The Florida House PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee passed HB 833, allowing all students to have access to online courses.
Under existing laws, students in second through fifth grades can’t enroll in virtual courses part-time. Children in middle and high school can only take certain part-time courses if they were enrolled in public schools the previous year.
Those restrictions mean Florida Virtual School, its district-run franchises and their private competitors have to turn some students away. The statewide public virtual school — which serves students in Florida and beyond in grades K – 12 online — has been expanding its elementary school offerings after a state law authorized them in 2011, but students typically can’t enroll in those courses unless they sign up for virtual school full-time or they attended a public school the previous year.
According to the House analysis, the bill by Rep. Jennifer Sullivan, R-Mount Dora, “removes the prior year in public school requirement and provides that all K-12 students, including home education and private school students, are eligible for both full-time and part-time virtual instruction options.”
In particular, the change gives students in second through fifth grade who did not attend public school the ability to enroll in part-time virtual instruction, according to the bill’s analysis.
Rep. Bob Cortes, R- Altamonte Springs, had supported previous versions of the proposal. He included it in a school choice bill the House approved last year, but the virtual education provisions didn’t pass the Senate.
This year, Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, has filed an identical bill, and Gov. Rick Scott has called for eliminating the remaining barriers to virtual education.
“It is a great bill, and I ask members for their support,” Cortes said.
