The big story: Pinellas County students face new stricter rules if they decide to bring e-bikes or smart glasses to school in August and beyond.
Pinellas is the latest Florida school district to try to get a grip on the proliferation of the tech items that have grown in popularity over the past year.
E-bikes and other electronic forms of transportation, which have seen an uptick in accidents and reckless driving incidents, must be parked in designated locations, and school officials won’t take responsibility if they’re not locked properly.
No battery charging will be allowed on campus, and students must walk or carry the devices while on school district property. Children 16 and younger must have helmets while with their e-bikes.
When it comes to smart glasses, they fall under a new category of “wearable recording devices” in the district’s updated policy on wireless communication.
And they’re not allowed for use in schools, on school-sponsored transportation or during school-sponsored activities. The default will be to have these items off and out of site at all times.
Smart watches also face added restrictions. The updated rules allow their use only for telling time and location tracking. That does not include during testing, when they must be removed along with all other devices.
Violations could result in disciplinary action.
No one spoke for or against the changes Tuesday during the school board’s public hearing on the proposals. The board unanimously approved the updates as part of the 2026-27 student code of conduct without comment.
Hot topics
Taxes: Wakulla County voters will decide in November whether to increase their school district property taxes to help pay teachers and increase arts and athletics, WCTV reports.
School supplies: Rising school supply prices are stretching family budgets. Local organizations are stepping in to help, Bay News 9 reports.
Raises: Levy County teachers reached a tentative contract agreement for the new school year, WCJB reports.
On the move: The Miami-Dade County school board’s longtime chief financial officer is headed to Barry University for a similar job, WLRN reports.
Grading schools: Florida education advocates and activists continue to debate the value and meaning of school grades, WUSF reports. • Holmes County school district leaders are exploring why their grade dropped to C in a year when most districts saw improvement, WJHG reports.
First 100 days: Stuart Bell issued his priorities for his first three months at the helm of the University of Florida, the Gainesville Sun reports.
Enrollment options: The Orange County school district launched a new online registration and enrollment platform for parents, the Apopka Chief reports.
Classroom seats: The Polk County school district anticipates being about 3,200 student seats short of what it needs in its growing northeastern corridor, the Ledger reports.
Campus leadership: The University of Florida filled one of its several dean vacancies, MainStreet Daily News reports.
Board elections: The Duval County school board could see a shift in its political slant as three incumbents don’t seek reelection, Jacksonville Today reports. • The Florida Democratic Party issued a list of school board endorsements in its effort to influence the August elections, Florida Politics reports.
Number of the day
$65,000 — That’s the annual tuition families will pay for a new school opening in Miami Beach. What makes the school unusual and controversial is that it will be driven by AI, with no teachers and only two hours of daily basic learning. Read more about the school being started by a billionaire from the Miami Herald.
Quick quiz
Broward County schools have lost thousands of students. What are they trying to boost enrollment?
a) Creating new programs to attract private school students
b) Recruiting children from adjacent Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties
c) Expanding course offerings for voucher recipients to purchase
Find the answer in this story from WTVJ.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
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