Lead in schools' water: The Hillsborough County School District knew for 16 months that there were high levels of lead in the water at many schools before it informed parents. Deputy superintendent for operations Chris Farkas and communications chief Grayson Kamm acknowledge the district should have told parents sooner. The district still hasn't released the results of most of the tests, and schools start next week with the scope of the problem still unknown. The district has tested about 20 percent of its schools, and lead has been found in the drinking water in every one. Tampa Bay Times. Hillsborough parents can search a database to see if their child's school has been tested for lead. Tampa Bay Times.
Turmoil in Broward: A group of parents whose children died in the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School blasts the Broward County School Board for its "lack of decisiveness," and is urging voters to remove all incumbents in the primary elections Aug. 28. Five of the nine board seats are being contested. The group also is critical of Superintendent Robert Runcie's actions, but stopped short of calling for his removal even as others were making that case. Sun-Sentinel. Miami Herald. News Service of Florida. WLRN.
Charter school rulings: The state's Charter School Appeal Commission unanimously agrees that the Leon County School Board had no evidence to support its denial of a charter school's application in April. The commission's recommendation now goes to the Florida Board of Education for a vote, though Leon school officials say they accept the recommendation and will allow the K-8 Tallahassee Classical School's application to move forward. Tallahassee Democrat. redefinED. An administrative law judge backs the Orange County School District's decision to deny capital funding to a low-performing charter school in Ocoee. Kid’s Community College Charter School Orange County Inc. challenged the state rule prohibiting capital funds to go to charters that receive a grade below C for two consecutive years. News Service of Florida. (more…)
