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With the passage of a budget, including $29.5 billion for education, Florida lawmakers capped off a 60-day legislative session that lasted 105 days.
Time to take a break and refresh, right?
Officials attending the Florida School Boards Association summer conference in Tampa didn’t think so.
As they wound down their annual meeting, board members from districts across the state gathered to celebrate their wins — changes on school start times and campus security, and protection of funding for advanced and career programs high among them — and to stress that the hard work is far from over.
Lobbyist Danielle Thomas reminded the group that the 2026 session begins Jan. 13. That means committee meetings kick off in early October, which in turn pressures school boards to talk priorities now.
They had no trouble starting the list. Among the topics:
Attendance — A measure (HB 1367) aimed at redefining student absenteeism and requiring schools to provide additional interventions died in Senate rules. Its sponsor already has vowed to bring it back.
Transportation — More than one lawmaker raised questions about why students who live closer than 2 miles to their schools don’t have guaranteed bus rides. They pushed a handful of bills, but ran into the reality that the cost is prohibitive. They’re not likely to give up easily, though.
School grades — House members argued that the state’s school grading system is misleading. Board officials worried the proposed changes would label almost every school in Florida an F. They’re looking to promote a more viable plan that still addresses lawmakers’ concerns.
High school graduation — Lawmakers eliminated the certificate of completion, and rejected a proposal to end the requirement that seniors pass a state reading and algebra exam to earn a diploma. Sensing the trend, board members suggested the idea of a good cause exemption, similar to the one allowed for third-grade promotion, in the graduation arena to help teens who struggle.
Other ideas floated included removing the state’s caps on school construction costs, preparing for a discussion on the possible reduction or elimination of property taxes, and finding a new teacher pay model that better helps recruit and retain educators.
Those were just the topics that came during a 25-minute deliberation over a legislative agenda. Expect many more as districts jumpstart their discussions. And, after seeing how well joint efforts worked this year (note the wins mentioned earlier), watch for more cross-state collaboration, too. Sooner rather than later.
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