Latest news with #HillsboroughCountySchools
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hillsborough school board grills superintendent over book removals
TAMPA — Days before he is expected to discuss his district's removal of library books before state leaders, Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Van Ayres faced scrutiny from all directions at a heated school board meeting Monday — including from members of his own board. In May, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz sent a letter calling for the removal of two books from Hillsborough shelves over concerns about their content. The week after, Attorney General James Uthmeier followed up with a second letter asking about more 'pornographic materials in your school libraries.' In a response, Ayres wrote that all titles mentioned had been removed. He also said that to 'err on the side of caution,' all 600 titles that had been placed on a list for removal by any county in the state during the past two school years had been taken out of circulation and would be reviewed, even though no objections to them have risen through Hillsborough's existing process. Ayres' response garnered rancor from all sides. During the public comment portion of Monday's meeting, 10 people, arguing that they were against book bans and censorship, questioned why the books were still allowed in the district. Julie Gebhards, a mother of a former Newsome High School student, pointed to passages in books that were still allowed prior to the state's letter, including Toni Morrison's 'The Bluest Eye' and Chuck Palahniuk's 'Invisible Monsters.' 'I can't believe that nobody stood up and said, 'This does not belong in our schools,'' she said. Three people spoke against the district's move to remove the titles, which include classics like Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet,' a graphic adaptation of Anne Frank's diary and other Morrison titles that have been critically acclaimed for their discourse of race and gender. Jeanne Coleman, a parent of two former students, questioned why the existing process, which includes parental input and community standards, had been overstepped. 'I agree there has to be age appropriate books for students, but don't tell me that it's inappropriate if I think it's appropriate for my child to read,' she said. 'That's a parental decision.' But Ayres faced the most heat from the board. Board member Nadia Combs said she was initially pleased with how he handled Diaz' letter, and appreciated a conversation that reiterated that no one stood for age-inappropriate books in schools. But she said the board was blindsided by the response to Uthmeier's letter, sent from the board's attorney, and his quick decision to pull books 'I'm trying to process your lack of communication, the transparency, and also lack of knowledge and input from me,' Combs told Ayres. 'I'm very concerned with your decision making process on that.' Combs continued: 'You created a financial burden for librarians. … You did not engage with parents, you did not engage with our PTA, you did not engage with the union. You did not engage with your employees. You did not engage with your supervisors or your lead librarians, and I was not informed at all.' Ayres said that as superintendent, he bears the final responsibility of day-to-day operations. 'I needed to ensure that we don't have inappropriate materials in libraries, and that's my ultimate responsibility,' he said. School board attorney James Potter called the letters from the state an 'unprecedented situation' and said they'd work to develop protocol in the future. Board member Patti Rendon said she wished there was a special board meeting called or some form of prior review of the letter Ayres sent out. She and board member Lynn Gray questioned other district officials for not having evidence of process of compliance with state statutes that put board members and Ayres at risk. Board chairperson Jessica Vaughn also expressed frustration with Ayres. She believed the district overstepped media specialists hired to fill libraries, who she said put their own licenses on the line and face jail time if they do their job wrong. The district is offering a $1,500 stipend to certified media specialists to review the books outside of their contracted hours. Vaughn asked Ayres about the anticipated cost of the reviews. Ayres estimated around $345,000. 'That's the low end,' Vaughn said. 'On the higher end, it could be up to half a million dollars that this is costing us.' Van Ayres said he had concerns about the existing process, which he called 'not acceptable.' 'I wanted to ensure that ... come August, all books have been reviewed,' he said. 'And that was the action that I took, was to make those books under review and unavailable while that process took place.' Vaughn pushed Ayres on whether he notified parents or board members about his decision. When he said he did not, she asked whether other districts had these books on their libraries. Ayres said they did. 'I find it offensive that you say that it's your duty to protect our community from inappropriate books, because taking sexual content books and reading them out of context does not make them inappropriate,' Vaughn said. Ayres is expected to address Hillsborough County's book removal process before the state Board of Education on Wednesday in Miami.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hillsborough County schools remove books after state threatens legal action
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida's Attorney General and Education Commissioner are demanding Hillsborough County Schools immediately remove certain books they claim are 'patently pornographic' and harmful to minors. In a letter sent this week, Attorney General James Uthmeier warned the district that keeping the books on school shelves could violate state law. 'This letter didn't say, 'Hey Hillsborough, review these books,' it said remove them, or we'll take further action. That's a direct threat from the state,' said Stephana Ferrell with Florida Freedom to Read. The AG's letter called the district's inaction a failure to protect students and said it 'shirks a school board's responsibility to keep kids safe.' But advocates with Florida Freedom to Read argue parents already have tools to restrict access without banning books entirely. 'These are voluntary books. Every parent can set restrictions on their own child without impacting everybody else,' Ferrell added. The group said Hillsborough County had a review process in place before new state laws like House Bill 1467 were passed and they believe this latest move is a warning to other districts. 'Hillsborough is meant to be a cautionary tale … a sacrificial lamb. 'We're going to come for you next if you don't take the same actions,'' Ferrell said. In response, Hillsborough Superintendent Van Ayres confirmed the district removed the titles named in the state's letter, including 'Call Me By Your Name' and 'Jack of Hearts and Other Parts,' and is reviewing others. Ayres says the district will update its policies ahead of the 2025–2026 school year, require annual collection plans from media specialists, and provide new training. Since 2022, Hillsborough Schools say they have removed 389,037 books across the district. In a separate letter, the school board attorney said additional policy revisions are coming in the months ahead. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida AG demands books removed from Hillsborough Co. schools
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is demanding Hillsborough County Schools remove books that he said contain 'overtly sexual content' from libraries and classrooms. Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Díaz recently wrote a similar letter to Hillsborough County Schools' Superintendent Van Ayres, claiming the district had 'pornographic' material available to students. Díaz cited the books 'Call Me by Your Name' and 'Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts)' and said the superintendent would be expected at a State Board of Education meeting next month to explain why the books are available. Florida Department of Education claims 'pornographic' books remain in Hillsborough County high school libraries In his letter, Uthmeier references the earlier letter from Díaz, saying that while those two books are now labeled 'under review,' there are other materials that violate state statutes. The other books mentioned by Uthmeier include 'What Girls Are Made Of,' by Elana K. Arnold; 'Beautiful,' by Amy Reed; 'Breathless,' by Jennifer Niven; and 'Choke,' by Chuck Palahniuk. 'You must act to protect your students from these gratuitously pornographic materials,' Uthmeier wrote. 'Any delay in remedying this situation only exacerbates the current failure to ensure that students are safe.' He goes on to say that the county's obligations to the constitution, Florida state statutes and Hillsborough County's own district policies 'demand' that they remove the books. 'I will monitor your actions to determine whether formal legal action by my office is warranted,' Uthmeier wrote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
Hillsborough County Schools using AI to catch drivers failing to obey school bus stop signs
The Brief Videos recorded on Hillsborough County Schools buses show several drivers failing to obey school bus stop signs. The videos are part of a program called BusPatrol. The company is using AI to collaborate with school districts and law enforcement to hold drivers who don't obey the law accountable. TAMPA, Fla. - New videos recorded on Hillsborough County Schools buses show several drivers failing to obey school bus stop signs. These videos are part of a program called BusPatrol, which is a company using artificial intelligence to collaborate with school districts and law enforcement to hold drivers who don't obey the law accountable. A video shows a black car passing a school bus and failing to stop. The driver comes within just feet of a student in the middle of the road. Dig deeper The scary encounter is just one of several recorded by Hillsborough County Schools over the last few months. READ: Florida wins $79M settlement from JUUL: 'It's hurting our kids' "Every single one of these close calls and near-misses are jarring for the average person, to parents, to school administrators," BusPatrol America Chief Growth Officer Steve Randazzo said. BusPatrol is a nationwide program that is free to school districts. The company uses its own artificial intelligence, Ava, to identify violators using license plates. That information is then sent to law enforcement, who ultimately decide whether to issue a citation. "When the bus is slowing down, Ava's brain sort of wakes up, and then all of the telemetry of the bus is hooked into the bus patrol system through Ava, so Ava knows when the buses, amber lights, the yellow lights start flashing, even knows when the school bus is slowing down," Randazzo said. As Randazzo explains, distracted driving is a common theme that causes drivers to fail to obey bus stop signs. Why you should care According to the Florida Department of Education, more than 11,000 illegal passes occur daily, equaling to nearly 2 million violations over a 180-day school year. READ: Potential investor confirms interest in buy the Rays "If folks were more mindful, and we're a little bit more cautious and paying attention, it can wait, even though it might be annoying to wait a minute for the kids to get on or off the school bus," Randazzo said. "Even if you're rushing to that meeting, it's not worth the risk. It's not worth the risk to risk a child's life." How many citations have been issued since Hillsborough County Schools started using the program last summer is unclear. Still, according to BusPatrol, 90% of drivers ticketed don't receive a second citation. The Source FOX 13's Jordan Bowen collected the information in this story. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
'Family Day' at the State Fair draws increased law enforcement with the crowds
The Brief "Family Day" at the Florida State Fair brought in many families for a day of fun. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office was all hands on deck to ensure all the families in attendance were safe while enjoying the fair. For the last two years, children under 17 have needed an adult with them at night after 6 p.m. to cut down on bad behavior. TAMPA, Fla. - It was a busy Friday night at the Florida State Fair as families visited Tampa for "Family Day." The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said they added new safety measures to help keep everyone safe during the event. Many Hillsborough County Schools students get the day off for Family Day of the fair, giving families like the Artis family time to spend with their four children. What they're saying READ: Beloved black swans, eggs stolen from Polk County mobile home park: 'Devastating' "We do a lot of arts and crafts. We do painting, so they were painting today. They were drawing today, we also cook," said Stephanie Artis. Artis, her wife Michelle, and their children enjoyed the fair for a third year, joining many others in the fair rides, sights, food and overall environment. There were also 300 law enforcement officers. "It makes us feel comfortable. It makes you feel safe," said Michelle Artis, Stephanie's wife. WATCH: 'Powering on' the State Fair Dig deeper HCSO said it amplified the presence of its deputies and other law enforcement officers with new safety measures. "Every year, we put more into it. This year, we'll have our drone team out here. We'll have drones deployed. We'll have our mounted enforcement team. We'll have our bicycle response team," said Col. Anthony Collins with HCSO. For the last two years, children under 17 have needed an adult with them at night after 6 p.m. to cut down on bad behavior. Deputies said 14 people were kicked out during 2024's Family Day, down from 56 kids in 2023 and 137 in 2022. Deputies said their community action teams are a big help. READ: Hurricane Milton crane collapse: Why city leaders say it wasn't taken down before the storm "Whether it's a pastor, whether it's one of the youth-based programs like the teacher is here, the school resource deputies who work with the youth day in and day out, they're here," said Collins. "They have relationships established already with the youth. I think it just speaks volumes, and that's why we've seen those numbers reduced over the last several years." The backstory The policy changes came in 2023 after a jury awarded $15 million in damages to the family of 14-year-old Andrew Joseph III. In 2014, Johnson was hit and killed by a car on I-4 after deputies kicked him and nearly 100 other students out of the fair. READ: Father of student hit, killed outside fair asks for stricter rules The court found that HCSO was mostly at fault in Andrew's death. "We've had two people ejected today, very minor, no arrests," said Collins. What's next Deputies hope to keep it that way with their extra presence. "We felt that. That's the first time we saw them on horses. I'm a prior law enforcement officer, so that's crowd control. So that's a good look, taking precautions," said Artis. HCSO said they have about 1,400 positions staffed throughout the entire event. The last day for the fair is Monday, February 17. The Source FOX 13's Briona Arradondo collected the information in this story. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
