A federal judge has shielded Escambia County School Board members from having to testify in a legal battle about the removal of children’s books from school libraries. United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho on Friday issued a 15-page order agreeing with the school board that members do not have to give depositions because of what is known as “legislative privilege.”
Schools
New College’s Descent from Stellar Florida College to ‘Eugenicon’
Steve Sailer, a “eugenicon” who believes Black people are genetically inferior to whites, race is biological, interracial marriage is wrong, and “core Americans” are by definition white, has been invited to speak at one of New College’s “Socratic Stage Dialogues.” Socrates himself would not know whether to laugh, cry, or take an even bigger swig of hemlock.
For Colleen Conklin, a Preview of Farewells and Flowers After 24 Years as She Logs Penultimate School Board Meeting
Flagler County School Board members Colleen Conklin and Cheryl Massaro, each in her own way, spoke their farewells at their last voting School Board meeting, though both will serve through another workshop in November, where a celebration of their tenures is planned. Conklin has been on the board since 2000, Massaro since 2020.
School Board Rejects Developer Interested in Building ‘Specialty Retail Center’ on Palm Coast Parkway Property
The Flagler County School Board this evening will again formally reject a developer’s interest in buying the district’s old 7.2-acre Corporate One property at the southeast corner of Palm Coast Parkway and Corporate Drive, a 7-acre site that used to be one of ITT’s headquarters, in the early years of developing Palm Coast, before the board bought it for $3.5 million. It was not one of the board’s wisest decisions.Tailwinds Development, a company that specializes in building retail commercial shopping centers, was interested in the acreage.
Flagler Schools Will Only Make Up One Day and Sacrifice 4 Lost to Hurricanes, While Preserving Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks
Assuming no more storms or other events require further school cancellations, Flagler County schools will have four fewer instructional days this school year. Thanksgiving and winter breaks will not be affected, the year will not be extended, and the district will still meet the legally required total of instructional days. The Flagler County School Board signed off today on its calendar committee’s minimal changes.
Hurricane Milton’s Flagler Path in Pictures: Flooding, Beach Erosion, Damaged Roads and Roofs, but Nothing Disastrous
Hurricane Milton barreled through the midsection of the Florida Peninsula Thursday morning, lashing Flagler County with tropical-storm-force winds (and a few hurricane-force gusts) and up top 19 inches of rain in parts of the county. But damage overall was mostly minor despite floodwaters. Here’s an album in pictures and video.
Flagler School Board is Doing Nothing to Encourage Applicants for Seat Vacated by Sally Hunt. Here’s How to Apply.
The Flagler County School Board discussed the appointment of Sally Hunt’s replacement for the first time Tuesday, for just four minutes. It had no clue what to do next, and has no intentions of informing the public that the application window is open, or facilitating applications. The board chair has had contact with the governor’s appointment office, but did not say what that entailed other than getting an acknowledgement from that office that Hunt had resigned.
Florida Retains US News Title as Top Higher Education State
Florida was named — for the eighth year in a row — the top state for higher education by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings, released Tuesday, take into account factors including graduation rates, social mobility, student debt, retention rates, and academic reputation.
Stetson Receives National Recognition for Promoting Student Voter Engagement
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge has recognized Stetson University for excellence in its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections.
Mixing Self-Pity with Self-Applause, Sally Hunt Resigns For Real This Time; DeSantis Appointment Could Take Months
Flagler County School Board member Sally Hunt submitted a resignation letter by email early this afternoon, making good on a pledge that by November she’d be gone from the seat she’s occupied less than two years. Hobbling with self-inflicted wounds from one of the most turbulent school board tenures in recent memory, Hunt claimed her “early departure from the Board was not an intended or desired outcome.” Many of her actions in her months on the board, and her frequent absence from it, from school functions and from contact with constituents, suggested otherwise.
Flagler School Board Makes ECGs Mandatory for Student Athletes as Sally Hunt, In Shift, Provides Swing Vote
The Flagler County School Board Tuesday became only the sixth or seventh district out of 67 in Florida to make ECG screenings for student athletes mandatory at least once in their four years of high school. The 3-2 vote followed 75 minutes of often heart-wrenching personal pleas from parents whose children suffered or died from heart defects, and the divided board’s at times contentious disagreements over whether to include an opt-out in the requirement, especially between Will Furry, the board chairman–and opponent of a mandate–and Colleen Conklin, its chief advocate.
Rightward Revamp of New College Costing 9 Times More Per Student Than State Average
Board of Governors member Eric Silagy calculated that New College spent nearly $91,000 per student based on a 2023-2024 enrollment of 732 students, while the average for the state university system is about $10,000 per student. Silagy also questioned plans to increase student-athlete enrollment at the Sarasota college to 36 percent of the student body over the next decade.
FPC’s Dylan Osborne, 17, Killed in Belle Terre Parkway Crash; Man, 60, Dies in Crash from Apparent Medical Episode
Dylan Osborne, a 17-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student on a bicycle, was killed in a collision with a dump truck and at a separate location in Palm Coast a 60-year-old man was died in an almost simultaneous three-vehicle crash in mid-afternoon Monday.
Mandatory ECGs for Flagler County’s Student-Athletes: It’s About Life, Not ‘Parental Rights’
For the past few years AdventHealth has made free ECGs a voluntary part of student athletes’ physical. Wednesday evening the Flagler County School Board is voting on whether to make ECGs mandatory. Three board members–Will Furry, Sally Hunt, Christy Chong–are opposed. They say an ECG should be a parent’s choice. They’ve wrapped the issue under the banner of “parental rights,” as if ECGs were the same as masking during Covid, or whether to teach kids sex-ed. Their reasoning is flawed, and may cost lives.
Democrats Want More Transparency as Vouchers Subsidizing Private Schools Hit State Budget
Florida House Democrats are calling for the state to make public school choice scholarship data and budget plans–the private school vouchers paid with public tax dollars–as the programs grow. A similar issue arose in Flagler County, where School Board member Colleen Conklin complained about the district’s finance administration not disclosing the local number of taxpayer vouchers diverting tax dollars from the district budget, which this year exceed $10 million.
In Victory for Freedom to Read, Florida School District Wil Return 36 Books to Shelves in Lawsuit Settlement
Authors of the children’s book “And Tango Makes Three” and parents of students have reached a settlement with the Nassau County school district that will lead to 36 books returning to school libraries after being removed last year, according to court documents filed this week. The settlement came in a federal lawsuit filed in May amid widespread controversy about removing books from school libraries in Florida and other states.
Gov. DeSantis Showcases LINE Funding Successes for Nursing Programs at Daytona State College
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke at Daytona State College last week (Sept. 3) to highlight Nursing program achievements made possible through funding provided by the State and community partners.
Flagler School Board’s Lease of Old Courthouse Hides Sharply Higher Costs and Falling Enrollment
When the Flagler County school district administration first proposed last May to lease the old courthouse in Bunnell, it did so under the rosiest of assumptions: that the lease would allow the district to consolidate half a dozen programs under one roof, that it would create more classroom space at some of its elementary schools, and that it would save money. By the time the School Board approved the proposal last month, and the County Commission followed last week, only one of the three propositions was true.
Free EKG Could Save a Student Athlete’s Life. School Board’s Furry, Hunt and Chong Oppose Mandating It With Physical.
To play sports in Flagler County, high school students must pass a physical. A 10-minute ECG or EKG is an option regularly provided by AdventHealth, but not a requirement. The Flagler County School Board’s Colleen Conklin wants to make it part of the physical. Fellow-Board members Will Furry, Christy Chon and Sally Hunt are opposed, saying that should be a parent’s decision. The board is voting on the options later this month.
Florida College Students Return to Campuses Bristling with Restrictions on Protests
Florida’s college and university students are starting the academic year greeted by friends and professors — and by warnings from administrators and Attorney General Ashley Moody about how to express their views on campus. The directives follow nationwide protests over Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent assault on Gaza. While the scale of protests has varied nationwide, some led to arrests, including at the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of South Florida, and the University of North Florida.
Federal Appeals Court Upholds Decision Blocking Christian School’s Pre-Game Prayer Over Loudspeakers
A federal appeals court Tuesday said the Florida High School Athletic Association did not violate First Amendment rights when it blocked a Tampa Christian school from offering a prayer over a stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 high-school football championship game. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 2022 ruling by U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell in the lawsuit filed by Cambridge Christian School.
A 10-Year-Old Pointed a Finger Gun. He Was Kicked Out His School for a Year.
Over the last couple of years, Tennessee and several other states [including Florida] have been making it easier for schools to suspend or expel students. But study after study has shown that harsh disciplinary practices such as mandatory expulsions are ineffective at reducing violence in schools. What’s more, research shows that such practices often lead to Black students and students with disabilities being disproportionately suspended and expelled, making them more likely to end up in the criminal justice system.
5 Flagler County Schools Get Apple Distinction
Belle Terre Elementary School, Buddy Taylor Middle School, Indian Trails Middle School, Old Kings Elementary School and Rymfire Elementary School have been recognized today as Apple Distinguished Schools for the 2024–2027 program term.
Princeton Review Names Stetson Among ‘Best 390 Colleges’ for 10th Straight Year
For the tenth straight year, Stetson University has been named as one of The Princeton Review’s Best 390 Colleges in America for 2025, a distinction awarded to only about 15% of four-year institutions.
DSC and Florida Surf Film Festival Host ‘An Evening with Shaun Tomson,’ World Champion Surfer, Sept. 4
World champion surfer, documentarian and best-selling author Shaun Tomson will be the keynote speaker at “An Evening with Shaun Tomson,” Wednesday, Sept. 4 at Daytona State College’s News-Journal Center. The event includes a showing of the classic 2008 surf film “Bustin’ Down the Door.”
17 of Ron DeSantis’s 23 School Board Picks Either Lost or Must Face Runoff
Only six School Board candidates backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis celebrated victories in Tuesday’s Primary. Out of DeSantis’ 23 endorsed candidates, voters rejected 11 outright. Six others failed to get majority support, meaning they must face a General Election runoff. Those rejected included Derek Barrs in Flagler County, who lost to Janie Ruddy, a Democratic-backed candidate.
Stetson University Breaks Ground on 4-story Residence Hall
Stetson University broke ground Wednesday on a four-story residence hall that will enhance the residential living experience for students in the heart of campus with an amphitheater and more places to gather and study.
Education Department Disputes Teachers Union’s Vacancy Rate Claims
Opening day teacher vacancies dropped by 13.3% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to the Florida Department of Education. A news release from the department did not include the total number of vacancies, nor did officials respond to a request for the number.
After $17.5 Million Splurge on His Office and Friends’ Hires, Ex-UF President Ben Sasse Says He Is ‘Dang Proud’
Ex-University of Florida President Ben Sasse more than tripled his office’s spending to $17.3 million when compared to his predecessor. The costs included hiring several of his former U.S. Senate staffers, including two who were allowed to work remotely from the Washington, D.C., area. Sasse said he was “dang proud” of new initiatives run out of the president’s office, aggressively defending what he called his “‘go bigger’ approach” and efforts to establish “new initiatives” at the school.
Florida House Democrats Urge DeSantis Not to Pass Up 2025 Summer Food Assistance Program for Kids
The Sunshine State was one of 13 states that passed up millions in federal funds for the summer EBT program that gave low-income families $120 for school-aged children this year.
Teacher and Support Staff Vacancies Near 10,000 in Florida, About 1,150 Fewer Than a Year Ago
Nearly 10,000 public school teacher and staff positions are vacant as the 2024-2025 school year opens, according to Florida Education Association data. Of the 9,842 vacancies, 5,007 are instructional positions and 4,835 are support staff. The number of vacancies is down from 11,992 in August 2023.
The “School Choice” Swindle Is Demolishing Public Schools
“School choice” is an orchestrated demolition of public schools and the social contract. The focus-group euphemism masks the thieving of tax dollars to subsidize private schools, transforming what was once an aspiration of fringe Christian and anti-government militants into state doctrine. Flagler County schools are losing close to $11 million this year to “choice.”
Religious Leaders Warn Schools of Liability Dangers of Voluntary Chaplain Program
School districts have shown little interest in welcoming volunteer chaplains to serve in their facilities, an initiative recently permitted by the Legislature that, according to the ACLU, could create legal liability for schools and risk creating an environment of “religious coercion and indoctrination of students.” For school boards and districts that may move to implement the program, religious and civil rights leaders have recommended approaches they believe would best protect children.
Stetson Honored Again as a National College of Distinction and for Equity and Inclusion
For a second year in a row, Stetson University has received national recognition as a College of Distinction with additional awards for its Business and Education programs, and initiatives for Equity & Inclusion, and Career Development.
With Some Reservations and $635,000 in Renovations, School District Prepares to Rent Old Courthouse
The Flagler County School Board and the Flagler County Commission are preparing to sign a joint agreement that will lease the old courthouse in Bunnell to the district for just two years, with two options to renew for five years each, and an option to buy. Some school board members have reservations about the building’s quality, but will not stand in the way of approving the lease.
After Lawmaker Complains of Alleged Anti-Israel Bias, Florida Universities Are Ordered to Scan Materials
Florida university presidents have been instructed to scan their syllabi for material deemed antisemitic or exhibiting anti-Israeli bias following concerns raised by Rep. Randy Fine. Once a course has been reviewed and all instances of antisemitism and anti-Israel bias have been flagged, universities must report their findings to the chancellor’s office.
Appeals Court Backs DeSantis School Board Appointment, Rejecting Election
Calculating a vacated seat by the moment when a resignation becomes effective rather than when it is announced, a three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected arguments by James Golden that an election should be held in November for the Manatee County school-board seat that will be vacated by Rich Tatem.
Brendan Depa Was Baker Acted Immediately After Sentencing: ‘I’m Going to Die in Jail,’ He Wrote
Brendan Depa, the 18-year-old sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday for beating Joann Naydich, Depa’s paraprofessional at Matanzas High School, in February 2023, was immediately Baker Acted from the county jail afterward when jail staff saw he had written on a sheet of paper that he was going to die in jail. His mother said he feared being killed by other inmates or dying of his own hand.
Latest Flagler School Board Follies: Hunt Celebrates Mediocrity, Furry Abuses His Seat to Push ‘Endorsements’
“Board member comments” at the Flagler school board have devolved almost always into a disaster, an embarrassment, a circus of ignorance, hypocrisy, stupidity or bigotry, compliments of the board’s trilobites: Sally Hunt, Will Furry and Christy Chong. No wonder they prefer illegal secret meetings. No wonder Colleen Conklin and Cheryl Massaro can’t wait to escape the asylum. The sane ones weren’t there Tuesday to witness the latest drivel from Furry and Hunt, the first illegal, the second just creepy.
Florida’s Teachers Unions Urge Judge to Side with Transgender Teacher Over State’s Pronoun Dogma
Accusing Florida of “dangerous political theater,” state and national teachers unions have urged an appeals court to side with a transgender Hillsborough County teacher who challenged a law requiring educators to use pronouns that align with their sex assigned at birth. The unions filed a 47-page brief arguing that the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should uphold a district judge’s decision that the law violated the First Amendment rights of teacher Katie Wood.
Brendan Depa’s Sentencing Set to Conclude 3 Months After It Started: ‘I’m Going to Accept Whatever Happens’
Brendan Depa, now verging on his 19th birthday, returns to court Tuesday after a three-month hiatus to conclude his sentencing hearing on a charge of attacking Joan Naydich, the paraprofessional assigned to him as a student with special needs at Matanzas High School, in February 2023. The sentences Circuit Judge Terence Perkins will impose is unpredictable, other than that it will not be anywhere near the 30-year maximum.
Dr. Jodi Long Selected as DCS’s Vice President for Academic Affairs
Jodi Long in her role as Vice President for Academic Affairs will oversee all academic divisions and be responsible for the curriculum process, budgeting and scheduling for all academic offerings, as well as continuing education, adult education, and specialized business training.
Daytona State College Receives $15,000 Grant from BofA to Support Students Earning Teaching Credentials
Daytona State College has received a $15,000 grant from Bank of America that will be used to help students in the College’s Education program as they prepare to take State-mandated teaching certification tests.
Flagler Beach Does Not Intend to Use New Juvenile Curfew as Punishment, But as Safety Measure, Police Chief Says
Exercising a state law provision, Flagler Beach last month enacted a juvenile curfew, applicable from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. to most children under 16 in numerous circumstances, but Police Chief Matt Doughney said the curfew’s penalty has not been necessary, nor does the city intent to exercise it beyond educating those caught after hours, and keeping them safe.
Flagler Schools Losing $10.8 Million to Pay for 1,250 Students to Attend Private, Religious or Home School
Three take-aways largely explain how the state is gradually emaciating traditional public education’s budget by lowering the tax rate, as it has almost every year since 1995, by diverting millions of dollars to subsidize families’ private, religious and homeschool education bills, and by causing an inevitable exodus of students from public school to privately subsidized education, but at public expense.
Trump-Appointed Federal Judge Rejects Florida’s Claim That Biden Administration Overstepped on Gender Rules
Florida and three other states alleged in part that the Biden administration overstepped its legal authority in extending Title IX regulations to apply to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Judge Axon, who is based in Alabama, said the plaintiffs had not provided adequate arguments to obtain a preliminary injunction.
How Flagler Schools’ ‘Truth in Millage’ Budget Hid $10 Million Going to Private and Home School Tuition
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.
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.
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.
Local Responders Invade FPC for Active Assailant Training
“This is an exercise.” That was the beginning and end of every communication on July 24 during a full-scale active assailant exercise held at Flagler-Palm Coast High School to ensure that anyone within earshot or sight of the message would be clear it was about a training exercise. And, while a realistic training exercise, no one was injured or killed.