A bill is headed to the full Senate that would make wide-ranging changes in the public education system, including revising graduation requirements for high school students. The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee on Thursday unanimously approved the bill (SB 166), sponsored by Sen. Corey Simon,... Continue Reading
By Andrew Powell A bill seeking to give greater flexibility to school districts by reducing some of the requirements around testing and funding use is heading to the Senate floor. The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee unanimously advanced the measure (SB 166), moving it through its final... Continue Reading
By Jeffrey S. Solochek Early talk of reducing or eliminating Florida’s property tax system, which undergirds local funding of public education, has faded as the legislative session has progressed. On Wednesday, a major source of state funding for education and other aspects of government... Continue Reading
By Gabrielle Russon Rise and shine. The Senate has passed the committee version of legislation (SB 296) that would overturn a 2023 law requiring high schools and middle schools to start later. The 2023 law didn’t take effect immediately and gave schools until 2026 to comply. With the... Continue Reading
By Ana Ceballos and Romy Ellenbogen Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez says he has “personal concerns” about a proposal that would loosen the state’s child labor laws and allow many teenagers to work overnight jobs on school days without a meal break. The proposal... Continue Reading
Legislative budget proposals have started to roll out, and the message of the session is prepare for less. “We need to right-size our budget this year,” House PreK-12 Budget chairperson Jenna Persons-Mulicka told her panel Tuesday as she unveiled her recommendations. “We have to... Continue Reading
By Ana Goñi-Lessan Students enrolled in the state's Family Empowerment Scholarships are bouncing back to public schools, but the funding isn't following the students, public school officials say. It's caused confusion and budget discrepancies, and district funds have been stretched thin,... Continue Reading
By Gabrielle Russon At 8 a.m. sharp Wednesday, Republican Rep. John Temple sat in a committee meeting as lawmakers grumbled about the early start time. “Under my breath, I mumbled, ‘It’s not too early to go to school, you know?’” Temple said. The Legislature in... Continue Reading
Destin High School announced Wednesday it will adopt a four-day school week for the 2025-26 school years. WEAR News previously reported the school was considering making the change from a typical five-day school week. "This decision was made after a careful planning and feedback and reflects the... Continue Reading
By Ana Ceballos An effort to ban Florida public schools from serving students ultra-processed foods, such as sugary drinks and artificially colored snacks, hit a snag in a state Senate committee on Tuesday after facing pushback from the industry that sells those products. “There is a... Continue Reading
By Jesse Scheckner A bill to protect minors from predators on social media is moving forward in the Senate with mostly positive reviews, though there are some concerns about cybersecurity dangers. Members of the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee voted 7-2 for the measure (SB 868), which... Continue Reading
By Gabrielle Russon Cities, universities and government entities could be banned from flying pride flags and other banners that express “political viewpoints’ under a bill sponsored by Sen. Randy Fine. The Senate Community Affairs Committee supported the measure (SB 100) via a 5-3... Continue Reading
