Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education
Key Moments
Danny Burgess — Voted yes on SB 1216 and announced the bill was reported favorably.
Danny Burgess — Chair Burgess is listed in the roll call and the vote is reported favorably.
Jason W. B. Pizzo — Was called during roll call and recorded as present.
Jason W. B. Pizzo — Jason W. B. Pizzo first votes yes on SB 1216, then is referenced in the transcript and continues the same exchange by asking about the bill’s practical impact, including concerns about the school counselor shortage and the experiences of constituents from Miami-Dade County.
Danny Burgess — Presided as chair and responded during the roll call.
Danny Burgess — A handwritten amendment was jokingly attributed to him as adding a bald eagle statue to every schoolhouse; the chair called it a friendly amendment in jest.
Ralph E., Jr. Massullo — Referenced as sitting next to Vice Chair Pizzo during the prior discussion.
Ralph E., Jr. Massullo — Referenced as part of the prior discussion the Vice Chair was reflecting on.
Ralph E., Jr. Massullo — Supported the bill as removing a barrier and emphasized the importance of counselors knowing students personally.
Ralph E., Jr. Massullo — The speaker references Senator Massullo's point about efficiencies and support.
Ralph E., Jr. Massullo — Recorded as voting yes on CS for SB 1036; name appears as 'Masula' in transcript.
Ralph E., Jr. Massullo — Recorded as voting yes; the transcript repeats his name as 'Massolo.'
Rosalind Osgood — Was called during roll call and recorded as present.
Rosalind Osgood — Spoke in support of the bill and described benefits for school districts and employees.
Rosalind Osgood — Voted yes on SB 1216.
Rosalind Osgood — Rosalind Osgood thanked the bill sponsor and raised concerns about counselor-to-student ratios and counselors being pulled into non-counseling duties. She suggested future legislation should also address BRACE advisors, noting that they often manage extremely large caseloads and are important for helping students with testing and college admissions. She urged a comprehensive approach to supporting students that includes counselors, mental health counselors, and BRACE advisors, said the bill is a strong step in the right direction, and closed by praising school personnel such as Ms. Leslie Campbell.
Rosalind Osgood — Senator Rosalind Osgood was recorded as voting yes on CS for SB 1036.
Corey Simon — Was called during roll call.
Corey Simon — Voted yes on SB 1216.
Corey Simon — Senator Corey Simon was recorded as voting yes on CS for SB 1036.
Clay Yarborough — Was called during roll call.
Clay Yarborough — Referenced as having had a bill discussed the previous day.
Clay Yarborough — Senator Clay Yarborough is called on during the recorded vote, responds affirmatively/yes, and then later moves to adjourn the meeting.
SB920 — Mathematics Education bill; the committee announced it would be temporarily postponed.
SB1216 — SB 1216, a bill on public school personnel compensation, was introduced for explanation and later taken up for a roll-call vote, after which the committee reported it favorably.
SB1216 — Senator Rodriguez began explaining the bill on public school personnel compensation.
Alexis Underwood — Waved in support of the bill.
Janine Ford — Waved in support of the bill.
Michael Grennan — Waved in support of the bill.
Derek Debevac — Waved in support of the bill.
Glinda Bickey — Waved in support of the bill.
Thomas Bougos — Waved in support of the bill.
Christina Underwood — Waved in support of the bill.
Yale Olanika — Waved in support of the bill on behalf of the Florida Education Association.
Diana Walker — Waved in support of the bill.
Gordon Alonghofer — Waved in support of the bill.
Chris Paggle — Waved in support of the bill.
Gina Morella — Waved in support of the bill.
Marquise McMillar — Appearance form submitted in support on behalf of Orange County Public Schools.
Akeesh Bonhom — Introduced himself as representing Mass at FIU and was invited to speak about the bill.
Akeesh Bonhom — Described his background and explained that school counselors matter because students need mental health support and representation.
Akeesh Bonhom — Continued testimony about the need for counselors and student-centered support, including concerns about parental reporting.
Akeesh Bonhom — Said school counselor shortages and retention problems should be a top concern because student well-being comes first.
Akeesh Bonhom — Answered questions about his admissions notice and FSU decision timeline.
Florentzio Munoz Legare / Florentio Jose Munoz Legare — Introduced himself and said he is Argentinean American, born in the U.S., and a resident of Cuba Skane in Miami; he is a senior and involved in student government.
Florentio Jose Munoz Legare — Florentio Jose Munoz Legare introduced himself as a senior SGA president at Mass Academy and incoming Duke freshman, then described how counselor shortages and high turnover at his school make it hard for students to get consistent academic, mental health, and personal guidance. He said one counselor serves hundreds of students, leaving many to figure things out on their own, and noted that other schools may have even fewer counselors. He explained that his own interests in health care, pre-med, biology, and possibly political science developed mainly through extracurriculars and classroom experiences rather than counselor support, and argued that more counselor time could help students discover opportunities and better prepare them to speak up and pursue their goals.
Chris Pago — Chris Pago, a Nassau County public school teacher with 36 years of experience, testified about severe counselor shortages in schools. He explained that counselors are overwhelmed by large caseloads, often forced to act mainly as schedulers rather than true counselors, which limits their ability to help students identify interests and educational paths. He also noted that even at his elementary school there are only two counselors for just under 1,300 K-5 students, and he praised the bill as a response to these staffing problems.
Ms. Leslie Campbell — Ms. Leslie Campbell is identified and praised as a counselor at Winston Park Elementary, including mention of her cafeteria duty and her affiliation with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.
Florentzio — Used as an example of a student who may not receive enough counseling attention.
Ikeshes — Used as an example of a student who may not receive enough counseling attention.