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Florida May Shift Students Away From Failing Schools

Florida’s retail industry is gearing up for this year’s back-to-school sales tax “holiday” on clothes, classroom supplies and computer equipment, with the state offering the tax break for five days .
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Florida may agree to spend $200 million on an ambitious "emergency" plan to shift students away from chronically failing schools to charter schools run by private organizations.

The Florida House this week proposed a "Schools for Success" grant program that is a top priority of House Speaker Richard Corcoran.

While some of the details have not been finalized, Rep. Manny Diaz, a Miami Republican, said the idea is to use the money to bring school operators into neighborhoods where schools have received failing school grades year after year.

Diaz also said the program would be set up quickly because the students need to be helped now.

State Sen. David Simmons said the Senate was open to any ideas that could help students who are in low-performing schools.

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