Judge Rules School Boards Must Provide Security Officers to Charter Schools Just As They Do Their Own

FlaglerLive | March 12, 2019

In a decision that could have statewide implications, an administrative law judge Tuesday ruled that the Palm Beach County School Board is required to assign safety officers to charter schools under a law passed last year.

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Judge John Van Laningham sided with Renaissance Charter School Inc., which operates six schools in Palm […]

Old Kings Elementary’s Addison Davis Survives Being ‘Eviscerated’ and Wins County Spelling Bee on a Pretzel

FlaglerLive | January 17, 2019

Addison Davis, 11, a fifth grader at Old Kings Elementary, won the county-wide spelling bee Wednesday and goes on to the regional bee in Jacksonville on Feb. 19.

Pushing For Charter Schools and Vouchers, DeSantis Will name Corcoran Education Commissioner

FlaglerLive | December 6, 2018

Corcoran, a lawyer and Republican from Pasco County, secured the passage of two major charter-school and voucher-friendly bills during his 2016-18 tenure as speaker.

Florida Charter Schools Have ‘Largely Failed to Deliver’ Promised Innovation, Report Finds

FlaglerLive | September 17, 2018

A new report from a Tallahassee-based research group raises questions about the growing role of charter schools in Florida, including citing the closure of 373 charter schools since 1998.

Justices Weigh Loading Charter Schools, Term Limits and Civics on One Amendment

FlaglerLive | September 6, 2018

Justices are only supposed to determine whether the ballot title and summary would provide an accurate description of the proposed constitutional amendment to voters.

Judge Orders Proposed Amendment on Charter Schools Off the Ballot, But Appeal Likely

FlaglerLive | August 21, 2018

The provision in question would have allowed the state to operate and control public schools “not established by the school board,” wording that could have yielded oversight to private companies.

Flagler School District Scores a B For 7th Year In a Row, Ranks 32nd Out of 67

FlaglerLive | June 27, 2018

Only Indian Trails Middle School scored an A while Old Kings and Rymfire elementaries dropped a grade. Other schools maintained last year’s grades.

Palm Harbor Charter School Will Shut Down Oct. 31 From Chronically Poor Performance

FlaglerLive | June 19, 2018

The Palm Coast charter school becomes the third in six years to shut its doors. Irregularities and poor student performance led the district to pressure Palm Harbor to close.

School Board May Revoke Palm Harbor Academy’s Charter as Serious Irregularities Surface

FlaglerLive | May 14, 2018

Palm Coast’s Palm Harbor Academy, one of two charter schools in Flagler, has struggled for most of its existence, and is accused of shifting students to a “private school” so they can avoid being tested.

Judge Rejects Local Districts’ Challenge of Controversial Law Shifting Money To Charter Schools

FlaglerLive | April 20, 2018

The controversy highlights continuing tensions between local school districts and the state about oversight and expansion of charter schools, which are public schools but are often run by private operators.

For Sheriff and Flagler Schools, Clear Accord: No to Arming Teachers, Yes to More Deputies

FlaglerLive | March 5, 2018

At a joint news conference later this week, Sheriff Rick Staly and Superintendent Jim Tager will outline new security measures and initiatives and a plan for additional school deputies, but no weaponizing of teachers.

A School Board Will Sue the State Over Charter-Tilted Education Bill Most Districts Opposed

FlaglerLive | July 6, 2017

The new law overhauls swaths of state education, dealing with everything from mandatory recess for elementary school students and standardized testing to charter school funding and teacher bonuses.

Flagler Is a B-Rated School District For 5th Year In a Row, But State Ranking Keeps Rising

FlaglerLive | June 28, 2017

Indian Trails Middle and Old Kings Elementary returned to A form, FPC climbed to a B, but Wadsworth Elementary fell to a C. Other schools maintained their grades–either B or C.

Flagler 3rd Graders’ Reading Scores Jump, And Exceed State Average By 11 Points

FlaglerLive | May 22, 2017

The Flagler school district average of 69 percent of students at proficiency or better exceeds the state average of 58 by 11 points as every elementary school showed strong improvement.

Public Schools Dealt Blows in Pair of Court Decisions Favoring Vouchers and Charters

FlaglerLive | January 20, 2017

One court decision upholds corporate tax vouchers for private schools, another diminishes the role of local school boards in deciding what charter schools may operate.

Another Unrealistic Trump Policy Proposal: Billions of Dollars for Homeschool Vouchers

FlaglerLive | September 18, 2016

Trump recently proposed billions in spending to allow the nation’s poorest students to leave public schools and enroll elsewhere, including by using homeschooling. Except the plan won’t work for the poorest students.

Homeschooling: Not So Eccentric Anymore

FlaglerLive | April 26, 2016

The number of American K–12 children educated at home increased from 1.09 million in 2003 to 1.77 million in 2012. That means they make up 3.4 percent of the nation’s school population.

Flagler School District Is Rated B For Third Straight Year, All Schools Either A or B

FlaglerLive | February 13, 2016

This year’s grades are almost eight months late. They’re less reliable than in previous years. And they’re still facing bitter criticism because of the state’s troubled standardized testing system.

Proposal Would End Local Districts’ Oversight of Charter Schools in Favor Of State Power

FlaglerLive | February 11, 2016

The proposed constitutional amendment would set up a statewide entity with the power to approve charter schools anywhere in Florida, bypassing local school districts. The Legislature is expected to approve sending the proposal to the ballot.

Bunnell Elementary’s Sean Gilliam Is Flagler County’s Champion, Buoyant Speller

FlaglerLive | January 21, 2016

Sean Gilliam, a sixth grader at Bunnell Elementary, correctly spelled the word buoyancy to defeat 16 competitors. Fifth grader Grayson Ronk of Wadsworth Elementary School was the runner­up.

Matanzas Woods Construction Forces Temporary School Bus Routes For Nearby Students

FlaglerLive | August 21, 2015

As school resumes Monday, transportation changes are afoot in the Matanzas High area, while the sheriff’s office has issued a series of cautions and tips to parents and students.

Charter Schools Are Not Required To Provide Bus Transportation to Students, Judge Rules

FlaglerLive | July 6, 2015

As part of a school-choice movement heavily backed by state Republican leaders, charter schools do not have to operate under all of the same requirements as more-traditional public schools.

Teachers Union has No Standing to Sue Over Florida’s School Voucher System, Judge Rules

FlaglerLive | May 18, 2015

The voucher-like program provides tax credits to companies that donate money to nonprofit entities that help pay for children to attend private schools. Some 70,000 students are enrolled.

7 Flagler Schools Share $668,000 in Bonus Dollars for Improving or Keeping High Grades

FlaglerLive | March 3, 2015

The money rewards schools that either maintain A or B grades or improve significantly toward such grades. It is one of the reasons Florida’s high-stakes testing has been facing criticism, as student testing is directly tied to monetary consequences.

District Adopts School Calendar It Did Not Want, Starting Late and Shortening Thanksgiving Break

FlaglerLive | February 17, 2015

The Flagler School Board wanted to start school in early August to give students more time to prepare for exams, but state law forbids it, forcing a calendar of its own on local districts.

Parents Ask Judge To Disqualify Union From Challenging School Voucher Program

FlaglerLive | February 9, 2015

Lawyers for the state and parents whose children use Florida’s de facto school-voucher program argued Monday that groups including the state’s largest teachers union don’t have the right to challenge the program in court.

With Generous County Subsidy, Christian School May Be Next Tenant of Old Courthouse

FlaglerLive | February 9, 2015

County government will vote Tuesday on a proposal by First Baptist Christian Academy of Palm Coast to lease the old courthouse in Bunnell for $5,700 a month, and with an interest-free, 30-year tax-funded loan of $360,000.

At Imagine School, Fire Inspection Is Cause For Caution, But “Just For Next Couple Of Weeks”

FlaglerLive | January 7, 2015

Palm Coast’s fire chief is incensed by the deception of a cautionary email to school staff this week that warns of a coming fire inspection, but also suggests that problem items must be removed or rearranged only “until after the inspection.”

Lawsuit Opposing School Voucher Expansion Is Thrown Out Again, Likely Ending Challenge

FlaglerLive | December 31, 2014

A judge rebuffed claims by a teacher and two parents who joined the new lawsuit that the expansion of the Tax Credit Scholarship Program hurt them because it could lead to reduced funding for their schools.