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The University of Florida international student arrested near campus and sent to an immigration detention center has returned to Colombia, according to a new statement from his mother there.Felipe Zapata Velásquez, 27, was arrested March 28 for driving with a U.S. driver’s license that had been suspended since January 2024 and with an outdated vehicle registration. He was taken to Jacksonville by federal immigration agents after his arrest and told he could await his case’s resolution in jail in the United States or sign his self-deportation and return to Colombia, according to an interview on April 2 with his mother, Claudia Velásquez, by NTN24. The University of Florida international student arrested near campus and sent to an immigration detention center has returned to Colombia, according to a new statement from his mother there.Felipe Zapata Velásquez, 27, was arrested March 28 for driving with a U.S. driver’s license that had been suspended since January 2024 and with an outdated vehicle registration. He was taken to Jacksonville by federal immigration agents after his arrest and told he could await his case’s resolution in jail in the United States or sign his self-deportation and return to Colombia, according to an interview on April 2 with his mother, Claudia Velásquez, by NTN24. -
File/Lee Ann Anderson/Fresh Take FloridaA new cell phone ban could go into effect at the start of the next school year should the Lee County school board give an expected nod to the proposal when it meets Tuesday evening. -
In this installment from the StoryCorps Mobile Tour visit to Fort Myers in 2024, we hear Finzo Hall and his mother Marcia Robinson talk about immigrating from Jamaica to the U.S, Finzo’s determination to follow his dream of becoming a pilot, and helping other young people achieve their dreams through the powers of faith and resiliency. -
Lee high school graduation rates up, but still lagging; Gov. DeSantis declares school choice successThe School District of Lee County is proud to announce the graduation rate for the class of 2024 rose to 85.8%, setting a record high for the School District since new graduation standards were implemented in 2022. The 2019-2020 graduation rate was artificially inflated by the exemption for seniors from statewide, standardized assessment requirements stipulated in state law due to the COVID pandemic.
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The proposed $1,000 bonus will go to more than 3,600 principals and nearly 180,000 full-time classroom teachers. -
A proposal that would allow state colleges and universities to authorize the creation of charter schools and sponsor the schools is advancing in the Florida Senate. The proposal would allow higher education institutions, upon approval by the state Department of Education, to solicit applications from charter schools. -
After the outcry that included a student-led opposition campaign, most controversial parts of the bill have been eliminated. -
At a news conference in Collier County Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a new civics education initiative. -
Parental Consent Would Be Required For Students To Receive Sex Education Under Bill Advancing ThrougStudents would need their parents’ consent to receive sex education under a bill moving forward in the legislature. The measure’s sponsor, Rep. Linda Chaney (R-St. Petersburg) says parents and grandparents in her district were denied access to view materials used in school sex education courses. She says her bill will make parents more involved and provide greater transparency on what’s taught in sex ed. -
The state’s VPK program has seen a drop in enrollment over the last year. That, along with a recent assessment, is leading to questions about how prepared Florida’s youngest learners are for school. -
A plan steering bright futures scholarship money to students who enter in-demand degree fields is getting endorsements from Florida House and Senate leaders. The bill limits funding from going to students who decide against majors the state deems critical for its workforce. -
The state's four FEMA sites and select pharmacies are some of the places where school staff of all ages can get their shots. -
A Polk County School Board member urges parents to research "opting out" this year, as a petition to waive the tests garners more than 14,000 signatures. -
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he will use a portion of the “tens of thousands” of extra vaccine doses the FEMA sites bring to the state to vaccinate teachers and law enforcement officers. -
A teacher at Island Coast High School in Cape Coral has been suspended. -
Three years after a mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School led lawmakers to pass a major school-safety bill, an appeals court Thursday rejected a challenge to allowing armed “guardians” on campuses.
