The big story: Over the past year, the Florida Department of Education has taken several steps to remove detailed content from public schools' sex education curriculum.
Districts including Orange and Hillsborough counties did not teach the material while waiting for the department to approve their curriculum. State officials excised a number of concepts, including drawings of reproductive organs, before OK'ing the lessons.
Now a coalition of anti-censorship groups wants to make sure schools don't take what some see as the next anticipated step -- removing library books that make reference to the same topics taken out of the curriculum.
They note students aren't required to read library books, and as such those books should be better protected.
"Florida has been winning the race to ban books for far too long, and the cuts to sex education are not only dangerous, but ripe for over-application and likely to lead to more books being ripped from the shelves," said Katie Blankenship, PEN America's Florida senior director and counsel. Read more from Florida Phoenix.
In other book challenge news, the Hernando County school board decided to remove three challenged books from all schools despite recommendations otherwise from advisory committees, Suncoast News reports.
Hot topics
UF expansion: University of Florida trustees approved selection of a site for a new Jacksonville campus about 14 miles from the University of North Florida. * Trustees also chose a search firm to help with the selection of the school's next president, Florida Phoenix reports.
Turnarounds: An Escambia County middle school that recently was taken over by a charter operator will begin expanding into high school grades, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.
Teachers unions: United Teachers of Dade president Karla Hernandez-Mats said she will not seek a fourth term leading the union, the Miami Herald reports.
Substance abuse: Volusia County schools have seen a decrease in students vaping on campus, WESH reports.
Sports eligibility: Florida education commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. overruled the Leon County school district to allow three charter school students to participate on a public school soccer team, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
School days: Broward County middle schoolers could face longer school days under a proposed calendar for 2025-26, the Sun-Sentinel reports.
Charter schools: A charter school operator won approval to open a school at a busy Sarasota County intersection despite community concerns about traffic, the Herald-Tribune reports.
From the police blotter ... A Walton County teacher was arrested on accusations of abusing a student with special needs, WTVY reports. * A Leon County middle school student was arrested on allegations of bringing a loaded gun to school, WCTV reports. * Four Brevard County schools received hoax bomb threats on Friday, Florida Today reports.
Don't miss a story. Here's a link to Friday's roundup.
Before you go ... Hard to believe Dick Van Dyke just turned 99. Here's a cute short he did for the holidays.