The Point

The Point, July 9, 2025: School district unveils alternatives ahead of Newberry charter school opening

WUFT | By WUFT News

Published July 9, 2025 at 8:11 AM EDT

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Today's Florida stories

• Mainstreet Daily News: School board offers parents ‘options’ with Newberry charter school. "As the Newberry Elementary School charter conversion continues to make headway, the School Board of Alachua County is providing some alternatives for parents who do not want their child to attend the new school."

• Miami Herald ($): Does University of Florida have a permanent ‘interim’ leadership problem? "(Ben) Sasse’s 17-month tenure ended last July, leaving five of UF’s 16 colleges without permanent deans — including four of its most prominent academic units: the College of Medicine, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Levin College of Law, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. UF’s top academic officer is also there temporarily, with no clear succession plan for interim Provost Joe Glover."

• News4Jax: Federal funding freeze threatens after-school programs in Northeast Florida. "Thousands of families in Northeast Florida face cuts to after-school and summer programs due to a federal funding freeze affecting education and food assistance grants."

• WUSF-Tampa: Faith leaders ask DeSantis to pause Florida's record pace of executions. "Florida may carry out more executions in 2025 than in any other year in recent history. Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed nine death warrants so far. Seven have been carried out."

• WCJB: Historic downtown Gainesville buildings saved from wrecking ball after ownership change. "On July 1st, ownership of these buildings changed hands. The new owners are Scott Shillington and Hal Mendez. They already operate several Gainesville hotspots like The Top and Pop A Top. Now they have the task of restoring the older buildings."

• News4Jax: Marijuana proposal garners more than 600J signatures for 2026 ballot. "Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana have submitted more than 600,000 petition signatures as they try to put the measure on the 2026 ballot."

• WLRN-Miami: Broward schools is welcoming artificial intelligence into its classrooms next school year. "The district's AI Task Force came up with resources for administrators, teachers and students on how to responsibly incorporate AI tools into teaching, learning and operations."

• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Tampa prepares for hurricane season with enhanced stormwater measures. "Tampa is gearing up for the current hurricane season amid lessons learned from last year's severe flooding caused by storms Helene and Milton."

• WGCU-Fort Myers: Public media state funding eliminated. "As part of Governor Ron DeSantis’ vetoes to the Florida Budget, he eliminated nearly $6 million in state funding for public radio and television stations. If proposed federal cuts come to these stations as well, it could have a severe and lasting impact on stations, including those in rural areas."