School closings: Eight Florida school districts remain closed until further notice, according to state officials: Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty and Washington. Most are without power, have damaged schools, or have schools that are still needed as emergency shelters or as FEMA distribution sites for food, water, or other supplies. Every school in Bay County, where the storm made landfall, is damaged. "It's not going to be a normal school year. There's nothing normal about where we are right now," says Bay County Superintendent Bill Husfelt. "I would say every single school in Bay County has some type of damage, some more extensive than others," says Steve Moss, vice chairman of the school board. "Some it'll probably take weeks or months to get online. Some it will take years." Florida Department of Education. Florida Governor's Office.  WMBB. CNN. WCTV. WFSU. WTXL. Students displaced by the hurricane are being enrolled in nearby districts such as Leon, Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. Tallahassee Democrat. WEAR.

Amendment 8 opinion: Amendment 8 was removed from the Nov. 6 ballot because its language was defective and did not inform voters of its true intent, according to the Florida Supreme Court opinion that was issued Monday. "That the ballot summary is unclear is best demonstrated by the proponents of the proposed revision, who each give different meaning to the language of the revision, its title, and its summary," the majority wrote in upholding a Leon County judge's decision. The amendment had three education subjects: changes in who could authorize charter and public schools, term limits for school board members and a requirement for civics instruction. The League of Women Voters argued that charter schools portion was not clearly defined, and the court agreed. Gradebook. (more…)