The Escambia County School District reversed its policy regarding events this week, giving fine arts students the ability to perform for the first time this school year.
The district amended its policy to allow schools to hold events under the same guidelines as athletic events, which includes a 50% capacity rule for audience attendance, Superintendent Tim Smith told principals this week.
Athletic events have been operating with audiences throughout the school year.
Attendees are asked to use facemasks and hand sanitizer and adhere to social distancing while at events. Schools are also encouraged to hold their events outside whenever possible.
The events must also be voluntary with no impact on student grades, according to the release.
April 29, 2021
The Escambia County School District will now allow in-person audiences for fine arts performances and events, according to Superintendent Tim Smith.
The change comes after district policy that was in place since the beginning of the school year forced the cancellation of in-person performances of a Tate High School Drama production. Parents and students took their concerns to NorthEscambia.com and the Escambia County School Board. Most of the complaints centered around why sporting events could have live audiences but fine arts performances and other events could not.
“The new change is that ECSD schools are now able to be hold student events following the same guidelines as athletic events. This includes allowing 50% capacity of audience attendance,” Smith said. His decision came Monday but was not immediately announced as he communicated with the high school and middle school principals in the county.
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No schools in Escambia or Santa Rosa counties cracked the top 100 of Florida High Schools in a 2021 rankings report released by U.S. News & World Report this week.
The U.S. News Best High Schools rankings include data on almost 24,000 public high schools and K-12 schools across the country. It ranks almost 18,000 of them. According to U.S. News and World Report, 602 of Florida s more than 1,000 public schools made the list.
Gulf Breeze High School ranked the highest from the two-county area, coming in at No. 107 in the state and No. 1,845 in the country. Gulf Breeze has 1,811 students, with a graduation rate of 98%.
Daily Times
April 27, 2021
It was a memorable day. Laura Rose Caroll, a respected vice-principal in her community, was going to see her daughter at prom.
When her daughter emerged as “Homecoming queen,” it seemed the day couldn’t have gone better. Memories were made, friendships cemented and pride enhanced.
That was until suspicion arose just over a month later.
The Escambia County School District reported votes that were unaccounted for; votes that had all emerged from the same computer.
In all likelihood, blame would not have been placed upon Laura or her daughter. There was just one issue: as a vice-principal, Laura had access to the school district’s computer system.
A bill that aimed to create safer walking conditions for students on their way to school in Escambia County and across the state is likely dead this legislative session.
House Bill 229 which was sponsored by state Rep. Michelle Salzman, R-Pensacola, and pushed by local advocate Rob Doss seemed to have a promising future earlier this week after being passed unanimously by the Florida House Education and Employment Committee, which would have sent the bill to be heard by the full House.
However, a sister bill on the Senate side hasn t made any progress, and time likely will run out this session, which ends April 30, before any action is taken.