Hillsborough County School Board

After hours of public comment, board members voted Tuesday to close Just Elementary. A second vote will be held on May 9.

Hillsborough School Board members voted 4-3 Tuesday at a special meeting to ban "This Book is Gay" by Juno Dawson from all middle schools in the county.

Board members voted unanimously against making a decision on the boundary changes at Tuesday's meeting. They will hold another workshop on March 9.

Hillsborough County School Board members heard a fourth proposal that was touted late last week by Superintendent Addison Davis.

The Hillsborough County School District will gauge the community's reaction to its racial equity policy in the coming weeks after the state Department of Education said the district is out of compliance with the new "Stop WOKE" law.

The changes could "repurpose" 12 schools, meaning students would need to shift to other facilities.

Senior Chancellor Jacob Oliva said Hillsborough County is planning a full review of all policies and procedures to ensure compliance.

The governor endorsed three school board candidates in Sarasota County and they all won.

In 2019, there were 28 Hillsborough schools with D or F grades. Now, that number is down to five.

Hillsborough County voters will consider a tax referendum for schools on the August ballot, while Pasco voters will face a similar question in November.

The referendum pitched by Addison Davis comes as the district sees a projected $89 million deficit for the period ending in June.

Hillsborough and Sarasota counties are among a dozen school districts that defied a mask mandate ban from the governor and as a result would get a smaller funding increase under the House budget proposal. The leader of the Senate says its a plan he's open to discussing.