Big story: Today is the last day of Florida's 2024 legislative session, with both houses of Congress taking final discussions on the budget bill.
To change the mood, lawmakers decided on a K-12 spending plan earlier than in most other areas. Issues included how much additional funding to spend on teacher pay, school safety and mental health services. This is the supporting bill that will be voted on.
Several education bills remain for consideration in the House if lawmakers choose. However, most major legislation is currently either passed or killed. Below is a summary of the decisions made Thursday.
voucher: The House agreed to the Senate's changes to the school voucher cleanup bill, which now heads to the governor's desk. Provisions restricting the types of goods that can be purchased with money have been removed.
Patriotic organizations: A bill giving nine “patriotic organizations” access to public schools to promote their message has received final approval and will be sent to the governor's desk, Florida Politics reports. .
ethics: The Senate has declined to consider the nomination of Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Deskovich to the Florida Ethics Commission.
Pastor: Lawmakers have sent a bill to the governor that would allow public school districts to bring religious chaplains to campuses for voluntary student counseling, the Associated Press reported. Some civil rights groups say the measure is unconstitutional, according to The Florida Phoenix.
Book assignment: The House of Representatives has finalized a proposal that would limit the number of book challenges county residents who do not send their children to school can receive each month, The Florida Phoenix reported. •Some members of the Florida Central Board of Education said the bill may not have the desired effect, WMFE reports.
Bill who died: WUFT reports that a proposal to raise the minimum wage for teachers to $65,000 a year failed to gain support this year. • A measure to require computer science education in schools has stalled in committee, The Famuan reported.
hot topic
test: Brevard County schools will begin offering a digital version of the SAT test, but students will have to come to a test center to take it, Florida Today reported.
tax: The Sun Sentinel reports that the Department of Education has opened an investigation into allegations that the Broward County School District neglected charter schools in its revenue sharing in a local tax referendum.
New school: Residents of the Riviera Beach community are awaiting formal approval to build a new high school in their area, months after school board members committed to the project, The Palm Beach Post reports. That's what it means. •A Polk County middle school has undergone her $55 million renovation, Lakeland Now reported.
Charter school: Questions and concerns are growing over a proposal to convert three Alachua County school districts to charter schools, the Gainesville Sun reports.
Don't miss the story. This is a link to yesterday's summary.
Before you go… Grand Prix weekend has arrived in St. Petersburg. To get you in the mood, how about some highlights from last year's race?
