Florida's Latest News

Allison Tant files bill to broaden special education eligibility

Tallahassee Democratic Rep. Allison Tant filed a bill Monday that would broaden the definition of an “exceptional student” to include more students with disabilities.

Under current law, students with disabilities who need tailored instructions and special services are considered “exceptional students.”

Tant’s proposal (HB 15) would revise the definition to include pupils with developmental delays through age 9 instead of 5.

“I have filed my first bill for the 2022 Legislative Session,” Tant tweeted Monday. “Educators, administrators, and parents have told me this bill is needed. This bill will make state standards consistent with federal law.”

DeSantis takes action against Ben & Jerry's for ending sales in Israeli-occupied areas

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is coming out against Ben & Jerry's over its recent decision to end sales of its ice cream in Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem.

In a letter to the State Board of Administration of Florida, DeSantis urged the agency to place Ben & Jerry's on its Continued Examination Companies that Boycott Israel List. It also called for the same to be done to Unilever, which it noted is “a publicly traded company in which Florida holds multiple investments” and that also owns Ben & Jerry's.

He also called for the agency to initiate a process to place both entities on its Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List and asked that he be provided with an update on the status of the process immediately.

No mask, no service: Broward County city jumps back to face mask requirement

No mask, no service — regardless of your COVID-19 vaccination status.

Coral Springs became one of the first Florida cities to jump back to pre-May 13 protocols that made masks indoors optional for those who are vaccinated. The city is going to require all people entering city buildings wear masks.

The new policy, spurred on by the emergence of the delta variant, starts Tuesday — just 75 days since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decreed masks were optional for vaccinated people indoors or outdoors. Most businesses have adopted the CDC’s guidance that allows the vaccinated to enter without face coverings, without a protocol for proving one’s vaccination status.

Prepare for late buses when school starts. Some counties see driver shortages.

Facing an unprecedented school bus driver shortfall, the Hillsborough County school district held a four-hour transportation job fair on Monday.

Turnout, according to district officials, was sparse.

“This is going to impact kids on a daily basis,” spokesperson Erin Maloney said. “On the first day of school, we certainly will be asking parents to pack their patience. We just don’t have the people.”

She said late buses could be the norm, both to and from school, perhaps for weeks. The district is discussing shifting school start times, though nothing concrete has been determined.