FSBA Session Spotlight — February 20, 2018

Today, Governor Scott convened several workshops – an education workshop, a mental health and child welfare workshop, and a law enforcement workshop — that met throughout the day to examine the elements to improve student safety and school security. FSBA was well represented in these discussions by Dr. Terry Nichols, Jackson County School Board Chair, and Brad Etheridge, Levy County School Board Vice Chair.  Governor Scott has indicated that he intends to recommend legislation based on these meetings – this proposed legislation may be available later this week.  School board members may wish to review the videos of the workshops and roundtable which are available in the “Video Library” on the Florida Channel website.  In addition, earlier today, Andrea Messina issued an alert to our members that included background information and district allocations of the Safe Schools allocation as well as information on school counselors and other mental health professionals that currently serve in our school districts.  This information is also available on the Health & Safety page in our Resource Room.  We encourage you to review this information and other local data and submit your comments and recommendations to the Governor as he develops his proposed legislation.  The Governor’s public comment form is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HGV39VW.

In other important business today, the Senate Education Committee took up and amended HB 7055 — the controversial omnibus bill that has passed the House and is now being considered in the Senate. Please click on the link below to see our summary of this and other bills of interest that were considered today.  Tomorrow, legislators will consider several bills, including bills relating to child care, juvenile justice, and curriculum.  Please click on the link below for our preview of these and other bills that will be considered on Wednesday.

[toggle title=”Today’s Happenings – February 20, 2018“]

In the Senate Education Committee meeting:

HB 7055 – Education by Education — PASSED WITH 1 AMENDMENT
The bill:

• Authorizes a member of the State Legislature to visit any district school, including any charter school, in his or her legislative district;
• Extends the period of time for which a charter school may defer its opening;
• Revises requirements for a charter school to be considered a high-performing charter school;
• Redefines the terms “persistently low-performing school” and “school of hope”;
• Revises the required contents of a school of hope notice of intent and performance-based agreement;
• Revises school of hope facility requirements;
• Specifies that certain schools of hope are eligible to receive hope supplemental service allocation funds;
• Requires the State Board of Education to provide awards to all eligible schools that meet certain requirements;
• Prohibits a school of hope operator or owner from serving as the principal of a school of hope that he or she manages;
• Establishes “franchise model schools” and defines terms;
• Authorizes specified schools to use a franchise model school as a turnaround option;
• Specifies requirements for a franchise model school principal;
• Establishes the Hope Scholarship Program, provides purpose of the program, defines terms, provides eligibility requirements, and:
  • Requires a principal to provide copies of a report of physical violence or emotional abuse to certain individuals within specified timeframes and requires the principal to investigate such incidents;
  • Provides for the calculation of the scholarship amount;
  • Provides funds and accountability for administrative expenses for scholarship-funding organizations (SFO);
  • Prohibits a SFO from charging an application fee;
  • Provides requirements for taxpayer elections to contribute to the program and requires the Department of Revenue to adopt forms to administer the program;
  • Provides accountability requirements for motor vehicle dealers; and
  • Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules to administer the program;
• Revises requirements for private schools that participate in scholarship programs, and:
• oRevises the purpose of DOE site visits at private schools participating in Scholarship Programs and authorizes the DOE to make follow-up site visits at any time to certain private schools;
  • Requires participating private schools to provide a specified report from an independent certified public accountant under certain circumstances;
  • Specifies that the failure or refusal, rather than the inability of, a private school to meet certain requirements constitutes a basis for program ineligibility;
  • Requires a private school to employ or contract with teachers who meet certain qualifications and provide information about such qualifications to the DOE and parents;
  • Requires the Division of State Fire Marshal to annually provide the DOE with fire safety inspection reports for certain private schools;
• Revises the requirements for the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards to include financial literacy and revises the required credits for a standard high school diploma to include one-half credit of instruction in personal financial literacy and money management and seven and one-half, rather than eight, credits in electives;
• Requires school districts to provide instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of an automated external defibrillator;
• Authorizes an Early Learning Coalition to refuse to contract with a provider that has been cited for a class I violation;
• Requires district school boards to formulate and prescribe policies and procedures for active shooter situations, and:
  • Requires that active shooter situation training for each school be conducted by the law enforcement agency or agencies that are designated as first responders to the school’s campus;
  • Requires each school district to conduct certain assessments in a specified format;
  • Requires a district school superintendent to provide specified agencies with certain findings and certain strategy and activity recommendations to improve school safety and security;
  • Requires that district school boards and private school principals or governing boards allow campus tours by such law enforcement agency or agencies;
  • Requires, rather than authorizes, district school boards to establish certain school resource officer programs;
  • Requires a district school board to commission one or more school safety officers at each district school facility within the district;
• Defines the term “structured high school acceleration program”, provides additional options for students participating in a structured program, and:
  • Prohibits a district school board from limiting the number of public school students who may participate in a structured program;
  • Requires each district school board to annually notify students in certain grades of certain information about the structured program;
  • Revises provisions relating to funding and requires the state board to enforce compliance;
• Revises the turnaround options available for certain schools;
• Creates the hope supplemental services allocation, provides purpose of the allocation, and specifies the services that may be funded by the allocation;
• Creates the mental health assistance allocation, and:
  • Provides the purpose of the allocation;
  • Prohibits the use of allocated funds to supplant funds provided from other operating funds, to increase salaries, or to provide bonuses;
  • Requires school districts to annually submit approved plans to the Commissioner of Education;
  • Requires that entities that receive such allocations annually submit a final report on program outcomes and specific expenditures to the Commissioner;
• Creates the funding compression allocation, provides purpose of the allocation, and provides the calculation for the allocation;
• Provides that a school district may withhold Title I funds for specified purposes, authorizes certain high schools to receive Title I funds, and authorizes certain schools to use Title I funds for specified purposes;
• Extends eligibility for the Florida Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program to school district employees who, in the immediately preceding school year, were classroom teachers and met eligibility requirements;
• Deletes the Florida Best & Brightest Teacher Scholarship Program awards authorized for 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20;
• Expands eligibility to include principals who are serving as a franchise model school principal; provides a scholarship of $10,000 to eligible franchise model school principals, $5,000 to eligible Title I school principals, and $4,000 to eligible non-Title I school principals;
• Provides clarification/correction regarding use of local revenue for project funding without a survey recommendation;
• Expands exceptions to existing requirements of the state building code for the planning and construction of public educational and ancillary plants to include any other provisions that limit the ability of a school to operate in a facility on the same basis as a charter school if the regional planning council determines that there is sufficient shelter capacity within the school district as documented in the Statewide Emergency Shelter Plan;
• Provides legislative intent to prohibit personal financial enrichment by owners, operators, managers, real estate developers, and other affiliated parties of charter schools and specifies that a charter school is not eligible for a funding allocation unless the chair of the governing board and the chief  administrative officer of the charter school annually certify that the funds will be used solely and exclusively for constructing, renovating, or improving charter school facilities that meet certain requirements for ownership;
• Revises the calculation methodology to be used by DOE to determine the amount of local discretionary millage revenue that a school district must distribute to each eligible charter school; and
• Appropriates a total of $2,988,694 is appropriated to the Department of Education to implement the provisions of the bill.

[NOTE: The Committee took up a 115-page strike-all amendment that retained many of the provisions of HB 7055, including the Hope Scholarship program, charter school provisions, and schools of hope/differentiated accountability provisions but added the Senate’s accountability provisions on these measures (SB 1172 and SB 1756).  In addition, the strike-all added several provisions important to the Senate, including mental health assistance allocation and funding compression allocation (SB 1434), the provisions clarifying local capital outlay funding and Title I funding (SB 2508), the financial literacy provisions (SB 88), and the school visitation provisions (SB 118).  The strike-all amendment was further amended to add provisions relating to CPR instruction, early learning provider eligibility, Best & Brightest Teacher Award eligibility, and safe school/school resource officer provisions.  The bill was also amended to remove provisions in HB 7055 relating to collective bargaining unit certification (HB 25). We are still reviewing the revised bill and will provided a more detailed summary later this week.  Meanwhile, we have tried to capture the main points of the amended bill above.  HB 7055 had already passed the House and this was the first of two committees of reference for the bill in the Senate.  Because this is a House bill, today’s amendments to the bill are not incorporated into the bill as a committee substitute.  Instead, the strike-all amendment, as amended, travels with the bill to the next Senate Committee of reference.]

SB 1804 – School District Accountability by Stargel – AMENDED; PASSED WITH A CS
The bill increases fiscal accountability and expands fiscal transparency requirements for district school boards. Specifically, the bill:

Increases fiscal accountability requirements by:

• Revises the duties of the Auditor General by adding the requirement to contact each district school board with the findings and recommendations contained within the Auditor General’s previous operational audit report.
• Requires the district school board to provide the Auditor General evidence of the initiation of corrective action within 45 days and evidence of completion of corrective action within 180 days.
• Provides that, if the district school board fails to comply with the Auditor General’s request or is unable to take corrective action within the required timeframe, the Auditor General must notify the Legislative Auditing Committee.
• Requiring the Department of Education’s (DOE’s) Inspector General to investigate allegations and reports of possible fraud or abuse against a district school board made by specified entities.
• Requiring school districts receiving annual federal, state, and local funds in excess of over $500 million to employ an internal auditor.

Expands fiscal transparency by:

• Requiring district school boards to provide a full explanation of any budget amendments at the boards’ next scheduled public meeting.
• Modifying the information that each district school board must post on its website to add graphical representations, for each public school within the district and for the school district, of financial efficiency data and 3-year fiscal trend information.
• Specifying additional information that each school district must report to the DOE including the total operating costs and expenditures for classroom instruction.
• Requiring the DOE to calculate specified expenditure information for each public school, school district, and the state; and develop a web-based fiscal transparency tool that identifies public schools and districts that produce high academic achievement based on the ratio of classroom instruction expenditures to total expenditures.
• Requiring the DOE to contract with an independent third party to conduct a forensic audit of all accounts and records which must include a financial solvency analysis that encompasses techniques to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse.
• Requiring the withholding of each district school board member’s and district school superintendent’s salaries if any of the financial conditions specified in law exist, until such conditions are corrected. However, this provision does not apply to a district school board member or district superintendent elected or appointed within 1 year after the identification of the conditions if he or she did not participate in the approval or preparation of the final school district budget adopted before the identification of such conditions.
• Requiring any travel outside the district that exceeds $500 requires to have prior approval by the district school board, any request for travel outside the state must include an itemized list detailing all anticipated travel expenses, and must provide an opportunity for the public to speak on the specific travel agenda item.

In addition, the bill:

• Provides that the salary of each district school board member shall be the amount calculated according to statute or the district’s beginning salary for teachers who hold baccalaureate degrees, whichever is less.
• Applies the restriction on lobbying for 2 years after vacating office to appointed school district superintendents, which currently applies to locally elected school district officers.
• Prohibits a school board member or a district superintendent from appointing or employing a relative to work under his or her direct supervision. This provision does not apply to employees appointed or employed before the election or appointment of a school board member or district school superintendent. The Commission on Ethics must investigate any alleged violations.
• Appropriates $850,000 to the DOE to implement the provisions of the bill.

[NOTE: The Committee took up and passed a strike-all amendment that added and clarified provisions relating to the duties of the Auditor General and related school district corrective action, employment of relatives, approval of travel expenditures, and withholding of salaries pending resolution of financial conditions.  The short summary above reflects the provisions of the bill as amended.  This was the first of three committees of reference for this bill.  The House companion bill — HB 1279 – is similar and is on the House Calendar on 2^nd Reading.]

In the Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee meeting:

SB 270 – Involuntary Examination/Admission of Minors by Steube – AMENDED; PASSED WITH A CS
The bill amends provisions relating to the Baker Act. Specifically, the bill:

• Provides that a designated law enforcement agency may decline to transport a minor 14 years of age or younger to a receiving facility for involuntary examination (if current law requirements for declining transport are met) and the minor’s parent or guardian agrees to transport the minor to the receiving facility.
• Provides specific criteria for taking a minor 14 years of age or younger to a receiving facility for involuntary examination, including consent of the minor’s parent or guardian. Exceptions to this consent are provided. A person 14 years of age or older is subject to the criteria in current law for taking a person to a receiving facility for involuntary examination.
• Requires that if the patient is a minor 14 years of age or younger, an assessment by a service provided must be initiated within 8 hours after the patient’s arrival at the facility.
• Requires that a receiving facility must release a minor 14 years of age or younger without delay to the minor’s parent or guardian upon request of the parent or guardian, unless parent or guardian consent was not necessary to conduct the examination; the facility made a report with the central abuse hotline based upon knowledge or suspicion of abuse, abandonment, or neglect; or the facility filed a petition for involuntary services.

[NOTE: Today’s amendment clarified that an assessment (rather than an examination) must be initiated within 8 hours.  The short summary above reflects the provisions of the bill as amended.  This was the second of three committees of reference for this bill.  There is no direct House companion bill.]

In the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee meeting:

SB 1568 – Prohibited Activities/Workers’ Compensation Law by Farmer — PASSED
The bill revises provisions relating to workers’ compensation prohibited acts and revises insurance fraud provisions relating to employees and employers. Chapter 440, F.S., governs the administration of the workers’ compensation system in Florida. The bill:

• Requires employers to comply with specified federal laws relating to immigration and employment.
• Eliminates the current provision that it is unlawful for an employer to knowingly participate in the creation of an employment relationship in which the employee has used any false, fraudulent, or misleading statement as evidence of identity.
• Revises the prohibited acts that constitute insurance fraud to require that false, fraudulent, or misleading statements must be relevant to the claimant’s eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits.

[NOTE: This was the first of three committees of reference for this bill.  There is no direct House companion bill.]

In the House Session:

HB 839 – Display of the State Motto by Daniels – READ 2^ND TIME; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 2/21/18
The bill requires each district school board to adopt rules that require all schools and all buildings used by the school board to display in a conspicuous place the state motto, In God We Trust. [NOTE: The Senate companion bill — SB 1158 – is identical but has not been heard in any of three committees of reference.]

HB 243 – Discretionary Sales Surtax by Avila — READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 2/21/18
The bill primarily addresses authority of counties to levy a sales surtax of up to one percent for specified transportation purposes. Of interest to school districts, the bill also includes provisions to require, for any referendum held on or after the effective date of the bill to adopt or amend a discretionary sales surtax, an independent certified public accountant (CPA) to conduct a performance audit of the county or school district holding the referendum. The CPA must be procured by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), which may use carryforward funds to procure and pay for the CPA’s services. The performance audit must be completed and the audit report, including any findings, recommendations, or other accompanying documents must be made available on the official website of the county or school district at least 60 days before the referendum is held. The audit report and accompanying documents must remain on the website for two years from the date it was posted.

The bill also defines the term “performance audit” to mean an examination of the county or school district conducted according to applicable government auditing standards or auditing and evaluation standards of other appropriate authoritative bodies. At a minimum, a performance audit must include an examination of issues related to the following:

• The economy, efficiency, or effectiveness of the county or school district;
• The structure or design of the county government or school district to accomplish its goals and objectives;
• Alternative methods of providing county or school district services or products;
• Goals, objectives, and performance measures used by the county or school district to monitor and report program accomplishments;
• The accuracy or adequacy of public documents, reports, or requests prepared by the county or school district; and
• Compliance of the county or school district with appropriate policies, rules, or laws.

[NOTE: Today’s amendment did not address the provisions relating to school districts.  There is no direct Senate companion bill.]

HB 1279 – School District Accountability by Sullivan — READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 2/21/18
To increase fiscal transparency of educational spending, the bill:

• Requires school boards to provide financial efficiency data and fiscal trend information;
• Requires the Department of Education to develop a web-based tool that identifies schools and districts with high academic achievement based on per pupil expenditures; and
• Requires school boards to provide a full explanation of, and approve, any budget amendment at the boards’ next public meeting.

To increase fiscal accountability of districts, the bill:

• Requires school districts with revenues over $500 million to employ an internal auditor;
• Requires school districts with low ending fund balances to reduce administrative costs and other expenditures;
• Requires districts with financial emergency conditions to withhold the salaries of certain superintendents and school board members until the emergency is addressed;
• Requires an investigation of school districts who are unable to timely pay current debts and liabilities;
• Clarifies that the Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General must investigate allegations and reports of fraud and abuse from certain government officials; and
• Requires school districts with previous operational audit findings to initiate and complete corrective action within a certain period of time.

The bill also:

• Prohibits appointed, along with elected superintendents, from lobbying school districts for a period of two years after vacating the position;
• Aligns school board member salaries with beginning teacher salaries or the amount calculated by statute;
• Requires prior school board approval for reimbursement of certain out-of-district travel expenses;
• Authorizes the withholding of a portion of an employee’s salary who owes a public financial disclosure fine;
• Repeals s. 1011.64, F.S., relating to school district minimum classroom expenditure requirements; and
• Prohibits superintendents, along with school board members, from employing or appointing a relative to work under their direct supervision.
• Contingent upon HB 7055 or similar legislation failing to become law, appropriates $850,000 to the Department of Education to implement the provisions of the bill.

[NOTE: Today’s amendment specified that the scope of the internal auditor is unrestricted.  The Senate companion bill — SB 1804 – is similar and has passed one of three committees of reference.]

HB 731 – Home Education by Sullivan — READ 2^ND TIME; AMENDED; PLACED ON 3^RD READING FOR 2/21/18
The bill:

• Clarifies the definition of “parent,” the home education registration process and the home education notice requirements;
• Authorizes school districts to provide a home education student access to career and technical courses and programs;
• Authorizes districts to offer industry certifications, national assessments and statewide, standardized assessments to home education students;
• Prohibits school superintendents from requiring evidence of a child’s age if the child meets regular attendance requirements by attending certain educational institutions or programs;
• Authorizes school superintendents to refer student non-enrollment cases to a child study team in order to conduct intervention services;
• Clarifies the court procedures and penalties for enforcement of compulsory school attendance;
• Clarifies that dual enrollment articulation agreements may not limit the number of dual enrollment courses students may take based solely upon a student’s enrollment at an independent postsecondary institution;
• Exempts a home education student from the grade point average requirement for admission to dual enrollment programs if the student meets the minimum score on a college placement test.
• Deletes a requirement for a home education student to provide his or her own instructional materials; and
• Provides, contingent upon HB 7055 or similar legislation failing to become law, an appropriation of $550,000 to the Department of Education to be used by the Division of Florida Colleges to reimburse eligible colleges for the instructional materials for certain students.

[NOTE: Today’s amendment related to instructional materials for home education students and provided an appropriation.  The Senate companion bill — SB 732 – is similar and has passed two of three committees of reference.]

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[toggle title=”Coming Up Tomorrow – February 21, 2018“]

Please note that the meeting listed below may be viewed via live webcast on the Florida Channel. For real-time updates, please click HERE to access our Twitter feed.

The House Health & Human Services Committee will meet, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, to consider the following item and others:

HB 1129 – Licensure of Child Care Programs by Cortes
The bill:

• Redefines “child care” and “child care facilities,” and removes the statutory requirement that DCF distinguish between child care programs for school-age children requiring licensure and after-school programs that do not need to be licensed.
• Specifies what constitutes after-school programs that must be licensed as a child care facility.
• Defines an after-school program as child care for school-age children during out-of-school times, including, but not limited to, before school or after school, school breaks, and in service planning days. An after-school program includes, but is not limited to, a program that does not require a parent to be present while the child is at the facility and satisfies three or more of the following elements:
  • Provides transportation.
  • Provides meals or snacks.
  • Provides more than one type of educational, artistic, athletic, or self-directed activity.
  • Provides tutoring or homework assistance, or a specific time for children to complete homework.
  • Advertises or holds itself out as providing child care or being an after-school program.
  • Takes children on field trips.
• Provides exemptions from the definition of after-school program, which exempt qualifying programs from licensure.
• Amends legislative intent related to the licensure of child care facilities to state that membership organizations affiliated with national organizations which provide child care are considered to be child care facilities and, as such, are subject to licensing requirements or minimum standards for child care facilities.
• Provides exceptions from certain physical plant requirements for such membership organizations that are licensed as child care facilities for after-school programs before July 1, 2020.

The House Judiciary Committee will meet, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, to consider the following items and others:

HB 1197 – Prearrest Diversion Programs by Ahern
The bill establishes a model prearrest diversion program that local entities may, but are not mandated to, adopt. In implementing such a program, representatives from local law enforcement agencies, the program services provider, the public defender, the state attorney, and the clerk of the court, in consultation with other interested stakeholders, have wide latitude to develop the program, including defining eligibility criteria, program implementation and operation, and fees, if any. The bill also expands eligibility criteria for juvenile diversion program expunction. The bill makes participants in all types of juvenile diversion programs eligible for expunction. The individual programs no longer have the discretion to specify whether expunction is available, and a minor who completes any diversion program for any misdemeanor is eligible. The bill requires the diversion programs to submit data regarding participants and nonparticipants in diversion programs to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), which must compile and publish the data on its website.

HB 1199 – Public Records/Prearrest Diversion Programs by Ahern
The bill creates a public records exemption for the personal identifying information of an adult who participates in diversion program as established in HB 1197 above. Specifically, the exemption protects the personal identifying information held by a law enforcement agency, a program services provider, a clerk of the circuit court, or the entity operating the prearrest diversion program before, on, or after the effective date of this exemption. The exemption does not apply to an adult who fails to complete the prearrest diversion program.

The House Education Committee will meet, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, to consider the following item and others:

HB 323 – High School Graduation Requirements by Fitzenhagen
The bill eliminates financial literacy instruction from the one-half credit economics requirement and establishes a one-half credit financial literacy course as an additional elective. The bill requires students to be provided an opportunity to learn personal financial literacy, which must include topics such as opening and managing a bank account, balancing a checkbook, completing a loan application, computing federal income taxes, simple contracts, types of savings and investments, and state and federal finance laws.

The Senate will be in Session, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, to consider the following item and others on 3^rd Reading:

SB 1048 – Firearms by Baxley
The bill enables a church, synagogue, or other religious institution to authorize a person who has a concealed handgun license to carry a concealed handgun in some places where even a licensee normally may not, subject to several restrictions. These places includes elementary or secondary schools and career centers, if they are also established places of worship. Under the bill, a religious institution may authorize the holder of a concealed handgun license to carry a concealed handgun on certain school properties if they are “established physical place[s] of worship at which religious services are regularly conducted.”  However, if the institution uses school property not owned by the institution, the institution must have the permission of the owner or administrator of the property to allow the licensed carrying of concealed handguns. Additionally, a person may not possess a handgun on school property during school hours or when any school-sponsored activity is taking place on the property. Finally, the bill expressly states that religious institutions may not authorize a person to carry a handgun on the property of a public or private college or university.

The House will be in Session, 1:30 pm – completion of business, to consider the following item and others on 3^rd Reading:

HB 839 – Display of the State Motto by Daniels
The bill requires each district school board to adopt rules that require all schools and all buildings used by the school board to display in a conspicuous place the state motto, In God We Trust. [NOTE: The Senate companion bill — SB 1158 – is identical but has not been heard in any of three committees of reference.]

HB 243 – Discretionary Sales Surtax by Avila
The bill primarily addresses authority of counties to levy a sales surtax of up to one percent for specified transportation purposes. Of interest to school districts, the bill also includes provisions to require, for any referendum held on or after the effective date of the bill to adopt or amend a discretionary sales surtax, an independent certified public accountant (CPA) to conduct a performance audit of the county or school district holding the referendum. The CPA must be procured by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), which may use carryforward funds to procure and pay for the CPA’s services. The performance audit must be completed and the audit report, including any findings, recommendations, or other accompanying documents must be made available on the official website of the county or school district at least 60 days before the referendum is held. The audit report and accompanying documents must remain on the website for two years from the date it was posted.

The bill also defines the term “performance audit” to mean an examination of the county or school district conducted according to applicable government auditing standards or auditing and evaluation standards of other appropriate authoritative bodies. At a minimum, a performance audit must include an examination of issues related to the following:

• The economy, efficiency, or effectiveness of the county or school district;
• The structure or design of the county government or school district to accomplish its goals and objectives;
• Alternative methods of providing county or school district services or products;
• Goals, objectives, and performance measures used by the county or school district to monitor and report program accomplishments;
• The accuracy or adequacy of public documents, reports, or requests prepared by the county or school district; and
• Compliance of the county or school district with appropriate policies, rules, or laws.

[NOTE: There is no direct Senate companion bill.]

HB 1279 – School District Accountability by Sullivan
To increase fiscal transparency of educational spending, the bill:

• Requires school boards to provide financial efficiency data and fiscal trend information;
• Requires the Department of Education to develop a web-based tool that identifies schools and districts with high academic achievement based on per pupil expenditures; and
• Requires school boards to provide a full explanation of, and approve, any budget amendment at the boards’ next public meeting.

To increase fiscal accountability of districts, the bill:

• Requires school districts with revenues over $500 million to employ an internal auditor;
• Requires school districts with low ending fund balances to reduce administrative costs and other expenditures;
• Requires districts with financial emergency conditions to withhold the salaries of certain superintendents and school board members until the emergency is addressed;
• Requires an investigation of school districts who are unable to timely pay current debts and liabilities;
• Clarifies that the Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General must investigate allegations and reports of fraud and abuse from certain government officials; and
• Requires school districts with previous operational audit findings to initiate and complete corrective action within a certain period of time.

The bill also:

• Prohibits appointed, along with elected superintendents, from lobbying school districts for a period of two years after vacating the position;
• Aligns school board member salaries with beginning teacher salaries or the amount calculated by statute;
• Requires prior school board approval for reimbursement of certain out-of-district travel expenses;
• Authorizes the withholding of a portion of an employee’s salary who owes a public financial disclosure fine;
• Repeals s. 1011.64, F.S., relating to school district minimum classroom expenditure requirements; and
• Prohibits superintendents, along with school board members, from employing or appointing a relative to work under their direct supervision.
• Contingent upon HB 7055 or similar legislation failing to become law, appropriates $850,000 to the Department of Education to implement the provisions of the bill.

[NOTE: The Senate companion bill — SB 1804 – is similar and has passed one of three committees of reference.]

HB 731 – Home Education by Sullivan
The bill:

• Clarifies the definition of “parent,” the home education registration process and the home education notice requirements;
• Authorizes school districts to provide a home education student access to career and technical courses and programs;
• Authorizes districts to offer industry certifications, national assessments and statewide, standardized assessments to home education students;
• Prohibits school superintendents from requiring evidence of a child’s age if the child meets regular attendance requirements by attending certain educational institutions or programs;
• Authorizes school superintendents to refer student non-enrollment cases to a child study team in order to conduct intervention services;
• Clarifies the court procedures and penalties for enforcement of compulsory school attendance;
• Clarifies that dual enrollment articulation agreements may not limit the number of dual enrollment courses students may take based solely upon a student’s enrollment at an independent postsecondary institution;
• Exempts a home education student from the grade point average requirement for admission to dual enrollment programs if the student meets the minimum score on a college placement test.
• Deletes a requirement for a home education student to provide his or her own instructional materials; and
• Provides, contingent upon HB 7055 or similar legislation failing to become law, an appropriation of $550,000 to the Department of Education to be used by the Division of Florida Colleges to reimburse eligible colleges for the instructional materials for certain students.

[NOTE: The Senate companion bill — SB 732 – is similar and has passed two of three committees of reference.]

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