The big story: A decade ago, Florida Republican governor Rick Scott signed GOP-backed legislation advanced by current Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez to protect the higher education of the children of families who came to Florida outside legal immigration channels.
Granting in-state tuition to Florida’s “Dreamers” marked a shift for Scott and the Republican Party at the time. But it signaled a recognition that Hispanic voters were critical to election wins, and also that it was sound policy to let young people become educated rather than rely on government to survive.
Fast forward 10 years, and the conversation has again changed course. State Sen. Randy Fine, who’s running for U.S. Congress with the support of President-elect Donald Trump, has filed legislation to reverse the in-state tuition guarantee.
“This is a no-brainer way to reduce the size of government and free up resources to help Floridians in need,” Fine said in a news release. “We must put Floridians first, and I am proud to do my part to rebalance the scales for our citizens.” Read more from Florida Phoenix.
More in higher ed
Scholarship dispute: Some Valencia College officials had early concerns about accepting scholarship funds from the Orange County election office, and now the school is caught in the middle of a political battle over the money, Florida Politics reports.
New College: Is Florida’s effort to transform New College into a conservative higher education model working? It’s not yet clear, In These Times reports.
College costs: Gulf Coast State College is waiving application fees for students in Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties through the end of this week, the Panama City News Herald reports.
From the court docket … Prosecutors dropped charges against former state lawmaker Carolina Amesty, who was accused of forging documents to help her family’s private college gain state licensure, WKMG reports.
K-12 hot topics
Vaping: The Lake County school district is exploring whether to install vaping detectors in its largest high school as a deterrent, WKMG reports.
Speed zones: Orlando city commissioners approved cameras in 21 school zones to help catch speeders, WESH reports.
School closings: A Broward County school district advisory committee recommends changing rather than closing six under-enrolled elementary schools, the Sun-Sentinel reports.
Classical education: The Indian River County school board approved creation of a new magnet school with a non-religious classical education model that has gained popularity among conservatives, TC Palm reports. Officials say they hope the change will stem the school’s enrollment decline.
Chess lessons: Two Alachua County schools had winners emerge from the national K-12 chess championships, MainStreet Daily News reports.
Book challenges: Taking an opposite tack from Florida, New Jersey’s governor signed a law prohibiting schools and libraries from banning books, Associated Press reports.
Board politics: The mayor of Deltona criticized negative comments about students made by Volusia County school board member Jessie Thompson at a Moms for Liberty event, and called for Thompson’s removal as board chairperson, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
Before you go … Are you getting in the mood for the winter holidays? This music always helps.