The Florida Legislature witnessed significant activity in budget discussions last week as both the House and the Senate moved budget and implementing bills forward. The House has put forth a budget plan amounting to $112.9 billion, significantly lower than the Senate's proposition of $117.36 billion. The difference in budget proposals largely involves funding strategies for education and scholarships amidst changes in enrollment expectations. According to estimates, scholarship enrollments are expected to rise by 88,700, while a decline of nearly 28,000 is predicted for public school enrollment. On the whole, K-12 enrollment is projected to grow by 60,750 students.
Key divergences in the budget include provisions for the Schools of Hope charter program, New World Scholarships, and the Workforce Capitalization Incentive Grant. The House proposes $6 million for the Schools of Hope program, whereas the Senate allocates nothing. A similar zero-dollar allocation by the Senate contrasts sharply with the House’s $24 million allocation for New World Scholarships. Both legislative bodies are also at odds over the Workforce Capitalization Incentive Grant, with the House and Senate proposing $50 million and $100 million, respectively. Additionally, the Senate has earmarked $2 million for Artificial Intelligence grants, with no corresponding House allocation.
In related legislative moves, the House passed House Bill 1145, led by Rep. Jason Shoaf by a vote of 100-4, to support charter schools in career and technical education. The Senate’s counterpart, Bill 742, pushed by Sen. Corey Simon, was similarly passed by the Senate Education Committee unanimously.
The Senate has also passed Senate Bill 166, a controversial piece of legislation sponsored by Sen. Simon, which proposes several changes to school district operations and may affect school accountability. The bill includes measures such as converting diagnostic reading tests into high-stakes exams and altering high school graduation requirements. The Foundation opposed this, stating it could undermine accountability and student expectations.
Furthermore, proposals for phone-free school environments are advancing, driven by House Bill 949 from Rep. Demi Busatta and Senate Bill 1296 from Sen. Danny Burgess, both passed through their respective committees unanimously. These bills aim to expand phone-free policies throughout the entire school day.
Lastly, several bills targeting improvements in math and literacy education are progressing in the House, including House Bill 1113 sponsored by Rep. Susan Valdes, House Bill 1309 by Rep. John Snyder, and House Bill 1255 from Rep. Dana Trabulsy. Another significant bill, House Bill 1483, also sponsored by Rep. Valdes, seeks to better the school grading system, aiming to enhance transparency and support student learning in math and reading.
The Foundation supports initiatives to boost academic expectations, emphasizing that improving the escalator framework for school grades could align with raising achievement standards effectively.