Politics

Anastasios Kamoutsas says he is proud of his accomplishments in first year

Published

8 hours ago

January 2, 2026

After hearing criticism from public school leaders who booed him, Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas touted what he called his “milestones and victories of 2025” in his first year on the job.

“All students deserve the best education possible. Under the leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida remains the most student-centered state in the nation,”Kamoutsas said. “I am proud of the many accomplishments made this year and look forward to continuing this important work in 2026.”

Those highlights include the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation ranking Florida as No. 1 in education freedom for the four year in a row, said the press release put out by the Florida Department of Education just before the holidays.

The state continues to push for school choice and charter school enrollment hit 404,000 — the highest in the state’s history, the press release said.

“Florida also expanded the Schools of Hope initiative to allow for co-location of high-quality charter operators at persistently low performing schools. Co-location will provide both educational opportunity and fiscal responsibility for taxpayers,” the press release said.

But critics of Schools of Hope fear that charter schools are taking over traditional public schools and operating there rent-free could be a financial drain on school districts. The topic had sparked the boos when the Education Commissioner spoke to school board members and superintendents in late 2025.

Meanwhile in sharing its 2025 highlights, the state said more students are graduating as well as 30% more students have enrolled postsecondary in career and technical education under the DeSantis administration.

“Florida’s graduation rates reached historic levels, with 89.7% of students earning a standard diploma during the 2023-2024 school year. This is an increase of 1.7 percentage points over last year, exceeding the pre-pandemic rate of 86.9% for the 2018-2019 school year,” the press release said.

In addition, the state said it invested $550 million in Safe Schools in the 2025-26 budget.

Raising teacher pay was a priority in 2025 that carries over in 2026, the press release said.

“The 2025-26 budget included $1.36 billion in salary increases for teachers and other instructional personnel, an increase of more than $102 million over last year, bringing the total investment in teacher salaries to nearly $6 billion since 2019,” the press release said. “In the 2026-27 Floridians First budget, Gov. DeSantis recommended $1.56 billion for teacher pay, a $200 million increase.”

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Politics

Four St. Pete projects to watch in 2026

Published

4 hours ago

January 2, 2026

May Greene

Construction cranes have become a common sight in downtown St. Petersburg over the past few years. An unprecedented growth spurt that began during the pandemic shows no signs of abating.

Multiple much-anticipated developments, including the Residences at 400 Central and Art House condominium towers, are now welcoming residents following years of construction. However, a new year will bring a fresh slate of projects to the Sunshine City, and many will take shape away from the downtown core.

Here are some planned or under-construction developments to keep an eye on in 2026:

Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment

The redevelopment of roughly 86 acres surrounding Tropicana Field will have a generational impact on St. Petersburg. Stakeholders expected to see a vibrant mixed-use and income community in place by now, in July 2024, when the city reached a historic agreement with the Tampa Bay Rays and its development partner, Hines.

Stuart Sternberg exited an arduously negotiated deal in March 2025, after encountering hurricane-induced delays, and sold the team in late September. ARK Investment Management, Ellison Development and Horus Construction submitted a $6.8 billion redevelopment proposal to redevelop the Historic Gas Plant District about a week later.

Mayor Ken Welch is considering the bid and will formally open a 30-day extension for additional offers on Sunday. St. Petersburg-based Blake Investment Partners, which submitted an unsolicited proposal in March, plans to present an updated vision.

New York-based Red Apple Group, the development firm behind 400 Central, has also expressed interest in the massive project. Welch said Dec. 30 that he is “excited to see what we get there in addition to what I think is a strong proposal from ARK Ellison Horus.”

“The one proposal that we have so far actually increases the amount of affordable housing, increases the minority participation,” Welch told the Catalyst. “So, it’s actually stronger than what we had with Hines and the Rays.”

The Central

Tampa-based Ellison Development is also building The Central about a half-mile away from the Trop, in St. Petersburg’s rapidly evolving EDGE District. The under-construction mixed-use development made headlines multiple times in 2025.

Geoffrey Zakarian, star of “Iron Chef America, Chopped,” and “The Kitchen” on the Food Network, will helm The Central’s flagship restaurant. The development will also feature a 168-key Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel and a seven-story residential building with 42 workforce housing units.

An 11-story office building, Halcyon, has ARK Invest as an anchor tenant. Stakeholders celebrated The Central’s 540-space public parking garage opening at 1301 Central Avenue in June.

In September, Ellison announced that the structure’s rooftop garden would display a 76-million-year-old Gorgosaurus skeleton. However, vertical construction at The Central has seemingly stalled since the garage opened.

Derby Lane

Sagi Genger, CEO of Rally Development, wants to transform the 131.5-acre Derby Lane site into an entertainment destination. The property at 10490 Gandy Blvd. was formerly home to a greyhound racing track and continues to host a poker room, markets and festivals.

Genger and his team are now marketing the property and “trying to figure out what makes the most sense – both for the community and for us.” He called it the “most important site for development in the area” in late November.

“This is a multi-100-million-dollar, if not a multi-billion-dollar, development project,” Genger said. “To have so many acres available in the middle of a metropolitan area is very, very unusual.”

He expects to “reach conclusions” on the property’s future in February or early March, after reviewing proposals. He said the possibilities are “almost endless” for a site that has long been considered a potential home for a new Rays stadium.

Sky Town

Local leaders celebrated the commencement of construction on the most extensive mixed-income development in Pinellas County’s history in mid-October. The $800 million, multi-phased Sky Town Apartments will eventually feature 2,084 housing units, 80,920 square feet of commercial space, a 22,500-square-foot storage facility and 4,000 parking spaces at the southwest corner of 34th Street and 30th Avenue South.

Altis Cardinal received $5.5 million from the county and $4.5 million from the city for Sky Town’s first phase, which includes 401 apartments, a Sprouts grocery store and nearly 12,000 square feet of retail space. The development firm will dedicate 60 units to households earning up to 80% of the area median income; 61 will have a 120% limit.

“The Sky Town development marks a new era for the Skyway Marina District,” Welch said at the time. “This public-private project is an example of how forward-thinking investments can strengthen neighborhoods, attract workforce talent and expand opportunities for residents.”

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Mark Parker reports via St. Pete Catalyst. Republished with permission.

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Politics

Florida public universities had a banner 2025, state says

Published

5 hours ago

January 2, 2026

May Greene

From keeping tuition affordable to getting high rankings, Florida universities had many accomplishments.

2025 was a good year for Florida public universities with seven schools getting ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s latest top 100, state education leaders said as they celebrated their milestones.

“Florida remains the gold standard for higher education thanks to the leadership of Governor DeSantis and the Legislature,” said State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues in a statement. “The System continuously delivers on providing high-quality, accessible, and affordable education to help students reach their goals and propel Florida’s economy to new heights.”

Looking back on its accomplishments, the State University System of Florida shared their highlights in a recent press release.

The university system said it awarded $645 million in Performance-Based Funding to the 12 public universities during the current fiscal year and recorded a record-high number of pre-licensure nursing graduates.

Another success was growing Florida’s research at the schools.

“For the first time in the System’s history, research expenditures exceeded $3 billion, a $200 million increase from the previous year,” the State University System said in a press release. “Nearly 400 utility patents have been awarded across the System by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, demonstrating the measurable impact of research on campuses that improves lives and creates economic value.”

The press release did not mention some of the challenges the system dealt with in 2025, such as the University of Florida’s disastrous presidential search. Trustees wanted to hire Santa Ono to lead Florida’s flagship school, but the Florida Board of Governors overrode the trustees’ choice. The school recently named a search committee as the quest to hire UF’s next president carries in 2026.

“The Board of Governors is committed to building on the incredible momentum achieved this year,” said Board of Governors Vice Chair and Incoming Chair Alan Levine. “Our focus will remain on driving student success, fostering innovation, and ensuring Florida continues to serve as a benchmark for higher education nationwide. Together, our universities will advance student opportunities and strengthen Florida’s future.”

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Politics

Canadian tourists coming to Florida dips by 15%, report says

Published

6 hours ago

January 2, 2026

May Greene

Fewer Canadians vacationed in the Sunshine State in the third quarter of 2025 compared to previous years.

VISIT FLORIDA said an estimated 507,000 Canadians came to Florida between July to September 2025, which is normally a busy tourism time at the theme parks and beaches. The 507,000 was a 15% decrease from Q3 2024 and a nearly 28% decrease from Q3 2019, Fort Myers-based WINK News reported.

Some Canadians have expressed anger and been turned off from visiting the United States because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his comments about annexing Canada.

VISIT FLORIDA said a total of 34.3 million tourists visited Florida in Q3 2025, an overall 0.3% increase from the same quarter in 2024.

Not mentioning the 15% Canadian dip in a press release, state leaders maintained a sunny outlook.

“Florida tourism remains strong and leads the nation,” said Bryan Griffin, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA in the press release. “VISIT FLORIDA is strategically focused on growing visitation from Latin America and Europe and maintaining Florida’s #1 market share of domestic tourists, and our strategy is working.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis was dismissive of any potential Canadian tourism declines last year.

“They said that the Canadians were going to stop coming to Florida. And I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s true, because who would want to be in Canada in the winter or spring when you could be in Florida? Like, if you can get here, you want to get here.’ And so we have the numbers,” DeSantis said during the 2025 Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism in late August.

Meanwhile, most of Florida’s tourists are coming from the rest of the United States.

“Preliminary estimates show that domestic travelers accounted for 91.7 percent of all visitors, with 31.5 million Americans traveling to Florida in Q3. Overseas visitation grew 3.2 percent from Q3 2024 to reach 2.3 million,” the press release said.