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award-winning education reporter @orlandosentinel | basketball and pokémon enjoyer | big orlando sports guy | ⏮️: @heraldtribune, @TheAlligator | UF alum
Articles by Steven Walker
Valencia College to close 4 degree programs, expand nursing, healthcare Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Valencia College will shutter four degree programs in the coming years so it can pay to expand its nursing and healthcare offerings, which currently turn away qualified students, the school announced Friday.
‘Combative and aggressive’: Personnel file of Orange school board candidate shows years of complaints Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... For three decades, Diana Moore, an Orange County elementary school teacher and candidate for school board, has faced a litany of complaints about her hostile and demeaning behavior to colleagues and even parents, according to an employment file that includes her principal branding her as “combative and aggressive” just last year.
Nearly 100 Orange teachers likely to lose jobs as enrollment falls Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Almost 100 Orange County Public Schools teachers likely will lose their jobs next month as the school district navigates the financial fallout from declining enrollment. OCPS, Central Florida’s largest school system, now enrolls about 8,000 fewer students than it did in May. That means a sharp drop in state per-pupil funding, which provides the bulk of its budget.
See how empty your Orange County elementary school is
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Roughly a third of the public elementary schools in Orange County now enroll fewer students than needed to be financially stable, according to an Orlando Sentinel analysis of school district data. Orange County Public Schools’ current enrollment is about 8,000 fewer students than it was in the spring, with empty seats in schools across the county, including in areas of the district where many campuses were, until recently, bursting at the seams.
See how empty your Orange County elementary school is
See how empty your Orange County elementary school is Annie Martin, Steven Walker, Orlando Sentinel Sat, September 19, 2026 at 1:31 PM EDT Roughly a third of the public elementary schools in Orange County now enroll fewer students than needed to be financially stable, according to an Orlando Sentinel analysis of school district data.
As enrollment drops, OCPS ‘definitely looking’ at closing more schools Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Nearly 40 public elementary schools in Orange County now enroll fewer students than needed to be financially stable, raising the specter of more school closings in a district that shuttered seven campuses in May. Orange County Public Schools’ current enrollment is about 8,000 fewer students than it was in the spring, with empty seats in schools across the county, including in formerly crowded campuses.
OCPS slashes budget as enrollment falls and schools plan for cuts Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The Orange County School Board approved its annual budget Tuesday evening, a spending package that is $400 million smaller than last year’s and could mean layoffs are coming as the district grapples with the impacts of declining enrollment.
Florida votes to ban undocumented students from state universities
Florida’s Board of Governors voted to ban undocumented students from the state’s universities Thursday, making Florida the largest state in the country to keep that group from state-funded higher education. The decision, approved unanimously and with no discussion, states that “a person who is present in the United States unlawfully shall not be eligible for initial enrollment in any state university” starting in the 2027-28 academic year.
Florida votes to ban undocumented students from state universities
By Steven Walker, Orlando Sentinel Florida's Board of Governors voted to ban undocumented students from the state's universities Thursday, making Florida the largest state in the country to keep that group from state-funded higher education. The decision, approved unanimously and with no discussion, states that "a person who is present in the United States unlawfully shall not be eligible for initial enrollment in any state university" starting in the 2027-28 academic year.
Florida votes to ban undocumented students from state universities
Students enjoy the fountain on the campus of the University of Central Florida on Feb. 4, 2026. On Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, the Florida Board of Governors voted to ban undocumented students from enrolling at Florida's public universities starting in the 2027-28 academic year. (Stephen M.
Florida votes to ban undocumented students from state universities Original
Florida’s Board of Governors voted to ban undocumented students from the state’s universities Thursday, making Florida the largest state in the country to keep that group from state-funded higher education. The decision, approved unanimously and with no discussion, states that “a person who is present in the United States unlawfully shall not be eligible for initial enrollment in any state university” starting in the 2027-28 academic year.
Florida votes to ban undocumented students from state universities
Big Ten coach doesn’t think Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith should be college football’s highest-paid player COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a recent survey conducted by The Athletic, college football coaches were asked a series of questions. Among them: Who should be …
Orange County Public Schools cuts $8.5 million amid enrollment drop Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Orange County Public Schools will cut $8.5 million from its budget this fall because almost 8,000 fewer students are enrolled now compared to the end of the last academic year, according to a memo sent to staff and families Wednesday. The cuts should not lead to any teachers losing their jobs, an OCPS spokesperson said, but could mean instructors are moved from one campus to another in coming weeks. Vacant positions could also be eliminated.
Full Sail University lays off 180 academic, administrative employees Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Full Sail University eliminated 180 positions last week, an 8% reduction in the school’s staff that comes just a year after it cut 120 employees for “long-term sustainability.” The private, for-profit college in Winter Park, which offers programs in the entertainment and media industry, said the cuts were part of an “organizational realignment” to maintain continuity of instruction and services for students.
Enrollment in Central Florida public schools falls by nearly 12,000 students Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Enrollment in Central Florida’s public schools dropped by nearly 12,000 students this school year, according to pupil counts from the first 10 days of school, continuing a trend that has led to millions of dollars in funding cuts and the shuttering of some campuses. Orange County Superintendent Maria Vazquez said Tuesday her district was down 7,672 students — more than double the loss the state projected.
Barry University, prof accused of child porn possession face student lawsuit Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... A Barry University student sued the school Monday because of the behavior of a former professor, who police said attempted to “photograph her genitals” in class and who was arrested for that incident last week. Glen-Peter Ahlers, a law professor at Barry University, was arrested in February on 50 counts of child pornography possession.
Single vote determines St. Cloud primary as Osceola recounts 2 races Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Osceola County election officials recounted votes this weekend in two races, with the winners remaining as they were in last Tuesday’s primary, though one candidate watched his margin of victory shrink to a single vote. Alex Rodriguez prevailed over Jim Moore by just three votes last week for the last spot in a November runoff for St. Cloud City Council Seat 5. The margin, about .03%, fell within the state’s threshold for a recount by hand.
Moms for Liberty candidates falter in Florida school board elections
Moms for Liberty candidates falter in Florida school board elections Christine Chaparro, chair of Moms for Liberty Broward chapter who opposes mask wearing in schools, attends a Broward School Board meeting to discuss the mask mandate on Tuesday Oct. 26, 2021 in Fort Lauderdale. This year, Moms for Liberty endorsed the fewest candidates and spend the least money it has in any year since its founding in 2021.(Orlando Sentinel)
Moms for Liberty candidates falter in Florida school board elections
ORLANDO, Fla. — Moms for Liberty, the notorious conservative group formed to fight COVID-19 mask mandates and then “pornographic” books and other culture-war topics, looks to be losing influence in Florida, the birthplace of the parents-rights organization. Across Florida, many candidates who shared the group’s views lost their elections on Tuesday. Some observers said the results indicate that Moms for Liberty now looks “toxic” to many voters.
Moms for Liberty candidates falter in Florida school board elections
Moms for Liberty, the notorious conservative group formed to fight COVID-19 mask mandates and then “pornographic” books and other culture-war topics, looks to be losing influence in Florida, the birthplace of the parents-rights organization. Across Florida, many candidates who shared the group’s views lost their elections on Tuesday. Some observers said the results indicate that Moms for Liberty now looks “toxic” to many voters.
Moms for Liberty candidates falter in Florida school board elections
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Moms for Liberty, the notorious conservative group formed to fight COVID-19 mask mandates and then “pornographic” books and other culture-war topics, looks to be losing influence in Florida, the birthplace of the parents-rights organization. Across Florida, many candidates who shared the group’s views lost their elections on Tuesday. Some observers said the results indicate that Moms for Liberty now looks “toxic” to many voters.
Moms for Liberty candidates falter in Florida school board elections
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Moms for Liberty, the notorious conservative group formed to fight COVID-19 mask mandates and then “pornographic” books and other culture-war topics, looks to be losing influence in Florida, the birthplace of the parents-rights organization. Across Florida, many candidates who shared the group’s views lost their elections on Tuesday. Some observers said the results indicate that Moms for Liberty now looks “toxic” to many voters.
Moms for Liberty candidates falter in Florida school board elections
Moms for Liberty, the notorious conservative group formed to fight COVID-19 mask mandates and then "pornographic" books and other culture-war topics, looks to be losing influence in Florida, the birthplace of the parents-rights organization. Across Florida, many candidates who shared the group's views lost their elections on Tuesday. Some observers said the results indicate that Moms for Liberty now looks "toxic" to many voters.
Lake County School Board taps Chad Farnsworth to be next superintendent Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Deputy Superintendent Chad Farnsworth will be Lake County Schools’ next superintendent, a unanimous Lake County School Board decided Wednesday. The board opted for Farnsworth over Jose Bueno, chief of staff at Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the only other candidate considered, because board members said they valued the stability of an internal hire. He will take over from Superintendent Diane Kornegay, who is retiring at the end of the school year.
Central Florida School Board Elections: Gallo wins countywide seat Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Angie Gallo won election to the top county-wide seat on the Orange County School Board Tuesday evening and will now serve as chair helping to lead one of the largest school districts in the country.
Conservative Virginia group tries to sway Orange school board race Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... A national political action committee “dedicated to electing conservative school board members” has spent over $1 million this year to put-like minded candidates in power in Florida, with the race for chair of the Orange County School Board among the elections it has targeted.
Florida school district bans e-bikes, e-scooters from schools for most students
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Most Orange County Public School students won’t be able to ride their e-bikes and e-scooters to campus next month, a unanimous Orange County School Board decided. The decision made late in July prohibits the electric devices at public schools unless the student holds a valid learner’s permit or driver’s license, bans the fastest ones and bars charging them on campus.
Orange County Public Schools back in session Tuesday amid financial woes Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Students return to classrooms in Orange County Public Schools on Tuesday, as the district tries to make ends meet while costs rise and enrollment declines by about 2,000 more students. At a back-to-school press conference at Lake Nona High School on Friday, Superintendent Maria Vazquez said fewer students could mean millions less in per-student state funding.
Orange County School Board: 7 candidates up for 3 open seats
2 hours ago Shielded by white protective suits and powered air-purifying respirators, four college students dug into dusty, sharp-edged simulated moon soil amid the otherworldly environment of the University of Central Florida's Regolith Bin. This airlock-equipped 10-by-10-meter enclosure at UCF's Exolith Lab …
Orange County School Board: 7 candidates up for 3 open seats Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Seven candidates face off in an August primary election for three open seats on the Orange County School Board. Two of the seats are open because incumbents Angie Gallo, District 1, and Alicia Farrant, District 3, are stepping down and facing off in the race for school board chair, the only countywide elected position on the eight-member board.
Orange County School Board: 7 candidates up for 3 open seats
Seven candidates face off in an August primary election for three open seats on the Orange County School Board. Two of the seats are open because incumbents Angie Gallo, District 1, and Alicia Farrant, District 3, are stepping down and facing off in the race for school board chair, the only countywide elected position on the eight-member board. Maria Salamanca, the board member from District 2, is not running for re-election, creating the third open seat in the Aug. 18 election.
Seminole County School Board race: 6 candidates up for 3 seats Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Six candidates face off in a deciding August primary election for three different seats on the Seminole County School Board. Two incumbents are running to retain their seats, and two candidates are vying to succeed board member Kelley Davis, who did not seek reelection. While non-partisan, the local Republican and Democratic parties have endorsed slates of candidates in this cycle’s school board races. The primary is Aug. 18.
Orange County, Fla., Schools Prohibit E-Bikes and E-Scooters
(TNS) — Most Orange County Public School students won’t be able to ride their e-bikes and e-scooters to campus next month, a unanimous Orange County School Board decided Tuesday evening. The decision prohibits the electric devices at public schools unless the student holds a valid learner’s permit or driver’s license, bans the fastest ones and bars charging them on campus. About 11,000 students rode e-scooters and e-bikes to school last school year, according to an OCPS survey of families.
Orange school board bans e-bikes, e-scooters from schools for most students Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Most Orange County Public School students won’t be able to ride their e-bikes and e-scooters to campus next month, a unanimous Orange County School Board decided Tuesday evening. The decision prohibits the electric devices at public schools unless the student holds a valid learner’s permit or driver’s license, bans the fastest ones and bars charging them on campus.
Orange superintendent Maria Vazquez to retire after 2026-27 school year
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Superintendent Maria Vazquez, who has led Orange County Public Schools since 2022, will retire after the 2026-27 school year, the district announced Monday afternoon. Vazquez has worked in public education for about 35 years, serving as an OCPS teacher, principal and district administrator before she was tapped for the top role.
A lifesaver or ‘extreme’: Orange schools’ planned e-bike ban divides parents Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Four of Nate Clark’s kids ride e-scooters to and from school — the easiest way for them to get to three separate campuses with three different start times, all at least a mile from their Baldwin Park home. But now the Orange County School Board is poised to ban e-bikes and e-scooters from elementary and middle school campuses and allow them only at high schools, and only if the student has a driver’s license.
A lifesaver or ‘extreme’: Orange schools’ planned e-bike ban divides parents
1 hour ago Protests by India's Cockroach Janta Party suggest the young generation is becoming harder to intimidate and to silence. New Delhi has been rocked by some of India’s biggest student protests in years, led by a viral movement known as the Cockroach Janta Party. After tens of thousands took to the …
Orange school board to ban e-bikes, e-scooters for students without licenses Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Most students in Orange County Public Schools likely will be forbidden from riding electric bikes and scooters onto campus starting next month, as officials move toward a wide-ranging ban on the vehicles. The Orange County School Board agreed to the new restrictions Tuesday, though it must officially vote on them July 28. If the board agrees then, the ban would kick in when classes start Aug.
Teresa Jacobs to depart Orange County politics after decades of service Original
Teresa Jacobs ordered a shot of espresso with Splenda at a coffee shop just south of Orange County Public Schools headquarters one blistering June afternoon. It’s an efficient drink that packs a punch and does its job with very little fanfare. Jacobs’ coffee order mirrors the leadership style that she — standing just over five feet tall — brought to the Orange County School Board, where she arrived eight years ago already a formidable political figure.
Orlando’s Velton Brown Jr. shining as flag football star for U.S. team
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... When Velton Brown Jr., first started playing flag football eight or nine years ago, he said it was just something to do for fun. That all changed in 2018, when, during a routine Orlando Sport and Social Club league flag football game, Nate Roberts made a discovery. Roberts, a long-time Orlando-area flag football competitor, saw Brown doing his thing. Brown stood out among all the others. He had something special, and Roberts noticed right away.
Two Florida school principals accused of driving drunk in same car hours apart
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Two principals of Lake County charter schools were charged last week with drunk driving, accused of driving the same car within hours of each other after a night out together at a Clermont restaurant. The second arrest came after the passenger in the first incident went back to retrieve the car while her friend waited in jail.
2 Lake County school principals accused of driving drunk hours apart
World News 3 hours ago These are the 17 Mexicans whose ICE-related deaths prompted Mexico to demand accountability CNN - Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, Uriel Blanco • 3h Some had spent decades in the United States working, building their lives, starting families and forming communities. Others are known only by their names, ages, arrests and the place where they died. The stories and backgrounds of these 17 Mexican immigrants are different.
2 Lake County school principals accused of driving drunk hours apart Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Two principals of Lake County charter schools were charged last week with drunk driving, accused of driving the same car within hours of each other after the two had a night out together at a restaurant in Clermont. Jennifer Jimenez, 41, and Christina Alcalde, 45, were arrested in the early morning hours of July 5 for driving under the influence and refusing to submit to sobriety tests, both second-degree misdemeanors. They both have pleaded not guilty.
Orange County School Board: Alicia Farrant, Angie Gallo vie for chair Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Orange County voters will elect a new school board chair next month for the first time in eight years, choosing between two very different candidates — one who runs a Christian nonprofit with her husband and made banning books she views as “pornographic” a centerpiece of her first campaign and the other a long-time PTA member and public school advocate.
Orange County School Board considers new rules for e-bikes, e-scooters Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The Orange County School Board considered a sweeping proposal Tuesday to regulate electric bikes and scooters — vehicles that thousands of students now ride to campus — but stopped short of reaching a consensus.
Florida’s reading, math scores look promising. Experts say wait and see Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Florida students posted record-high scores on the state’s annual reading and math tests this year, a promising gain that experts said should be viewed with cautious optimism until more data is available. Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that this year, for the first time ever, 60% of Florida’s students tested at or above grade level in reading and math.
Florida school grades: More As and Bs on the 2026 report card Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Florida released its annual A-to-F school grades Wednesday, with more public schools earning top marks and Central Florida’s school districts maintaining their As and Bs. This year, 76% of all Florida schools earned an A or B, up from 71% last year. Though the number of schools graded fell slightly to 3,428, the percentage earning top marks jumped sharply, from 44% receiving As last year to 51% this year.
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