Florida state colleges poised to seek funding boost to advance workforce initiatives

| 8/30/2018

Florida state colleges poised to seek funding boost to advance workforce initiatives

Without a tuition increase in more than five years and little growth in state funding, Florida’s state and community colleges are seeking more than $220 million in new money for next academic year. The college system, which includes 28 schools across the state, outlined the funding request this month to the Florida Board of Education. More from CBS Miami and WJCT.

Disaster-stricken colleges will get $63 million in aid from the Education Dept.

The U.S. Department of Education will give $63 million in aid to 47 institutions of higher education affected by recent natural disasters, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Five Florida institutions will receive department funding. More from the Chronicle of Higher Education and the Naples Daily News.

Column: Why is Florida the only state that’s not in compliance with federal education standards?

The ESSA is the latest reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. State departments of education develop the ESSA plans, which governors review. Florida is the only state in the country without an approved ESSA plan. [Source: Miami Herald ]

Groups file legal briefs to support education measure under challenge

Two friend-of-the-court briefs by “groups with distinct interests” have now been filed in an attempt to save a proposed constitutional amendment on education from getting trashed from the November ballot. The Florida Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear arguments Sept. 5 at the 4th District Court of Appeal courthouse in West Palm Beach. [Source: Florida Politics ]

Parkland parent Lori Alhadeff wins election to school board in Florida

The mother of a student murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High on Feb. 14 has been elected to the Broward County School Board in a landslide. Broward voters also approved raising property taxes to generate more funding for compensating teachers and school-related staff. More from the Miami Herald and the New York Times.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› USF’s Breaking Barriers program engages veterans in art and photography [Tampa Bay Times]
Fifteen local veterans are expressing their creativity in a three-part workshop at the University of South Florida called Breaking Barriers, designed to provide community support for local veterans through an educational and art-based experience.

› FSU’s new Jim Moran Building wins distinguished design award [FSU News]
The innovative renovation of Florida State University’s new entrepreneurship-focused Jim Moran Building has won a prestigious design award recognizing architectural features that nurture learning and imagination. The American Institute of Architects in Florida has presented its Merit Award of Excellence for Renovations and Additions to the project’s architects.

› Enrollment: More UF students, but fewer in grad school [Gainesville Sun]
University of Florida enrollment for the fall 2018 semester is up slightly compared to a year ago, but there are fewer students on campus. Graduate enrollment, however, decreased by 4.3 percent.

› FGCU Center for Agribusiness will support key economic sector [Florida Weekly]
Florida Gulf Coast University’s Lutgert College of Business is deepening its connection with agriculture through the creation of a Center for Agribusiness and a proposed agribusiness minor. As a resource for the agriculture industry in Southwest Florida, the center will track and distribute information regarding the economic impact and sustainability of agriculture.

Tags: Education eNews

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