By Sophia Bailly Strong turnout among Democrats so far and remarkably robust fundraising by a public middle school teacher are making one of Florida's special congressional elections next week tighter than expected for a prominent Republican hoping to replace a GOP incumbent in a... Continue Reading
By Gabrielle Russon One lawmaker’s proposal to study how schools can ban cell phones during the school day cleared the first committee stop Monday. A bill sponsored by Sen. Danny Burgess, a Zephyrhills Republican, would create a pilot program to help the state understand how best to... Continue Reading
By Austyn Szempruch On March 11, Hernando School District’s school planner, James Lipsey and Brian Ragan, director of facilities and construction, reviewed the district’s five-year work plan with the Hernando County School Board. They held a roughly 30-minute presentation... Continue Reading
By Gabrielle Russon The Senate Appropriations Committee has released a proposed $117.36 billion spending plan, which lawmakers said is leaner than last year’s budget while still prioritizing funding for major infrastructure and environmental projects. The Senate plan would be $1.3... Continue Reading
By Jacob Ogles After years of offering incentives and salary hikes to new teachers, a House budget proposal prioritizes pay for experienced educators. A proposed House budget released on Friday called for $100 million to support a pay increase for “veteran teachers.” The proposed... Continue Reading
By Andrew Powell A bill seeking to enhance preparedness for cardiac emergencies in public schools to help save the lives of Florida students is now ready for the House floor. Hialeah Republican Rep. Alex Rizo and Clermont Republican Rep. Taylor Yarkosky presented the measure (HB 1607) to the... Continue Reading
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
