A Florida elementary school had a mass evacuation after a staff member crashed into propane tanks on the school’s grounds last week.
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According to 7 News Miami, the incident occurred in the back lot of Marjory Stoneman Douglas Elementary School on Friday, Aug. 9, just before 3:30 p.m. A cafeteria employee had backed their vehicle into the propane tanks and cracked open the tops. The impact caused a heavy stream of propane to spray into the air.
After the evacuation occurred, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue firefighters and its hazmat division arrived at the elementary school. They shut down the leaking tanks and are monitoring for other leaks.
Along with the school, a nearby church was evacuated. The employee was taken to the hospital. However, their condition remains unknown.
The school was not in session at the time of the incident. The first day of classes is Aug. 15.
Florida Department of Education Announces New Grading Scale
Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Education announced a new grading scale that will be used during the 2024-2025 school year.
In a statement last month, the state’s education department revealed that in 2024, nearly 1,300 schools earned an “A” grade, a 6-percentage point increase over 2023. Additionally, the number of schools earning a “D” or “F” grade decreased, with 81 fewer schools earning a “D” and 17 fewer schools earning an “F.”
“This year’s school grades reflect Florida’s steadfast commitment to excellence in education,” Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr stated. “Under Governor Ron DeSantis’ leadership, we have continued to raise the bar for providing students with a quality education that suits their individual needs, and these school grades are proof positive that our approach is working.”
The Florida Department of Education also shared an overview of 2024 school grades.
- 64% of all schools (2,196 schools) earned an “A” or “B” in 2024 compared to 57% (1,961 schools) in 2023.
- Less than 4% of all schools (113 schools) earned a “D” or “F” in 2024 compared to 6% of schools (211 schools) in 2023.
- 1,761 schools (53%) increased their grade or maintained an “A” in 2024.
School Grade 2023-24 Scale Range are as follows:
Elementary Middle, High, and Combination
A 62%-100% 64%-100%
B 54%-61% 57%-63%
C 41%-53% 44%-56%
D 32%-40% 34%-43%
F 0%-31% 0%-33%
It was further revealed that the State Board of Education voted on amendments to rule that adjust the school grading scale. This means that elementary schools are graded using the scale that was previously used from 2014-15 to 2021-22,