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 expected to hold its first meeting sometime this morning.  Please see the Education Budget Conference Update below for information on progress on the state education budget.  Meanwhile, both chambers will hold floor sessions today and will consider several bills of interest including the Senate’s omnibus education bill — SB 7070 – that addresses public and private school choice, facilities, teacher certification, and other issues.  Other bills of interest address the budget implementation, workforce education, elections, health, and impact fees.  Today’s schedule is posted below and will be updated to show the outcome on these bills as soon as possible after each meeting concludes.

[toggle title=”House and Senate Floor Sessions – April 24, 2019“]

Please note that all of the meetings listed below may be viewed in real time via live webcast on the Florida Channel or may be viewed later in the Florida Channel Video Library. Also note that clicking on the bill numbers linked below provides access the bill summary, analysis, related bills, and other information.

In the Senate Session:
Bills on Special Order (2^nd Reading):
SB 2502 – Implementing the 2019-20 General Appropriations Act – READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; READ 3^RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
The bill provides the statutory authority necessary to implement and execute the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2019-2020. The statutory changes are effective for only one year and either expire on July 1, 2020 or revert to the language as it existed before the changes made by the bill. To implement provisions relating to PreK-12 education, the bill:

• Incorporates the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) work papers by reference for the purpose of displaying the calculations used by the Legislature.
• Provides that funds provided for instructional materials shall be released and expended as required in the proviso language attached to Specific Appropriation 93.
• Removes the provision allowing undisbursed funds for Schools of Hope to be carried forward for up to 5 years. Any undisbursed funds would be reverted at the end of the fiscal year. Funding for each year would be provided annually in the appropriations act.
• Removes the traditional public school component from the Schools of Hope legislation, including the $2,000 per FTE funding, and the provision allowing undisbursed funds to be carried forward for up to 5 years. Any undisbursed funds would be reverted at the end of the fiscal year. Funding for each year would be provided annually in the appropriations act.
• Creates the Community School Grant Program to support the planning and implementation of community school programs. In prior years, the initiative was funded as a legislative project.
• Adds that a district-managed turnaround plan may include extended day or a summer program.
• Removes the proration requirement for the Federally Connected Student Supplement so that the school districts can be fully funded for the supplement.
• Modifies the formula for the Safe Schools Allocation funds to align more closely with school security needs.
• Maintains the Funding Compression Allocation within the FEFP to provide additional funding for school districts whose total funds per FTE in the prior year were less than the statewide average.
• Adds the Turnaround School Supplemental Services Allocation within the FEFP to provide schools with $500 per FTE, or as otherwise provided in the GAA, to offer services designed to improve the overall academic and community welfare of the school’s students and families. Schools implementing a turnaround option may receive funding from the allocation for a maximum of four continuous fiscal years. A school that exits turnaround with a grade of “C” or higher will remain eligible to receive the allocation for a maximum of two continuous fiscal years after exiting turnaround status.
• Removes the $15 million annual performance funding appropriation limit for industry certifications for school district workforce education programs.
• Adds The Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Allocation within the FEFP.
• Revises the criteria for a teacher to qualify for an award under The Florida Best and Brightest Teacher program. New teachers who are content experts in mathematics, science, computer science, reading, or civics can receive a one-time recruitment award. Teachers rated as highly effective or effective can receive a retention award if they teach in a school demonstrating improvement. Highly effective teachers can also receive a recognition award if the teacher is selected by his or her principal based on performance criteria adopted by the district school board.
• Revises the criteria for a principal to qualify for an award under The Florida Best and Brightest Principal program. Principals who are employed in schools that demonstrate improvement are eligible to receive an award.
• Includes the new Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Allocation in the Virtual Education Contribution.
• Revises language relating to charter school capital outlay funding to provide that charter school capital outlay funding for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 will consist of state funds appropriated by the Legislature in the GAA (at a level of funding identified in the GAA). This change also removes the requirement that districts must share local millage revenues for Fiscal Year 2019-2020.
• Specifies that no section of the bill shall take effect if the appropriations and proviso to which it relates are vetoed.
• Provides that a permanent change made by another law to any of the same statutes amended by this bill will take precedence over the provision in this bill.

SB 190 – Education/Bright Futures by Stargel – READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 4/25/19
The bill focuses on several post-secondary policy, funding, and capital outlay issues, including issues relating to the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program (Bright Futures), performance funding for industry certifications, and accountability that are of particular interest to school boards. The bill:

• Removes the requirement that students enroll in a Florida postsecondary education institution within 2 years of graduation from high school.
• Eliminates the 45-credit hour annual restriction in the award of a scholarship.
• Specifies the eligibility of a student, who enrolls in the pilot program at the University of Florida, to receive an award during the fall term.
• Codifies the existing State Board of Education rule that allows Florida private school graduates to meet the high school credential-specific eligibility criterion.
• Extends the annual deadline, from August 31 to December 31, for when a student who graduates from high school midyear must apply for the scholarship.
• Revises the examination score requirements for award eligibility to align the SAT and ACT examination scores with the SAT national percentile rank specified in law; and requires the FDOE to publish ongoing updates to the examination scores.
• Removes the $15 million annual cap for both Florida College System institutions and school district workforce education programs.
• Creates, subject to appropriation in the state budget, the Florida Apprenticeship Grant Program to provide competitive grants to expand and enhance apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.
• Establishes reporting requirements regarding district and institution compliance with law, to require the Commissioner of Education to report to the SBE any findings by the Auditor General that a district school board or FCS institution is acting without statutory authority or contrary to state law.

SB 7070 – K-12 Education by Education – READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; TEMPROARILTY POSTPONED ON 2^ND READING; RETAINED ON SPECIAL ORDER CALENDAR
[NOTE: The summary below reflects amendments made today, but is subject to further amendment when consideration on 2^nd Reading continues tomorrow.]
The bill expands educational choice and opportunity for low-income families, supports public schools by expanding student support services and reducing regulations, and benefits teachers by removing teacher certification barriers and providing incentive awards.

With regard to state scholarship programs, the bill:

• Creates the Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) to help a specified number of students from low-income families attend an eligible private school.
• Provides that a student is eligible for an FES if the student meets the following criteria:
  • The student is on a direct certification list; or
  • The student’s household income does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level; or
  • The student is currently placed, or during the previous fiscal year was placed, in foster care or in out-of-home care, regardless of the student’s household income-level; and
  • The student is eligible to enroll in kindergarten or has spent the prior school year in attendance at a public school.
• Establishes a FES scholarship funding priority for students whose household income levels do not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level or who are in foster care or out-of-home care.
• a scholarship recipient is eligible to participate until the student graduates from high school or attains the age of 21 years, whichever occurs first.
• Establishes parent, student, private school, school district, and FDOE responsibilities for the FES that are similar to those for the state’s other 4 private school scholarship programs.
• Specifies that the FES will be funded through the FEFP, and administered by the DOE.
• Requires that the calculated scholarship amount for a student must be 95% of the unweighted FTE funding amount at the district level for the state fiscal year or the amount of the private school’s tuition and fees, whichever is less.
• Requires Scholarship Funding Organizations (SFOs) to verify the household income level of students and submit the verified list of students and related documentation to the DOE.
• Requires school districts to report all students who are attending a private school under the FES and to report them separately from other students reported for purposes of the FEFP.
• Modifies the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program (FTC) but grandfathers provisions for those students currently enrolled in the FTC.
• Requires that, beginning in 2019-2020 school year, the scholarship amount for all eligible students to attend an eligible private school be set at 95% of the unweighted FTE funding amount at the district level for that state fiscal year.
• Removes the sliding scale for an award based on income level between 185% and 260% of the federal poverty level.
• Revises provisions relating to the 3% administrative fee that SFOs are authorized to retain to provide that administrative expenses may not exceed 3% of the total amount of all scholarships awarded by an eligible SFO.
• Authorizes net eligible contributions remaining on June 30 of each year to be used to provide scholarships to eligible students or transferred to other eligible SFOs to provide scholarships for eligible students by September 30 of each year.
• Revises the Gardner Scholarship Program (GSP) by redirecting eligible contributions from real property rental and license fee tax credits to the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
• Removes the provision in law authorizing a separate appropriation for administrative fees for a SFO and aligns with other provisions in the bill authorizing a SFO to retain administrative expenses from eligible contributions to the SFO.
• Aligns the Hope Scholarship Program (HSP) with other state scholarship programs by setting the scholarship award at 95% of the unweighted FTE amount at the district average and specifying that SFOs may use three percent of eligible contributions for administrative costs.
• Authorizes unallocated HSP funds to be used to fund the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship.

With regard to the Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Scholarship Programs, the bill:

• Provides that the funding for both programs will be provided by the transfer of a currently non-FEFP allocation to a new categorical within the FEFP and subject to annual appropriation.
• Establishes the Florida Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Allocation within the FEFP. Each school district will be provided an allocation based on the district’s proportionate share of FEFP base funding for best and brightest teacher and principal awards as established within those programs..
• Revises the Best and Brightest Teacher Program to authorize three types of awards – recruitment, retention, and recognition – each with distinct criteria for determining eligibility as follows:
  • Recruitment awards for newly hired teachers who are a content expert, based on criteria established by FDOE, in mathematics, science, computer science, reading, or civics.
  • Retention awards for teachers rated as “highly effective” or “effective” the preceding year, and currently teaching in a school that has demonstrated academic improvement, as evidenced by the school improving an average of three percentage points or more in the percentage of total possible points achieved for determining school grades over the prior 3 years.
  • Recognition awards for teachers and instructional personnel rated as “highly effective” or “effective” and selected by the school principal based on performance criteria and policies adopted by the district school board. The recognition awards must be provided from remaining funds available after the payment of all other teacher recruitment and retention awards and principal awards.
• Revises the Best and Brightest Principal Program to provide that a principal is eligible for an award if he or she has served as school principal at his or her school for at least 4 consecutive school years, including the current school year, and the school has demonstrated academic improvement, as evidenced by the school improving an average of three percentage points or more in the percentage of total possible points achieved for determining school grades over the prior 3 years.

With regard to teacher certification and preparation, the bill:

• Removes the requirement that a teacher issued a temporary certificate must demonstrate mastery of general knowledge by achieving passing scores on all subtests within one calendar year of the date of employment.
• Removes the prohibition on a school district from continuing employment beyond one year for a teacher with a temporary certificate who has not demonstrated mastery of general knowledge.
• Retains the requirement for a teacher to demonstrate mastery of general knowledge as a condition for issuance of a professional certificate, but extends the time to demonstrate mastery of general knowledge for the validity period of the temporary certificate.
• Modifies the provisions for an extension of time to earn a professional certificate to provide a teacher an additional two years to earn a professional certificate if the certificate holder is rated highly effective in the immediate prior year’s performance evaluation or has completed a 2-year mentorship program.
• Specifies that only a classroom teacher must demonstrate mastery of general knowledge to earn the applicable educator certificate.
• Requires a school district who employs a classroom teacher who does not achieve passing scores on any subtest of the general knowledge examination to provide information regarding the availability of state-level and district-level supports and instruction to assist that teacher in achieving a passing score.
• Modifies the requirement that the SBE establish in rule various certification fees by removing the provision that examination fees must be sufficient to cover the actual cost of developing and administering the examination and requires that the rule specify and limit various fees.
• Revises the required criteria for continued teacher preparation program approval to include a survey of program completers’ satisfaction with preparation for the realities of the classroom, employers’ satisfaction with the program, and the programs’ responsiveness to local school districts. Each Florida public and private institution must include these surveys in their annual report regarding state-approved teacher preparation programs to the general public.
• Revises the requirements for approval of an educator preparation institute’s certification program to include, in addition to the requirements of current law:
  • Participant instruction and assessment in the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices across content areas.
  • The use of state-adopted content standards to guide curriculum and instruction.
  • Strategies to differentiate instruction based on student need. The bill eliminates the requirement that the plan include instruction and assessment in school safety.
  • The use of character-based classroom management.
  • Field experiences appropriate to the certification subject area with a diverse population of students in a variety of challenging environments, including, but not limited to, high-poverty schools, urban schools, and rural schools, under the supervision of qualified educators.
• Modifies the performance evaluations that measure the effectiveness of the programs to include satisfaction surveys of employers and teacher-candidates, rather than just of employers.

With regard to educational facilities, the bill:

• Includes the funds generated by a 1.5-mill levy of ad valorem property taxes with the existing funds the district can use for capital outlay for educational, auxiliary, or ancillary facilities without requiring a survey recommendation.
• Allows a district school board to adopt a resolution though a majority vote, rather than a supermajority vote, to implement exceptions to the educational facilities construction requirements, and removes the requirement that the board conduct a cost-benefit analysis prior to voting on the resolution.
• Provides that a school district may not exceed the cost per student station limits established by law when using state funds for new construction but this limitation does not apply to local funds. Specifies that the commissioner’s ability to withhold capital outlay funds as a result of a school district’s facility needs survey applies only to general revenue funds or state trust funds.
• Requires the Office of Economic and Demographic Research (EDR), in conjunction with the FDOE, to review and revise the cost per student station limits to reflect actual construction costs by December 1, 2019, and subsequently every three years, and to select an industry-recognized construction index to replace the currently-used Consumer Price Index, to be adjusted annually. Requires that the revised cost per student station limits must be used by the FDOE for computation of the statewide average cost per student station for each instructional level.
• Removes the requirements for the DOE to make the final determination on district compliance with the cost per student station limits along with the sanctions imposed on school districts for violating the cost per student station limits.
• Removes the prohibition on district school boards from using funds from any sources for new construction of educational plant space with a total cost per student station in excess of the current limits specified in law.
• Revises the components of the cost per student station calculation to include offsite improvement costs, the cost of complying with public shelter and hurricane hardening requirements, security enhancements, and capital construction items that are approved by the school safety specialist.
• Modifies the criteria that must be met by a school district to have their funding request considered by the Special Facility Construction Committee by allowing districts to apply for funding based on the district school board approval of Phase I plans, instead of the Phase III plans, as being in compliance with the building and life safety codes.

With regard to School Improvement, the bill:

• Removes the Schools of Hope Program awards for traditional public schools and establishes a new categorical program, the Turnaround School Supplemental Services Allocation within the FEFP that provides funding to schools in, or exiting, turnaround status. The allocation provides schools with $500 per FTE, or as otherwise provided in the GAA, to offer services designed to improve the overall academic and community welfare of the school’s students and families.
• Requires a school district must annually submit a plan for implementation to the district school board before receiving the allocation and requires the plan to include descriptions of specified academic and support services.
• Provides that schools implementing a turnaround option may receive funding from the allocation for a maximum of four continuous fiscal years and provides that a school that exits turnaround with a grade of “C” or higher will remain eligible to receive the allocation for a maximum of two continuous fiscal years after exiting turnaround status.
• Authorizes a school district, under the Turnaround School Supplemental Services Allocation, to enter into a formal agreement with a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to implement an integrated student support service model that provides students and families with access to wrap-around services.
• Provides that a School of Hope may receive funds until the school reaches full enrollment as defined in their charter and may also use state funds for costs associated with initial leasing of a facility.
• Provides that recoverable assets revert to the district school board if the School of Hope is dissolved or otherwise terminated.
• Creates the Community School Grant Program to fund and support the planning and implementation of community school programs based on a school service model that utilizes long-term partnerships among a school district, community organization, a university or college, and a health care provider to implement programs, beyond the standard hours of instruction that must include, among other things, expanded learning opportunities, support for students, and family engagement.

In addition, the bill:

• Removes the requirement related to prorating the level of appropriation for the federally connected supplement.
• Includes the revised Florida Best and Brightest Teacher and Principal Allocation in the calculation of the virtual education contribution.
• Provides that a charter between the sponsor and charter school may include a provision requiring the charter school be held responsible for costs including, but not limited to, mediation, damages, and attorney fees incurred by the school district associated with complaints to the Office of Civil Rights or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
• Bills on 3^rd Reading:
  SB 354 – Immunization Registry by Montford — READ 3^RD TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 213; SB 354 LAID ON THE TABLE
  HB 213 – Immunization Registry by Massullo — SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 354, READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; READ 3^RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE
  The bill:
  Directs certain health care practitioners to report vaccination administration data to the Department of Health (DOH) immunization registry when vaccinating children up to 18 years of age or college or university students at a college or university health center who are 19 to 23 years of age.
• Permits a parent or guardian of a child up to 18 years of age or a college or university student 19 to 23 years of age to opt out of being included in the immunization registry.
• Specifies that each consent to treatment form provided by a health care practitioner or by an entity that administers vaccinations to children from birth through 17 years of age must contain a notice stating that the parent or guardian of a child may refuse to have his or her child included in the immunization registry.
• Provides that such a decision not to participate in the immunization registry must be provided to DOH and the healthcare practitioner and all records regarding the child or student must be removed from the registry.
• Directs school boards and private school governing bodies to establish and enforce a policy requiring that before a child may attend a public or private school, the child must have on file a Florida Certification of Immunization (FCI) with the DOH immunization registry.
• Provides that any child who does not participate in the immunization registry must present or have on file with the school an FCI form, which will be a part of the student’s permanent record and be transferred with the student if the student transfers.

SB 7040 – Financial Disclosure by Ethics & Elections – READ 3^RD TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 7021; SB 7040 LAID ON THE TABLE
HB 7021 – Financial Disclosure by PIE – SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 7040, READ 2^ND TIME; READ 3^RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE; PASSED THE LEGISLATURE
The bill:

• Requires the electronic financial disclosure filing system to meet specified minimum requirements, including the requirements that:
• oThe electronic financial disclosure filing system allows disclosures to be completed and submitted online and to be accessible and searchable by the public.
• oThe electronic financial disclosure filing system issue a verification or receipt to the filer confirming the Commission has received the disclosure.
• oProvide a method for an attorney or certified public accountant to complete the disclosure on behalf of the filer.
• Provides that filers required to file a full and public disclosure of financial interests (Form 6) will be required to file their forms electronically beginning January 1, 2022, while filers required to file a statement of financial interests (Form 1) will be required to file electronically beginning January 1, 2023.
• Provides that the electronic filing requirement is not applicable to candidates running for an office subject to the Form 6 or Form 1 filing requirement.
• Makes changes to provisions of law governing Form 6 and Form 1 financial disclosure filings to facilitate the transition to mandatory electronic filing.

SB 7042 – Public Records/Commission on Ethics by GOA – READ 3^RD TIME; SUBSTITUTED FOR HB 7023; SB 7042 LAID ON THE TABLE
HB 7023 – Public Records/Financial Disclosure by PIE – SUBSTITUTED FOR SB 7042, READ 2^ND TIME; READ 3^RD TIME; PASSED THE SENATE; PASSED THE LEGISLATURE
Linked to HB 7021 (above), the bill creates a public records exemption for all secure login credentials held by the commission for the purpose of allowing access to the electronic financial disclosure filing system, as well as information entered into the system for the purposes of making the disclosure. Once information entered into the system is submitted to the commission or filed with a qualifying officer, the information loses its exempt status and will be available to the public.

In the House Session:
Bills on Special Order (2^nd Reading):
HB 7103 – Property Development by Commerce – READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 4/25/19
To fund local infrastructure and expand local services to meet the demands of population growth caused by development, local governments may impose impact fees and concurrency requirements for transportation or public education facilities and infrastructure. Of particular interest to school districts, the bill:

• Amends how local governments impose or give credits for impact fees and clarifies that water and sewer connection fees are not governed as impact fees.
• Requires credits for required contributions for public educational facility development be allocated to reduce applicable impact fees on a dollar-for-dollar basis at fair market value for the entire impact fee imposed rather than just those exactions imposed for a specific educational facility.
• Provides legislative findings about the need for to develop affordable workforce housing and creates a new definition for “essential services personnel” that includes teachers or other education personnel

HB 441 – 911 Services by DuBose – READ 2^ND TIME; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 4/25/19
The bill seeks to implement recommendations of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission. As amended, the bill:

• Requires each county to develop a countywide implementation plan addressing text-to-911 services and enact the plan by January 1, 2022.
• Requires the Technology Program within the Department of Management Services (Office) to develop a plan by February 1, 2020, to upgrade 911 public safety answering points (PSAP) within the state to allow the transfer of an emergency call from one local, multijurisdictional, or regional E911 system to another local, multijurisdictional, or regional E911 system in the state.
• Requires each sheriff, in collaboration with all first responder agency heads in his or her county, to facilitate the development and execution of written interlocal agreements between all primary first responder agencies within the county.
• Provides that each such agreement must:
  • Establish written protocols that outline circumstances and public safety emergencies under which a PSAP will directly provide notice of an emergency by radio to the on-duty personnel of a first responder agency for which the PSAP does not provide primary dispatch functions.
  • Require the PSAP to have direct radio contact with primary first responder agencies and their dispatchers, for which the PSAP may reasonably receive 911 communications, without having to transfer a 911 communication to another PSAP or dispatch center for dispatch.
• Provides that each PSAP must be capable of immediately broadcasting 911 communications or public safety information over the primary radio dispatch channels of each first responder agency in the county it serves, where the PSAP may reasonably receive 911 calls in the first responder’s service area. If a county or jurisdiction has multiple PSAPs, each PSAP must have this capability

HB 7071 – Workforce Education by Higher Education & Career Readiness – READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 4/25/19
The bill promotes apprenticeships, enhances talent development, and increases career opportunities for Floridians. The bill:

• Creates the “Strengthening Alignment between Industry and Learning to 60” Initiative and establishing a statewide attainment goal to increase the percentage of working-age adults who hold a high-value postsecondary certificate, degree, or training experience to 60 percent by the year 2030.
• Revises the school grades formula to recognize career certificate clock hour dual enrollment and establishing formal career dual enrollment agreements between high schools and career centers.
• Allows students with an industry certification to earn two mathematics credits for Algebra I.
• Allows a computer science credit to substitute for a mathematics or science credit and requiring a biennial review of career education courses for alignment with high school graduation requirements.
• Requires the Department of Education (DOE) to provide assistance in increasing public awareness of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities.
• Requires the Commissioner of Education to annually review career and technical education course offerings.
• Establishes a “College and Career Decision Day” to recognize high school seniors for their postsecondary education and career plans.
• Doubles the cap on career and professional education Digital Tool certificates.
• Establishes a middle grades career planning course requirement.
• Revises requirements relating to adjunct teaching certificates.
• Reconstitutes the Higher Education Coordinating Council as the Florida Talent Development Council, revising its membership, and requiring the council to develop a strategic plan.
• Creates the Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program to provide, subject to appropriation, competitive grants to expand and enhance apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.
• Requires the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, in consultation with the DOE, to submit a report by December 1, 2019, regarding apprenticeship programs that could substitute for the educational training otherwise required for licensure.
• Requires the statewide articulation agreement to provide for a reverse transfer agreement.
• Requires career centers and Florida College System (FCS) institutions with overlapping service areas to execute regional career pathways agreements.
• Requires each school district and FCS institution receiving state workforce education funds to maintain adequate and accurate records and revising the calculation methodology for determining state funding for workforce education programs.
• Requires, beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, all school districts to offer a financial literacy course consisting of at least one-half credit as an elective.

HB 259 – Comprehensive Health Education by Williams – READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 4/25/19
The bill:

• Revises the required comprehensive health education curriculum for K-12 public schools to include instruction on the dangers and signs of human trafficking and techniques to recognize and respond to child abuse and deletes a requirement that such health education include specified information relating to teen dating violence and abuse and information relating to healthy relationships.
• Provides that, with parental consent, a student may opt out of portions of comprehensive health education.
• Requires each school district to develop a cardiac emergency response plan for implementation at each public school operated by the district. The plan must include a school’s response to sudden cardiac arrest experienced by a student or other individual on school grounds and an automated external defibrillator and maintenance plan if a school has equipment. The AED maintenance plan must include a review of the status of AEDs in school facilities at least once every 3 years.

Bills on 3^rd Reading
HB 401 – Mastery-Based Education by DiCeglie – READ 3^RD TIME; PASSED THE HOUSE
The bill:

• Renames the Competency-Based Education Pilot Program as the Mastery-Based Education Pilot Program.
• Allows any school district in the state to submit an application to the DOE to participate in the program.
• Authorizes participating districts to approve and use an alternative interpretation of letter grades using rigorous scoring rubrics to measure student success in grades 6-12. Districts must continue to use a four-point scale for calculating a student’s grade-point average.
• Allows participating districts to determine and award one full credit toward high school graduation based on the student’s mastery of core content and skills without meeting the current minimum requirement of 135 or 120 hours of instruction.
• Requires participating districts to amend their student progression plans to conform to the alternative awarding of credit.
• Revises requirements for the statewide articulation agreement to provide fair and equitable access for students who graduate with a standard high school diploma and have earned high school credit through a mastery-based education program.

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[toggle title=”Education Budget Conference Update“]

As we reported yesterday, the chambers agreed on allocations that define the funds available to the various budget conference committees as they work to resolve differences between the House and Senate budgets. The state General Revenue allocation for the Pre-K-12 Budget Conference Committee is $12.806 billion which is about $350 million more than the General Revenue Allocation used in the House PreK-12 education budget — HB 5001 — and about $118 million less than the General Revenue Allocation used in the Senate PreK-12 education budget —  SB 2500.  This indicates that the total final education budget will be closer to the Senate budget.  However, key questions remain to be answered as to how and where these funds will be spent.

This morning, the PreK-12 Education Conference Committee considered Senate Offer #1 which mainly focused on non-FEFP allocations. This evening, the Committee considered House Offer #1.  The highlight in this meeting was agreement that the total state FEFP funding would be $12.465 billion. Essentially, this split the difference between the House and Senate state FEFP funding levels, but no further FEFP details were released. Please keep in mind that the PreK-12 Education Conference Committee has until tomorrow evening to continue to work on the budget differences before items will be bumped up to the Appropriations Committee chairs. We will continue to keep you posted on further progress.  Meanwhile, you may view Senate Offer #1 HERE and House offer #1 HERE.

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