USF picks four finalists for president

After a five-month search for the University of South Florida’s new president, four finalists have been picked to be interviewed for the job this week. A search committee tasked with recommending applicants to the board of trustees, which will select the president Friday, chose from a list of 33 applicants Monday morning at USF Tampa. See the announcement here and read more from the Tampa Bay Times and WUSF.

Florida House poised to consider higher ed spending changes

Seeking changes in the wake of a high-profile financial scandal at the University of Central Florida, the House is expected to start moving forward with a plan that would revamp spending rules for the higher education system, including on construction projects. [Source: CBS Miami]

Editorial: Florida’s STEM push is paying dividends

WalletHub, the personal finance website, recently unveiled another of its frequent rankings. This time the focus was on states’ STEM companies and workforce — those firms and jobs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math — and offered mixed reviews for Florida. [Source: Florida Times-Union]

DeSantis announces $1.75 million in grants to support apprenticeship expansion

Governor Rick DeSantis announces $1.75 million to help Floridians acquire the skills needed for in-demand occupations through new and expanded apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs across Florida. “The expansion of workforce education and training programs is an essential element of our bold vision to ensure Florida has the No. 1 workforce in the nation,” said Governor DeSantis. [Source: flgov.com]

Lottery bill could slash education payouts by up to $235 million

A bill aimed at prohibiting online lottery ticket sales could have an unintended side effect. According to the Revenue Estimating Conference, a provision in Bradenton Rep. Will Robinson’s HB 629 could reduce the Florida Lottery’s annual deposits into the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund by up to $235 million a year. [Source: Florida Politics]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Audit questions Broward schools' use of $20 million in fees [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Broward schools have used $20 million from local developers to pay off old debts, instead of building new classrooms as required, a state audit has concluded. The state Auditor General says the school district needs to restore $20.3 million to its capital budget if it can’t adequately explain its actions to the Florida Department of Education.

› Not a Florida classroom teacher? No Best and Brightest for you. [Tampa Bay Times]
A state administrative judge on Monday made clear the point that several Florida school districts have been emphasizing over the past few weeks — Best and Brightest bonuses are for K-12 classroom teachers only. Teachers without classroom assignments are not eligible for the added money, no matter their evaluation rating, no matter their hard work with students.

› Activists want to make it easier to ban ‘offensive’ books from Florida public schools [Bradenton Herald]
The Florida Citizens Alliance wants to ban much of what it finds objectionable, eliminating titles like Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange and Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes to textbooks, including Harcourt Publishing’s Modern World History 9th Grade and Pearson’s Essentials of Oceanography.

› Construction costs soar for Manatee schools [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Construction costs in the Manatee County School District have clocked in at 84 percent over budget over the last three years. The original approved budget for 20 major construction projects completed in the district from 2015 to 2018 was roughly $27 million. The final price tag for those projects came in at more than $49.9 million.