A judge on Friday rejected the Palm Beach County School Board’s request to temporarily block a new state law requiring the school board to give an extra $9 million to the county’s charter schools by Feb. 1. At a court hearing in Tallahassee, Leon County Circuit Judge James Shelfer denied the school board’s request, meaning…
As we close out the first week of the 2018 Legislative Session, it was a fairly quiet day at the Capitol today. The House was in session to consider several bills on 3rd Reading and a few proposals of interest were considered by Constitution Revision Commission Committees. Please click on the links below for our report…
A bill to give Florida school district residents even more say in the selection of textbooks and instructional materials easily passed its first House committee on Wednesday, with just one member opposed. Sponsor Rep. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican, cast HB 827 as essentially a clarifying measure to his 2017 legislation, which gave residents more opportunities…
Next week, the Florida Board of Education is set to take up much-anticipated rules rolling out the welcome mat for prospective Schools of Hope. The goal is to attract more proven national charter school organizations into disadvantaged neighborhoods with low-performing schools. The draft rule would offer three ways for charter school organizations to qualify as “Hope…
There were several bills of interest considered in committee meetings and on the chamber floors today. Among the issues addressed today were elections, public records and public meetings, workers’ compensation, local government ethics and accountability, post-secondary education, and fiscal literacy. Please click on the links below for our report on outcome of action on these…
There were several bills of interest considered in committee meetings today. These bills address public records and meetings, the McKay Scholarship program, students with disabilities, the Florida Price Level Index, graduation requirements, instructional materials, and impact fees. Please click on the links below for our report on outcome of action on these bills and to…
Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran says he won’t raise taxes—either directly or indirectly. Corcoran took aim at the Florida Senate, stating he will also fight any plan that allows an increase in property tax revenue through higher property values to be counted toward public school funding. Read More
The Legislature convened the 2018 Legislative Session today with much of the traditional ceremony. In their respective chambers, Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran both offered comments highlighting legislative successes in the 2017 Session and outlining in their priorities for the 2018 Session. In his remarks, President Negron touched on several issues…
Sen. David Simmons, a veteran Republican lawmaker, is pushing for higher standards for the thousands of private schools that take nearly $1 billion in state scholarships, aiming to reduce potential waste and improve the quality of education at some schools. Among the most significant changes proposed by Simmons in a bill he filed Friday is…
The 2018 Legislative Session will convene tomorrow, January 9, 2017. As usual, we are resuming our daily online reports and weekly video updates on legislative and related activities. In addition, we have created or updated a number of publications and online resources to assist you in your advocacy efforts. To stay current on legislative activities…