Universities plan for fall semester despite uncertainty of COVID-19 pandemic

College students won’t see a quick return to campus this summer, or maybe even in the fall. Most colleges and universities are sticking to online classes this summer, as the COVID-19 pandemic develops, but what happens in the fall is still up in the air.

Home-school flying lessons, courtesy of MacDill Air Foce Base

You might see their planes and uniforms and maybe you’ve even seen video of how they refuel planes in mid-air, but those who fly for the Air Force face a challenging mission shared by many these days.

Education leaders eye ways to reopen Florida schools

Rapid and repeated coronavirus testing for students and staff, daily temperature checks and adjusting class sizes and bus rides to allow social distancing are among many measures that Florida education leaders are considering as the state prepares to reopen public schools in the fall.

State education officials asking parents, students and teachers for input on returning to school

Virtual assignments and video lectures have been the norm for Florida students since schools closed in late March. School officials, at the state level, are asking for feedback on how to move forward with plans for summer and the upcoming fall semester. 

Polk outlines plan for socially-distanced high school graduations

Polk County High School seniors, mark your calendars. The school district just announced that your graduations are scheduled for June.

Florida universities weigh options for fall semester

Days before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the University of Florida campus in March, Kaelyn Cassidy knew she wanted to take some hands-on classes in the fall semester, so she went ahead and registered for them.

New bill proposes student loan forgiveness for health care workers on front lines of COVID-19 fight

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., introduced a bill on Tuesday that would forgive all federal and private student loan debt for front line healthcare workers risking their lives to fight the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. 

Unimpressed by online classes, college students seek refunds

Schools insist that, after being forced to close by their states, they’re still offering students a quality education.

Mother congratulates son on billboard after graduation canceled

The ads on the digital billboard above the Dairy Queen at the intersection of Lyle Pkwy. and Broadway in Bartow rotate for five minutes before the loop starts again.

State College of Florida graduates via virtual ceremony

From the State College of Florida board room, Dr. Carol Probstfeld addressed more than 600 who logged on to watch the virtual graduation of the class of 2020.

When will schools reopen? Education leaders weigh options for summer, fall semesters

While the governor plans to slowly reopen Florida, school administrators are coming up with their plans to continue distance learning over the summer and what classroom environments could look like in the fall.

Drive-by warm-ups keep kids active, thanks to Deltona Elementary PE coach

The principal at Deltona Elementary challenged her teachers to get creative and come up with ways to help their students while schools are closed and classes are being held online. 

Students push for Bright Futures deadline extension amid SAT, ACT cancellations

With standardized testing postponed, college scholarships, like Bright Futures, are in limbo. Hundreds of thousands of Florida high school seniors are relying on the Bright Futures scholarships to help make college affordable in the fall. To qualify, students must achieve a certain score on the SAT or the ACT exam. Many students were hoping to retake the tests and boost their scores. 

Univ. of Florida looks at testing students for COVID-19

University of Florida officials on Tuesday said they are considering testing 500 to 1,000 students a day for COVID-19 as the school looks at plans to reopen campus in the fall semester.

Hillsborough County schools releases extra Storytime episodes online

Hillsborough County Public Schools teamed up with the Hillsborough Education Foundation, the Hillsborough Chamber, and Scholastic to bring some fun to storytime.

Over 4,000 students in Tampa Bay have not signed onto e-learning courses

Distance-learning has been going on for a little over a month now, but there are still thousands of students across the Bay Area who have not checked into their classes. 

Tampa Bay school districts must find alternative to traditional graduation ceremonies

The news that schools would stay closed for the rest of the year was disappointing for a lot of students, but especially for those seniors who have worked towards graduation day for the past 12 years of their academic career.