WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
This story is part of our guide, Florida Votes 2016, leading up to the Nov. 8 election. Check your voter registration status here.
Read More »Florida Votes 2016: Bradford County Schools Superintendent
Case On Third-Grade Students Not Taking Test Heads Back To Florida Court
A federal judge Friday sent back to state court a dispute about Florida's rules on whether third-grade students are allowed to move to fourth grade, setting the stage for a Monday morning hearing in a lawsuit filed by a group of parents.
Read More »College Dream Almost Delayed For Hernando 15-Year-Old After Grading Hang-up
John Boyle Jr.'s goal of going to Baylor University was almost delayed after finding out the Hernando County School Board only gave him a partial credit for an English course.
Read More »North Central Florida Schools See Lower Grades Thanks To New Grading Procedure
Schools in North Central Florida saw an overall drop when the Florida Department of Education released its school grades Friday. Roughly two-thirds of the 162 schools graded in North Central Florida received a grade of C or lower. Twenty-three received an A and 32 received a B.
Read More »Elected Or Appointed, School Superintendent Job Calls For Cooperation With School Board
The resignation of former Alachua County Schools Superintendent Owen Roberts last month has raised the long-standing discussion over the pros and cons of appointing versus electing a school district's chief executive officer. The Alachua County School Board voted to accept Roberts' resignation June 21. Roberts, who was appointed to his position in 2014, was the only school superintendent in North Central Florida not elected by county voters. Of the 11 counties in the area, 10 have elected superintendents. Forty-one of the state’s 67 counties elect their respective superintendent of schools.
Read More »Florida Not Immune to Nation’s Teacher Recruitment Crisis
Florida is home to some of the country's biggest school districts-but a Florida Department of Education report says it doesn't have enough teachers. Some school districts are coming up with new ways to fill vacancies.
Read More »Alachua County Students Outscored Their Peers On Most Florida Standards Assessments
Alachua County Public School students outscored their Florida peers on a majority of the state tests released last week by the Florida Department of Education. Jackie Johnson, the director of communications and community initiatives for Alachua County Public Schools, said county public school students have a history of outscoring their peers on most exams in the state.
Read More »Student Athletes Can Now Transfer Schools Under Some Circumstances
Gov. Rick Scott signed a new education bill into law April 14, which will allow kids to attend any public school. For students who play a FHSAA sport at one school, this section of the bill comes with a catch: students who transfer cannot play that same sport at their new school during the same season.
Read More »Hawthorne School Employee Named Among State’s Best
Angela Wright, who works as the computer lab proctor at Hawthorne Middle/High School, was named this week as a Florida School-Related Employee of the Year finalist.
Read More »Florida School Suspensions Down; Local Schools Mirror Trend
Florida schools are suspending fewer students. According to Florida Department of Education data, Florida K-12 school suspensions are at a three-year low. During the 2011-2012 school year, more than 425,600 students were suspended. That dropped to fewer than 371,500 students in the 2013-2014 school year. If students are suspended, they’re …
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