Around the state: Bills imposing eight-year term limits on local school board and revising the rules on charter school conversions are approved by Senate committees, bills are filed in the House and Senate to restore cost-of-living adjustments to retired teachers and other state workers, Florida is rated the best state for education freedom, and parents in two counties are appealing the dismissal of their lawsuit challenging the state’s book review process. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Orange, St. Johns: Parents of students in Orange and St. Johns counties are appealing a recent federal court ruling dismissing their challenge to a state schoolbook review process. A 2023 allows parents to use a state review process if local boards refuse to remove books they consider pornographic from school libraries. But the process does not allow parents to challenge decisions to restrict or remove books. News Service of Florida.
Hernando: A proposal to add 30 classrooms at Winding Waters K-8/Weeki Wachee High School has been approved by the school board. Board members expressed their unhappiness at the $30 million cost, but $2 million has already been spent on the plans. The work is expected to be completed by May 2026. Suncoast News. Three months after the school board rejected a plan to change school boundaries and open Nature Coast Technical High School for zoned students, board members want to try again. Acting superintendent Ray Pinder said a rezoning proposal will be on the April agenda, and would go into effect in August 2026 if approved. Suncoast News.
School board term limits: A proposed constitutional amendment that would limit local school board members to eight years in office was approved Monday by the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee. Terms that began before the 2022 general election would not be counted. The bill has two more committees to clear. If it gets the approval of 60% of legislators, it would appear on the 2026 general election ballot, where it would have to receive more than 60% of the vote to take effect. Some lawmakers voiced concerns about the idea of a lifetime cap on service. News Service of Florida. Florida Politics. Florida’s Voice. WKMG.
State pension proposal: Bills have been filed in the Senate (SB 1126) and House (HB 945) to restore annual 3% cost-of-living adjustments for some retired teachers and other state workers. COLA payments were changed in 2011. Workers who retired before 2011 continue to get the COLA, while those retiring after 2011 receive the adjustment only for the time they worked before COLA was repealed. Workers hired after 2011 get no COLA. USA Today Florida Network.
Also in the Legislature: A bill that would vest parents with children in a public school with the authority to decide if it should be converted into a charter school was approved Monday by the Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee. The committee also advanced a measure that requires school boards to adopt policies on removing teachers and other school employees who are arrested. Florida Senate. “Smart living” courses would be required for students beginning in 2026 under a bill being considered by the House Careers and Workforce Subcommittee. It would require 8th-graders and high school students to take standalone courses on creating personal budgets, managing debt, filing tax returns, understanding personal credit and more. WKMG. The full Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on SB 110, which would direct money to rural communities to help recruit and retain teachers, improve Internet service and more. News Service of Florida.
Tracking choice expansion: School choice expansion in Florida and across the nation has created opportunities for niche educational options. One is On Track School, which offers tailored online courses for 535 students in 50 states and 13 countries. It was created in 2004 as a way to help students who are also motocross drivers and spend lots of time traveling to events, and now has students pursuing other sports. “Public school has a place,” said program founder Andrea Leib. “But our place is, if you’re passionate about something, you need a program that fits your lifestyle.” NextSteps.
State tops freedom index: Florida tops the rankings of states in education freedom, according to a report by the education reform organization EdChoice. Florida compiled a score of 77, primarily “due to the fact that 100% of Florida’s students may obtain funding to participate in the Sunshine State’s private educational choice programs,” the group said. Arkansas was second with 60 points. Florida’s Voice. Florida Department of Education.
Opinions on schools: Increasing the state’s investment in the need-based student aid program, Florida Student Assistance Grant, would help our most disadvantaged college students stay the course, graduate and contribute to Florida’s evolving economy. Braulio Colon, Orlando Sentinel. Federal policymakers say they want to restore meritocracy. It would make no sense for them to break down some of society’s best models of meritocracy by cutting off federal science grants to universities. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow. High-dosage tutoring delivered during the school day from a consistent, well-trained tutor is the most promising lever for change. Kevin Huffman and Sadie Jefferson, The 74.
