Ryan Dailey/News Service of Florida

Leaders of a First Amendment group and a national higher-education association are pointing to a controversial new law shielding presidential candidates’ identities as harmful to public trust and academic freedom.

The state Department of Education on Tuesday released a series of proposed rules that would outline restrictions on “adult live performances” at field trips, prohibit school districts from using the social-media app TikTok and allow parents to control “any deviation from their child’s legal name” in schools.

The state university system’s Board of Governors, which oversees Florida’s network of 12 universities, was slated to weigh approval of a plan that would allow schools to individually raise tuition by up to 15 percent for students who come from other states.But Eric Silagy, the board’s vice chairman, announced last week that the plan was being postponed, saying “additional work” is needed before potentially implementing the tuition increase.

Florida's Board of Governors is slated to take up the issue during a meeting Thursday. Presidents and trustee chairs of all 12 state universities co-signed a letter endorsing the idea of an out-of-state tuition hike.

As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly high-profile topic in higher education, Florida universities are holding discussions about how to harness the technology’s power — and stave off the potential for academic malfeasance.The University of Florida Board of Trustees, for example, received an update Thursday from the school’s Provost Joe Glover on artificial intelligence, or AI, initiatives at UF.

Florida Virtual School has put a pause on hiring and is taking other cautious financial measures amid a drop in full-time students completing courses over the past year.The completion of courses is a key metric for the school, which only gets paid if students finish online classes.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed a bill that will allow school districts to use cameras designed to capture images of drivers who illegally pass school buses.The law (SB 766), which will take effect in July, could lead to drivers facing $225 fines if they get nabbed.

The Florida Department of Education is gearing up to begin crafting rules to carry out a number of measures approved by state lawmakers and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, including some proposals that were among the most controversial issues from the 2023 legislative session.The department is slated on June 9 to hold a series of online rule-development workshops that would help implement the new laws.

The state Board of Education on Wednesday approved a new rule that will lead to Florida officials publishing an annual list of library books and instructional materials that have drawn public objections, in a move that the board’s chairman said will “provide transparency for our families.”

State officials next week could direct nearly $100 million to secure more than 35,500 acres of primarily ranchland for the growing statewide Wildlife Corridor, while keeping agricultural operations on the properties in place.Twelve land deals on the May 23 agenda before Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet involve conservation easements, which allow the current landowners to continue active hunting, farming and cattle operations. In exchange, the land would be kept from residential and commercial development.