Bill for school buses: A bill that would make more Florida students eligible for transportation to school gets the approval of the Senate Education Committee. The proposal would allow students who live 1.5 miles from school – instead of the current standard of 2 miles – to be eligible for[Read More…]
Tag: Sen. Bill Montford
Florida schools roundup: Hope Scholarship, enrollment counts and more
‘Hope Scholarship’: Bullied and abused public school students could be eligible next year for a new school choice program being proposed by Florida House Republicans. Under the program, dubbed the “Hope Scholarship,” those students could apply for a transfer to a different public school or for a state scholarship to[Read More…]
Fla. lawmakers closer to answer on charter school facilities
Florida lawmakers are moving closer to an agreement that would create more stable, predictable funding for charter school facilities. The state House is pushing ahead with a plan, included in its budget package, that would require school districts to steer some of their local property taxes to charters. A similar[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Testing bills, recess, graduation rates and more
School testing: State senators will consider competing school testing bills this week. SB 926 would push testing back to the final three weeks of the school year, and the test results would have to be returned to teachers within a week. It’s sponsored by Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami. The second bill,[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Testing cutbacks, religion in schools and more
Testing cutbacks: A new plan to cut back on student testing is gaining bipartisan support. The identical bills (S.B. 964 and H.B. 1249), filed by Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, and Rep. Halsey Beshears, R-Monticello, would eliminate several high school end-of-course exams, give districts the option to offer paper-pencil state testing, allow[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Less money for school recognition, testing and more
Recognition money: The Florida Department of Education is handing out 36 percent less recognition money to schools this year. Last year, 1,673 schools received $134.58 million. This year, 1,226 schools are getting $85.7 million. State officials say the decline is due to the number of schools with A grades falling from[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Charter district, incentives, recess and more
Charter district: The Florida Board of Education approves a charter schools company taking over a public school district’s operations. Jefferson County, which had been struggling financially and with enrollment, will combine the elementary and middle/high schools on a single campus. The district hopes to have applications from charter schools companies[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Spending, graduation, leasing a school and more
Education spending: Gov. Rick Scott releases his proposed budget today, which calls for an increase in the state’s Bright Futures program but doesn’t account for enrollment growth in schools or provide an answer to the House’s plan to trim property taxes, which could cut funding for schools. News Service of Florida.[Read More…]