Schools need more nurses. Can they compete with employers who pay more?

The big story: School nurses are in short supply across Florida.

A big part of the problem is a deficit in nurses overall — statewide reports project a shortfall of more than 50,000 in all venues by 2035. With the supply low, and demand great, they’re increasingly migrating to the employers who offer the best deal.

And hospitals, which previously weren’t always keen on hiring licensed professional nurses instead of registered nurses, have entered the market. That’s left school districts near the low end of the scale.

Some Pinellas county school nurses who don’t want to leave their jobs, but also are struggling under the weight of covering vacancies in addition to their own posts, are pushing for big raises. District officials said they’re looking into it. Read more here.

It’s not just nurses. The Orange County school board is looking for ways to fill teaching vacancies, Spectrum 13 reports. • A Leon County teacher says she decided to quit her job because of the mounting stress from the work. A RAND study shows teachers are twice as likely to feel burned out as other working adults, WTXL reports.

Hot topics

Cell phones: Hillsborough County school board members found themselves at odds when discussing how far to go in restricting student cell phone use in classrooms and on campuses. They hope to reach consensus by June.

Charter schools: A New York charter school operator has applied to become a Florida “School of Hope” provider, Next Steps reports. The group has schools only in New York City.

Dual enrollment: Some Seminole County parents are complaining about how the school district awards credit for dual enrollment courses, WFTV reports.

Job cuts: Volusia County schools are preparing to reduce electives and cut their teachers when federal pandemic relief funds run out, WESH reports.

School closures: Residents of Coconut Creek in Broward County are raising questions about the implications for their children if the district shutters their local elementary school, which is at 61% capacity, Tap Into Coconut Creek reports.

Security: Osceola County schools launched a new attendance notification procedure to ensure parents are aware early in the day if their children do not show up for classes, WKMG reports. The district acted after the disappearance of an Orange County student was not realized for several hours. • The Leon County school district has asked the state for nearly $500,000 to upgrade its security cameras, WCTV reports. • The Santa Rosa County school district has suspended its contract with Tutor.com over concerns that student data security was compromised, WKRG reports.

Year-round education: A Marion County elementary school will begin working on a year-round academic calendar this summer as part of a state pilot program, WESH reports. Classes will begin in July.

From the police blotter ... A Bay County mother was arrested along with three students after a fight at a middle school, WJHG reports. • A Washington County substitute teacher was arrested on allegations of vaping with students in school, WJHG reports.

In higher ed

Civics lessons: The Florida Board of Governors is reconsidering the methods university students may meet their civic literacy requirement, WMFE reports.

International connections: More than 100 University of Florida students protested the state’s law that limits public universities from entering agreements with certain nations including China and Venezuela, WUFT reports. They say it discriminates against international students and faculty.

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New College: The Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority has approved the sale of 30 acres to New College, which is looking into building a baseball stadium on the site, WUSF reports.

New programs: Florida Atlantic University’s proposed dentistry college has been put on hold after it failed to secure needed funding, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.

Before you go ... How did we ever miss out on anti-cheating hats? Can this be a thing for the spring BEST exams?