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FEBRUARY 10 - FEBRUARY 16, 2023
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Marion’s Teacher of the Year
Random searches coming to classrooms By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
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Golden Apple Teacher of the Year Lindsey Bigelow holds her Golden Apple as she gets hugs from her first grade students at Ocala Springs Elementary School in Ocala on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.
For Ocala Springs Elementary teacher Lindsey Bigelow, support, personalized attention and classroom management are the keys to student success. By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com
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cala Springs Elementary’s firstgrade language students trickle into a colorful and well-ordered language arts classroom. Their teacher, Lindsey Bigelow, stands at the door and greets each of them with a good morning, and they provide a salutation in return or a special greeting unique just to them.
One girl elbow-bumps Bigelow, does a princess curtsy and twirls, exhibiting the unapologetic individuality Bigelow encourages in all her students. As an instructor, Bigelow is a triple threat of creativity, engagement and exceptional classroom management, qualities that prompted her peers to nominate her for Marion County’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. The process of naming teacher of the year involved
a five-month process of written teacher portfolios, personal interviews, classroom observations and surprise visits. Bigelow accepted the Golden Apple award at a gala hosted by the Public Education Foundation of Marion County on Feb. 4 at the Reilly Arts Center. In addition to the title, an honorarium, a seat on the Foundation Board, and accolades See Honored, page A2
DeSantis makes stop in Ocala By Andy Fillmore Correspondent
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ov. Ron DeSantis announced an estimated $2 billion FamilyFocused Tax Relief proposal while taking a swing at several policies of the Biden administration in Washington at a press conference in Ocala Wednesday morning. “The cost of living has gone through the roof,’’ he said. “We need to give taxpayers relief. Inflation is not going down, it’s just not increasing as much.” DeSantis said “spending binges” by the federal government and federal administration polices dampening oil business have contributed to inflation. He said President Joe Biden had said the U.S. will need oil only “for 10 more years.” The event was held at MVB Appliance & Mattress, and owner Mike Barbier said his business was chosen at random
to host the governor and about 150 guests. Some appliances in his shop are products that could be impacted by tax relief proposals DeSantis touted during the event. DeSantis touted Florida’s low state debt, “massive surplus” and a “rainy day fund,” which he said can allow taxpayer savings. He said last year the state had a historically high surplus of $22 billion out of a $109 billion budget. “We have to take some of that money and return it to the taxpayers,” DeSantis said. He said the tax relief would help taxpayers--especially families--in light of current inflation, which he claimed was caused by “massive federal spending” and federal administration policies that he said hamper domestic energy production. The 16 tax relief proposals include the current Toll Relief Program for frequent commuters and possible expansion of the Back-
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis swings a baseball bat as Kathleen Passidomo, the President of the Florida Senate, speaks during a press conference about tax relief at MVB Appliance on Southeast 8th Street in Ocala on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.
to-School exemption and Freedom Summer outdoor goods exemptions. The proposals include permanent exemptions on baby-related items including diapers, wet wipes and strollers and over-the-counter pet medication and a one-year
exemption on household items such as toilet tissue under $25 and children’s toys and books. The top tax relief amount involved in the proposal is the Toll Relief Program, which began on Jan. 1 and could
iddle and high schools in Marion County are preparing to conduct random drug and weapon searches on students “in the very near future,” according to a Marion County Public Schools news release. Schools and classrooms will be selected at random for weekly searches through a computer program. Students, staff and faculty will be asked to exit the classrooms and leave all personal belongings, which will be searched by a Marion County Sheriff Office’s K-9 unit in coordination with the Safe Schools Department. The students will be searched by school or district employees with metal-detecting wands, according to the release. The decision to implement random, or administrative, searches was made to counteract security threats on campuses due to the possession of weapons and decrease the possession of illegal drugs. The use of K-9 units in searches has been further encouraged due to MCSO’s new firearm-detecting dog. Administrative searches fall under a new category within the district, conducted without a need for seasonable suspicion or probable cause, said School Board Attorney Jeremy Powers. The district’s policy for all other forms of searches will remain in place, so a school authority may search a student’s person, belongings or locker if there is reasonable suspicion that a student is in possession of contraband. The language surrounding administrative searches in the updated policy manual was written to allow for future searches such as these, said Powers in an email. “In quick summary, searches are only conducted with reasonable suspicion … until the administrative search procedures are implemented, allowing for some randomization of searches,” he said via email. Parents will be informed of the searches via Skyalert messaging. Personal phone calls will be made to the parents or guardians of any student who is found to be in possession of a weapon or illegal drug after the search. The procedure for random searches is not outlined in the school board’s search and seizure policy, but instead made under the jurisdiction of the
See DeSantis, page A5
See Weapon, page A6
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County Budget Workshop........... A3 Bob Hauck...................................... A7 State Guard.................................... A9 West Port High School................ B1 Calendar......................................... B5
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