Educators from rural counties will host a breakfast at the Governor’s Club on Thursday morning. The event, scheduled in the midst of Rural County Days in Tallahassee, will touch on concerns for Florida’s small School Districts.

“In rural school districts, everybody knows each other. These are truly community schools,” said John Selover, Executive Director of the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium. That consortium is one of three such regional entities hosting the event, along with the Heartland Educational Consortium and North East Florida Educational Consortium.

Jim Norton, Gulf County Superintendent of Schools and Florida’s longest-serving Superintendent, noted that rural counties more often have long-serving, elected Superintendents who boast a particular understanding of families’ educational needs.

“Small county educators are convened to discuss things important to education,” he said. “One size does not fit all.”

Selover said the event created an opportunity for Superintendents and officials from Florida’s 37 small counties to come together in the state’s capital city during the Legislative Session.

Education consortiums are authorized by statute and allow smaller counties to share resources and services, such as risk management pools for property and casualty insurance, financial administration, professional development and cooperative purchasing.

The Panhandle consortium, for example, includes 13 county School Districts, along with a pair of schools run by Florida A&M University and Florida State University in the region. Those university-headed schools and other ones around Florida operate independent of School Districts and thus are able to participate in the consortiums.

The meeting also occurs as lawmakers tackle a number of issues surrounding education and policy in public schools, including the impact of universal school choice and the expansion of Schools of Hope charter school operations, matters that have financially impacted districts of all sizes.

Officials said the breakfast marks a chance for lawmakers to communicate directly with school leaders on policy, and many Superintendents plan to visit with lawmakers in the Capitol during the trip as well.

Tampa Bay Lightning fans, rejoice. Your home team will stay in Tampa until at least 2043 under a deal Hillsborough County Commissioners approved to extend by six years the team’s lease to play at Benchmark International Arena.

Under the agreement, the county is committing $250 million to pay for arena renovations, an amount that could increase and that will come from a portion of the county’s tourist development tax. The deal does not require any general fund revenue, Community Investment Tax proceeds or property tax revenue.

In return, the agreement calls for Lightning ownership to spend at least $75 million on renovations.

The agreement protects the county by requiring millions in repayment penalties should the team breach its contract by leaving early.

The deal increases the amount of county funds committed under the original agreement in 2008 for arena renovations from $108.5 million to $358.5 million, and the amount the Lightning spend on such renovations from $38.4 million to $113.4 million, which is where the $250 million and $75 million spend split comes from.

The Lightning, under the agreement, can spend its portion incrementally, but the expenditures must be made before the county’s portion of the split is required.

To date, the county has spent about $91 million under the original agreement.

Prior to this deal, the Lightning had been obligated to play hockey in Tampa at Benchmark International Arena (formerly Amalie Arena) until June 30, 2037. Now, they must remain in the arena until at least June 30, 2043.

The Tampa Sports Authority, which serves as the landlord for the arena, previously approved the deal on a 7-3 vote.

Commissioners made clear Wednesday that the new deal with the Lightning could set a tough precedent as the Tampa Bay Rays seek a new stadium at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers work toward major upgrades to Raymond James Stadium directly across the street.

One Commissioner, Republican Chris Boles, said that would be “like comparing apples to rocks.”

Despite a failed amendment to the deal from Commissioner Joshua Wostal that would have increased the Lightning’s share of the cost split, which was seconded by Donna Cameron Cepeda, the new agreement cleared with unanimous support.

A proposal to turn the Naples Airport Authority into a board elected by voters, rather than appointed by the City Council, has advanced through its second House committee stop.

HB 4005, sponsored by Naples Republican Rep. Adam Botana, would transition the Airport Authority board away from appointments made by the Naples City Council to elections by Collier County voters beginning in the November election. If approved, the bill would cut short the terms of current board members unless they are elected.

The House Government Operations Subcommittee reported HB 4005 favorably after adopting an amendment that broadens eligibility requirements for Airport Authority board candidates.

The bill’s advance comes amid a clash between Naples city officials and members of the Collier County legislative delegation over the Naples Airport. Disagreements over board appointments, oversight authority and the airport’s future have strained relations between City Hall and the delegation — even leading into a heated email exchange between Naples Vice Mayor Terry Hutchison and Rep. Yvette Benarroch.

Botana told committee members Wednesday that the measure shifts decision-making power away from the City Council toward voters countywide, arguing the airport serves a regional function beyond city limits.

“We were having some discomfort with the City Council trying to move the airport,” Botana said. “This has been a fight a long time in the city of Naples. So we’re saying OK, instead of just having it appointed by the City Council we’re going to make these folks elected and give the power back to the people.”

The committee also adopted an amendment that revises candidate qualification requirements. The bill originally required candidates to have at least five years of experience in the aerospace industry, but the amendment expands that standard to allow candidates with backgrounds in financial management or small-business operations to qualify.

Opponents warned the revised bill still raises concerns. Jason Unger, speaking in opposition, said countywide elections could dilute the influence of Naples residents despite the airport being located within city boundaries. 

“All of the seats will be controlled by votes coming from outside of the city of Naples,” Unger said.

The measure advanced without debate and cleared the subcommittee on a unanimous vote. HB 4005 now heads to its final of three House committee stops with the State Affairs Committee.