Downloads
CS/CS/HB 443 — Education
by Education and Employment Committee; Choice and Innovation Subcommittee; and Rep. Valdes and others (CS/CS/CS/SB 986 by Fiscal Policy Committee; Appropriations Committee on Education; Education Pre-K - 12 Committee; and Senator Burgess)
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Education Pre-K -12 Committee (ED)
The bill modifies provisions related to charter schools, the Florida Teachers Classroom Supply Assistance Program, private tutoring, and other education-related areas.
The bill includes a number of provisions related to charter schools that:
- Authorize a charter school to give enrollment preference to students who are the children of a safe-school school officer assigned to the school.
- Authorizes a not-for-profit entity to loan certain assets to other charter schools in the state that are operated by the same entity, provided the loan is repaid within five years.
- Include charter school personnel in certain school district training.
- Require the sponsor to annually provide a report on the services provided to charter schools from the administrative fee.
- Require the sponsor to make timely payments and reimbursement, defined as 60 days, of eligible federal grant funds.
- Require the State Board of Education to adopt rules for a standard charter school monitoring tool.
- Require a charter school to place a student on a progress monitoring plan for at least one semester before dismissing the student when the school limits enrollment based on academic, artistic or other standards.
The bill also:
- Expands the Florida Teachers Classroom Supply Assistance Program to include less-than-full-time teachers.
- Requires the district to post step-by-step instructions on how to provide first aid for choking in each public school cafeteria within the district.
- Provides zoning flexibility for private tutoring facilities of up to 25 students.
- Requires the Department of Children and Families to report every 5 years, beginning December 1, 2024, on training requirements and coursework offered to child care personnel.
- Requires the Department of Education to include, as part of the statewide early learning information system, a way for a parent to find early learning programs online.
- Clarifies that a child care provider must not have 3 or more of the same Class 2 violations within 2 years to apply or maintain its status as a Gold Seal Quality Care Provider.
- Adds priority funding under the Community School Grant Program for expanding a program based on the feeder pattern of an existing community school.
If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor’s signature, these provisions take effect July 1, 2023.
Vote: Senate 35-4; House 109-0