THE MAIN TAKEAWAY FROM THE CITY OF BOCA RATON IS THE NEED TO EVALUATE WHICH SERVICES HOLD PRIORITY TO FIT WITHIN A POSSIBLY REDUCED BUDGET FOR THE NEXT CITY BUDGET WORKSHOP IS JUNE 18TH. THE PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS CELEBRATING A MAJOR MILESTONE IN ITS EFFORTS TO TACKLE THE TEACHER SHORTAGE AND IMPROVE THE TEACHER SHORTAGE PROBLEM AND IMPROVE RETENTION. THE DISTRICT’S FIRST GROUP OF ASSOCIATE TEACHERS HAS NOW EARNED THEIR BACHELOR’S DEGREES AND WILL STEP INTO TEACHING ROLES THIS FALL. JOLIE RODRIGUEZ SPOKE WITH DISTRICT LEADERS ON HOW THIS BENEFITS NOT ONLY THE TEACHERS, BUT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT. HEY! FOR YEARS, THESE ASSOCIATE TEACHERS HAVE BEEN HELPING WITHIN PALM BEACH COUNTY CLASSROOMS. BUT NOW THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, THEY WILL BE PREPARING THEIR OWN CLASSROOM WITH 18 NEW TEACHERS JOINING THE DISTRICT. A PICTURE IS ON HERE. CINDY MENDEZ LOPEZ WAS A CLASSROOM AIDE FOR FIVE YEARS AT LANTANA ELEMENTARY. BUT COME THIS FALL, SHE’LL HAVE A CLASSROOM AND STUDENTS OF HER OWN. A LIFELONG DREAM OF HERS. I’VE KNOWN SINCE ELEMENTARY. I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BECOME A TEACHER AND ALWAYS HELP WITH OUR STUDENTS AND BE A PART OF THEIR PROGRESS AND GROWTH. AND IT’S THANKS TO A NEW ASSOCIATE TEACHER PROGRAM WITHIN THE PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE FREE PROGRAM HELPS CURRENT DISTRICT EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE AN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE OR EQUIVALENT EARN THEIR BACHELOR’S DEGREE AND TEACHING CERTIFICATIONS WHILE CONTINUING TO WORK WITHIN THEIR SCHOOLS. DISTRICT LEADERS SAY IT’S ONE WAY THEY’RE ADDRESSING A CHALLENGE. SCHOOL SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY CONTINUE TO FACE. THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO GET PEOPLE FOR OUR CLASSROOMS THAN INVESTING IN OUR OWN PEOPLE AND GIVING THEM THAT CAREER PATHWAY. SO WHEN WE INVEST IN THEM AND WHEN WE GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A CAREER LIKE THIS, WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER CHANCE OF KEEPING THESE EMPLOYEES FOR A LONG TIME. AND STORIES LIKE LOPEZ’S ARE EXACTLY WHAT DISTRICT LEADERS HAD IN MIND WHEN THIS PROGRAM WAS BORN. PEOPLE WHO ALREADY KNOW THE STUDENTS, THE SCHOOLS, AND THE COMMUNITY NOW LEADING THEIR OWN CLASSROOMS. MANY OF OUR COHORT MEMBERS ARE PEOPLE WHO HAD ASPIRED TO BE TEACHERS, AND FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS THE EDUCATION IN ORDER TO DO SO. NOW, WITH DEGREES IN HAND, THESE GRADUATES WILL BEGIN THE SCHOOL YEAR IN NEW ROLES ACROSS THE DISTRICT. DISTRICT LEADERS SAY THAT BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, NEARLY 50 NEW TEACHERS WILL BE ADDED TO THEIR DISTRICT. THANKS TO THIS GRADUATE PROGRAM.
Florida’s back-to-school sales tax holiday begins Monday
Updated: 10:18 AM EDT Jul 18, 2026
Florida’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday begins Monday and will go through Thursday, Aug. 20. Qualifying tax-free items include clothing, footwear, wallets, bags, handbags, backpacks, fanny packs and diaper bags with a sales price of $100 or less per item. School supplies up to $50 per item, learning aids up to $30 and personal computers up to $1,500 for noncommercial home or personal use are also covered. The annual sales tax holiday does not apply to cellular telephones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, devices that are not primarily designed to process data; furniture or systems, devices, software, monitors with a television tuner or peripherals that are designed or intended primarily for recreational use. The exemption doesn’t apply to:• Briefcases, suitcases, garment bags• Watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas, handkerchiefs• Skis, swim fins, roller blades, skates• Books that are not otherwise exempt• Cellular telephones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, devices that are not primarily designed to process data• Computers and computer-related accessories purchased for commercial purposes• Rentals of any eligible items.• Repairs or alterations of any eligible items.• Sales of any eligible items within a theme park or entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, airport. A full list of eligible items is on the Florida Department of Revenue website. The sales tax holiday began as a seven-day exemption in 1998. In 2025, legislation permanently locked the tax exemption into state law as a month-long event. There is no longer a second holiday during the spring semester of the school year. Florida’s 2024 back-to-school sales tax holiday ran from July 29 to Aug. 11. Also, consumers can purchase qualifying hunting, fishing and camping supplies exempt from tax during the 2026 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday from Tuesday, Sept. 1 to Thursday, Dec. 31. Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —
Florida’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday begins Monday and will go through Thursday, Aug. 20.
Qualifying tax-free items include clothing, footwear, wallets, bags, handbags, backpacks, fanny packs and diaper bags with a sales price of $100 or less per item.
School supplies up to $50 per item, learning aids up to $30 and personal computers up to $1,500 for noncommercial home or personal use are also covered.
The annual sales tax holiday does not apply to cellular telephones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, devices that are not primarily designed to process data; furniture or systems, devices, software, monitors with a television tuner or peripherals that are designed or intended primarily for recreational use.
The exemption doesn’t apply to:
• Briefcases, suitcases, garment bags
• Watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas, handkerchiefs
• Skis, swim fins, roller blades, skates
• Books that are not otherwise exempt
• Cellular telephones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, devices that are not primarily designed to process data
• Computers and computer-related accessories purchased for commercial purposes
• Rentals of any eligible items.
• Repairs or alterations of any eligible items.
• Sales of any eligible items within a theme park or entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, airport.
A full list of eligible items is on the Florida Department of Revenue website.
The sales tax holiday began as a seven-day exemption in 1998.
In 2025, legislation permanently locked the tax exemption into state law as a month-long event.
There is no longer a second holiday during the spring semester of the school year.
Florida’s 2024 back-to-school sales tax holiday ran from July 29 to Aug. 11.
Also, consumers can purchase qualifying hunting, fishing and camping supplies exempt from tax during the 2026 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday from Tuesday, Sept. 1 to Thursday, Dec. 31.
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.