Florida lawmakers moved a bill forward Tuesday aiming to change the state’s school grading system.
As it stands now, if an elementary student in Florida gets a 62% that is likely a very low B grade, but if a school gets that rate, it’s an A grade.
The bill aims to implement gradual changes to raise the standards starting in the 2026-27 school year.
On Tuesday, Florida House Bill 1483 reported out of the Pre K-12 Budget Subcommittee and into the Education & Employment Committee.
There are several other bills related to public education that lawmakers have had to consider before the state’s legislative session ends on May 2.
The Florida Education Association, the state’s main teachers’ union, reported tracking bills related to teacher pay, charter schools, school starting times, and opportunities for students to earn industry certifications and college credit.
The FEA and the Florida School Boards Association are both tracking state Senate Bill 140 or House Bill 123 favoring charter schools by not requiring teachers’ consent for conversions and affecting access to school district property.
The FEA and The Florida Policy Institute were critical of proposed cuts that would impact advanced academics and career and technical education courses.
“Students, schools, and the state’s ability to compete and thrive economically will all be negatively affected by reductions in funding for advanced academic and technical preparation,” FPI’s Norín Dollard wrote.
State SB 296 and HB 261 are both related to school start times. And while The National Education Association has consistently ranked Florida as low for average teachers’ salaries, the unions are tracking state Senate Bill 136 and House Bill 439 without much hope of changing that.
The Florida House and Senate were also preparing to formally negotiate the budget. Gov. Ron DeSantis’s proposed $115.6 billion budget includes $3.9 billion for universities, $1.7 billion for colleges, and $239.8 million for charter school maintenance.
