ST. JOHNS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

The St. Johns County School District said its working to exterminate some bugs from its adoption of a new, remote panic alert system in response to the passage of Alyssa’s Law.

As part of a years-long probe into how the St. Johns County School District imposed its dress code policy, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights worked with the district to circulate a questionnaire to groups of students at five district schools.

A record number of St. Johns County School District employees filed May resignations, as the district and teachers’ union remain at an impasse over pay negotiations.

The St. Johns County School District and teachers union continue to be at odds over pay raises after months of back-and-forth.

After his son was injured in a violent attack at Switzerland Point Middle School, Mark Alvelo spoke out to the St. Johns County School Board during its meeting Monday, calling for action.

The St. Johns County School District is planning to push the construction of a new K-8 school in the RiverTown neighborhood back another year.

The St. Johns County School District on Monday announced that school start and dismissal times will change next school year for some K-8 academies.

The St. Johns County School District said Tuesday it will remove 23 books from library shelves and dozens more are under review.

After a five-year legal battle, a sharply divided federal appeals court Friday upheld a St. Johns County School Board policy that prevented a transgender male student from using boys’ bathrooms at a high school.

After a five-year legal battle, a sharply divided federal appeals court Friday upheld a St. Johns County School Board policy that prevented a transgender male student from using boys’ bathrooms at a high school.

Teachers and the St. Johns County School District are at a stand-still over pay negotiations.

Negotiations have officially stalled between the St. Johns County School District and the county’s teachers union.

St. Johns County teachers have rejected a proposed pay raise, with many saying the raise wasn’t big enough.

Local students have been back in classrooms for about a month now, but school districts are still having trouble filling teacher vacancies.

Though the St. Johns County School Board scrubbed the district’s dress code of gendered language last year, the enforcement of the code still almost exclusively affects girls, according to records obtained by News4JAX.

The News4JAX I-TEAM obtained new records on dress code violations in St. Johns County schools.

After the St. Johns County School District overhauled its dress code policy last year, some parents tell News4JAX that their students are still receiving unfair violations.

Eight controversial books will stay on St. Johns County school shelves despite another heated debate about them on Thursday.

The St. Johns County School District superintendent is asking for patience from the community as about 50,000 students prepare to go back to school Wednesday morning.

News4JAX on Monday got a firsthand look at St. Johns County’s new Beachside High School before the start of the 2022-23 academic year.

A plan presented Tuesday morning to the school board calls for more than $1 million more than last year to go towards protecting schools and increasing pay for armed guards.

The St. Johns County School Board on Tuesday unanimously approved seven new attendance zones that will go into effect in the 2022-23 school year.

The St. Johns County School District this week announced plans for two more new schools to be built in the next two years.

Two teenagers got a bull shark from a stranger who caught it in Mayport last week and then they gutted it and stored the dead fish with ice overnight at a friend’s house before hoisting it from the rafters at Ponte Vedra High School as a senior prank, according to an incident report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission obtained Wednesday by News4JAX.

PETA said it sent a letter to St. Johns County School District Superintendent Tim Forson on Tuesday offering lessons on kindness to animals after a dead shark was hung from the rafters at Ponte Vedra High School last week.

A change.org petition started by an animal advocacy group is getting shared online that seeks signatures in support of seeking criminal charges against five students accused of hoisting a dead shark above a stairwell at Ponte Veda High School.

A dead shark was found hanging from the rafters above a staircase at Ponte Vedra High School on Thursday morning, according to the St. Johns County School District.

The five-member St. Johns County School Board approved advertising seven of the nine proposed changes to the school attendance zones of the county’s rapidly developing northside.

The St. Johns County School District is postponing the construction of a new school in the northwest part of the county after the school board voted Tuesday night to reject three multi-million dollar bids because they were too costly.

Parents in one St. Johns County neighborhood are upset about a new proposed rezoning plan for students.

The head coach and an assistant coach of the Ponte Vedra High School girls’ lacrosse team resigned, after they were suspended for one game for berating the team for eating cake following a game, the St. Johns County School District confirmed Wednesday.

The St. Johns County School District unveiled a new rezoning plan Tuesday morning to address overcrowding in schools in the northern part of the county.

The woman who helped launch a federal Title IX investigation into the St. Johns County School District is now running to serve on its board.

The St. Johns County School District and the teachers union have come to a tentative agreement that could significantly boost teacher pay.

The St. Johns County School District is dropping some of its COVID-19 protocols.

The St. Johns County School District is changing how it reports positive coronavirus cases in its classrooms.

St. Johns County School District officials said Tuesday a new school is in the works for the northwest part of the county.

The Friday edition of the St. Johns County School District’s COVID-19 report showed 515 students were confirmed positive cases of the coronavirus and 161 were quarantined.

The St. Johns County Programs of Choice High School Showcase scheduled for Thursday was canceled due to concerns over the rise in coronavirus cases, the school district announced.

There was a dramatic increase in the number of reported positive cases of COVID-19 in schools after students around Northeast Florida returned to class last week after winter break.

The St. Johns County School Board approved a 5-year plan Tuesday morning.

The St. Johns County School District is surveying stakeholders on how to spend federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Some St. Johns County students will have to start paying for school meals again, according to a message sent to families from the St. Johns County School District Director of Food and Nutrition Services Sean Prevatt.

Between supply chain issues, food shortages and higher demand, there is a problem nationwide getting meals to students.

A recent letter from the National School Boards Association to President Joe Biden is being met with backlash from state and local school board officials.

With nearly 300 staff vacancies in the St. Johns County School District, local leaders are working to recruit new hires as the district continues its trend of rapid growth.

After a group of students at Bartram Trail High School was seen on cellphone and social media videos hurling anti-gay hate speech at fellow students, the St. Johns County School District confirmed that disciplinary actions were taken since the Sept. 17 rally.

Pine Island Academy, which opened this year in Nocatee, has been shaken by the deaths of two employees, including a teacher who died of COVID-19.

The St. Johns County Commission and St. Johns County School Board on Thursday got their first look at four proposed plans for how to redraw the county’s voting districts.

The debate over face masks in the St. Johns County School District is still being fought after a Pedro Menendez High School student died last week.

As the St. Johns County School District struggles to fill substitute teacher positions, employees from the district office have been forced to step into classrooms to replace teachers who may be out sick or quarantining.

At the close of the first day of school, the St. Johns County School District reported a total of 155 cases of COVID-19 in its schools.

Last year, if teachers had to miss work to get a coronavirus test or were forced to quarantine due to possible exposure, their salary was covered by funding from the federal government’s Families First Coronavirus Response Act. But since that expired, districts have been left to figure things out on their own.

The St. Johns County School Board on Tuesday morning approved new dress code rules, including changes to the district’s policy about the length of students’ shorts.

As the St. Johns County School District continues to grapple with a dress code policy that has been the source of controversy for months and is the subject of a federal investigation, the ACLU of Florida weighed in Friday, sending a letter to the district about the policy.

Earlier this month, the St. Johns County School District sent parents a survey seeking input on a dress code that has been a source of controversy for months and is now the subject of a federal investigation.

A federal investigation into whether the St. Johns County School District breached Title IX through its dress code policy continues as district officials on Wednesday turned over a cache of documents to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

The St. Johns County School District announced an expanded partnership with the Sheriff’s Office that will see at least one resource officer posted in all 46 of the district’s schools this fall.

The St. Johns County School District sent parents a survey Thursday, seeking input on a dress code that has been a source of controversy for months and is now the subject of a federal investigation.

The St. Johns County School District has already decided that it will not require temperature checks, desk shields or masks for students this upcoming school year, but it is still planning to have some coronavirus safety protocols in place.

Of the hundreds of yearbooks printed with edited photos of female students, only 25 were requested to be reprinted, according to St. Johns County School District spokesperson Christina Langston.

We’re looking into what will legally happen for the St. Johns County School District now that the U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into a complaint that the school district discriminated against female students through its enforcement of the dress code.

The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into a complaint that the St. Johns County School District discriminated against female students through its enforcement of the dress code.

After widespread backlash over enforcement of its dress code and the controversial editing of female student yearbook photos, the St. Johns County School District formed a committee to discuss an overhaul of that key portion of the student code of conduct.

The changes under consideration for the St. Johns County School District’s student dress code include doing away with a rule that girls’ skirts must be no shorter than four inches above the knee and making the dress code standards the same for boys and girls, according to an internal document obtained by News4Jax.

The changes under consideration for the St. Johns County School District’s student dress code include doing away with a rule that girls’ skirts must be no shorter than four inches above the knee and making the dress code standards the same for boys and girls, according to an internal document obtained by News4Jax.

After parents and female students at Bartram Trail High School raised concerns that yearbook photos deemed in violation of the student code of conduct had been edited without their knowledge, the St. Johns County School District said it is offering refunds to anyone calling about the issue.

After some confusion, the CDC clarified its position Saturday saying that masks and physical distancing should continue for all schools.

Organizations are coming together to offer health and wellness services to students in St. Johns County.

The St. Johns County School Board voted Tuesday to join a multi-district lawsuit targeting pharmaceutical companies that manufacture opioids, as well as companies that distribute the drugs.

The number of recorded violations of the St. Johns County School District’s student dress code has skyrocketed during the 2020-2021 school year, according to data provided by the district.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – There’s controversy over the student dress code at a St. Johns County high school. The school district confirmed that 31 girls received dress code violations on Friday. “I was walked downstairs got it taken which was my bra and was told I have detention,” the student told News4Jax. Freshman Riley O’Keefe, who started the online petition, said many of the girls flagged over dress code violations on Friday were wearing zip-up jackets with tank tops underneath. “I want administrators to know this is not OK.”As of 2 p.m. on Monday, seven girls and five boys were cited for dress code violations.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With three months left in the current school year, the St. Johns County School District has already assembled a group of leaders to begin planning for the 2021-2022 school year. In a presentation to the St. Johns County School Board on Tuesday, the district said it expects COVID-19 will continue to impact school operations through December 2021. One of the plans under consideration for next year would do away with school-based virtual learning, starting in the fall semester, in favor of offering brick-and-mortar learning along with St. Johns Virtual School, a school with its own set of teachers. AdThe district said the plan, which is not set in stone, would allow teachers to focus on one platform and improve the learning experience for students. Due to staffing issues as a result of the coronavirus, some St. Johns County teachers have been leading both virtual students and in-person students at the same time.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – During a Tuesday morning school board workshop, St. Johns County School District Superintendent Tim Forson floated the idea of changing the schedule for the 2021-2022 school year to allow for a longer summer break. Right now, the school year is set to begin Aug. 10, but Forson asked the school board to consider pushing the start date back to Aug. 16. Summer break is currently seven weeks long, about three weeks shorter than a typical summer, due to scheduling changes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The school board was initially receptive to the proposal. Forson said he hopes to make a decision soon to give parents, students and teachers enough time to plan.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Due to staffing issues, some St. Johns County teachers have been leading both virtual students and in-person students at the same time in the midst of the pandemic. Now, as the number of students enrolled in school-based virtual learning has declined, that’s about to change, for some teachers. The St. Johns County School District said it has started to move some teachers away from the dual-platform teaching model. AdMost of the changes involve elementary school teachers, said Associate Superintendent Dawn Sapp. And the superintendent listened, and the school board listened,” said Michelle Dillon, president of the teachers union.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County School District and teachers union on Tuesday reached an agreement on COVID-19 leave for teachers. Under the agreement, teachers can take up to eight days of paid leave if they are forced to take time off for coronavirus-related reasons. The district and the union had to put the new rules in place after part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act ended on Dec. 31. “We are pleased we were able to reach an agreement,” St. Johns Education Association President Michelle Dillon said. The agreement states that if the act is reinstated under the newly installed President Joe Biden administration, those rules would supersede the district agreement.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – St. Johns County School District employees and others considered to be essential workers will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccinations through a new program at Flagler Health+ in St. Augustine. St. Johns County sheriff’s deputies, community-based health care clinic employees, St. Johns County School District staff age 65 and older, and other at-risk essential workers are all eligible for the vaccine, the hospital said. “We appreciate the community partnership that we have with Flagler Health+ and all that they do for our county,” St. Johns County Sherriff Rob Hardwick said in a news release. The president of the St. Johns County teachers union said it’s a positive step in the right direction. “The CDC says that we’re essential workers, I know that educators are essential workers, and it’s a shame that Governor dissent just doesn’t follow the CDC recommendations,” Dillon said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s high school graduation rate hit a record-high of 90% in 2020. The Florida Department of Education said the graduation high is in part due to adjustments made during the coronavirus pandemic. The waived assessments propelled us in a direction we were already heading,” Duval County Schools Superintendent wrote in a statement. The Nassau County School District (91.6%) noted a 1.2% drop in the graduation rate since 2017-18 but still finished above the state’s average. See the results including all Florida high schools here.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County School Board chose a name Tuesday for the new high school that up to today had been labeled “HHH.”The school will be Tocoi Creek High School. A mascot will be chosen later from 11 options:Suggested school names Mascot top selections Ancient City High School Bulls Nine Mile High School Cyclones North River High School Hornets River Valley High School Hurricanes Tocoi Creek High School (chosen name) Longhorns Tolomato High School Moccasins Razorbacks Tigers Toro Vikings VipersOn Dec. 15, the academic and elective course catalog will be released for the 2021-2022 school year enrollment. The St. Johns County School Board said the new school is desperately needed to help address overcrowding in the district. “Largely this will be taking the pressure off Nease high school,” said St. Johns County Superintendent Tim Forson. Realtor Shimi Meir says the market for families in St. Johns County is so high in demand that sellers and builders have taken advantage of it.

The St. Johns County School District will be making some course corrections for the spring semester as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers. In a message sent Monday to school families, Superintendent Tim Forson outlined four changes to the school district’s operations under COVID-19. Students will have to commit to either in-person learning or virtual learning for the entire semester. Earlier this year, Forson recognized frequent switching between the two was causing teachers headaches and affecting other students. Third, the superintendent said, the school district will be putting together some “intensive instructional support” programs for students who are struggling this year.

Here’s where they stand at last check:Duval County Public SchoolsDuval County families have until Friday to cancel Duval HomeRoom for the spring semester. As of Wednesday, Duval County Public Schools Spokeswoman Sonya Duke-Bolden said, 2,200 families have requested to opt out of Duval Homeroom for the third quarter. Also, as of Wednesday, 80,780 students were enrolled in brick and mortar classes, 27,203 in Duval HomeRoom and 1,481 were learning via Duval Virtual Instruction Academy. Duke-Bolden added that these numbers do not include charter school students. St. Johns County School DistrictThe St. Johns County School District told News4Jax a survey was sent to families with students participating in distance learning, asking about their intended second-semester learning option.

NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. – Most Florida students began their Thanksgiving break Tuesday afternoon, set to return to class Monday. On Tuesday, St. Johns County School District posted the weekly update to its COVID-19 dashboard, normally updated Fridays, showing 73 students and 24 staff were positive for COVID-19, the most of any previous report. St. Johns County School District COVID-19 Dashboard Nov. 22 - 27. (St. Johns County School District)Clay County School District also reported its highest COVID-19 totals of the academic year so far, as 27 students and eight staff members have tested positive over the previous week. Clay County School District COVID-19 Dashboard Nov. 20.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – More than a month after the deadline passed, negotiators with the St. Johns County teachers union and the St. Johns County School District tentatively agreed to terms on Tuesday that would raise the starting pay for teachers by more than $6,500. If ratified, the starting pay for new St. Johns County teachers would be $45,535, up from $39,000. The raises in St. Johns County were the best both sides could do with the $7.9 million the district is set to receive from the state. Other terms of the tentative agreement in St. Johns County include:All school personnel get a minimum salary increase of 2%. There are nearly 3,000 teachers in St. Johns County.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As school districts across Northeast Florida near the end of a fall semester complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders are hoping to gauge the learning option preferences of families. “Florida school districts are projecting nearly 1.85 million students are either full-time or part-time in-person, which is nearly 65% of students,” said Cheryl Etters, the FDOE Deputy Director of Communications. St. Johns County School DistrictThe St. Johns County School District has yet to announce any updates to its learning options for the Spring semester and, as of the publication of this article, had not responded to News4Jax’s inquiry. Clay County District SchoolsPosted on the homepage of the Clay County District Schools website is a link to a survey aimed at polling households on their plans for next semester. Columbia County School DistrictIn a Nov. 3 letter to families of students enrolled in the Columbia County School District’s school-based virtual learning format “Columbia Homeroom,” district leaders warned families that the format would not be available in the spring and encouraged them to prepare to enroll in the brick-and-mortar format.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – St. Johns County School District leaders trying to fill open teaching positions are now offering extra money for substitutes willing to take certain jobs. According to a message from the district’s head of human resources, St. Johns County schools need to fill classroom teacher vacancies at specific times and specific places, like at Nease High School, and they’re now offering extra money as an incentive. The head of the St. Johns County Education Association says she believes the district needed this incentive program because the district was already short on substitutes and fewer are stepping in because of the coronavirus pandemic. But having a strong network of substitutes was a key strategy at the beginning of the year school year, according to St. Johns County Superintendent Tim Forson. News4Jax has reached out to the school district for more information about the program and the district’s vacancies.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A message Wednesday from the St. Johns County School District superintendent states that leaders will no longer allow students to move from brick and mortar learning to distance learning. “Now that we are past the first interim reporting period, we will no longer move students to school-based distance learning unless there is a unique high-risk health factor for a student,” Superintendent Tim Forson said in an email. He said students enrolled in St. Johns Virtual School are expected to remain in that option until the end of the semester in January. “The teachers are doing amazing work, but it is increasingly more difficult to manage both platforms throughout the entire day," Forson wrote. “To provide the best instructional experience for your child, we need more consistency and fewer changes.”

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The deadline for school districts to submit teacher pay raise plans to the Florida Department of Education came and went on Oct. 1. Individual school districts were then left to hash out the details. The teachers union in St. Johns County, the St. Johns Education Association (SJEA), met with district negotiators on Tuesday but the sides were not able to make a deal. There are nearly 3,000 teachers in St. Johns County. The negotiations will continue in the coming weeks, but a timetable for when an agreement could be reached in both school districts is unclear.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Menendez football team’s game at rival St. Augustine Friday night has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns as several players and coaches became ill. Later Wednesday, the Clay County District Schools announced that Keystone Heights would have its football team shelved through Oct. 9 due to possible exposure to COVID-19 cases. It marks the second time in as many weeks that an area football team has been forced to cancel a game due to coronavirus quarantine measures or concerns. Clay High had to cancel last week’s game at Palatka due to players having to quarantine. Eagle’s View was also looking for an opponent after losing its game to Ocala St. John Lutheran this week, too.

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – Though the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners voted Wednesday evening to lift the county’s mask mandate, the school district’s counterpart policy remained unchanged Monday. “We do not have a timeline for lifting the requirements we have in place,” said Nassau County School District Assistant Superintendent Mark Durham. St. Johns CountyThe St. Johns County School District imposed its mask policy on July 10 and has not issued any updates or changes as of Monday. Clay CountyThe Clay County School District’s mask policy also remains unchanged as of Monday and Nicole Young, the district’s communications coordinator, said the board was not discussing any changes to it. Young said there’s no timeline on a decision to lift the school district’s mask policy, but did not rule out the possibility that it could happen before the end of the school year.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Every member of the Nease High School dance and freshman volleyball teams are in quarantine due to possible exposure to the coronavirus, the district confirmed Friday. According to a district spokesman, both teams were quarantined this week along with other students at the Ponte Vedra Beach school after contact tracing was completed. Nease High School sophomore Keira Sargent has friends on both teams. Jordan McGovern is also a Nease High school sophomore. He said all his friends at school have been talking about the classmates who are forced to quarantine.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. The superintendent of the St. Johns County School District is urging parents to alleviate some of the workloads of teachers engaged in simultaneous instruction. This has been the most challenging start to a school year that we have ever faced, Superintendent Tim Forson said Wednesday in a letter published to the districts website. They are taking the work home with them for hours, they are not spending time with their family and friends.In Forsons letter addressing the issue, he asked parents to understand the challenge those teachers are facing. Your childs teacher is tasked with preparing variations in lessons because students are on two platforms, Forsons letter said. Read the full text of Forsons letter below:

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. A spokesperson for St. Johns County School District told News4Jax on Thursday that a student tested positive for COVID-19 at Ponte Vedra High School. Its believed to be the first case since classes at St. Johns County public schools resumed Monday. The school district says parents will be told if anyone in their childs class is infected, regardless of the exposure level. Melissa Kledzik, director of school health services, explained earlier in the week how the process will be conducted. Additionally, it asks if your child has been in contact with anyone who has tested positive or if anyone in your house is sick with any symptoms, she explained.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. Thousands of students are enrolled in online learning in the St. Johns County School district but most of them are heading back in the building for the first day of school. News4Jax visited Valley Ridge and Liberty Pines Academy last week, as teachers prepared for today. Classrooms have been rearranged for social distancing and where social distancing isnt possible, desk shields were installed. There is also will be a limit on the number of students per classroom and masks will be provided if a student doesnt have one or loses theirs. The district has also addressed some frequently asked questions ahead of the new school year, including what happens if a student tests positive for COVID-19

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. The St. Johns County School District says it will work closely with the countys health department to notify parents as quickly as possible should someone in a childs class contract COVID-19. Unlike other districts in our area, the school district says parents will be told if anyone in their childs class is infected, regardless of the exposure level. Melissa Kledzik, director of school health services, explained how the process will be conducted. Kledzik also explained that parents are required to fill out a student health questionnaire each morning before their child arrives at school. The questionnaire will hopefully prevent the coronavirus from getting into a school where it can spread quickly.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. Classes begin Monday for St. Johns County students and officials with the district said theyre making sure each school has the resources it needs to handle any COVID-19 related problems. In addition to hand sanitizer, digital thermometers, desk partitions, PPE and other equipment aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, the district is also providing additional human resources to each campus. There will be 1-3 substitutes assigned to each school, said St. Johns County School District spokeswoman Christina Langston. At least two nurses will be stationed at each campus, according to the district. Langston added that elective courses may have more students in the classroom than core classes will.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. St. Johns County students wont be the only ones with homework when the school year begins Monday. The St. Johns County School District sent a message to parents Tuesday night with some important documents, including a health screening form and a symptom checklist. Parents are asked to screen their children daily using the Student Health Screening Entry Form before heading to school. Students who want to learn in person in St. Johns County will be required to wear the mask under a strict new policy the School Board approved Tuesday morning. Forson said the district is working on a COVID-19 reporting system to make parents aware of cases in their childs school.

The Facing The Fall Virtual Town Hall is scheduled for 11 a.m. and will be hosted by anchor Bruce Hamilton and education reporter Joe McLean. Our education team will field questions from the public and bring them to those in charge of making decisions. (News4Jax)As the teachers and parents continue to call for the Duval County school district to move fully online to start the school year, a school board member said its not possible. This photo was provided by the St. Johns County School District and shows on of the desk partitions meant to help curb the spread of COVID-19. (Courtesy: St. Johns County School District)After voting to push back the school start date three weeks, the St. Johns County School District had to adjust its school calendar for the 2020-2021 school year.

So far, St. Johns County School District, Nassau County School District and Georgias Camden County Schools responded with recent data. St. Johns County School DistrictAs of July 22, the school district in St. Johns County has spent more than $2.2 million on supplies and equipment related to COVID-19 safety. Nassau County School DistrictAt least $453,000 has been spent by the Nassau County School District on COVID-19 related costs as of Tuesday. Putnam County School DistrictReceipts in the school district in Putnam County have so far totaled $592,180, but a spokesperson said that amount will likely grow. Duval County School DistrictAs of last month, the school district in Duval County had already spent more than $10 million in response to COVID-19.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. After voting to push back the school start date three weeks, the St. Johns County School District had to adjust its school calendar for the 2020-2021 school year. The school board voted to approve a new calendar during a special meeting on Tuesday. St. Johns County School District revises the school calendar to push back the school start date to Aug. 31. The school board also approved unanimously an instructional continuity plan. The school board meeting began at 4 p.m. and was followed by another special school board meeting at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the adoption of a tentative budget.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. The St. Johns County School District and the local teachers union reached a tentative agreement Monday to allow teachers in the county to take an unpaid leave of absence if they dont feel safe returning to the classroom this fall. The agreement would allow teachers to take a pause for the 2020-2021 school year. The change would allow teachers to stay on their normal pay schedule despite the districts decision to push back the start of school three weeks. Another measure agreed upon on Monday would allow full-time teachers to request a transfer to St. Johns Virtual School if they meet the requirements and go through an interview. We are just working to give our teachers options, said Michelle Dillon, president of the teachers union.