Steven Walker

1 week ago | orlandosentinel.com | Steven Walker

Orange County Public Schools has settled its dispute with five local police departments over the cost of police protection, reaching a tentative agreement that will keep officers on campuses through the 2026-27 school year, the district announced Wednesday. Though the the disagreement revolved around the cost of stationing officers on campuses, the district did not provide financial details in its announcement.

2 weeks ago | orlandosentinel.com | Steven Walker

Jones High School seniors sat on the gymnasium bleachers Wednesday morning wondering why they were pulled from class. Then Vicki-Elaine Felder, an Orange County School Board member and Jones alum, came to a lectern set up on the gym floor and told them: They could go to Valencia College for free thanks to a new scholarship program. Students hollered, clapped and hugged one another. "I know you have all worked so hard this year. You've already set your plans ... for after graduation," Felder said.

2 weeks ago | orlandosentinel.com | Steven Walker

A Florida law that has pushed public schools to remove thousands of books, including literary classics, from their shelves could get even more restrictive soon, as Republican lawmakers move to close a "loophole" they say still allows volumes depicting nudity or sexual conduct to remain on campuses. New bills backed by GOP legislators would mean school districts could no longer consider a book's artistic, literary, political or scientific value when deciding whether to keep it.

3 weeks ago | gazettextra.com | Steven Walker

By Steven Walker - Orlando Sentinel (TNS) State lawmakers want to slash in half funding for Advanced Placement, dual enrollment and other college-level high school classes, a move that would cost Florida's public schools millions of dollars. Orange County Public Schools alone estimates it would lose nearly $17 million, while the Palm Beach County school district said it could lose about $32 million. Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency.

3 weeks ago | thebrunswicknews.com | Steven Walker

By Steven Walker, Orlando Sentinel State lawmakers want to slash in half funding for Advanced Placement, dual enrollment and other college-level high school classes, a move that would cost Florida's public schools millions of dollars. Orange County Public Schools alone estimates it would lose nearly $17 million, while the Palm Beach County school district said it could lose about $32 million.