nominee in 2028. Ditto if Trump loses and the country survives the violence. Vance could end up as president before then, possibly without lifting a finger — except maybe to pass Trump the Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburgers that finally tip him over into massive stroke territory. Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and their autocracy-loving billionaire buds will see to that.
Florida Schools May Not Return to Pre-Pandemic Enrollment for 10 Years, Economists Forecast
A state forecast indicates Florida schools will experience declining enrollment in five of the next six years, with the one positive year representing less than a 0.1% increase. The student enrollment forecast from the state Office of Economic and Demographic Research predicts that 12,379 fewer students will attend traditional public schools during the 2024-2025 school year, a 0.5% drop from 2.366 million to 2.354 million.
The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Sunday, July 28, 2024
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village, V.S. Naipaul’s odd turn in the South and a couple of seemingly nonexistent towns, Naipaul at Colgate university.
AI Supercharges Data Center Energy Use, Straining The Grid and Slowing Sustainability Efforts
Data centers have had continuous growth for decades, but the magnitude of growth in the still-young era of large language models has been exceptional. AI requires a lot more computational and data storage resources than the pre-AI rate of data center growth could provide.
Project 2025 is a Bad Bet for Florida’s Future
Project 2025 is a blueprint for Trump’s next term. It is full of recommendations for clamping down on abortion, banning pornography, abolishing the Homeland Security and Education departments, killing the Head Start program for kids, and putting the entire executive branch, including the Department of Justice, under direct control of the president — no civil service protection.