Pro-Pathways Center of Excellence, a private Palm Coast academy that mixes soccer and academics, wants to run the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club, having outgrown its facility in the Palm Harbor shopping zone.
Schools
“Career in a Year”: Gov. Scott Wants $20 Million for Tech Schools’ Fast-Track Programs
Competitive grants, which would be geared toward programs that could be completed in less than 52 weeks such as licensed practical nursing, which takes 45 weeks and has 2,361 openings in Florida, and welding, a 39-week program that could offer a path to one of 583 jobs.
Daytona State College Adds Evening Courses in Auto Body and Collision Repair
Car buffs looking to break into the auto collision repair industry can now get their training during evening classes at Daytona State College beginning in January 2016. The new night courses leading to a vocational certificate in Auto Body and Collision Repairwill be offered at Daytona State’s Advanced Technology College (ATC) off Williamson Blvd.in Daytona […]
A Ben Carson Reading Room at Old Kings Elementary: What’s the School Board Smoking?
The school board this week approved a privately funded $15,000 Ben Carson Reading Room for Old Kings Elementary, dismissing Carson’s political candidacy as a non-issue and ignoring his Islamophobia. It’s a serious mistake.
Kymora Christian, 7, Killed After Being Struck By Vehicle at White Star Drive Bus Stop
Kymora Christian, a 7-year-old student at Wadsworth Elementary in Palm Coast, was killed after being struck by a vehicle in front of 2 White Star Drive, a corner lot that fronts on Whippoorhill Drive in Palm Coast this morning at 8:14 a.m.
Belle Terre Swim Club Pulled From Brink as School Board Turns to Community Group
In a remarkable turn-around for club supporters, the Flagler school board agreed to extend the life of the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club by turning over membership responsibilities to a community group and shortening hours of operation.
Flagler County Youth Center Marks 10 Years in Continuing County-School Board Partnership
Flagler County government built the $1 million youth center as part of a tax-supported referendum 10 years ago. The school board staffs it, under the leadership of Cheryl Massaro, its one and only director.
Knife Found, 8th Grader Arrested After Report of a Gun Locks Down FTI and FPC
An anonymous call reported a hidden gun in a bathroom at the Flagler technical school. A knife was found, leading to an 8th Grader’s arrest. The student is from Indian Trails Middle School.
School Superintendents Have “Lost Confidence” in Florida’s Student Accountability System
The rebuke comes after months of controversy about the new Florida Standards Assessment, which was plagued by technical problems this spring, including computer glitches and a cyberattack.
Indian Trails 7th Grader, on Bicycle, Victim of Hit-and-Run on Belle Terre and Brookside Ln.
A 7th grader from Indian Trails Middle School bicycling to school was struck by a vehicle at the corner of Brookside Lane and Belle Terre Parkway. The vehicle kept going.
Buddy Taylor Student Struck by School Bus This Morning on Parkview Drive
The student was treated for minor injuries at Florida Hospital Flagler, and by just after noon, had been released. The driver was cited for failing to yield, and is on administrative leave.
At Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Fundraiser, It Felt Like the 1980s Again. That’s The Problem.
Even though a sizable crowd turned up for the fundraiser Sunday, the effort still falls significantly short of keeping the club going or convincing the school board that the group leading the effort can lease the property and make it work as a club again.
Worrisome Study in Hand, Lawmakers Question Tying Teacher Salaries to Test Scores
The study supported the use of the Florida Standards Assessment for school grades and teacher evaluations but said that “the FSA scores for some students will be suspect” because of the computer glitches.
John Thrasher on Campus Guns, FSU’s Alleged Inferiority and Marco Rubio’s Oats
Florida State University President John Thrasher talks about Rubio trash-talking FSU, his opposition to guns on campus, academic freedom and having the time of his life.
Three Matanzas High School Students Arrested For Armed Burglary in Palm Coast’s F-Section
A ninth grader and two tenth graders who’d run from Matanzas High School were charged with armed robbery following two incidents in Palm Coast’s F-Section this morning.
Everybody Likes Pre-K. Defining It Is Another Matter.
While there’s a growing consensus on the value of preschool, states disagree on where the programs should be based, who should run them, or how the government should support them.
Facing Lawsuit from Florida Carry, FSU Scraps Gun Ban in Cars on Football Game Day
The changes to the school’s “Game Day Plan 2015” guide for fans won’t holster the legal challenge by Florida Carry Inc. as legislators again consider allowing concealed weapons on campus.
“Somber” Board Severely Cuts Flagler’s Adults With Disabilities Program So It Can Survive
The program served 85 mostly full-time clients until it lost half a million dollars in state aid, forcing staff cuts and deep reductions in services. But unlike other districts, Flagler chose to keep its program going.
Indentured Regression: Marco Rubio Thinks College Students Should Be Sharecroppers
Marco Rubio is proposing human capital contracts as a way for college students to pay tuition: investors would foot the bill and claim a percentage of the graduates’ income for years. It’s a terrible idea.
State Education Board’s “Historic” Funding Proposal Is Still $1,000 Per Student Below 2006 Level
In inflation adjusted dollars, current spending on public education is $1,100-per-student less than it was in 2007, and would still be $1,000 less if the Legislature goes along with a state board of education proposal.
Nearly Condemned, Old Courthouse in Bunnell Gavels Back to Life as Christian School
First Baptist Christian Academy opened its doors today before throngs of celebrants marking the rejuvenation of the old county courthouse, now as a viable business in the heart of Bunnell.
Matanzas Woods Construction Forces Temporary School Bus Routes For Nearby Students
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.
With YMCA Talks Dead, District Looks For Belle Terre Swim Club Savior in Final Effort
With the YMCA, Palm Coast and the county uninterested in supporting it, the days of the Belle Terre Swim Club as a public facility will end this fall if no bidder is found by early October.
Getting Past Cheap Praise: Superintendent Challenges Teachers to Adopt More Perceptive Mindsets
Speaking to 1,000 faculty members in a packed Flagler Auditorium this morning, Superintendent Jacob Oliva outlined the coming year’s objective the way savvy tech companies roll out new products.
Weekend Briefing: Tantalizing New Show at Salvo Art Project, Medical Pot Nears Florida Ballot, Guns and Cop-Killings
Salvo Art Project’s new show Saturday features the enigmatic installations of Laura Mongiovi, the medical marijuana amendment is approaching the 2016 ballot.
School Bus Depot Building Behind FPC Briefly Evacuated After Worker Reaction from Mysterious 55-Gallon Drums
The large hangar at the school bus depot behind Flagler Palm Coast High School was briefly evacuated shortly after noon today when an employee there was indisposed after catching a whiff from an undetermined liquid in one of nine barrels behind the hangar.
Report on Active-Shooter Exercise at FPC Points to Serious Flaws in Command, Communications and Cooperation
The unvarnished after-action report paints a troubling picture of sheriff’s and fire rescue operations that worked poorly as a coordinated, cooperative and unified response, though they worked well in their individual parts.
Florida League of Women Voters Targeting New Campus Concealed Weapons Bills
The goal is to make the opposition stronger than during the 2015 session, by uniting with students, professors, administrators and the national organization Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus.
Sunburned Child at Flagler Camp Exposes a Florida Paradox: Paddling Is OK. Applying Sunscreen Is Not.
The Palm Coast mother of a 5-year-old child who got sunburned while in care of Flagler camp counselors was surprised to find the strict limitations on school employees touching children.
What Flagler Beach Got Wrong About “Crowd Managers,” and What the Auditorium Got Right
Flagler Beach City Commissioner Kim Carney misinterpreted and exaggerated a fire code about “crowd managers” to her colleagues. The code does not require such managers at First Friday events, as she suggested.
News 13’s Jason Wheeler Becomes Face of Flagler Schools in District’s Push For Broader Community Appeal
Wheeler’s appointment is part of a reorganization reflective of Superintendent Oliva’s intention to broaden the marketing of the district’s programs to the community in hopes of further engaging the community at large.
Palm Coast Council Member Bill McGuire Wants End to City Funding of School Deputy
Palm Coast pays for one of the six school deputies on Flagler’s 11 campuses. McGuire wants the school district to pick up that cost, but he drew little support from fellow-council members.
School District Likely to Close Belle Terre Swim and Racquet to the Public in September
The Flagler County School Board, which runs the facility, may close it to the public as early as September as its losses this year totaled $137,000.
Board Reverts Back to Old Rule: Middle and High School Students Must Wear ID at All Times After All
After the School Board agreed in June to ease the policy and let students only produce IDs on request, it decided this evening to go back to the original policy: all IDs must be worn at all times, or else the student will be subject to a visit to the dean’s office.
Rich Weber Replaces Bob Nocella as Matanzas High School’s Athletic Director
Weber was one of some 75 applicants for the $44,757 position, which oversees 36 athletic teams, 22 of them at the varsity level, and involves 500 students.
Florida’s Lagging Early-Childhood Education Programs Again Fail to Win More Legislative Support
Florida’s voluntary pre-kindergarten and school-readiness programs are funded below national averages. Advocates turn their hopes toward federal support.
Flagler School Taxes Going Up About 4%, Heralding Season of Steeper Government Levies
The typical Palm Coast house valued at $150,000 will pay roughly $50 more in school taxes for the year even as the tax rate goes down slightly.
Charter Schools Are Not Required To Provide Bus Transportation to Students, Judge Rules
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.
Say Goodbye: Old ITT Landmark and School Board Clunker to Be Demolished By Year’s End
The Flagler School Board got no bids on its 54,000-square foot building in pring, which it’ll pay $200,000 to demolish, after paying off a $770,000 debt on it.
Don Apperson, Long-Time School Resource Deputy and Youth Leader, Retires
For 13 years until last fall Don Apperson was the face of school resource deputies in Flagler County and appearing before local government boards to advocate either for the SRD system or for stronger laws on various issues.
School Board Hears Good and Bad of New Budget and Agrees to 3-Month Patch for Disabilities Program
The $2.5 percent state-funded budget increase falls short of restoring the money lost last year. The board agreed to a $120,000 band aid for the adults with disabilities program run by FTI, which lost its state funding this month.
With 11 Jobs and Life Skills for 85 Disabled Adults at Stake, School Board Scrambles for Lost Money
The Flagler school board lost $535,000 for two essential programs for adults with disabilities when the Legislature slashed $10 million from its budget for that program. On Tuesday, board members will look for a patch on the way to a solution to keep the program from closing.
Phoenix Will Close as All But Handful of Students Sign Up for Wadsworth’s New STEM Academy
An open house to introduce Phoenix Parents to Wadsworth’s new STEM Academy, and sell them on enrolling their children, was hugely successful Wednesday evening, sealing the fate of Phoenix for good.
$780 Million More for Education in Florida, But a $500 Million Property Tax Increase
The special session’s much-touted tax cut of $427 million is wiped out by a nearly $500 million tax increase to pay for education funding increases.
The End of Phoenix: Divided School Board Votes to Replace It With STEM Academy at Wadsworth
A contentious vote reflecting the board’s unhappiness with lack of transparency nevertheless led to the creation of a new STEM academy at Wadsworth, closing the long-embattled Phoenix Academy next fall.
School Board Seals Agreement Reforming Disciplining of Black Students, Ending Civil Rights Complaint
The Flagler County School Board this evening voted 5-0 to ratify an agreement with the Southern Poverty Law Center that seeks to eliminate racial disparities in school discipline, resolving a federal civil rights complaint the center filed three years ago.
Some Advances But More Retreats in School District’s Rankings in Science, History and Civics
In grade 5 science, the district’s ranking fell from 28 to 36 in the state, while 8th graders improved their science ranking significantly, from 28 to 15. High school history rankings slipped to 19th, from 8th last year.
Flagler’s Future Problem Solvers Claim 2 First-Place Trophies and 5 Overall at International Competition
Flagler County’s public school students have shined again, as they’ve made a habit of doing so at such competitions year after year, led by FPC’s Daniel Thomas and Rymfire Elementary’s group.
Don’t Panic: FPC Will Be the Scene of a Large-Scale “Active Assailant” Exercise Thursday
Emergency management is not releasing more detailed information than that because the aim of the exercise is to simulate a stressful emergency as close to the real thing as possible.
16 Matanzas High Seniors Still Awaiting Diplomas Because of Company’s Late Exam Scores
Pearson, the company scoring the Biology and US History end-of-course exams, has had a poor history of turning in its own work over the many years it’s administered standardized tests in Florida.