St. Pete high school unveils new exercise lab for students interested in fitness, medical fields

Lakewood High School students are getting a head start on careers in the fitness and medical field thanks to the school's Athletic Lifestyle Management Academy (ALMA). Tuesday, the school unveiled the program's new exercise lab made possible by their partnerships with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital and Valor Fitness.

Hillsborough back to school event held for Cuban immigrants with 20,000 expected in classrooms this year

A record number of Cubans are leaving their country because of poverty and the political situation there. The Hillsborough County school district is planning for as many as 20,000 Cuban families to come to Tampa.

It's normal for kids to have back-to-school anxiety, here's how to help

With the first day of school set for Wednesday in most districts, child health experts say heading back to the classroom can trigger an upswing in anxiety in a lot of kids.

Polk County middle, high schoolers to be randomly checked for weapons

Middle and high school students in Polk County are heading back to the classroom next week and will have to go through a new security check.

Hillsborough County short more than 600 teachers with a week left before school starts

Hillsborough County is short 680 teachers with just a week to go before the start of the school year. The superintendent said nearly 2,000 teachers have left the county over the past year for various reasons, ranging from retirement to burnout.

Pinellas schools install ALERT system to decrease police response time in an emergency

Pinellas County schools already have mobile apps that act as panic buttons for school staff. now they're adding a new layer of protection to make sure officers can respond quickly.

Florida still needs 9,000 teachers before students return

According to the Florida Education Association, districts across the state are still looking to hire a total of about 9,000 teachers with the first day of school scheduled for August 10 in most districts.

Some school districts will raise meal prices with federal waivers gone

USDA waivers that allowed free school meals during the height of COVID-19 have ended, meaning most schools will return to free, reduced or paid meal options.

Haines City High School reaches full capacity, no longer enrolling new students

The district recently sent a letter to parents notifying them the school is at capacity and can't accept any new students for the upcoming school year, which begins August 10.

2,000 more backpacks given away at second Manatee back-to-school event

Cars lined up by the hundreds for a back-to-school giveaway Wednesday in Manatee County. The summer's first giveaway event got such a massive response, organizers had to plan a second one fast.

Busch Gardens summer camp brings kids face-to-face with exciting animals

Kids can enjoy all the fun rides and attractions at Busch Gardens while also being inspired by zoologists during day and overnight resident camps.

President Biden weighs extending student loan payment pause beyond August 31

The White House said that President Biden is deliberating whether to extend the pause on federal student loan payments beyond Aug. 31 and forgive a portion of student debt per borrower.

New opt-in system keeps 16 books off Polk County school shelves

The first day of school in Polk County is two weeks away, and 16 books will no longer be on public school library shelves. Parents will have the say on what titles their children can check out and read.

Hillsborough schools faces staffing crisis ahead of new school year

School district officials in Hillsborough County recruited potential applicants at a job fair on Tuesday. This comes as the school system faces a staffing crisis with the first day of school quickly approaching.

Several Florida school boards sued over state's gender identity and sexual orientation law

A new federal lawsuit filed by Florida parents and students seeks to block several school boards from carrying out the state's new law that prohibits instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in Kindergarten through 3rd-grade classrooms.

USF hopes to fill diversity gap in STEM industry by launching new program to educate children

Programming, IT, and engineering are among the hottest jobs in Tampa Bay, but there’s a diversity gap in who fills those positions. A new USF program looks to fill it by educating minority children and girls in local schools about the STEM industry.