Florida students aren’t filing for college aid. It was supposed to be easier.
The big story: Aiming to help more high school graduates to pursue advanced education, state and national officials have worked to make it easier to apply for and receive financial aid.
The effort appears to have backfired in Florida.
Amid well publicized problems with the latest version of FAFSA, applications for assistance have plummeted after years of gains. That’s likely to prevent many low-income residents from pursuing a degree.
“There is no bigger barrier than the ability to pay,” said Braulio Colón of the Florida College Access Network. “Nothing is more important for these families than filling out this form.” Read more here.
Hot topics
Flag displays: The Osceola County School Board rejected a move to ban all political flags, badges and stickers except the U.S. and Florida flags from classrooms and schools, WOFL reports.
Enrollment: Duval County school district officials are contemplating school closures amid decreasing enrollment, with charter schools having a significant impact, WJXT reports.
Lunch line: Jefferson County school district employees are stepping in to work the school cafeteria after workers walked off the job in support of the cafeteria manager, who was dismissed amid accusations of stealing $27, WTXL reports.
Religious holidays: The Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade county school districts will not hold classes on Wednesday in observance of Eid Al-Fitr, the Palm Beach Post reports. It’s the first time the districts have closed for the holiday. More from the Miami Herald.
Student searches: The Volusia County School Board is getting closer to implementing new policy allowing for random metal detector searches of students, WKMG reports.
Transportation: The University of Florida has proposed cutting its share of funding for bus services, Main Street Daily News reports. The change could lead to a reduction of routes if it takes effect.
From the court docket ... A Leon County judge rejected a motion to postpone Florida State University’s lawsuit against the Atlantic Coast Conference while the conference sues the university in North Carolina. • A federal judge blocked Florida officials from enforcing state law preventing teachers from using their chosen pronouns and titles while at school, News Service of Florida reports. The judge said the law violates First Amendment rights. The ruling applies only to the Hillsborough County teacher who filed the lawsuit.
Leadership news
College leadership: Broward College has launched its search for a new president, after the abrupt departure of the school’s interim leader, WLRN reports. Candidates have about a month to apply.
Ethics: The Florida Commission on Ethics has thrown out a complaint of misconduct filed against an Alachua County school board member, the Gainesville Sun reports.
School board elections: Incumbent Flagler County School Board member Cheryl Massaro has dropped her reelection bid, Flagler Live reports.
Superintendents: Hernando County superintendent John Stratton announced his will retire at the end of the school year, Suncoast News reports. Stratton has faced opposition from two members of his board, and upcoming elections could shift the majority against him. • The Lee County School Board has again named veteran leader Ken Savage as its interim superintendent, WGCU reports. Voters will select the next superintendent in November. • The superintendent of the Lake Wales charter school district is under investigation after three employees filed grievances against him, the Ledger reports.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
Before you go ... Have you played the William Shakespeare or Taylor Swift game yet? Can you do better than this Wesleyan English prof?
