Florida House moves to limit school impact fees

With almost no discussion, the Florida House adopted a bill Monday that would scale back school districts’ ability to increase the fees they charge to offset the impact of new construction.  The action came in legislation (HB 1299) that also limited local governments from banning the use of plastic straws or setting age restrictions for…

FSBA Session Spotlight — April 29, 2019

As we enter what is scheduled to be the last week of the 2019 Legislative Session, new procedural rules will kick in that will make the schedule both hectic and unpredictable. During this week in floor sessions, both chambers will focus on bills on 2nd and/or 3rd Reading, on bills passed back and forth in…

House passes bill shoring up public, charter schools revenue sharing

The Florida House passed a bill Thursday night that would require school districts and charter schools to share revenues raised by future tax measures approved by voters.  Under House Bill 7123, sponsored by Rep. Bryan Avila, R-Hialeah, funds collected through a tax referendum will be distributed to public schools and charter schools on a per-student ratio.…

Florida Senate passes major education bill that creates new school voucher

The Florida Senate passed a massive education bill Thursday that would create a new private school voucher that is funded out the state’s per-student funding traditionally reserved almost solely for districts.  Its passage marks yet another victory for those wanting to expand different schooling options funded by the state, but likely sets a course for…

FSBA Session Spotlight — April 24, 2019

As reported in Tuesday’s Session Spotlight, the Budget Conference Committees have been assembled and begun work on resolving differences between the House and Senate budgets. Last night, the Higher Education Budget Conference Committee met and the House has made an initial offer on a variety of issues, including Workforce Education.  The PreK-12 Conference Committee is…

Florida Senate passes bill that allows classroom teachers to be armed – nearly along party lines

More than a year after last year’s Valentine’s Day shooting in Parkland that shocked the state and blurred party lines in the state Capitol, the Florida Senate passed a follow-up bill that has become increasingly partisan because of its expansion of a program that would allow classroom teachers to be armed.  It succeeded on a…

FSBA Session Spotlight — April 23, 2019

With less than two weeks remaining in this Legislative Session, the tempo of business is likely to increase and meeting schedules will become more unpredictable. After today, committees will meet only if called for a specific reason and both chambers will devote most of their time to floor sessions and conference committee work.  In addition,…

FSBA Session Spotlight — April 18, 2019

Today’s agenda includes just two committee meetings. Of particular interest, the Senate Appropriations Committee will consider its version of an omnibus education bill — SB 7070 — that expands public and private school choice programs and addresses a variety of other issues. An 85-page strike-all amendment has been filed to this controversial bill, so a…

Senate panel temporarily pulls plug on school board term limit bill

A bill that would impose term limits on local school board members stalled in a Senate panel on Wednesday. Sen. Dennis Baxley’s bill (SJR 274) proposes a constitutional amendment on the question, requiring a statewide approval of 60% to be added to the state’s governing document.  But the need for a statewide vote on a…

School districts, charters, sheriffs. Who decides if teachers can be armed?

The Florida Senate didn’t have a formal vote on the bill that would allow classroom teachers to be armed on Wednesday, but they did adopt a major amendment that could settle one of the biggest lingering questions of the debate: who gets to decide if teachers in a school can be armed? Read More