Florida Lawmakers Expand Bold, Successful Programs for Students, Families

Statement from Patricia Levesque, Executive Director of the Foundation for Florida’s Future, on the Legislative session which ended today.

“The vision and leadership of Speaker Chris Sprowls, President Wilton Simpson and legislators from around the state will ensure Florida remains first in class for educational opportunity, comprehensive workforce development and ensuring our youngest learners have the foundation they need for lifelong success.

“We are thankful to Florida lawmakers that continue to put focus on the interests of children and families. We look forward to supporting the success of these far-reaching initiatives with strong implementation so that all students can learn and achieve their God-given potential.”

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Highlights of student-centered policies approved by the Florida Legislature that will improve results for students include:

• Creating the foundation for Florida to have the most comprehensive education to workforce system in the country. House Bill 1507: 
  • Promotes workforce training programs based on the opportunity they provide students and workers to earn good wages and a rewarding career.
  • Ensures the public has information on in-demand fields so they can make informed decisions on which program best serves their needs.
  • Offers a money-back guarantee to students. If a student completes programs for certain higher-skill and higher-wage, in-demand occupations and is unable to find a job in that field within six months, their tuition is refunded. 
• Expanded access to learning options that were otherwise out of reach. More than 1.2 million low-income students will have access to Florida’s scholarship offerings.
• Support for struggling readers. House Bill 7011 identifies and helps students who have deficiencies in reading by implementing a Voluntary Pre-K through eighth-grade screening and progress monitoring.
• Creates the New World Initiative, providing a free book each month for low-income families to encourage early ready.
• Funding for high-performing charter schools that serve low-income students. Lawmakers included $60 million for the “Schools of Hope” program to help high-performing charter school operators create more than 48,000 seats for students in the coming years and supported funding equity for charter school facilities.
• More postsecondary access for public, private, and home school students through the Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program. The budget ensures tuition, fees and instructional materials for high school students attending college classes will be covered.
• Guaranteed access to school choice for military families and Purple Star designation for schools that create protocols to help students in military families who frequently move.
• Began addressing Florida’s digital divide by requiring annual mapping to locate areas without broadband access and creating a grant program to assist companies providing service in under-served parts of the state.