Text of FL S 1618 (2025)

Florida Senate - 2025 SB 1618 By Senator Calatayud 38-00773A-25 20251618__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to prekindergarten through grade 12 3 education; amending s. 11.45, F.S.; removing the 4 Florida School for Competitive Academics from audit 5 requirements; amending s. 216.251, F.S.; removing the 6 Florida School for Competitive Academics from 7 specified classification and pay plans; amending s. 8 447.203, F.S.; removing the Florida School for 9 Competitive Academics from the definition of a public 10 employer; amending s. 1000.04, F.S.; removing the 11 Florida School for Competitive Academics from the 12 components of Florida’s Early Learning-20 education 13 system; amending s. 1001.20, F.S.; removing the 14 Florida School for Competitive Academics from the 15 duties of the Office of Inspector General within the 16 Department of Education; creating s. 1001.325, F.S.; 17 prohibiting the expenditure of funds by public 18 schools, charter schools, school districts, charter 19 school administrators, or direct-support organizations 20 to purchase membership in, or goods or services from, 21 any organization that discriminates on the basis of 22 race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or 23 religion; prohibiting the expenditure of funds by 24 public schools, charter schools, school districts, 25 charter school administrators, or direct-support 26 organizations to promote, support, or maintain certain 27 programs or activities; authorizing the use of student 28 fees and school or district facilities by student-led 29 organizations under certain circumstances; providing 30 construction; requiring the State Board of Education 31 to adopt rules; amending s. 1001.452, F.S.; deleting a 32 provision requiring the Commissioner of Education to 33 determine whether school districts have maximized 34 efforts to include minority persons and persons of 35 lower socioeconomic status on their school advisory 36 councils; amending s. 1002.20, F.S.; authorizing 37 public schools to purchase or enter into arrangements 38 for certain emergency opioid antagonists, rather than 39 only for naloxone; requiring that district school 40 board policies authorizing corporal punishment include 41 a requirement that parental consent be provided before 42 the administration of corporal punishment; amending s. 43 1002.33, F.S.; requiring a charter school to comply 44 with statute relating to corporal punishment; 45 repealing s. 1002.351, F.S., relating to the Florida 46 School for Competitive Academics; amending s. 47 1002.394, F.S.; removing the Florida School for 48 Competitive Academics from Family Empowerment 49 Scholarship prohibitions; amending s. 1002.395, F.S.; 50 removing the Florida School for Competitive Academics 51 from Florida Tax Credit Scholarship prohibitions; 52 amending s. 1002.68, F.S.; deleting a provision 53 requiring the department to confer with the Council 54 for Early Grade Success before receiving a certain 55 approval; amending s. 1002.71, F.S.; revising the 56 conditions under which a student may withdraw from a 57 prekindergarten program and reenroll in another 58 program; amending s. 1002.945, F.S.; revising the 59 criteria required for a child care facility, large 60 family child care home, or family day care home to 61 obtain and maintain a designation as a Gold Seal 62 Quality Care provider; amending s. 1003.41, F.S.; 63 requiring that certain standards documents contain 64 only academic standards and benchmarks; requiring the 65 Commissioner of Education to revise currently approved 66 standards documents and submit them to the state board 67 by a specified date; amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; 68 revising required instruction on the principles of 69 agriculture; requiring the department to collaborate 70 with specified entities to develop associated 71 standards and a curriculum; authorizing the department 72 to contract with certain agricultural education 73 organizations; amending s. 1003.4201, F.S.; 74 authorizing the inclusion of intensive reading 75 interventions in a school district comprehensive 76 reading instruction plan; requiring that intensive 77 reading interventions be delivered by instructional 78 personnel who possess a micro-credential or are 79 certified or endorsed in reading; requiring that such 80 interventions incorporate certain strategies; 81 requiring that instructional personnel with a micro 82 credential be supervised by an individual certified or 83 endorsed in reading; defining the term “supervised”; 84 authorizing the inclusion in the reading instruction 85 plans of a description of how school districts 86 prioritize the assignment of highly effective 87 teachers; amending s. 1003.4282, F.S.; adding 88 components to required instruction on financial 89 literacy; amending s. 1007.27, F.S.; requiring the 90 state board to identify national consortia to develop 91 certain courses; authorizing the department to join or 92 establish a national consortium as an additional 93 alternative method to develop and implement advanced 94 placement courses; repealing s. 1008.2125, F.S., 95 relating to the Council for Early Grade Success; 96 amending s. 1008.36, F.S.; specifying the recipients 97 of school recognition bonus funds; amending s. 98 1008.365, F.S.; revising the types of tutoring hours 99 that may be counted toward meeting the community 100 service requirements for the Bright Futures 101 Scholarship Program; repealing s. 1011.58, F.S., 102 relating to legislative budget requests of the Florida 103 School for Competitive Academics; repealing s. 104 1011.59, F.S., relating to funds for the Florida 105 School for Competitive Academics; amending s. 106 1012.315, F.S.; revising educator certification and 107 certain employment screening standards; making 108 technical changes; amending s. 1012.56, F.S.; 109 authorizing individuals to demonstrate mastery of 110 general knowledge, subject area knowledge, or 111 professional preparation and education competence by 112 providing a school district with documentation of a 113 valid certificate issued by the American Board for 114 Certification of Teacher Excellence; amending s. 115 1012.77, F.S.; conforming a provision to a change made 116 by the act; specifying entities eligible to submit 117 nominees for the Teacher of the Year and Ambassador 118 for Education awards; providing effective dates. 119 120 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 121 122 Section 1. Paragraphs (d) and (f) of subsection (2) of 123 section 11.45, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 124 11.45 Definitions; duties; authorities; reports; rules.— 125 (2) DUTIES.—The Auditor General shall: 126 (d) Annually conduct financial audits of the accounts and 127 records of all district school boards in counties with 128 populations of less fewer than 150,000, according to the most 129 recent federal decennial statewide census; and the Florida 130 School for the Deaf and the Blind; and the Florida School for 131 Competitive Academics. 132 (f) At least every 3 years, conduct operational audits of 133 the accounts and records of state agencies, state universities, 134 state colleges, district school boards, the Florida Clerks of 135 Court Operations Corporation, water management districts, and 136 the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, and the Florida 137 School for Competitive Academics. 138 139 The Auditor General shall perform his or her duties 140 independently but under the general policies established by the 141 Legislative Auditing Committee. This subsection does not limit 142 the Auditor General’s discretionary authority to conduct other 143 audits or engagements of governmental entities as authorized in 144 subsection (3). 145 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 146 216.251, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 147 216.251 Salary appropriations; limitations.— 148 (2)(a) The salary for each position not specifically 149 indicated in the appropriations acts shall be as provided in one 150 of the following subparagraphs: 151 1. Within the classification and pay plans provided for in 152 chapter 110. 153 2. Within the classification and pay plans established by 154 the Board of Trustees for the Florida School for the Deaf and 155 the Blind of the Department of Education and approved by the 156 State Board of Education for academic and academic 157 administrative personnel. 158 3. Within the classification and pay plan approved and 159 administered by the Board of Governors or the designee of the 160 board for those positions in the State University System. 161 4. Within the classification and pay plan approved by the 162 President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 163 Representatives, as the case may be, for employees of the 164 Legislature. 165 5. Within the approved classification and pay plan for the 166 judicial branch. 167 6. Within the classification and pay plans established by 168 the Board of Trustees for the Florida School for Competitive 169 Academics of the Department of Education and approved by the 170 State Board of Education for academic and academic 171 administrative personnel. 172 Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 447.203, Florida 173 Statutes, is amended to read: 174 447.203 Definitions.—As used in this part: 175 (2) “Public employer” or “employer” means the state or any 176 county, municipality, or special district or any subdivision or 177 agency thereof which the commission determines has sufficient 178 legal distinctiveness properly to carry out the functions of a 179 public employer. With respect to all public employees determined 180 by the commission as properly belonging to a statewide 181 bargaining unit composed of State Career Service System 182 employees or Selected Professional Service employees, the 183 Governor is deemed to be the public employer; and the Board of 184 Governors of the State University System, or the board’s 185 designee, is deemed to be the public employer with respect to 186 all public employees of each constituent state university. The 187 board of trustees of a community college is deemed to be the 188 public employer with respect to all employees of the community 189 college. The district school board is deemed to be the public 190 employer with respect to all employees of the school district. 191 The Board of Trustees of the Florida School for the Deaf and the 192 Blind is deemed to be the public employer with respect to the 193 academic and academic administrative personnel of the Florida 194 School for the Deaf and the Blind. The Board of Trustees of the 195 Florida School for Competitive Academics is deemed to be the 196 public employer with respect to the academic and academic 197 administrative personnel of the Florida School for Competitive 198 Academics. The Governor is deemed to be the public employer with 199 respect to all employees in the Correctional Education Program 200 of the Department of Corrections established pursuant to s. 201 944.801. 202 Section 4. Subsection (7) of section 1000.04, Florida 203 Statutes, is amended to read: 204 1000.04 Components for the delivery of public education 205 within the Florida Early Learning-20 education system.—Florida’s 206 Early Learning-20 education system provides for the delivery of 207 early learning and public education through publicly supported 208 and controlled K-12 schools, Florida College System 209 institutions, state universities and other postsecondary 210 educational institutions, other educational institutions, and 211 other educational services as provided or authorized by the 212 Constitution and laws of the state. 213 (7) THE FLORIDA SCHOOL FOR COMPETITIVE ACADEMICS.—The 214 Florida School for Competitive Academics is a component of the 215 delivery of public education within Florida’s Early Learning-20 216 education system. 217 Section 5. Paragraph (e) of subsection (4) of section 218 1001.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 219 1001.20 Department under direction of state board.— 220 (4) The Department of Education shall establish the 221 following offices within the Office of the Commissioner of 222 Education which shall coordinate their activities with all other 223 divisions and offices: 224 (e) Office of Inspector General.—Organized using existing 225 resources and funds and responsible for promoting 226 accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness and detecting 227 fraud and abuse within school districts, the Florida School for 228 the Deaf and the Blind, the Florida School for Competitive 229 Academics, and Florida College System institutions in Florida. 230 If the Commissioner of Education determines that a district 231 school board, the Board of Trustees for the Florida School for 232 the Deaf and the Blind, the Board of Trustees for the Florida 233 School for Competitive Academics, or a Florida College System 234 institution board of trustees is unwilling or unable to address 235 substantiated allegations made by any person relating to waste, 236 fraud, or financial mismanagement within the school district, 237 the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, the Florida 238 School for Competitive Academics, or the Florida College System 239 institution, the office must conduct, coordinate, or request 240 investigations into such substantiated allegations. The office 241 shall investigate allegations or reports of possible fraud or 242 abuse against a district school board made by any member of the 243 Cabinet; the presiding officer of either house of the 244 Legislature; a chair of a substantive or appropriations 245 committee with jurisdiction; or a member of the board for which 246 an investigation is sought. The office may investigate 247 allegations or reports of suspected violations of a student’s, 248 parent’s, or teacher’s rights. The office shall have access to 249 all information and personnel necessary to perform its duties 250 and shall have all of its current powers, duties, and 251 responsibilities authorized in s. 20.055. 252 Section 6. Section 1001.325, Florida Statutes, is created 253 to read: 254 1001.325 Prohibited expenditures.— 255 (1) A public school, charter school, school district, 256 charter school administrator, or direct-support organization may 257 not expend any funds, regardless of source, to purchase 258 membership in, or goods and services from, any organization that 259 discriminates on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, 260 disability, or religion. 261 (2) A public school, charter school, school district, 262 charter school administrator, or direct-support organization may 263 not expend any state or federal funds to promote, support, or 264 maintain any programs or campus activities that: 265 (a) Violate s. 1000.05; or 266 (b) Advocate, promote, or engage in political or social 267 activism, as defined by the State Board of Education. 268 269 Student fees to support student-led organizations are permitted 270 notwithstanding any speech or expressive activity by such 271 organizations which would otherwise violate this subsection, 272 provided that public funds are allocated to student-led 273 organizations pursuant to written policies or regulations of the 274 school or district in which the student is enrolled, as 275 applicable. Use of school or district facilities by student-led 276 organizations is permitted notwithstanding any speech or 277 expressive activity by such organizations which would otherwise 278 violate this subsection, provided that such use is granted to 279 student-led organizations pursuant to written policies or 280 regulations of the school or school district, as applicable. 281 (3) Subsection (2) does not prohibit programs, campus 282 activities, or functions required for compliance with general or 283 federal laws or regulations, for obtaining or retaining 284 accreditation, or for continuing to receive state funds with the 285 approval of either the State Board of Education or the 286 department. 287 (4) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to 288 implement this section. 289 Section 7. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 290 1001.452, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 291 1001.452 District and school advisory councils.— 292 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.— 293 (a) The district school board shall establish an advisory 294 council for each school in the district and shall develop 295 procedures for the election and appointment of advisory council 296 members. Each school advisory council shall include in its name 297 the words “school advisory council.” The school advisory council 298 shall be the sole body responsible for final decisionmaking at 299 the school relating to implementation of ss. 1001.42(18) and 300 1008.345. A majority of the members of each school advisory 301 council must be persons who are not employed by the school 302 district. Each advisory council shall be composed of the 303 principal and an appropriately balanced number of teachers, 304 education support employees, students, parents, and other 305 business and community citizens who are representative of the 306 ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school. 307 Career center and high school advisory councils shall include 308 students, and middle and junior high school advisory councils 309 may include students. School advisory councils of career centers 310 and adult education centers are not required to include parents 311 as members. Council members representing teachers, education 312 support employees, students, and parents shall be elected by 313 their respective peer groups at the school in a fair and 314 equitable manner as follows: 315 1. Teachers shall be elected by teachers. 316 2. Education support employees shall be elected by 317 education support employees. 318 3. Students shall be elected by students. 319 4. Parents shall be elected by parents. 320 321 The district school board shall establish procedures to be used 322 by schools in selecting business and community members which 323 that include means of ensuring wide notice of vacancies and of 324 taking input on possible members from local business, chambers 325 of commerce, community and civic organizations and groups, and 326 the public at large. The district school board shall review the 327 membership composition of each advisory council. If the district 328 school board determines that the membership elected by the 329 school is not representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic 330 community served by the school, the district school board must 331 shall appoint additional members to achieve proper 332 representation. The commissioner shall determine if schools have 333 maximized their efforts to include on their advisory councils 334 minority persons and persons of lower socioeconomic status. 335 Although schools are strongly encouraged to establish school 336 advisory councils, the district school board of any school 337 district that has a student population of 10,000 or less fewer 338 may establish a district advisory council which includes at 339 least one duly elected teacher from each school in the district. 340 For the purposes of school advisory councils and district 341 advisory councils, the term “teacher” includes classroom 342 teachers, certified student services personnel, and media 343 specialists. For purposes of this paragraph, “education support 344 employee” means any person employed by a school who is not 345 defined as instructional or administrative personnel pursuant to 346 s. 1012.01 and whose duties require 20 or more hours in each 347 normal working week. 348 Section 8. Paragraph (o) of subsection (3) and paragraph 349 (c) of subsection (4) of section 1002.20, Florida Statutes, are 350 amended to read: 351 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public 352 school students must receive accurate and timely information 353 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed 354 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12 355 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory 356 rights including, but not limited to, the following: 357 (3) HEALTH ISSUES.— 358 (o) Emergency opioid antagonist Naloxone use and supply.— 359 1. A public school may purchase a supply of an emergency 360 the opioid antagonist approved by the United States Food and 361 Drug Administration (FDA) naloxone from a wholesale distributor 362 as defined in s. 499.003 or may enter into an arrangement with a 363 wholesale distributor or manufacturer as defined in s. 499.003 364 for an FDA-approved emergency opioid antagonist naloxone at 365 fair-market, free, or reduced prices for use in the event that a 366 student has an opioid overdose. The FDA-approved emergency 367 opioid antagonist naloxone must be maintained in a secure 368 location on the public school’s premises. 369 2. A school district employee who administers an approved 370 emergency opioid antagonist to a student in compliance with ss. 371 381.887 and 768.13 is immune from civil liability under s. 372 768.13. 373 (4) DISCIPLINE.— 374 (c) Corporal punishment.— 375 1. In accordance with the provisions of s. 1003.32, 376 corporal punishment of a public school student may only be 377 administered by a teacher or school principal within guidelines 378 of the school principal and according to district school board 379 policy. Another adult must be present and must be informed in 380 the student’s presence of the reason for the punishment. Upon 381 request, the teacher or school principal must provide the parent 382 with a written explanation of the reason for the punishment and 383 the name of the other adult who was present. 384 2. A district school board having a policy authorizing the 385 use of corporal punishment as a form of discipline shall include 386 in such policy a requirement that a parent provide consent for 387 the school to administer corporal punishment. The district 388 school board policy may require such consent for the school 389 year, or before each administration. The district school board 390 shall review its policy on corporal punishment once every 3 391 years during a district school board meeting held pursuant to s. 392 1001.372. The district school board shall take public testimony 393 at the board meeting. If such board meeting is not held in 394 accordance with this subparagraph, the portion of the district 395 school board’s policy authorizing corporal punishment expires. 396 Section 9. Paragraph (b) of subsection (16) of section 397 1002.33, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 398 1002.33 Charter schools.— 399 (16) EXEMPTION FROM STATUTES.— 400 (b) Additionally, a charter school shall be in compliance 401 with the following statutes: 402 1. Section 286.011, relating to public meetings and 403 records, public inspection, and criminal and civil penalties. 404 2. Chapter 119, relating to public records. 405 3. Section 1003.03, relating to the maximum class size, 406 except that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s. 407 1003.03 shall be the average at the school level. 408 4. Section 1012.22(1)(c), relating to compensation and 409 salary schedules. 410 5. Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions. 411 6. Section 1012.335, relating to contracts with 412 instructional personnel hired on or after July 1, 2011. 413 7. Section 1012.34, relating to the substantive 414 requirements for performance evaluations for instructional 415 personnel and school administrators. 416 8. Section 1006.12, relating to safe-school officers. 417 9. Section 1006.07(7), relating to threat management teams. 418 10. Section 1006.07(9), relating to School Environmental 419 Safety Incident Reporting. 420 11. Section 1006.07(10), relating to reporting of 421 involuntary examinations. 422 12. Section 1006.1493, relating to the Florida Safe Schools 423 Assessment Tool. 424 13. Section 1006.07(6)(d), relating to adopting an active 425 assailant response plan. 426 14. Section 943.082(4)(b), relating to the mobile 427 suspicious activity reporting tool. 428 15. Section 1012.584, relating to youth mental health 429 awareness and assistance training. 430 16. Section 1001.42(4)(f)2., relating to middle school and 431 high school start times. A charter school-in-the-workplace is 432 exempt from this requirement. 433 17. Section 1002.20(4)(c), relating to school corporal 434 punishment. 435 Section 10. Section 1002.351, Florida Statutes, is 436 repealed. 437 Section 11. Subsection (6) of section 1002.394, Florida 438 Statutes, is amended to read: 439 1002.394 The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program.— 440 (6) SCHOLARSHIP PROHIBITIONS.—A student is not eligible for 441 a Family Empowerment Scholarship while he or she is: 442 (a) Enrolled full time in a public school, including, but 443 not limited to, the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, 444 the College-Preparatory Boarding Academy, the Florida School for 445 Competitive Academics, the Florida Virtual School, the Florida 446 Scholars Academy, a developmental research school authorized 447 under s. 1002.32, or a charter school authorized under this 448 chapter. For purposes of this paragraph, a 3- or 4-year-old 449 child who receives services funded through the Florida Education 450 Finance Program is considered to be a student enrolled in a 451 public school; 452 (b) Enrolled in a school operating for the purpose of 453 providing educational services to youth in a Department of 454 Juvenile Justice commitment program; 455 (c) Receiving any other educational scholarship pursuant to 456 this chapter. However, an eligible public school student 457 receiving a scholarship under s. 1002.411 may receive a 458 scholarship for transportation pursuant to subparagraph 459 (4)(a)2.; 460 (d) Not having regular and direct contact with his or her 461 private school teachers pursuant to s. 1002.421(1)(i), unless he 462 or she is eligible pursuant to paragraph (3)(b) and enrolled in 463 the participating private school’s transition-to-work program 464 pursuant to subsection (16) or a home education program pursuant 465 to s. 1002.41; 466 (e) Participating in a private tutoring program pursuant to 467 s. 1002.43 unless he or she is determined eligible pursuant to 468 paragraph (3)(b); or 469 (f) Participating in virtual instruction pursuant to s. 470 1002.455 that receives state funding pursuant to the student’s 471 participation. 472 Section 12. Subsection (4) of section 1002.395, Florida 473 Statutes, is amended to read: 474 1002.395 Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.— 475 (4) SCHOLARSHIP PROHIBITIONS.—A student is not eligible for 476 a scholarship while he or she is: 477 (a) Enrolled full time in a public school, including, but 478 not limited to, the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, 479 the College-Preparatory Boarding Academy, the Florida School for 480 Competitive Academics, the Florida Virtual School, the Florida 481 Scholars Academy, a developmental research school authorized 482 under s. 1002.32, or a charter school authorized under this 483 chapter. For purposes of this paragraph, a 3- or 4-year-old 484 child who receives services funded through the Florida Education 485 Finance Program is considered a student enrolled full time in a 486 public school; 487 (b) Enrolled in a school operating for the purpose of 488 providing educational services to youth in a Department of 489 Juvenile Justice commitment program; 490 (c) Receiving any other educational scholarship pursuant to 491 this chapter. However, an eligible public school student 492 receiving a scholarship under s. 1002.411 may receive a 493 scholarship for transportation pursuant to subparagraph 494 (6)(d)4.; 495 (d) Not having regular and direct contact with his or her 496 private school teachers pursuant to s. 1002.421(1)(i) unless he 497 or she is enrolled in a personalized education program; 498 (e) Participating in a home education program as defined in 499 s. 1002.01(1); 500 (f) Participating in a private tutoring program pursuant to 501 s. 1002.43 unless he or she is enrolled in a personalized 502 education program; or 503 (g) Participating in virtual instruction pursuant to s. 504 1002.455 that receives state funding pursuant to the student’s 505 participation. 506 Section 13. Paragraph (e) of subsection (4) of section 507 1002.68, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 508 1002.68 Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program 509 accountability.— 510 (4) 511 (e) Subject to an appropriation, the department shall 512 provide for a differential payment to a private prekindergarten 513 provider and public school based on the provider’s designation. 514 The maximum differential payment may not exceed a total of 15 515 percent of the base student allocation per full-time equivalent 516 student under s. 1002.71 attending in the consecutive program 517 year for that program. A private prekindergarten provider or 518 public school may not receive a differential payment if it 519 receives a designation of “proficient” or lower. Before the 520 adoption of the methodology, the department shall confer with 521 the Council for Early Grade Success under s. 1008.2125 before 522 receiving approval from the State Board of Education for the 523 final recommendations on the designation system and differential 524 payments. 525 Section 14. Subsection (4) of section 1002.71, Florida 526 Statutes, is amended to read: 527 1002.71 Funding; financial and attendance reporting.— 528 (4) Notwithstanding s. 1002.53(3) and subsection (2): 529 (a) A child who, for any of the prekindergarten programs 530 listed in s. 1002.53(3), has not completed any of the 531 prekindergarten programs listed in s. 1002.53(3) more than 70 532 percent of the hours authorized to be reported for funding under 533 subsection (2), or has not expended more than 70 percent of the 534 funds authorized for the child under s. 1002.66, may withdraw 535 from the program for good cause and reenroll in one of the 536 programs. The total funding for a child who reenrolls in one of 537 the programs for good cause may not exceed one full-time 538 equivalent student. Funding for a child who withdraws and 539 reenrolls in one of the programs for good cause must shall be 540 issued in accordance with the department’s uniform attendance 541 policy adopted pursuant to paragraph (6)(d). 542 (b) A child who has not substantially completed any of the 543 prekindergarten programs listed in s. 1002.53(3) may withdraw 544 from the program due to an extreme hardship that is beyond the 545 child’s or parent’s control, reenroll in one of the summer 546 programs, and be reported for funding purposes as a full-time 547 equivalent student in the summer program for which the child is 548 reenrolled. 549 550 A child may reenroll only once in a prekindergarten program 551 under this section. A child who reenrolls in a prekindergarten 552 program under this subsection may not subsequently withdraw from 553 the program and reenroll, unless the child is granted a good 554 cause exemption under this subsection. The department shall 555 establish criteria specifying whether a good cause exists for a 556 child to withdraw from a program under paragraph (a), whether a 557 child has substantially completed a program under paragraph (b), 558 and whether an extreme hardship exists which is beyond the 559 child’s or parent’s control under paragraph (b). 560 Section 15. Paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of section 561 1002.945, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 562 1002.945 Gold Seal Quality Care Program.— 563 (4) In order to obtain and maintain a designation as a Gold 564 Seal Quality Care provider, a child care facility, large family 565 child care home, or family day care home must meet the following 566 additional criteria: 567 (d) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), if the Department of 568 Education determines through a formal process that a provider 569 has been in business for at least 5 years and has no other class 570 I violations recorded, the department may recommend to the state 571 board that the provider maintain its Gold Seal Quality Care 572 status. The state board’s determination regarding such 573 provider’s status is final. 574 Section 16. Subsection (3) of section 1003.41, Florida 575 Statutes, is amended to read: 576 1003.41 State academic standards.— 577 (3) The Commissioner of Education shall, as deemed 578 necessary, develop and submit proposed revisions to the 579 standards for review and comment by Florida educators, school 580 administrators, representatives of the Florida College System 581 institutions and state universities who have expertise in the 582 content knowledge and skills necessary to prepare a student for 583 postsecondary education and careers, a representative from the 584 Department of Commerce, business and industry leaders for in 585 demand careers, and the public. The commissioner, after 586 considering reviews and comments, shall submit the proposed 587 revisions to the State Board of Education for adoption. New and 588 revised standards documents submitted for approval to the state 589 board must consist only of academic standards and benchmarks. 590 The commissioner shall revise all currently approved standards 591 documents based on the requirements of this subsection and 592 submit all revised standards documents to the state board for 593 approval no later than July 1, 2026. 594 Section 17. Paragraph (j) of subsection (2) of section 595 1003.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 596 1003.42 Required instruction.— 597 (2) Members of the instructional staff of the public 598 schools, subject to the rules of the State Board of Education 599 and the district school board, shall teach efficiently and 600 faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the 601 highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy, 602 following the prescribed courses of study, and employing 603 approved methods of instruction, the following: 604 (j) The elementary principles of agriculture. This 605 component must include, but need not be limited to, the history 606 of agriculture both nationally and specifically to this state, 607 the economic and societal impact of agriculture, and the various 608 agricultural industry sectors. The department, in collaboration 609 with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the 610 University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural 611 Sciences, shall prepare and offer standards and a curriculum for 612 the instruction required by this paragraph and may seek input 613 from state or nationally recognized agricultural educational 614 organizations. The department may contract with state or 615 nationally recognized agricultural educational organizations to 616 develop training for instructional personnel and grade 617 appropriate classroom resources to support the developed 618 curriculum. 619 620 The State Board of Education is encouraged to adopt standards 621 and pursue assessment of the requirements of this subsection. 622 Instructional programming that incorporates the values of the 623 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor and that is 624 offered as part of a social studies, English Language Arts, or 625 other schoolwide character building and veteran awareness 626 initiative meets the requirements of paragraph (u). 627 Section 18. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 628 1003.4201, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 629 1003.4201 Comprehensive system of reading instruction.—Each 630 school district must implement a system of comprehensive reading 631 instruction for students enrolled in prekindergarten through 632 grade 12 and certain students who exhibit a substantial 633 deficiency in early literacy. 634 (2)(a) Components of the reading instruction plan may 635 include the following: 636 1. Additional time per day of evidence-based intensive 637 reading instruction for kindergarten through grade 12 students, 638 which may be delivered during or outside of the regular school 639 day. 640 2. Highly qualified reading coaches, who must be endorsed 641 in reading, to specifically support classroom teachers in making 642 instructional decisions based on progress monitoring data 643 collected pursuant to s. 1008.25(9) and improve classroom 644 teacher delivery of effective reading instruction, reading 645 intervention, and reading in the content areas based on student 646 need. 647 3. Professional learning to help instructional personnel 648 and certified prekindergarten teachers funded in the Florida 649 Education Finance Program earn a certification, a credential, an 650 endorsement, or an advanced degree in scientifically researched 651 and evidence-based reading instruction. 652 4. Summer reading camps, using only classroom teachers or 653 other district personnel who possess a micro-credential as 654 specified in s. 1003.485 or are certified or endorsed in reading 655 consistent with s. 1008.25(8)(b)3., for all students in 656 kindergarten through grade 5 exhibiting a reading deficiency as 657 determined by district and state assessments. 658 5. Intensive reading interventions, which must be delivered 659 by instructional personnel who possess a micro-credential as 660 provided in s. 1003.485 or are certified or endorsed in reading 661 as provided in s. 1012.586 and must incorporate evidence-based 662 strategies identified by the Just Read, Florida! office pursuant 663 to s. 1001.215(7). Instructional personnel who possess a micro 664 credential as specified in s. 1003.485 and are delivering 665 intensive reading interventions must be supervised by an 666 individual certified or endorsed in reading. For the purposes of 667 this subparagraph, the term “supervised” means that 668 instructional personnel with a micro-credential are able, 669 through telecommunication or in person, to communicate and 670 consult with, and receive direction from, certified or endorsed 671 personnel. Incentives for instructional personnel and certified 672 prekindergarten teachers funded in the Florida Education Finance 673 Program who possess a reading certification or endorsement as 674 specified in s. 1012.586 or micro-credential as specified in s. 675 1003.485 and provide educational support to improve student 676 literacy. 677 6. Tutoring in reading. 678 7. A description of how the district prioritizes the 679 assignment of highly effective teachers, as identified in s. 680 1012.34(2)(e), from kindergarten to grade 2. 681 Section 19. Paragraph (h) of subsection (3) of section 682 1003.4282, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 683 1003.4282 Requirements for a standard high school diploma.— 684 (3) STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; COURSE AND ASSESSMENT 685 REQUIREMENTS.— 686 (h) One-half credit in personal financial literacy. 687 Beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2023-2024 school 688 year, each student must earn one-half credit in personal 689 financial literacy and money management. This instruction must 690 include discussion of or instruction in all of the following: 691 1. Types of bank accounts offered, opening and managing a 692 bank account, and assessing the quality of a depository 693 institution’s services. 694 2. Balancing a checkbook. 695 3. Basic principles of money management, such as spending, 696 credit, credit scores, and managing debt, including retail and 697 credit card debt. 698 4. Completing a loan application. 699 5. Receiving an inheritance and related implications. 700 6. Basic principles of personal insurance policies. 701 7. Computing federal income taxes. 702 8. Local tax assessments. 703 9. Computing interest rates by various mechanisms. 704 10. Simple contracts. 705 11. Contesting an incorrect billing statement. 706 12. Types of savings and investments. 707 13. State and federal laws concerning finance. 708 14. Costs of postsecondary education, including cost of 709 attendance, completion of the Free Application for Federal 710 Student Aid, scholarships and grants, and student loans. 711 Section 20. Effective upon becoming a law, paragraph (b) of 712 subsection (1) of section 1007.27, Florida Statutes, is amended, 713 and paragraph (d) is added to subsection (2) of that section, to 714 read: 715 1007.27 Articulated acceleration mechanisms.— 716 (1) 717 (b) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors 718 shall identify Florida College System institutions, and state 719 universities, and national consortia to develop courses that 720 align with s. 1007.25 for students in secondary education and 721 provide the training required under s. 1007.35(6). 722 (2) 723 (d) The department may join or establish a national 724 consortium as an alternative method to develop and implement 725 advanced placement courses that align with s. 1007.25. 726 Section 21. Section 1008.2125, Florida Statutes, is 727 repealed. 728 Section 22. Subsections (1) and (5) of section 1008.36, 729 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 730 1008.36 Florida School Recognition Program.— 731 (1) The Legislature finds that there is a need for a 732 performance incentive program for outstanding instructional 733 personnel faculty and staff in highly productive schools. The 734 Legislature further finds that performance-based incentives are 735 commonplace in the private sector and should be infused into the 736 public sector as a reward for productivity. 737 (5) School recognition awards must be used for the 738 following: 739 (a) Nonrecurring bonuses to the instructional personnel as 740 defined in s. 1012.01(2) faculty and staff; 741 (b) Nonrecurring expenditures for educational equipment or 742 materials to assist in maintaining and improving student 743 performance; or 744 (c) Temporary personnel for the school to assist in 745 maintaining and improving student performance. 746 747 Notwithstanding statutory provisions to the contrary, incentive 748 awards are not subject to collective bargaining. 749 Section 23. Paragraph (c) of subsection (8) of section 750 1008.365, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 751 1008.365 Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic 752 Excellence Act.— 753 (8) As part of the RAISE Program, the department shall 754 establish a tutoring program and develop training in effective 755 reading tutoring practices and content, based on evidence-based 756 practices grounded in the science of reading and aligned to the 757 English Language Arts standards under s. 1003.41, which prepares 758 eligible high school students to tutor students in kindergarten 759 through grade 3 in schools identified under this section, 760 instilling in those students a love of reading and improving 761 their literacy skills. 762 (c) Tutoring may be part of a service-learning course 763 adopted pursuant to s. 1003.497. Students may earn up to three 764 elective credits for high school graduation based on the 765 verified number of hours the student spends tutoring under the 766 program. The hours of volunteer service must be documented in 767 writing, and the document must be signed by the student, the 768 student’s parent or guardian, and an administrator or designee 769 of the school in which the tutoring occurred. The Unpaid hours 770 that a high school student devotes to tutoring may be counted 771 toward meeting community service requirements for high school 772 graduation and community service requirements for participation 773 in the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program as provided in 774 s. 1003.497(3)(b). The department shall designate a high school 775 student who provides at least 75 verified hours of tutoring 776 under the program as a New Worlds Scholar and award the student 777 with a pin indicating such designation. 778 Section 24. Section 1011.58, Florida Statutes, is repealed. 779 Section 25. Section 1011.59, Florida Statutes, is repealed. 780 Section 26. Section 1012.315, Florida Statutes, is amended 781 to read: 782 1012.315 Screening standards.— 783 (1) A person is ineligible for educator certification or 784 employment in any position that requires direct contact with 785 students in a district school system, a charter school, or a 786 private school that participates in a state scholarship program 787 under chapter 1002 if the person: 788 (a)(1) Is on the disqualification list maintained by the 789 department under s. 1001.10(4)(b); 790 (b)(2) Is registered as a sex offender as described in 42 791 U.S.C. s. 9858f(c)(1)(C); 792 (c)(3) Is ineligible based on a security background 793 investigation under s. 435.04(2). Beginning January 1, 2025, or 794 a later date as determined by the Agency for Health Care 795 Administration, the Agency for Health Care Administration shall 796 determine the eligibility of employees in any position that 797 requires direct contact with students in a district school 798 system, a charter school, or a private school that participates 799 in a state scholarship program under chapter 1002; 800 (d)(4) Would be ineligible for an exemption under s. 801 435.07(4)(c); or 802 (e)(5) Has been convicted or found guilty of, has had 803 adjudication withheld for, or has pled guilty or nolo contendere 804 to: 805 1.(a) Any criminal act committed in another state or under 806 federal law which, if committed in this state, constitutes a 807 disqualifying offense under s. 435.04(2). 808 2.(b) Any delinquent act committed in this state or any 809 delinquent or criminal act committed in another state or under 810 federal law which, if committed in this state, qualifies an 811 individual for inclusion on the Registered Juvenile Sex Offender 812 List under s. 943.0435(1)(h)1.d. 813 (2) Notwithstanding ss. 435.01 and 435.07, a person who 814 undergoes screening pursuant to this chapter or s. 1002.421 may 815 not seek an exemption. 816 (3) Persons who apply for certification or employment are 817 governed by the law and rules in effect at the time of 818 application for issuance of the initial certificate or 819 employment, provided that continuity of certificates or 820 employment is maintained. 821 Section 27. Subsections (3), (5), and (6) of section 822 1012.56, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 823 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.— 824 (3) MASTERY OF GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of 825 demonstrating mastery of general knowledge are: 826 (a) Achievement of passing scores on the general knowledge 827 examination required by state board rule; 828 (b) Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching 829 certificate issued by another state; 830 (c) Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the 831 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the 832 American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE), 833 or a national educator credentialing board approved by the State 834 Board of Education; 835 (d) Documentation of two semesters of successful, full-time 836 or part-time teaching in a Florida College System institution, 837 state university, or private college or university that awards 838 an associate or higher degree and is an accredited institution 839 or an institution of higher education identified by the 840 Department of Education as having a quality program; 841 (e) Achievement of passing scores, identified in state 842 board rule, on national or international examinations that test 843 comparable content and relevant standards in verbal, analytical 844 writing, and quantitative reasoning skills, including, but not 845 limited to, the verbal, analytical writing, and quantitative 846 reasoning portions of the Graduate Record Examination and the 847 SAT, ACT, and Classic Learning Test. Passing scores identified 848 in state board rule must be at approximately the same level of 849 rigor as is required to pass the general knowledge examinations; 850 or 851 (f) Documentation of receipt of a master’s or higher degree 852 from an accredited postsecondary educational institution that 853 the Department of Education has identified as having a quality 854 program resulting in a baccalaureate degree or higher. 855 856 A school district that employs an individual who does not 857 achieve passing scores on any subtest of the general knowledge 858 examination must provide information regarding the availability 859 of state-level and district-level supports and instruction to 860 assist him or her in achieving a passing score. Such information 861 must include, but need not be limited to, state-level test 862 information guides, school district test preparation resources, 863 and preparation courses offered by state universities and 864 Florida College System institutions. The requirement of mastery 865 of general knowledge must shall be waived for an individual who 866 has been provided 3 years of supports and instruction and who 867 has been rated effective or highly effective under s. 1012.34 868 for each of the last 3 years. 869 (5) MASTERY OF SUBJECT AREA KNOWLEDGE.—Acceptable means of 870 demonstrating mastery of subject area knowledge are: 871 (a) For a subject requiring only a baccalaureate degree for 872 which a Florida subject area examination has been developed, 873 achievement of a passing score on the Florida-developed subject 874 area examination specified in state board rule; 875 (b) For a subject for which a Florida subject area 876 examination has not been developed, achievement of a passing 877 score on a standardized examination specified in state board 878 rule, including, but not limited to, passing scores on both the 879 oral proficiency and written proficiency examinations 880 administered by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign 881 Languages; 882 (c) For a subject for which a Florida subject area 883 examination has not been developed or a standardized examination 884 has not been specified in state board rule, completion of the 885 subject area specialization requirements specified in state 886 board rule and verification of the attainment of the essential 887 subject matter competencies by the district school 888 superintendent of the employing school district or chief 889 administrative officer of the employing state-supported or 890 private school; 891 (d) For a subject requiring a master’s or higher degree, 892 completion of the subject area specialization requirements 893 specified in state board rule and achievement of a passing score 894 on the Florida-developed subject area examination or a 895 standardized examination that is directly related to the subject 896 specified in state board rule; 897 (e) Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching 898 certificate issued by another state; 899 (f) Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the 900 NBPTS, ABCTE, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards 901 or a national educator credentialing board approved by the State 902 Board of Education; 903 (g) Documentation of successful completion of a United 904 States Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center 905 program; 906 (h) Documentation of a passing score on the Defense 907 Language Proficiency Test (DLPT); or 908 (i) For a subject requiring only a baccalaureate degree for 909 which a Florida subject area examination has been developed, 910 documentation of receipt of a master’s or higher degree from an 911 accredited postsecondary educational institution that the 912 Department of Education has identified as having a quality 913 program resulting in a baccalaureate degree or higher in the 914 certificate subject area as identified by state board rule. 915 916 School districts are encouraged to provide mechanisms for middle 917 grades teachers holding only a K-6 teaching certificate to 918 obtain a subject area coverage for middle grades through 919 postsecondary coursework or district add-on certification. 920 (6) MASTERY OF PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION AND EDUCATION 921 COMPETENCE.—Acceptable means of demonstrating mastery of 922 professional preparation and education competence are: 923 (a) Successful completion of an approved teacher 924 preparation program at a postsecondary educational institution 925 within this state and achievement of a passing score on the 926 professional education competency examination required by state 927 board rule; 928 (b) Successful completion of a teacher preparation program 929 at a postsecondary educational institution outside Florida and 930 achievement of a passing score on the professional education 931 competency examination required by state board rule; 932 (c) Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching 933 certificate issued by another state; 934 (d) Documentation of a valid certificate issued by the 935 NBPTS, ABCTE, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards 936 or a national educator credentialing board approved by the State 937 Board of Education; 938 (e) Documentation of two semesters of successful, full-time 939 or part-time teaching in a Florida College System institution, 940 state university, or private college or university that awards 941 an associate or higher degree and is an accredited institution 942 or an institution of higher education identified by the 943 Department of Education as having a quality program and 944 achievement of a passing score on the professional education 945 competency examination required by state board rule; 946 (f) Successful completion of professional preparation 947 courses as specified in state board rule, successful completion 948 of a professional education competence program pursuant to 949 subsection (9), and documentation of 3 years of being rated 950 effective or highly effective under s. 1012.34 while holding a 951 temporary certificate; 952 (g) Successful completion of a professional learning 953 certification program, outlined in subsection (8); or 954 (h) Successful completion of a competency-based 955 certification program pursuant to s. 1004.85 and achievement of 956 a passing score on the professional education competency 957 examination required by rule of the State Board of Education. 958 959 The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to implement this 960 subsection, including rules to approve specific teacher 961 preparation programs that are not identified in this subsection 962 which may be used to meet requirements for mastery of 963 professional preparation and education competence. 964 Section 28. Present subsection (4) of section 1012.77, 965 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (5), a new 966 subsection (4) is added to that section, and subsection (3) of 967 that section is amended, to read: 968 1012.77 Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education 969 Program.— 970 (3) The Teacher of the Year shall serve as the Ambassador 971 for Education. If the Teacher of the Year is unable to serve as 972 the Ambassador for Education, the first runner-up must shall 973 serve in his or her place. The Department of Education shall 974 establish application and selection procedures for determining 975 an annual teacher of the year. Applications and selection 976 criteria must shall be developed and distributed annually by the 977 Department of Education to all eligible entities identified in 978 subsection (4) school districts. The Commissioner of Education 979 shall establish a selection committee which assures 980 representation from teacher organizations, administrators, and 981 parents to select the Teacher of the Year and Ambassador for 982 Education from among the nominated district teachers of the 983 year. 984 (4) Eligible entities to submit to the Department of 985 Education a nominee for the Teacher of the Year and Ambassador 986 for Education awards include: 987 (a) Florida school districts, including lab schools as 988 defined in s. 1002.32. 989 (b) Charter school consortia with at least 30 member 990 schools and an approved professional learning system on file 991 with the department. 992 Section 29. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this 993 act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon 994 this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1, 995 2025.