FSBA Session Spotlight — January 28, 2018

As we begin this fourth week of the 2018 Legislative Session, we encourage you to view our Legislative Weekly video that features Andrea Messina providing a recap of the major bills and meetings last week.  This will be a busy week with several bills of interest under consideration throughout the week, consideration of the House…

Lawmakers look to start new school vouchers, tighten control on private schools

Florida lawmakers moved last week to expand the state’s school voucher programs — pushing to create a new one for bullied students — even as they also worked to impose more rules on participating private schools.The state’s three current voucher, or scholarship, programs pay private school tuition for 140,000 students statewide, serving youngsters from low-income…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 26, 2018

The Constitution Revision Commission Education Committee met this afternoon to consider several important education-related proposals to amend the Florida Constitution, including, among others, proposals relating to public and charter school authorizers, school choice programs, and the prohibition against using public revenues in aid of religious entities. You may wish to review our Discussion and Key…

Florida constitution committee keeps alive an education surprise

Proposals to ask voters in November to expand vouchers and school choice were given a predicted green light Friday as a key committee of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission moved forward in what is a top priority of Florida’s Republican leaders.  The biggest school choice victory of the day was the unanimous vote of the…

House K-12 mega-bill has first public airing

A giant K-12 education package bill had its first public presentation on Thursday in the House Education Committee, where it passed despite light criticism from Democrats who requested more time to review its many provisions.  The bill, which was posted online Tuesday night on the committee’s page, addresses a myriad of issues such as accountability of…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 25, 2018

Several bills of interest were considered today including a significant Proposed Committee Bill (PCB) by the House Education Committee that addresses private school accountability, school choice programs, district flexibility, and a new reading scholarship program. Other bills of interest address early learning, students with disabilities, public meetings and records, and labor organizations.  Please click on…

Is the Florida House’s new school choice bill HB 7069 Part II?

Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran made one thing perfectly clear after the passage of the omnibus education bill HB 7069 in the spring: You ain’t seen nothing yet.  “We will continue to have zero tolerance for a system that determines a child’s destiny based on demographics,” Corcoran intoned in his session opening remarks in January.  Exactly…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 24, 2018

Today, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee chairs released their budget proposals for their specific budget areas. The initial proposal submitted by Senate PreK-12 Education Appropriations Subcommittee chair Kathleen Passidomo provides more than $21.1 billion in FEFP funding — an increase of more than $535.2 million or 2.60%.  This increase is due, in part, by maintaining the…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 23, 2018

Today, the House Appropriations Subcommittee chairs released their budget proposals for their specific budget areas. The initial proposal submitted by House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee chair Manny Diaz provides more than $21 billion in FEFP funding — an increase of more than $506.8 million or 2.46%.  This increase is due, in part, by allowing the Required…