Video & Transcript : 'sanctuary schools' :
Page 91 of 500
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- We are one of the NSECD schools, non-public school early childhood development schools.
- school teachers.
- school.
- school.
- that school.
Committee:
Senate Finance
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration, June 24, 2026 - AM
Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration
Transcript Highlights:
- The next is school resource officers and school safety, and then school nutrition programs.
- 380. school, high school 365 to 380.
- In high school, about 78%; in middle school, and just shy of 50% in elementary schools.
- It's provided $190 million for school safety from that school year to this school year.
- schools.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- School District.
- School District.
- Owner High School, which she said is one of those schools.
- There's 22 school districts with elected school boards.
- district school board that is accountable to to. into an elected special school district school board
Committee:
House General Laws
Summary:
The committee first met in executive session on House Bill 3070, a firearms-related bill. Representative Koslow argued the bill was not truly Second Amendment friendly, saying it could block return of stolen firearms, expose taxpayers to large payouts, and harm firearm dealers. Representative Greg said local law enforcement did not support it. The committee then voted 3 ayes and 9 noes, and HB 3070 failed to be reported do pass.
The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 2904, which would expand animal mistreatment law to include starvation and add a House committee substitute addressing false reports of animal abuse. Representative Don Mayhew said the bill responds to cases of animals left chained and neglected, and supporters from the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Humane World for Animals, and the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation backed the measure. No opposition testimony was offered.
The bulk of the meeting focused on House Bill 2933, which would allow school districts in St. Louis County to withdraw from the Special School District of St. Louis County through board action and a local vote. The sponsor and supporters, including Lindbergh officials, parents, and an attorney, said the current SSD structure is too rigid, lacks accountability, and can fail to meet students’ individualized needs; they cited service delays, litigation, and concerns raised by families. Opponents, including SSD administrators, superintendents, parents, and advocates, said SSD provides specialized services that many districts could not replicate, warned the bill could fragment services and create instability, and pointed to the countywide history and existing review mechanisms for SSD. The hearing ended without a vote on HB 2933.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota House DFL school safety proposal fails committee vote 4/16/26
Transcript Highlights:
- It includes school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and school nurses.
- :59.360><c> school</c> school social workers, school school social workers, school psychologists,<00:
- </c> feel comfortable at schools in schools. feel comfortable at schools in schools.
- schools? schools?
- are middle schools or high schools?
Summary:
The committee took up House File 4893, a school safety and gun violence prevention bill, and first adopted a DE1 amendment before hearing the bill. The author and supporters described the measure as a layered approach to school safety, combining increased funding for student support personnel, required school safety plans, and anonymous threat reporting systems. They cited research from the Violence Prevention Project and other sources arguing that many school shooters are insiders, often show warning signs, and frequently leak plans beforehand, making early intervention and trusted adults in schools important.
Members and testifiers also discussed the bill’s firearm storage provisions. Representative Green explained that the bill would require firearms on school property and in vehicles to be unloaded and locked, and would limit or remove principals’ discretion to allow firearms in school buildings, while preserving access for trained school security personnel. Supporters said the bill would improve clarity and safety for schools, while a representative from private schools raised concerns that the language could limit flexibility and create staffing and accountability problems for non-public schools, prompting discussion of possible amendments.
Several student and organizational testifiers supported the bill, including students from Edina High School, Education Minnesota, the Minnesota School Counselors Association, and the Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota. They emphasized the impact of gun violence on students’ mental health and learning, the value of anonymous reporting systems, and the need to invest in counselors, social workers, psychologists, and nurses. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided, but the committee did adopt the DE1 amendment and continued discussion of possible changes, including with the BCA and school safety center.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- We are a tribally controlled school, and so the BIE schools, the 183 schools that I mentioned across
- We are a tribally controlled school, and so the BIE schools, the 183 schools that I mentioned across
- We are a tribally controlled school, and so the BIE schools, the 183 schools that I mentioned across
- </c> School fund um but Minnesota school School fund um but Minnesota school trust<01:11:51.360><c> lands
- </c> distributed to all the public schools distributed to all the public schools schools<01:16:25.560
Committee:
Senate Education Finance
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- Florida's developmental research schools, or lab schools, are specialized public schools affiliated with
- Florida's developmental research schools, or lab schools, are specialized public schools affiliated with
- For so many other schools, school districts, and states.
- In elementary school.
- high school.
Committee:
Senate Education Postsecondary
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Education Postsecondary met to receive an update from Florida developmental research lab schools on articulated health care programs created under the Live Healthy initiative and Senate Bill 76. Chair Calatayud opened the meeting, confirmed a quorum, and heard presentations from P.K. Young/University of Florida, Florida State University Schools, FAMU Developmental Research School, and Florida Atlantic University Laboratory School. Each school described efforts to build K-12-to-postsecondary health care pathways, expand dual enrollment and industry certifications, and share replicable curriculum models with other districts.
FSU Schools highlighted its HERO program, including CNA and food manager certifications, dual enrollment growth, reserve seating at colleges, and a paid internship with the Department of Health tied to emergency shelter operations. P.K. Young described its Healthy Lives Blueprint, which combines K-8 wellness experiences, a new high school health and human performance pathway, AP and science course expansion, a planned gymnasium redesign, and partnerships with Santa Fe College and UF. FAMU DRS reported growing dual enrollment, partnerships with FAMU, Tallahassee State, and Lively, and a goal of serving at least 100 students and 40 staff through health career exposure, certifications, and AA/AS pathways.
FAU Lab School described a more advanced model that integrates elementary through high school research and health science experiences, including biotechnology, bioengineering, and partnerships with health and research institutions. The school reported 87 peer-reviewed student publications, more than $350,000 in student grants, six patents, and pipelines into FAU’s medical and nursing programs, including a Med Direct pathway and a National Merit Scholar pipeline. Committee members asked about student readiness for nursing programs, dual enrollment, articulation with state colleges, and how the lab school models could be disseminated statewide. The meeting concluded with praise for the programs and a motion by Senator Fine to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Education Oversight - Morning Session Dec 17th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- schools; Fort Supply schools; Bethel schools.
- Our schools are not prisons.
- It’ll then give you an option for school-related or non-school-related.
- Can you... school?
- So she went back to another school. She went back, then she did a three-day school.
Summary:
The committee heard extensive testimony on Oklahoma school safety from Commissioner Tipton, OSSI director Mike Fike, OACTIC director Alan Young, OSBI lieutenant Isiles Keene, and Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton. The main focus was a statewide school-safety framework built around response, prevention, and recovery. Witnesses described training law enforcement in the LASER active-shooter response model, adding A-TURK training for coordinated law enforcement/fire/EMS response, expanding run-hide-fight and Stop the Bleed instruction for educators and staff, conducting risk and vulnerability assessments, and using the Rave panic-button system and the ProtectOK tip app to speed reporting and dispatch. They also emphasized behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) teams as a prevention tool to identify and support at-risk students before violence occurs.
Members asked about administrator and teacher training, school counselor involvement, how apps are deployed on personal versus school devices, and whether schools are actually using the programs. Witnesses said administrators, counselors, and SROs should be part of BTAM, that training is most effective when it is realistic and repeated, and that Rave is geofenced and typically invited onto devices by schools. Several members stressed that school leaders must buy in for safety plans to work, and one member raised concerns about traumatic training and the need for mental-health support as part of prevention. Witnesses said mental-health referral and monitoring are part of BTAM, but the school and local partners must manage the process.
OSBI’s lieutenant added broader context, comparing school safety to fire safety and noting that Oklahoma still lacks some statutory requirements for intruder drills and stronger penalties for school threats. He also discussed possible future tools such as surveillance analytics, gunshot detection, ballistic-rated doors and walls, and better access controls, while warning that technology should supplement, not replace, basic safety systems and training. Sheriff Walton closed by describing rural response challenges and his foundation’s effort to place ballistic shields in schools and police cars, arguing that human resources and rapid communication remain the biggest gaps. No votes or formal actions were taken in the meeting.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- in schools.
- It includes school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and school nurses.
- So, as public school spending schools.
- Do we need any guns in our middle schools or high schools where we have school resource officers?
- I would, uh, Chair, request a roll call, please. schools? our middle schools or high schools?
Bills:
HF4893
Committee:
House Education Finance
Keywords:
education finance, student support, aid allowances, appropriation, school funding, 1183, house
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
04/16/2026 - Joint Legislative Audit Committee
Joint Legislative Audit Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- officers in the school Officers in the schools.
- If schools want to use Ricotta, if schools want to use Access, if schools want to use any video system
- school.
- schools—not for schools in an incorporated area?
- island schools not for schools in an incorporated area so the phase island schools, not for schools
Committee:
Joint Joint Legislative Audit Committee
Summary:
The Joint Legislative Audit Committee heard presentations on Arizona’s school safety interoperability communication systems, beginning with remarks from Senator Kevin Payne, who described the program as a response to school shootings and 911 overloads, and said the goal is to let schools trigger a panic-button alert that immediately shares video, floor plans, and location information with law enforcement and other responders. Several members echoed support for the concept, while also raising concerns about whether the systems are actually working as intended and whether school resource officers remain necessary or should be supplemented by technology.
Auditor General Lindsay Perry summarized the JLAC-directed special audit, explaining that the office reviewed whether fund expenditures were authorized, whether purchased systems met statutory requirements, and whether procurement followed applicable standards. She said the office had tested a sample of systems with vendors, schools, and law enforcement, and that some agencies had not provided requested follow-up information. Members questioned Pinal County’s lack of response and the status of its reports and payments, and committee leaders criticized the county sheriff’s claim that the committee had treated staff unfairly.
Representatives from Mutualink, Motorola Solutions, and Navigate 360 then defended their systems and described implementation challenges. Mutualink said its platform connects schools, dispatch, and responders across jurisdictions and claimed it can reduce response times, but acknowledged that implementation depends on training, infrastructure, and cooperation among schools and agencies. Motorola said it had deployed systems in Maricopa and Yuma counties and that some delays stemmed from school participation and procurement issues. Navigate 360 highlighted Cochise County as a success story, saying 60 of 69 schools were implemented and that the company had added maps, emergency management tools, and training support after audit findings. Members repeatedly pressed the vendors on statutory criteria, procurement practices, rural infrastructure, and why some counties or schools were not fully operational; the vendors generally said the biggest barriers were local readiness, training, and interagency coordination rather than the technology itself.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- What makes ILA different than other schools and other virtual schools?
- the Oneida School District.
- charter school.
- Virtual schools make up a fraction of all schools in the state.
- ILA has only been a charter school for the past two school years, I believe.
Committee:
House Education
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Senate Standing Committee on Education (3-3-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> failing school and unshackle that school failing school and unshackle that school from<00:21:42.120
- school.
- </c> to adopt this school as my school I'm to adopt this school as my school I'm willing<00:29:57.640
- </c><00:31:57.159><c> um</c> magnet schools or or gifted schools um magnet schools or or gifted schools
- </c><00:39:53.560><c> within</c> a school of innovation or schools within a school of innovation or schools
Summary:
The Senate Standing Committee on Education met with a quorum and first took up Senate Bill 68, which was presented by Kentucky Department of Education staff as a cleanup measure to reduce duplicative or outdated reporting requirements. The bill, as amended by a committee substitute, would streamline reporting on local wellness policies, school breakfast programs, school budgets, audits, and school nutrition assessments, while preserving existing requirements to adopt wellness and physical activity policies and maintain audit obligations. Members asked whether removing reporting on physical activity and related topics would weaken oversight; KDE responded that districts would still have to adopt the policies and be reviewed under federal nutrition monitoring, but the state reports were often incomplete, hard to compare, and not especially useful. The committee adopted the substitute and passed SB 68 unanimously.
The committee then heard Senate Bill 207, the School Innovation Act, sponsored by Senator West. The bill would create an optional program allowing school districts to apply to the Kentucky Board of Education for waivers from certain administrative regulations and establish three-year “schools of innovation,” potentially with third-party partners, to give struggling schools more flexibility and a fresh start. Senator West said the model was inspired by a visit to a school of innovation in South Carolina and by examples from South Carolina and Indiana, and he argued that the bill would let districts try new approaches without mandating participation. He also said existing “district of innovation” language in statute is a relic and that the bill would replace it with a school-based model.
Committee members asked about fiscal impact, eligibility, and whether the bill was limited to failing schools. Senator West said the fiscal note was indeterminate because participation is voluntary and could range from none to many districts, but he expected little direct budget change and possible outside philanthropic funding if a district chose to participate. He said the bill does not limit participation to the bottom 5% of schools and would be left to local district discretion. Members also raised whether high-performing or specialized schools could use the model; West said yes, if a district chose. Supportive testimony emphasized that the bill could reduce burdensome oversight and allow schools more flexibility to innovate. The discussion ended with continued questions and no final action recorded in the excerpt.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education Mar 11th, 2025
Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education
Transcript Highlights:
- The bill reduces regulations on school board operations, aligning school district school board meeting
- The bill reduces regulations on school board operations, aligning school district school, I'm sorry,
- aligning school, aligning district school board meeting requirements with other local governments for
- that school district and the students in that school district.
- We parents have forever arranged for after-school care, before-school care, or both.
Summary:
The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met with a quorum present and observed a moment of silence for Senator Geraldine Thompson. The committee first took up CS/SB 102, a bill by Senator Gates directing the Department of Education to develop a workforce credential program for students with autism spectrum disorder or students on a modified curriculum, in coordination with the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities and OSHA. Supporters said the bill would help autistic students gain job skills and workplace safety credentials, while an opponent argued the bill should clearly make participation voluntary, expand to other exceptional student groups, include funding, and add stronger accountability. The bill was reported favorably.
The committee then considered SB 166, the Administrative Efficiency in Public Schools bill by Senator Simon. The bill would reduce or remove several state mandates and give districts more flexibility on testing, teacher evaluations, contracts and certification, school board operations, instructional materials timelines, audits, facilities planning, emergency make-up days, federal fund use, and public VPK oversight. Senators asked about the impact on student proficiency, teacher evaluations, and the transfer of public VPK oversight to districts; Simon said the tests would remain but count as 30 percent of the grade, districts would retain flexibility in evaluation measures, and only public VPK would shift to districts. Public testimony was largely supportive, with some speakers praising reduced testing and local control, while one senator cautioned that Florida still has a math proficiency problem. The bill was reported favorably.
Finally, the committee heard CS/SB 296 by Senator Bradley, which would repeal the 2023 statewide mandate requiring later middle and high school start times and return the decision to local districts, while still requiring districts to inform the community about the health, safety, and academic impacts of sleep deprivation and consider later start times. Supporters argued the mandate created transportation, staffing, and scheduling problems and that local control was more practical, while opponents emphasized sleep science and the benefits of later start times for teens. Several senators discussed the tension between research and district resources, and the bill sponsor said the measure preserves the conversation about sleep while allowing local scheduling decisions. CS/SB 296 was reported favorably, and the committee then adjourned.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Budget Review Subcommittee on Education (9-17-25) - Reupload
Transcript Highlights:
- schools? schools?
- school school or truency.
- </c> high school. high school.
- </c> high school diplomas. high school diplomas.
- So in magnet schools and gifted schools.
Summary:
The meeting focused on Kentucky school choice and innovation, with discussion of the state constitution’s “common schools” requirement and how that has been interpreted alongside newer education models. Chairman Tipton described model laboratory schools, Gatton and Craft Academies, magnet and virtual programs, and said these options show that Kentucky has long expanded opportunity through innovation. He then turned the discussion to Senate Bill 207, which he said was designed to support schools of innovation.
Senator Steve West reviewed the history of Kentucky charter schools and explained that SB 207 was modeled on a South Carolina approach. He said the bill allows a local school board to contract with a third-party entity to manage an existing school, seek waivers from certain state rules, and receive SEEK funding while also allowing outside private investment. He emphasized that the district initiates the process, that the school remains public, and that the bill includes accountability through a time-limited contract that can be ended if the school is not performing.
Members asked about the difference between SB 207 and the earlier charter school law, whether schools could cherry-pick students, and whether teachers would remain district employees. West and Tipton said the new model is tied to an existing school rather than a new charter, cannot cherry-pick students, and keeps teachers as district employees. Representative Brown raised concerns that charters and exceptions could leave some children out, especially lower-income students, while West responded that the proposal is intended to expand choice for families who may not otherwise have it and cited examples from other states where similar models improved low-performing schools. No vote or formal action was taken during the discussion.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Education Funding (01/16/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:47:40.480><c> here</c> school he goes to a private school here school he goes to a private school
- ><c> whatever</c> School a Christian High School whatever School a Christian High School whatever I<00
- um</c> school through high school um school through high school um generalization<01:10:17.080><c> is
- , private school, or home school.
- > like</c> went to a school and isamic school like went to a school and isamic school like trying<03:
Summary:
The hearing focused on House Bill 115-FN, which would remove the income cap from New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account eligibility rules. Representative Valerie McDonnell, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure is intended to fund students rather than systems and to expand educational choice regardless of income or zip code. She described the change as a small statutory edit but argued it would have significant benefits, including helping families afford alternative education settings and testing costs such as AP exams. She also cited testimony from families who said EFAs helped children with special needs or difficult circumstances, and she argued the program is popular and cost-effective.
Committee members questioned McDonnell about the bill’s fiscal impact and administration. One member asked whether removing the income cap would extend vouchers to families above the statewide median income and whether the change could cost more than $100 million annually; McDonnell said she did not agree with that estimate and pointed to Arizona as a comparison. Representative Wendy Thomas asked whether the bill should require stronger data-sharing from the Children’s Scholarship Fund, which administers the program, so the Department of Education and taxpayers could better track spending; McDonnell said the program already uses ClassWallet and regulated expenditures, and that the question was better directed to the administrator.
Several members testified in opposition. Representative Wendy Thomas said the bill would increase costs for public schools, raise local property taxes, and worsen oversight problems. Representative Heath Howard argued the proposal would function as a subsidy for wealthy families already paying private tuition and said public education and special education should be funded first. Representative Megan Murray also opposed the bill, emphasizing the lack of a legal reporting requirement for EFA spending and the need for transparency, accountability, and attention to special education needs. Representative Sam Farrington supported expansion, sharing a constituent story about a student who left public school after harassment and benefited from private school placement. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- at schools.
- , particularly our ISD schools. schools.
- at the school level.
- They're closing. a school. Even EANS is closing a school.
- So charter schools are public schools, but you have sort of ISDs.
Committee:
House Appropriations
Summary:
The meeting covered various topics, but specific discussions and bills were not detailed in the available transcript. Despite the lack of documented debates or acknowledgments, it was noted that committee members were present, and there may have been attempts to address crucial legislative matters. The dynamics of the meeting suggested a standard procedural gathering where routine insights were likely shared among the attendees.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education Feb 5th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- WE LOOK AT OUR LOWEST PERFORMING SCHOOLS AND THOSE SCHOOLS ARE SCHOOLS THAT EITHER EARNED A FIRST TIME
- I'LL GIVE YOU MORE DATA AFTER THE 2023 2024 SCHOOL YEAR OUT OF THE 64 SCHOOLS THAT REMAINED IN SCHOOL
- THE SCHOOL IS IDENTIFIED AS A RAISE SCHOOL.
- SCHOOL.
- SCHOOLS.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- This is not a public school versus private school bill.
- This is not a public school versus private school bill.
- to public school.
- school.
- For the use of public school funds, it prohibits public schools, charter schools, related organizations
Committee:
Senate Education Pre-K - 12
Summary:
The Pre-K-12 Education Committee took up a series of education, school safety, health, and student access bills. SB 754 on International Baccalaureate bonus funds was amended to clarify the theory of knowledge course and then reported favorably. SB 370 would allow routine non-invasive school health screenings, such as vision, hearing, and dental checks, to proceed with written notice and an opt-out process rather than active parental consent; supporters said it would improve participation and access, while opponents argued it was too broad and weakened parental rights. After debate over scope, funding, and consent, the bill was reported favorably.
The committee also advanced SB 1070, which would require ECG screenings for student athletes under a phased rollout beginning in 2026, with religious and medical opt-outs. The bill was renamed the Second Chance Act in honor of Chance Gainer. Supporters described it as a life-saving measure to detect hidden cardiac conditions, while some members raised cost and implementation concerns. SB 508, the Family Empowerment Scholarship bill, would require private schools to disclose in writing what accommodations and services they will provide to students with IEPs, 504 plans, or ELL plans before enrollment; it was supported by parents, advocacy groups, and some school representatives and was reported favorably.
School safety measures were also considered. SB 1470 would refine campus locking and supervision rules, create clearer exceptions, expand training and security options for school safety personnel, and allow district-employed law enforcement officers to use canines for threat detection. Witnesses from school safety and Parkland-related advocacy groups supported the bill but urged caution on exemptions and implementation details. SB 1472 would extend a public records exemption to certified school security guards, matching the protection already given to school guardians, and it was reported favorably. Finally, SB 248 would expand participation in FHSAA sports for private school and home education students at public schools when their own schools do not offer the sport, and SB 1618 made broad changes to VPK through grade 12 policy, including reading instruction, financial literacy, school funds restrictions, teacher certification, and advisory council rules; both bills were reported favorably. Several members later recorded votes in support of specific tabs before the committee adjourned.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- We are one of the NSECD schools, non-public school early childhood development schools.
- school.
- school.
- that school.
- school.
Committee:
Senate Finance
Summary:
The committee met for public testimony on the Finance budget, with the main discussion focused first on funding for disability services and then on the LA GATOR scholarship program. Several individuals testified in support of fully funding Families Helping Families and Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS), describing how advocacy, transition services, and direct support workers help people with disabilities access education, employment, and independent living. Witnesses urged the committee to preserve or increase state general funds to draw down federal matching dollars, and provider groups said current reimbursement rates and staffing shortages are leaving agencies in deficit, creating waitlists, overtime costs, and difficulty retaining workers. Committee members thanked the speakers and noted that the testimony would be used to compare the governor’s, House, and remaining budget requests.
The committee then heard extensive testimony in support of increasing funding for the LA GATOR scholarship program. Supporters included policy groups, school leaders, parents, and students who argued that the program expands educational choice, helps low-income and special-needs students find schools that fit their needs, and should be fully funded at the level of demonstrated demand. Speakers from Catholic and Christian schools said GATOR funding had helped students thrive academically and spiritually, but that shortfalls left many eligible students without awards, hurt kindergarten enrollment, and forced schools to raise private donations to cover gaps. Several witnesses emphasized that the program is not a zero-sum attack on public schools, but a way to let education dollars follow students.
A few committee questions focused on the fiscal impact and on whether choice programs improve outcomes without harming public schools. Testimony cited enrollment growth, parent demand, and data from other states to argue that school choice can improve student and parent outcomes and may also strengthen traditional public schools through competition. No votes or formal actions were taken during the public testimony portion of the meeting.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- , particularly our ISD schools. schools.
- at the school level.
- And so school. And a huge shift in cost. And school districts have cost.
- So charter schools are public schools, but you have sort of ISDs.
- Floyd in a private school. The private school is a mandatory reporter to us.
Committee:
House Appropriations
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education Mar 26th, 2025
Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education
Transcript Highlights:
- coming from the private school to the public school to the private school, or will it remain the same
- Schools, formerly the Coalition of Scholarship Schools, formerly the Coalition of Scholarship Schools
- the school year.
- school.
- We operate 11 schools.
Summary:
The committee first heard the proposed Pre-K-12 education budget for fiscal year 2025-26, totaling $34.7 billion. The chair highlighted major increases for the FEFP, including $29.6 billion for public schools and K-12 scholarships, a $984 million year-over-year increase, along with higher per-FTE funding, $4 billion for the Family Empowerment Scholarship, $431.4 million for VPK, funding for school safety, the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, school hardening, Jewish day school security, and an education enrollment stabilization fund. With no public comment, the committee adopted a motion for staff technical corrections and then approved the budget proposal as a recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee.
The committee then considered SB 1402 on dropout retrieval programs. The bill expands eligibility so any individual who has withdrawn from high school may enroll in dropout retrieval services and clarifies how school grades are calculated for virtual instruction providers that offer those services. An amendment clarifying the grading calculation was adopted, and the committee reported the bill favorably.
Next, the committee took up SPB 7030 on educational scholarship programs, a broad measure addressing school choice funding and administration. The bill would fund the Family Empowerment Scholarship as a separate categorical, expand the education stabilization fund, create fall and spring application windows, require a single scholarship application and more documentation, assign student IDs, standardize payment timing to monthly installments, require continued eligibility verification, and add Level 2 background checks for providers receiving state funds. Members raised questions about background-check enforcement, payment timing, data sharing, and the impact on homeschool and private-school families. Public testimony included support from school-choice advocates and concerns from private-school representatives about added regulatory burdens and deadlines. The committee adopted the bill as a committee bill and reported it favorably, with Senator Osgood voting no.
Finally, the committee considered SB 508 on the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, which requires private schools to disclose in writing what accommodations, modifications, and services they will provide to students with existing plans such as IEPs, EEPs, 504 plans, or ELL plans before enrollment. An amendment was adopted to require public schools to consult with private schools about equitable services. Testimony was mixed: supporters said the bill would give parents needed information for informed choice, while private-school representatives said the language could be burdensome and vague. The committee reported the bill favorably.