Scott Proposes University Fee Freezes, Bright Futures Changes
January 11, 2017
Seeking to keep higher-education costs low and help more students graduate on time, Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday has outlined an ambitious legislative agenda to cap student fees, eliminate sales taxes on textbook purchases and extend the Bright Futures scholarships to summer classes.
“Florida students should have every opportunity to earn a degree in four years without graduating with mountains of debt,” Scott said in a statement. “While we have fought to make higher education more affordable by holding the line on undergraduate tuition, there is much more that can be done to help students.”
The newest twist in Scott’s higher-education proposals, which he calls “Finish in Four, Save More,” for the 2017 Legislature is an effort to curb fees.
Students at Florida’s 12 state universities pay about $200 per credit hour on average to attend school. But half of that charge is for fees covering services such as health care, student activities, technology and transportation.
Scott wants to freeze fees for university students as well as for students who attend Florida’s 28 state colleges.
“I am calling on the state Legislature to freeze all fees at state colleges and universities,” Scott said.
Scott also wants to freeze tuition at the state colleges, as he has previously pushed at the state universities, saying it would make sure students “aren’t burdened with the constant skyrocketing costs.”
Scott also is renewing his call to extend the Bright Futures scholarships to summer classes. The merit scholarships now only apply to classes taken in the fall and spring semesters.
Making the scholarships cover courses during the summer will help students graduate in four years, said Scott, who has supported the scholarship extension since 2015, although lawmakers have yet to embrace the idea.
Scott said capping fees and providing more scholarships is important to making higher education more affordable.
“In business, you are expected to create more efficiencies or more value,” Scott said. “Our institutions need to provide more value to our students by becoming more affordable and helping students graduate in four years so they can save money and get a great job.”
Only 44 percent of students graduated in four years at state universities, ranging from a high of 67.3 percent at the University of Florida to a low of 13.4 percent at Florida A&M University. The Board of Governors, which oversees the university system, has set a goal of raising the systemwide four-year rate to 50 percent by 2025 and the six-year rate to 70 percent.
The idea behind expanding Bright Futures is that it will provide a financial incentive for more students to attend summer classes, increasing the chances they can graduate more quickly.
Currently, many Bright Futures students shun the summer classes since their scholarships don’t cover the costs. But extending the merit scholarships to summer classes will be costly, with the Board of Governors estimating the price tag between $26 million and $47 million a year, depending on how many students use the opportunity.
Scott’s proposal could compete somewhat in the 2017 legislative session with a plan from Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, who wants to have Bright Futures cover the entire tuition cost for top scholarship students, known as “academic scholars.” The scholarships now only pay about half the cost of fees and tuition.
Scott is also renewing his call to eliminate sales taxes on textbook purchases by university and college students. The tax break would save students about $48 million a year.
A student taking five courses per semester would save a minimum of $60 a year, according to the plan.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
No Injuries In Quintette Accident
January 11, 2017
There were no injuries in a two vehicle wreck about 6:10 Tuesday night on Highway 95A at Quintette Road. Both drivers involved refused transport to the hospital by Escambia County EMS. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Girlfriend Slashes Boyfriend’s Tires Before Slashing Him
January 10, 2017
A man was slashed in the buttocks Monday night in Cantonment.
Authorities responded to the 1400 block of Neal Road about 10:19 p.m. where a man reported that he had been stabbed. Deputies discovered the incident was a domestic dispute, according to Amber Southard, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman allegedly slashed her boyfriend’s tires before slashing him, Southard said.
The man’s injuries were not considered serious. The woman is expected to face charges; her name has not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Crisafulli Won’t Run For Ag Commissioner, No Clear Front Runner
January 10, 2017
Former House Speaker Steve Crisafulli bowed out of a potential race for agriculture commissioner on Tuesday, leaving the 2018 campaign for the Cabinet position without a clear front-runner.
Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, comes from a family with deep roots in the state’s citrus industry and had made no secret of the fact that he was considering a bid for agriculture commissioner. Adam Putnam, who currently holds the post, is term-limited and expected to run for governor in 2018.
But in a statement issued Monday, Crisafulli said he was out of the race.
“I plan to remain politically active, but after years of travel to fulfill my obligations to the House Republican Conference and as speaker of the Florida House, there is nothing I want more than to spend time with my wife Kristen and our daughters as they finish out their final years of being at home before going off to college,” he said.
Crisafulli, who served as speaker from 2014 to 2016, said he has “no doubt a capable field of candidates will emerge who will be dedicated to the success of this critical industry.”
Crisafulli’s stint as speaker was itself a surprise, as he took the place of former Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary. Dorworth had been slated to become speaker in November 2014, but he was defeated in a bid for re-election in his district in 2012.
Crisafulli’s tenure as speaker was tumultuous at times. During Crisafulli’s first year at the helm, the House ended its session early as part of a health-care showdown with the Senate, sparking the need for special session to finish work on the budget.
The announcement Monday marked the second time in recent weeks that a former House speaker had taken himself out of the running for statewide office. Former Speaker Will Weatherford, a Wesley Chapel Republican who was speaker before Crisafulli, announced last month that he would not seek the governor’s office in 2018. Like Crisafulli, Weatherford said he wanted to spend more time with his young family.
Current House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, is rumored to be considering a bid for governor, though he has been tight-lipped so far about his future plans.
The maneuvering is sparked in part by what could be wide-open races for the four top spots in state government. Gov. Rick Scott also faces term limits in 2018, along with Putnam and the two other Republican members of the Cabinet: Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater.
Bondi is reportedly in line to receive a White House appointment from President-elect Donald Trump, while Atwater has said he won’t seek higher office in 2018. For his part, Scott is widely expected to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Bill Nelson, a Democrat.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
One Trapped After Nine Mile Crash
January 10, 2017
At least one person was briefly trapped in their vehicle in a crash Monday night on Nine Mile Road at Chemstrand Road.
A pickup truck and car apparently collided in the northern part of the intersection. The pickup then continued across Nine Mile Road onto Chemstrand Road, jumped a ditch a hit a parked car in the parking lot of Taco Bell. None of the injuries were believed to be life threatening.
Further details have not been released by the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Northview, Ernest Ward Place In FFA Sub-District Career Development Events
January 10, 2017
Recently at the FFA Sub-District Career Development Events, the following students and teams placed from Northview High School and Ernest Ward Middle School.
1st Place in Extemporaneous Public Speaking- Mitchell Singleton, Northview (pictured top)
Scroll down for additional winners.
1st Place in Safe Tractor Operations- Donnie Dixon, Northview (above)
3rd Place in Parliamentary Procedures- Northview High School (above)
3rd Place in FFA Opening and Closing Ceremonies- Ernest Ward Middle School (above)Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Feds Say Disabled Inmates’ Rights Violated In Florida
January 10, 2017
The U.S. Justice Department on Monday moved to intervene in a nearly year-old lawsuit against the Florida Department of Corrections, alleging that the state’s prison agency “systematically violates the rights of inmates with disabilities.”
The 12-page document, filed in federal court in Tallahassee, focused on inmates who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The Justice Department, in part, alleged that the state routinely fails to provide hearing aids, interpreters and types of communication devices that inmates could use to contact attorneys, families or friends.
The organization Disability Rights Florida filed the lawsuit last January against the Department of Corrections, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws. In a document filed in June, the department denied systemic violations of laws designed to protect people with disabilities.
State Names Local Five Star School Award Winners
January 10, 2017
Four North Escambia elementary schools — Jim Allen, McArthur, Lipscomb, and Molino Park — were named Five Star Schools by the state on Monday.
The Florida Department of Education announced the names of schools in Florida’s Panhandle that have earned the Five Star School Award for the 2015-16 school year. The award is bestowed upon schools that are committed to incorporating family and community members into the school environment to enhance student learning. Statewide, nearly 700 schools earned the recognition.
“Family and community involvement is essential to student success, and I am grateful for the parents, caregivers and community members who invest their time in our state’s schools.” said Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart. “When school leaders and educators engage the community, the result is higher academic achievement and more students prepared for future success.”
To earn Five Star School recognition, a school must show that it has achieved all of the benchmarks and criteria in five categories – Community/Business Partnerships, Family Involvement, Volunteerism, Student Community Service and School Advisory Council. Schools must also earn a grade of “C” or above or a school improvement rating of “Maintaining” or “Improving” for the year being recognized.
Listed below are all of the Escambia County schools that received the Five Star School Award for the 2015-2016 school year.
- A.K. Suter Elementary School
- Beulah Elementary School
- Blue Angels Elementary School
- Cordova Park Elementary School
- Ferry Pass Elementary School
- Hellen Caro Elementary School
- Jim Allen Elementary School
- McArthur Elementary School
- Molino Park Elementary School
- Myrtle Grove Elementary School
- NB Cook Elementary School
- Pleasant Grove Elementary School
- R.C. Lipscomb Elementary School
- Scenic Heights Elementary School
The following Santa Rosa County Schools also received the award:
- Gulf Breeze Elementary School
- Gulf Breeze Middle School
- Holley Navarre Intermediate
- Oriole Beach Elementary School
- S.S. Dixon Primary School
- West Navarre Primary School
Shed Fire Threatens Nearby Homes
January 9, 2017
Firefighters were able to keep a shed and grass fire from becoming much worse this afternoon off Nine Mile Road. The shed was a total loss, and the fire threatened several nearby homes in the area of Larkspur Circle and Waring Road. At least one home reportedly suffered minor damage. There were no injuries and no immediate word on the cause of the shed fire. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Fire Marshal Investigating Suspicious Molino Hay Fire
January 9, 2017
A suspicious fire that destroyed several large bales of hay in Molino is under investigation as a possible arson.
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are investigating after the fire Sunday afternoon on Chalker Road. About 20 of large hay bales burned under the cover of an open barn.
The Molino and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were among the units that battled the blaze, with the last firemen leaving the scene about four hours after their initial response.
There were no injuries reported.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
