Groups stand ready to sue Florida over school chaplain law

The big story: Several new Florida laws took effect this week, including one that generated plenty of national attention when lawmakers debated it and again when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it.

The state’s decision to allow public schools to bring religious chaplains onto campus to counsel students prompted proponents to celebrate Florida’s ongoing support of parental choices for their children. Detractors blasted the idea, contending the state has no business inserting religion into public education.

As they discussed the principles, many overlooked the provision that school boards may allow the chaplains, but they don’t have to. And many have no intention of implementing the program. Read more here.

If a district does adopt the model, though, there are groups standing by

, WFSU reports. The Satanic Temple already has said it will provide the test case, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

Hot topics

Book challenges: Plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the Escambia County school district’s removal of books from school libraries have asked the court to force the district to return the books to the shelves, News Service of Florida reports.

Degree programs: Florida’s university nursing schools have turned away qualified students because they lack space for them, despite the state’s nurse shortage, the Orlando Sentinel reports. • Florida State and Florida A&M universities are looking for ways to protect programs that have been targeted by the Board of Governors for poor performance, WFSU reports.

Parkland aftermath: The building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High where 17 people lost their lives in a 2018 shooting massacre is now razed, six years after the event, WSVN reports. All the debris is to be gone by the time students return in the fall.

School zones: Sarasota is preparing to add cameras to school zones to help catch speeders, WFLA reports. Violators would face a $100 fine.

Summer learning: The United Way and other organizations across the Tampa Bay region are offering programs and books to children over the summer to keep them reading as a way to limit summer learning losses, WTVT reports.

From the court docket ... A teen convicted of shooting a schoolmate at Seminole High in Sanford two years ago was sentenced to 15 years in prison, WOFL reports. • An appellate court ruled that two south Florida school districts are not required to repay an insurance company for the medical expenses of three people injured in school bus accidents, News Service of Florida reports.

Don’t miss a story. Here’s the link to Wednesday’s roundup.

Before you go ... Are you ready for the Paris Olympics? Frederick Richard sure is.