ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- A local tine mother is pushing for new state laws after her daughter was killed in a bus crash.
Police reports show the driver of the other vehicle was distracted by his cell phone.

Elissa Schee said she struggles to make sense of her daughter's sudden death.

"I never in a million years imagined that I would send her to school that morning and she would never come home."

In 2008, Schee's 13-year-old daughter, Margay Schee, was on her school bus in Marion County.  As kids were getting off the bus to go home, it was hit by a semi.

Both vehicles caught fire. Schee said witnesses frantically tried to pull the 21 students out.

"There was a white picket fence all the kids were lined up on that fence. But not Margay, and I knew that Margay was in trouble," she said. 

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. --  When there are more than 18 students in a classroom at Ketterlinus Elementary in St. Augustine, two teachers will team up in the room.

State guidelines allow 18 students per teacher in elementary schools, 22 in middle schools.  

St. Johns Superintendent Joseph Joyner says the constant balancing act from those hard class size caps has been a burden on school districts.

"All of the decisions and I would call those unintended consequences, have not been necessarily good for kids.  So our first objection is on an instructional, student level," said Joyner.

He says he would welcome new flexibility offered by Amendment 8, which is on the ballot November 2nd.

"I think smaller classes are good but I don't think teachers like children moved out of their classroom after they've formed relationships," said Joyner.

In recognition of our military men and women who've been wounded in armed combat, the City of Palm Coast has partnered with the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter #808 to dedicate an inspirational monument in Heroes Park.