FSBA Session Spotlight — January 21, 2018

This will be a busy week with several bills of interest under consideration throughout the week, release of budget proposals from the chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Tuesday and Wednesday, and meetings of the Constitution Revision Commission Committees scheduled for Thursday and Friday. Please click on the link below for the…

Panel weighs ban on support for religious groups

Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Raoul Cantero on Friday urged a Constitution Revision Commission panel to repeal a constitutional ban on state support for religious groups.  Cantero told the commission’s Education Committee that the so-called “no-aid” provision in the Florida Constitution is unnecessary and would likely be held unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court based…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 19, 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 school board member salaries, charter school authorizers, and the prohibition against using public revenues in aid of religious entities. As a result of a new procedure for managing the…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 18, 2018

Several bills of interest will be considered today including, among others, visitation of schools by legislators, the McKay Scholarship Program, and tax referenda. Please click on the link below to access our report on the outcome of the consideration of these bill and others that were considered today.  Tomorrow, there are no legislative committee meetings…

Schools of Hope moves forward to allow charters near struggling district schools

The Florida Board of Education unanimously approved a rule on Wednesday opening the door for private nonprofits to apply to receive millions in state funding to operate charter schools near low-performing public schools, called “Schools of Hope.” The rule establishes a process for a nonprofit group to become an operator of the charter schools. Read More Read the…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 17, 2018

Several bills of interest will be considered today including, most notably, HJR 1031 relating to term limits for school board members and HB 1279 relating to school district accountability. Please click on the link below to access our report on the outcome of the consideration of these bill and others that were considered today.  Tomorrow,…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 15, 2018

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there were no legislative meetings today.  Tomorrow, several bills of interest will be considered, including bills relating to local tax referenda, juvenile justice, out-of-school suspension, computer coding, and retirement.  In addition, the House Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness will be considering their final report and recommendations.  Please…

Florida state board to take up ‘Schools of Hope’ rule next week

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…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 10, 2018

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…

FSBA Session Spotlight — January 9, 2018

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…