Sprinklers triggered by the fire caused more of a disruption than the fire itself, but most activities and normal dismissal were not affected.
Schools
Flagler School Board Unanimously Approves 13 Deputies in Schools, Ending Tiff With Sheriff
The $1.8 million agreement almost splits costs between the sheriff and the school board and doubles the number of deputies in schools in the first post-Parkland massacre contract.
Flagler Beach Cool To Contributing Money, Palm Coast-Style, For Schools’ Resource Deputies
Palm Coast pays for an extra school resource deputy to defray the school board’s and sheriff’s costs, but Flagler Beach is reluctant to do likewise for now.
School Board May Revoke Palm Harbor Academy’s Charter as Serious Irregularities Surface
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.
Flagler Palm Coast High Thespians Go Big With ‘Little Mermaid’ and Again Raise Bar
For Local Musicals
The $18,000 production of FPC “Little Mermaid” is, Like Matanzas’s “Sherk” last month, giving Flagler audiences a new look at high school musicals that have little to differentiate them from professional productions.
Advice for High School Graduates: Learn a Trade
The shameful practice of tracking poor students into blue-collar jobs contrasts with millions of rewarding, high-paying trade jobs sitting empty.
Compromise Over School Deputies in Flagler, But Look Beyond False Security of “Hardening”
There’s an effective way to end the stalemate between the Flagler Sheriff and the school board over deputies in schools without breaking the bank or compromising security.
Rift Widens Between Sheriff and School Board Over Deputies’ Cost For Flagler Schools
At least an $88,000 rift divides Flagler’s sheriff from the school board as they negotiate to have deputies at every school come August. The divide may be larger when mental health money is included.
School District Seeks to Reassure Flagler Parents Disaffected Over Reorganization Involving 1,900 Special Education Students
The Flagler school district is cutting in half its so-called “staffing specialists,” or advocates for special education students, but says the change is for the better. Parents disagree.
With “Shrek The Musical,” Matanzas High School Mega-Production Aims To Make Everyone a Believer
“Shrek the Musical” at Matanzas’s Pirate Theatre Wednesday through Saturday is a huge, roaring production involving a cast and crew of 90, with a 20-piece live orchestra.
With Social Media Surveillance, Flagler School District Is Breaching Community Trust
With its contract with Social Sentinel, a social media snooping company, the Flagler school district is going into the secretive surveillance business for a much heavier cost than advertised.
Judge Rejects Local Districts’ Challenge of Controversial Law Shifting Money To Charter Schools
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.
Two Flagler School Buses Involved In Minor Incidents In Thursday’s Afternoon Runs
Neither incident was serious, but at least one of them led to inaccurate rumors on social media that a weapon was involved: it never was.
Matanzas High School Girl Reports Being Raped By Another Juvenile at Her Home
An investigation is ongoing into the allegation of a rape of a 16-year-old girl after the alleged perpetrator asked to meet the girl to “catch up.”
Students Raise Concerns, But Flagler School Board Approves Social Media Surveillance
The Flagler County School Board Tuesday approved a three-year, $55,500 contract with Vermont-based Social Sentinel to troll eight different types of social media accounts.
Voters Will Decide School Board Term Limits and Ending Local Control Over Charter Schools
Under current law, school boards operate and control public schools within their counties. That would end if voters approve a constitutional amendment.
Daytona State Holds 11th Annual Campus Safety Awareness Day
Nineteen Daytona State College employees, students and associates were honored on April 13 for their contributions to maintaining a safe campus environment.
Flagler School Board Wants To Snoop on Students’ Social Media, And Maybe Yours. Wrong Move.
The School Board is set to contract with Social Sentinel, a company that will troll social media accounts across Flagler for $18,500 and issue “alerts” to select officials. It’s an inappropriate move down a slippery slope.
7 New Sheriff’s Deputies, 143% Cost Increase as Outline of Flagler’s School Safety Takes Shape
Sheriff Staly and Superintendent Tager are negotiating an increase of the school deputies’ program to $1.8 million split 50-50, with the schools’ share paid by the state and the sheriff’s by the County Commission.
20 Years in Prison for Ex-Soccer Coach Who Molested Boys at Palm Coast Academy; He Faces New Rape Charge
Sean Stern was a program director at Palm Coast’s ex-Sports Pathways soccer academy for boys and girls, where he molested at least three boys over many months.
Daytona State College Summer Sessions Begin May 15, Enrollment Open
Daytona State College registration is closing in on summer classes that start May 15 and June 28. Fall semester sign-up also has begun with classes starting Aug. 27; now’s the time to secure classes and top choice for schedules.
Superintendents Say Money May Not Cover All School Resource Officers Despite $100 Million
Superintendents are asking the state Board of Education for support in shifting money allocated to school marshals to the school resource officer program instead.
“March For Our Lives” Draws 100 Along Palm Coast Parkway in Orange Echo of Global Student Movement
The Palm Coast demonstrators joined some 800 planned March For Our Lives protests across the globe today, calling for sensible gun control and a ban on assault-type weapons.
Parent Faces Charges After Appearing to Instigate Fight Between 2 Indian Trails Middle School Boys
Anthony Gardiner, a 34-year-old resident of Pam Coast’s B Section, was captured in several videos either instigating or intervening in a fight between two boys on a Belle Terre Parkway sidewalk.
Are Drug Addicts Less Valuable Than Students? Florida Says Yes, Wrongly.
Politically there may be a big difference between students’ safety and drug addicts. Ethically, there is none, and financially, addicts are being lethally short-changed.
As in Flagler, Few Districts Embrace Arming “Marshals,” So Money May Shift to School Cops
In Flagler County, Superintendent Jim Tager and the school board said they would not support arming anyone who is not, in essence, as trained as school deputies must be to carry a weapon.
White Supremacist Teacher Dayanna Volitich Mustn’t Be Returned to the Classroom
Try to imagine you’re a non-white student in Volitich’s social studies class. What do you do with this new information about your teacher’s “white superiority”?
Nobody Knows How Many Kids Get
Caught With Guns in School. Here’s Why.
Lax reporting by schools, lax oversight by state and federal authorities make it nearly impossible to say just how many students get caught taking firearms into public schools each year.
Daytona State College Partners With UCF On Best Practices In Inclusive Classroom Grant
Daytona State’s College of Education has teamed with the University of Central Florida to develop new strategies for teaching and learning in an inclusive classroom setting, where students with and without disabilities learn together.
Bunnell Police Find Weapon Used in School Incident, a BB Gun, and Locate 2nd Boy
The gun allegedly brandished during a school-related incident was a BB gun, and the second boy located in relation with the incident may not be facing charges.
Florida Increases Per-Student Funding By $101, Much Of It For Security and Mental Health
The annual school funding formula would include a new category for mental-health funding with $69 million and increase the school-coop pot by $97 million, to $162 million.
Details Behind 6th Grader at Center of Bunnell School Incident Point To a “Gun,” a Troubled History and Family
The 6th grader at the center of the alleged gun incident by a Bunnell Elementary playground has had a history of suspensions and an unstable home life.
Sheriff and Superintendent Pledge to Double School Deputies as They Outline New Normal Of Campus Security
School deputies will be increased to 13, with two at each high school and one in every elementary school, while a series of other security measures are implemented in a reflection of post-Parkland massacre norms.
Suspended Student Feared To Have a Weapon at Bunnell Elementary Fence Triggers Alert, and Arrest
A student who’d been suspended earlier in the day is facing arrest for assault was seen at a Bunnell Elementary fence with what looked like a weapon near dismissal time Wednesday afternoon, causing a lockdown.
School Board Will Yet Again Try To Sell Corporate One Property Off Palm Coast Parkway
The school board will most likely have to sell the 7-acre property–now without a building–at a loss, after owning it since 2003 but for far more trouble than it was worth.
House Edges Closer to Vote on Bill Mixing Guns With School Safety and New Limits
Those younger than 21 would be prohibited from buying rifles, others would have a 3-day waiting period. Coaches and others could be “deputized” as school marshals.
Matanzas Student Frustrated in Math Jokes of “Shooting Up” the School, and Is Arrested
The arrest this morning of Raul Hernandez, 14, signals that school and sheriff’s officials will be taking a hard stand against any threats, however un-serious the intention.
Senate Passes Safety Plan, Including Armed Teacher Program and $97 Million for More School Cops
Flagler County would be in line for a substantial increase in dollars allocated for school resource deputies, and would have the authority to implement a school marshal program.
For Sheriff and Flagler Schools, Clear Accord: No to Arming Teachers, Yes to More Deputies
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.
Florida Senate Backs Arming Teachers And Rejects Assault Weapons Ban
The Senate plan and a similar House proposal would allow school boards to decide whether they want to implement a “marshal” proposal to arm certain teachers.
“Do 17 Good Deeds”
Many Join Students Marching Across Flagler Beach Bridge For Gun Sense and Safety
A march of about 200 people across the Flagler Beach Bridge drew students, faculty, administrators and politicians and ended in a brief stand at First Friday for safety measures in schools.
Gov. Scott Pleads For More Cops In Schools as Safety Plans Provoke Divisions
Scott’s $500 million package would require, among other things, school boards to assign a law enforcement officer to each school and at least one resource officer for every 1,000 students.
Ban on Assault-Type Guns Fails in Raucous Hearing, Training and Arming Teachers Passes
The intense debate came during a Senate Rules Committee hearing on a broad package addressing school safety, guns and mental health, in response to this month’s massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that left 17 people, including 14 students, dead.
As Calls For Broward Sheriff’s Removal Mount, Scott Orders Investigation of School Shooting Response
The directive came as House Speaker Richard Corcoran sent a letter co-signed by 73 Republican House members requesting that Scott suspend Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, a Democrat.
Lawmakers Craft Law Allowing Teachers To Carry Guns In Florida Schools
The controversial measure would allow trained teachers to bring guns to schools, a concept that has divided Republican politicians and faces opposition from Democrats and educators.
School Shooting Survivors Demand Change in Tallahassee, But NRA-Backed Bills Only “Paused”
Students turned into activists as they cried, pleaded and argued with lawmakers Wednesday in the state Capitol, but they made limited gains, if any, with pro-gun bills merely paused.
Anxious Morning of Gun Threats in Palm Coast Affecting 3 Schools, and a Demonstration by 200 Students at FPC
A gun threat at FPC’s i3 Academy proved unfounded, Buddy Taylor and Wadsworth went on lockdown as deputies resolved another gun threat in Palm Coast’s P-Section, and 200 students at FPC demonstrated against gun violence.
Teacher Unions Protected But Public Funding of Private School Students Advances
The Florida Senate rejected a House proposal to dissolve teacher unions if membership falls below a certain point, but also approved a version of a school voucher program funding private school students.
Matanzas High Students Developing Justice Academy For Aspiring Cops and Lawyers
Matanzas High’s law and justice academy, developed by students with help from the sheriff’s office and others, mirrors the popular fire academy at Flagler Palm Coast High School.
Thoughts and Prayers, As Pointless as Outrage
The ultimate, most pointless outrage is at lawmakers and gun freaks, one and the same, who stand in pools of blood as they tell us our gun epidemic has nothing to do with it.