Public Education

Florida lawmakers late Friday approved barring students in elementary and middle schools from using cell phones during the school day — and testing the idea in high schools.Current law prevents students from using cell phones during instructional time, but the change would expand that prohibition to throughout the school day in elementary and middle schools. Rep. Demi Busatta, a Coral Gables Republican who spearheaded the proposal, described it as “bell to bell.”

An effort to keep students off cell phones throughout the school day passed the Florida House on Wednesday, though differences remain with a Senate proposal.The House unanimously approved a bill (HB 949) that would expand a law that prohibits the use of wireless devices at schools during “instructional time.”

Gardens are popping up all over Lee County, thanks to programs like farm-to-school. In February alone the Lee County School District expanded its garden program to 14 schools. Farm-to-school teaches students about healthy eating and also produces fresh food for school cafeterias.

Submarines are not known to ply the shallow waters of the Caloosahatchee, preferring to run silent at greater depths. But former crewmen of one such vessel recently found the riverside haunt of the man their sub was named for was a perfect place to drop anchor — sans the boomer though.Those former crewmen of the USS Thomas A. Edison — named for Thomas A. Edison naturally —recently got a glimpse at the inventor's life in Fort Myers when they attended a reunion at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates.

Several students from Lee and Sarasota county schools were among those scored winning entries in the annual Florida History Day contest administered by the Museum of Florida History. This year’s state contest was held at Tallahassee Community College on May 6 with the top student entries from the 32 Florida counties participating. Winners were announced today.

This month marked the successful completion of the TechSpark Immokalee Program's first cohort. The Microsoft-funded program is the first of its kind in Florida and addresses the digital skills gap faced by Immokalee youth in the modern workforce.

Christopher S. Bernier has lead the 9th largest school district in the state since May 2022. Ken Savage is expected to take over as interim superintendent — again.

Registration for Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) is now open for spring programs in Lee, Collier, Hendry and Glades Counties. The free educational program is available to 4-year-olds who reside in Florida, regardless of family income.

Three teachers on Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit alleging a new state law restricting titles and pronouns at schools unconstitutionally discriminates against transgender and nonbinary educators.The plaintiffs are Hillsborough County high-school teacher Katie Wood; a Lee County teacher identified as “Jane Doe;” and AV Schwandes, a nonbinary Orange County teacher who was fired by Florida Virtual School in October.

The school board voted 4-1, with Ziegler the only no-vote. Board members say she should step down amid a sexual assault investigation into her husband, Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler.