TALLAHASSEE — A bill that would allow parents more freedom to choose where their children go to school overwhelmingly was approved Tuesday by a House panel, even as some critics and educators worried the legislation is moving too quickly.
The measure (HB 1145), sponsored by Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, was approved by the House K-12 Subcommittee in an 11-2 vote, with two Democrats joining the panel’s nine Republicans in voting for the bill.
It would let parents transfer their kids to any school that has not reached 90 percent of its capacity,, regardless of county lines. It also would require districts to set up a process for parents to request that their children be removed from teachers’ classes.
Even speakers who were not overtly opposed to the bill raised questions about whether the legislation is too ambitious. Vern Pickup-Crawford, a lobbyist for Palm Beach County schools, said the legislation’s effective date of July 1 could force school districts to adjust quickly to the new landscape.
