School choice grows in one of Florida’s hottest districts.
School Choice Grows in One of Florida’s Hottest Districts
The Hillsborough County school district, one of the largest in the nation, has seen a decline in enrollment while charter schools and private education voucher programs have experienced significant growth. The trend is reflected in other areas of Florida, such as Escambia County, where a Catholic high school is expanding due to an increase in voucher-funded enrollment. However, the Florida Department of Education is facing criticism for using federal grant money to support certain school board members, raising questions about the fairness of their practices.
Florida Department of Education’s Use of Federal Grant
The Florida Department of Education is under scrutiny for its use of a federal grant intended for well-rounded educational opportunities. The grant funds have been used to support right-leaning school board members, which has raised concerns about the department’s impartiality. Education commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. responded dismissively to the criticism on Twitter, further fueling the controversy.
Other News
In addition to the school choice trend, other news in Florida’s education landscape includes a hurricane makeup day in Hillsborough County, bus route delays in Duval County due to driver absences, the provision of translated materials for dual language immersion courses in Palm Beach County, a high school principal on unpaid suspension in Leon County, and a class action grievance filed by Lee County teachers claiming unpaid extra work.
