Florida education news: Financial literacy, charter schools, budgets and more

FINANCIAL LITERACY: The Florida Senate quietly abandons its push for a financial literacy graduation requirement, altering its proposal to mandate each high school offer the course as an elective. The House has yet to follow suit.

CHARTER SCHOOLS: A controversial educator fails for the third time to win approval for his Hernando County charter school application. • Three new charter schools are proposed for Pasco County.

BUDGETS: The Florida House and Senate come to terms on the bottom line figure for PreK-12 education funding in 2019-20, but some key policy issues remain as they seek to complete their conference work by the end of Thursday, Florida Politics reports.

DEFICIT SPENDING: The Okaloosa County school district faces a potential $4 million shortfall because of rising insurance, retirement and special education costs, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

TURNAROUNDS: The Marion County School Board officially approves a contract with a renowned former principal to lead the improvement efforts at a local elementary school, if its test results don’t improve, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.

SUPERINTENDENTS: Embattled Indian River County superintendent Mark Rendell resigns to take a principal job in Brevard County, TC Palm reports. • Suspended Okaloosa County superintendent Mary Beth Jackson will get a hearing before the state Senate on May 28-29, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

SOFTWARE STRUGGLES: A vendor involved in the Manatee County school district’s lengthy troubled effort to change business software demands $800,000 for its work, the Bradenton Herald reports.

SECURITY: The Clay County school district considers offering emergency alert button service to all employees, Clay Today reports.

TEACHER PAY: The St. Lucie County school district aims to have a new teacher salary plan in place by fall, using revenue from a recently approved property tax increase, TC Palm reports.

ARMED TEACHERS: Polk County superintendent Jacqueline Byrd says she has no intention of allowing teachers to carry guns in classrooms, the Ledger reports. • St. Johns County school district leaders restate their opposition to having teachers with guns in schools, the St. Augustine Record reports.

CONSTRUCTION FUNDS: The Santa Rosa School Board considers asking the county government to reinstitute school impact fees on new construction, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

TEACHER INVESTIGATIONS: The Miami-Dade School Board approves two proposals aimed at improving the way the district investigates employees accused of bad acts, the Miami Herald reports.

EXPULSION OVERTURNED: A state appeals court overturns the expulsion of a DeSoto County student who brought a pot brownie to school, saying the offense was not covered in the school district’s zero tolerance policy, the News Service of Florida reports.

SCHOOL THREATS: An Escambia County man is arrested on accusations of threatening to blow up his child’s school because he was upset with the way the school treated his son, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

TODAY: Senate session, 10 a.m. (On special order: SB 7070 vouchers and teacher bonuses, SB 362, to abolish the Constitution Revision Commission) • House session, 10:30 p.m. (On third reading: HB 7071 workforce education, HB 259 human trafficking education. On special order: HB 7123 taxation, HB 1197 charter school sponsors, HB 403 guns at religious institutions with schools.)

ICYMI: Yesterday’s Florida education news roundup