Today's news

GET ORIENTED: Meet your teachers. Visit your classrooms. Learn about bus stops, lunch lines and more. Be sure to mark your calendars for back-to-school orientation.

THERE IS SUCH A THING AS FREE LUNCH: The Hernando district has issued its policy on how student can qualify for subsidized meals at school.

CLASS SIZES GROWING: Florida Gulf Coast University sees its average class size increase as it gains popularity, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. (It's still much smaller than UF, though.)

THE NAME GAME: It's Indian River State College now, but that's hard to tell when you visit the campus. Officials don't want to spend too much money on signs, letterhead and the like, so the school will take some time to phase in the new name, the Vero Beach Press-Journal reports.

FEWER RETENTIONS: The Marion district reduces the numbers of children it holds back in kindergarten through second grade as it rethinks the educational and social value of retention, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Volusia's superintendent gets an "outstanding" evaluation from her board, but asks for a 2 percent pay cut anyway because of the bad economy, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports. The Broward School Board faces tough choices, such as delaying new construction and limiting bus rides, in setting its budget this year, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

AROUND THE NATION: School districts all over the country are cutting back athletic programs to save money, saying their primary responsibility is academics, the NY Times reports. Many California districts are forcing more kids to walk to school to save money on busing, the LA Times reports. Chronically failing schools in Texas have just one option - to close down, the Dallas Morning News reports.