Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–Aug. 15

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Pembroke Pines renews demand to boost funds for charter schools

City demands bigger share of taxes from school district

City officials on Wednesday launched a second attempt to force the Broward School Board to provide a bigger share of taxpayers’ money to help run the city’s seven A-rated charter schools.

 

You will pay for staying silent as taxes increase

On Sunday, this column examined the amount of property taxes expected to be collected and spent by Lake County’s 22 taxing authorities.

 

Ex-Superintendent Makes Cut For Commissioner Post

TALLAHASSEE – Former Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Earl Lennard has made the state’s first cut of candidates for Florida Commissioner of Education.

 

Florida ACT scores fall, state ranks 48th nationally

Florida’s average composite score on the ACT college entrance test dropped 0.4 point to 19.9 this year to rank 48th nationally, according to results released early Wednesday.

 

Cost of speed: Express tolls may ease I-95 traffic

In the very near future, Interstate 95 is going to look a whole lot different — and potentially cost a lot more — for hundreds of thousands of South Florida motorists.

 

Bridge Tragedy Could Save Fla. From Cuts

TALLAHASSEE | The collapse of a Minnesota bridge and the ensuing discussion of the state of the nation’s infrastructure could help insulate Florida’s transportation budget from cuts, lawmakers and other observers said.

 

Shoddy school suit settled

The Citrus School District gets $251,000 for construction flaws at a Homosassa school.

INVERNESS – The Citrus County School Board has settled the last of its legal battles with a builder whose work raised concerns that parts of Homosassa Elementary School could collapse on children.

 

Feds charge ex-tax worker

The woman is accused of peddling drivers’ licenses.

TAMPA – A former employee in the Hillsborough County tax collector’s office who has been accused of abusing her position by selling drivers’ licenses to people without proper documentation now faces a federal charge.

 

Chamber steps into politics

The St. Petersburg chamber forms a PAC, hosts Mel Martinez and plans to do more.

While other business groups grabbed the limelight, the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce once preferred a background role, never endorsing a candidate.

 

Tax cut effect muted; savings slight

As early property tax notices start hitting mailboxes across South Florida this week, most taxpayers are due a slight drop in their bills.

 

Auditors denied access to records

Charter schools conflict escalates

The management company running two of Brevard Public Schools’ troubled charters on Monday refused to let district auditors look at its financial records, escalating a conflict that could end with the schools’ forced closure.

 

Finally, school board approves “opt-out” form

BRADENTON – If you don’t want your high-schooler’s name supplied to military recruiters, the school board of Manatee County has just made it one step easier.

 

Miami police chief calls for better child care

Miami Police Chief John Timoney on Tuesday joined a group of police chiefs and law enforcement officers asking Congress to spend more on day care, noting that children enrolled in child care and preschool are less likely to end up in trouble with the law.

 

Lawsuit Isn’t Clear, School Officials Say

LAKELAND | Five families have filed a class action suit against the Polk County School Board in U.S. District Court in Tampa alleging lack of security or care for their children, who they say were physically and sexually assaulted by other students while at school.

 

Bright Futures changes closer

From the first lottery dollar spent on college tuition, lawmakers and university presidents have done everything politically possible to tweak the state’s popular Bright Futures scholarship.

 

Mosquito control gets top priority despite budget restrictions

The Old Timer wasn’t in the best of moods. He’d been expounding on the current political confusion over tax decreases, homestead exemption changes and the battle over insurance rate decreases.

 

Bush foundation head urges tougher school grading standards

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — It should be harder to earn an A in Florida’s school grading system, a Democratic legislative leader and the head of former Gov. Jeb Bush’s educational foundation told state school officials Tuesday.

 

Lake Nona developer will build city park

At 334 acres, the sprawling site in south Orange County would be Orlando’s biggest recreation facility.

Lake Nona, the future home of a medical school, a major biotech firm and a veterans hospital, is getting another notch on its belt: It will contain Orlando’s largest public park.

 

Forced to Pick a Major in High School

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. — Ninth graders often have trouble selecting what clothes to wear to school each morning or what to have for lunch. But starting this fall, freshmen at Dwight Morrow High School here in Bergen County must declare a major that will determine what electives they take for four years and be noted on their diplomas.

 

Imported From Britain: Ideas to Improve Schools

WASHINGTON — During a decade in power in Britain, the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair made efforts to improve English schools, with some apparent successes. Because American public education faces similar challenges, like what to do with failing schools and how to recruit better teachers, some educators believe there is much to learn from England’s experience.