Florida schools struggle with air conditioning breakdowns

The hot story: Schools across the state are struggling to keep their students and staff cool.

Incidents are arising in several counties, including in the Tampa Bay area, of schools sending kids home early, sometimes taking students to hospital for overheating, as everyone awaits repairs. One Pasco County school reported a week delay in getting a needed part after its air conditioning unit went down.

The latest tale of woe comes from Orange County, where one middle school’s operation is being relocated to a different campus. The local teachers union is raising concerns over unhealthy working conditions, saying many of the problems are not new. District officials, meanwhile, say maintenance work is continual.

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More K-12 topics

Campus closures: Three Pasco County schools with declining enrollment will be closed and combined into a single K-8 campus next year. School board members said the move is fiscally responsible and also will benefit children.

Celebrating success: Leon County’s Nims Middle School and its feeder elementary schools celebrated its first ever B grade from the state with a party that shut down a street and brought out university bands, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

Desegregation: The Indian River County school board discussed revamping its committee tasked with reducing the student achievement gap, a component of its federal desegregation plan, TC Palm reports. NAACP officials, who would be left out of the proposed effort, criticized the initiative.

Gender recognition: The Broward County school district ran into conservative opposition as the school board considered three resolutions recognizing LGBTQ+ issues, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

School board oversight: Broward County voters will decide in November whether to expand the role of the district’s inspector general, WSVN reports.

School threats: A third teenager was arrested in connection with allegations of threatening Columbia County schools, WCJB reports. • A Pasco County student was arrested on accusations of making social media threats against local schools, WFLA reports. • Putnam County schools increased security as a precaution after receiving threats, WJAX reports. • Another Broward County girl was arrested on allegations of making threats of violence against schools, WTVJ reports. • Two Volusia County children were arrested in separate reports of threats against schools, WKMG reports.

Security: The Broward County school district is looking to spend another $211,000 to expand its use of metal detectors, WFOR reports.

In higher ed

Presidential pay: University of South Florida president Rhea Law received a 30% raise and boosted the cap for her performance pay, putting her in line for compensation up to $1.2 million in the final year of her contract.

Student protests: Three more University of Florida students who were arrested during spring pro-Palestine campus protests have accepted plea deals, Fresh Take Florida reports. They remain barred from the school for three years.

From the court docket ... A former Florida State University student was sentenced to a month in jail and year probation over a 2018 fraternity hazing ritual, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

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Before you go ... Ever wonder why zebras have stripes?