Should Florida return to partisan school board elections?

The big story: Florida voters decided to have nonpartisan school board elections back in 1998. More than 2 million Floridians supported the measure.

The goal, proponents said, was to remove politics from education, which some called a “sacred trust.”

Fast forward 26 years, and the same debate is happening in reverse. The Republican-led Legislature is asking voters to consider a return to partisan board races, saying education is already political and knowing a candidate’s party affiliation will help.

The measure is to appear on the November ballot. Learn more here.

In Duval County, local Republican Party officials say they already treat school board races as if they were partisan, Jacksonville Today reports.

Politics have been evident in Broward County’s board, too. This year residents will decide five of nine school board seats that will determine their district’s direction, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Hot topics

University presidents: University of Florida president Ben Sasse announced his resignation effective July 31, citing his wife’s health concerns. Sasse has held the post for two years. • Warner University president David Hoag is leaving his post to lead the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the Ledger reports.

Security: Some Broward County residents are raising concerns that school guardians might replace trained police officers as resource officers in their children’s schools, WPLG reports.

School zones: Haines City will become Polk County’s first municipality to add cameras to school zones in an effort to catch speeders, Bay News 9 reports.

NIL: The State Board of Education will consider next week the formal adoption of rules to allow high school student-athletes to make deals to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness, News Service of Florida reports. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Expansion plans: The Escambia County school district is purchasing 36 acres near an existing elementary school with plans to build another school to ease crowding, WEAR reports. District officials say they are looking for more new school sites.

Early release days: Alachua County schools will cut back on early release days, which have been used for teacher planning, MainStreet Daily News reports. The district will have monthly early release instead of weekly.

Dorm life: St. Johns River State College broke ground on campus dormitories after working toward having student campus housing for 16 years, Palatka Daily News reports.

Classroom supplies: The Martin County school district has allocated $300,000 for student school supplies, with the goal of ensuring all students have what they need for classes, WPTV reports.

Campus closures: Students were left scrambling after the for-profit City College abruptly closed its campuses in Hollywood and Altamonte Springs, WTVJ reports.

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

Before you go ... Sunday is National Ice Cream Day. Here’s an easy way to make your own, in just 5 minutes. Also check out these 12 opportunities to enjoy the day in the Tampa Bay area.