[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6104871,"mediaKeyId","2788372-53081a0734724d4e79b0790975c43a75","parentId",2788372,"title","Bill would require private schools to disclose which IEP/504 accommodations they will provide before enrollment","audioSeconds",520,"startMs",5200000,"endMs",5720000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2788372-53081a0734724d4e79b0790975c43a75&start=5200&end=5720","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2788372-53081a0734724d4e79b0790975c43a75/thumbnail_5200000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6104871/Florida/Bill-would-require-private-schools-to-disclose-which-IEP504-accommodations-they-will-provide-before-enrollment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104871-1281d5ae86209369a9806fcfab79f528/orig.mp4?Expires=1770976664&Signature=OVzWFrznjWz63hU5y5ZBm9nToO~j7CD12SG-fhkjgfAciOhxtvRxHSjHGLwtQ5yYufZN0PDm2f-V848iYa~5V~O5DiSCVWR1XWtZs9CdgDCqxqqaC5wglTd9V8YEUy7zaSa88KURvbtPbudnHT0SsNNcajGex5GbdGQMJ-LZAzZQkSLLMvkfQ7YP9xwIOtln-7lK~Hl8aDe6XqTeoMBbKyy8G9DwMuFzNKNGv0KvgNTlNpry88nVNcZCHivx8YJAANUAMccLLFKS-U6fiXsmaxVgvGZFpRu5YmcorkvMIUkH4ldgp8QwAliqJ5VYYbuvxWcAjuZLqIEXEXqQJLLjJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Florida Legislature","date","2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 508, titled the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program and presented to the committee by Senator Jones, would require private schools that accept scholarship students to disclose in writing which accommodations, modifications and services (if any) they will provide for students with existing individualized education plans (IEPs), 504 plans or English-learner plans before the parent completes enrollment.

Why it matters: Sponsors said the bill is intended to ensure parents have clear, advance information about what supports a private or home-school provider will deliver prior to enrollment, improving \"informed choice.\" Private-school representatives urged clearer, narrower language so schools are not required to produce full IEPs for prospective students they may not ultimately enroll.

Senator Jones said the bill ensures parents \"receive clear, upfront information about what support their child can expect prior to enrollment.\" A friendly amendment was adopted requiring public schools to consult with private schools about equitable services so private schools relying on district-provided equitable services are not disadvantaged.

Public testimony: Steve Hicks, chief operations officer for Center Academy Schools and president of the Florida Coalition of Scholarship Schools, urged the committee to narrow the bill's drafting and avoid creating onerous documentation requirements that could force smaller schools out of the scholarship market. Crystal Etienne, speaking in support, said the bill simply ensures parents are informed.

Committee action: The committee adopted the amendment and reported CS for SB 508 favorably. The roll call in the transcript recorded the bill as reported favorably by a majority of the committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations Committee on PreK-12 Education 3/26/2025 ","oneSentenceSummary","SB 508 would require private schools that enroll scholarship students to disclose in writing which accommodations, modifications and services they will provide to students with IEPs or 504 plans before a parent completes enrollment.","taxTitle","PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, House, Legislative, Florida","taxId",25419,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6104877,"Senate bill creates monthly scholarship payments, student ID tracking and stabilization fund to align funding with school choice",4764,432000,5196000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2788372-53081a0734724d4e79b0790975c43a75&start=432&end=5196","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2788372-53081a0734724d4e79b0790975c43a75/thumbnail_432000.jpg","/articles/6104877/Florida/Senate-bill-creates-monthly-scholarship-payments-student-ID-tracking-and-stabilization-fund-to-align-funding-with-school-choice","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104877-abf0b203e2a5ff874c3f7bc324059a60/orig.mp4?Expires=1770976664&Signature=eOFxS1w4PWHEzFijncKhk6ZlEYYJnc~oz-rCwaBb1Ex2nzmNQgdOcjj4NG09OV7jE-Kcqh6EsmgCRUZCQgni~BuxNW8cVoLg7oVaPja9Vt1NBCpedhYRY788fSzpDUeQLPfj93rivB1~8URflaSIqDWqVAuKwSUbuUpTU-RIb9~~iGr1s3KaF0LFHSHE9NY6HysO8nYLAccsc3BNYxQ6mIbmBwrVscI2lRREgwlK6HnwR-H8p9OegXD5XTgWf1dU-V5MtUW8swaHx0nYwILJnPgph6gUsGJL0s2rzCJD-WShZDmcyITdnRZNvnz9Pw~l-qKy-AitSojkhlBirlEODg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Proposed Bill SPB 7030, presented in the Appropriations Committee by Senator Gates, would restructure how scholarship funding and student tracking operate in Florida's changing school-choice environment by making the Family Empowerment Scholarship a separate state-funded categorical, establishing fall and spring application windows, assigning persistent student identification numbers for scholarship recipients, and shifting payments from quarterly to monthly installments with a front-loaded first payment for certain homeschool families.

Sponsor's summary: Senator Gates said the bill is intended to make funding follow the student more reliably, reduce sudden budget shortfalls for school districts and choice providers, and create uniform administrative procedures across scholarship programs. \"We're asking here that everyone in the scholarship program, no matter what scholarship they're participating in, would get a student I.D. Number just like students in neighborhood public schools so that when the student moves back and forth, we're able to track where they are to make sure the money follows the student,\" Gates told the committee.

Why it matters: Committee sponsors described the measure as a comprehensive response to rapidly increasing participation in scholarship programs and declining district enrollment in many counties. The bill contains operational changes to administration, auditing, and payment timing that would affect districts, private schools, scholarship-funding organizations and families.

Major provisions described by the sponsor and staff:
- Funds the Family Empowerment Scholarship as a separate state-funded categorical outside the FEFP calculation; the committee packet sets award levels consistent with the chair's budget summary.
- Creates an education enrollment stabilization fund and expands its eligible uses to help districts with sudden declines; fiscally constrained small districts could receive a 25% declining-enrollment supplement (one year), other districts up to 10% (one year), per the sponsor's description.
- Institutes fall and spring application windows and a single application for all scholarship programs; requires additional residency documentation and verification against DOE enrollment files.
- Directs the Department of Education to assign a single student ID for scholarship recipients that follows the student across providers and requires a standard withdrawal form and verification of continued eligibility prior to each payment.
- Changes scholarship payment schedules from quarterly to monthly, aligns district payments to monthly cycles, and allows a front-loaded first payment (double payment) for homeschooling families to cover upfront curriculum and start-up expenses; payments would be trued up at year end.
- Prescribes that funds placed in a scholarship account for students with unique abilities remain with the student until age 22 if used for education or training that leads to employment, rather than reverting to the state immediately when a student re-enters public school.
- Requires background checks for any individual or entity that receives state funds to instruct students; the sponsor described a level-2 check requirement and said the Department of Law Enforcement conducts checks in employer contexts.
- Requires the Auditor General to conduct an annual FTE audit of scholarship programs and obliges scholarship-funding organizations (SFOs) to return funds as a result of audit findings; it also calls for a uniform reimbursement and invoicing process.

Committee debate and public testimony: Members raised operational questions about background-check scope (who must be checked in co-ops and residential settings), who bears background-check costs, how reimbursements are processed, data-sharing safeguards, residency verification deadlines and the bill's effective date (July 1). Senator Osgood urged broader consideration of funding across all education systems; Senator Simon and others emphasized the need for a \"runway\" to implement universal school choice.

Public testimony: Steve Hicks, chief operations officer for Center Academy Schools and president of the Florida Coalition of Scholarship Schools, said his organizations worry the bill would create excessive administrative requirements that smaller private schools and parents may not be staffed to meet and urged revisions to avoid unintended consequences. David Sykes waived in support and Step Up for Students was discussed as a primary administrator of scholarship payments.

Committee action: Senator Gates moved to submit SPB 7030 as a committee bill; the motion passed. The roll call recorded one \"No\" vote from Senator Osgood and recorded \"Yes\" votes from other members, and the committee reported SPB 7030 favorably.

Next steps: Committee staff and sponsors indicated willingness to continue working with members and stakeholders to refine background-check provisions, documentation deadlines and operational procedures as the bill moves through the legislative process.","SPB 7030 would separate Family Empowerment Scholarship funding from FEFP, require monthly scholarship payments and student IDs for scholarship recipients, expand a stabilization fund and place new documentation, auditing and background-check requirements on scholarship-related providers.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6104881,"Senate bill expands eligibility for dropout-retrieval programs, clarifies grading rules for providers",0,3060000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2788372-53081a0734724d4e79b0790975c43a75&start=3060&end=3060","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2788372-53081a0734724d4e79b0790975c43a75/thumbnail_3060000.jpg","/articles/6104881/Florida/Senate-bill-expands-eligibility-for-dropout-retrieval-programs-clarifies-grading-rules-for-providers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104881-6247d07416385006d2699e474fcbe824/orig.mp4?Expires=1770976664&Signature=TcH2z2NrmFwD2KK2congLrBXNS0e-0eBWcY3R8pYb3-aX6VA9fftADg8-pG53eFEHsARQCBnLf1BiT75~3uv5vGnMvtSWh6JRNYFuTNfXuZGHaQJV7IQ3V~0E-1asu0Pwz7tCoZqPSZNAzkumlvbFdXvYQhY8bDHgjpT1XATwcX7l0tfyL0CgGUQxPArfl7y6MsLQVsB5HMwMueM6i8YgzDqySrbpWVyBAP5g7EKyCkT9vKzZ7c00u6ZZbjPqRyGG6plWBqx8mnzwsyb505RJVg~TXbwfRNzQNM4MrlOGmzYTpemGhy0e6Aui5KcW7T-JQUk1bf4xluSxgOkOBq3Yw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate bill CS/CS SB 1402, explained to the committee by Senator Yarbrough, broadens eligibility for dropout retrieval services to include any individual who has withdrawn from high school and clarifies how the Department of Education calculates school grades for virtual providers that offer only dropout retrieval programs.

The bill also incorporates an amendment intended to clarify the Department of Education's calculation of school grades for those providers.

Why it matters: The change expands access to programs aimed at helping students return to and complete high school and resolves a statutory inconsistency that could affect how those programs are evaluated and funded.

Senator Yarbrough told the committee, \"Senate bill 1402 expands the current group of students who are eligible to enroll in dropout retrieval services by allowing any individual who has withdrawn from high school to enroll in a dropout retrieval program.\" Senator Garber explained the amendment before the committee adopted it.

The amendment was adopted by voice vote and there was a single appearance form on the bill: Lisa Hurley, representing Graduation Alliance, waived in support. After debate was closed, the clerk called the roll on CS for CS SB 1402; the committee reported the bill favorably by recorded vote.

The committee record shows the bill was moved forward with a favorable report to the next legislative stage.","CS/CS SB 1402 was reported favorably after committee amendment. The measure allows any individual who has withdrawn from high school to enroll in a dropout retrieval program and resolves a statutory conflict on how school grades are calculated for providers that exclusively offer dropout retrieval services.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":91,"_43":102,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6104888,"Senate panel rolls out $34.7 billion PreK–12 budget, boosts FEFP and scholarship funding",2902000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2788372-53081a0734724d4e79b0790975c43a75&start=2902&end=2902","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2788372-53081a0734724d4e79b0790975c43a75/thumbnail_2902000.jpg","/articles/6104888/Florida/Senate-panel-rolls-out-347-billion-PreK12-budget-boosts-FEFP-and-scholarship-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6104888-a630cef15b75650a8a600027c055d200/orig.mp4?Expires=1770976664&Signature=OzioA4p4rrYvR5S4KL8JEJ-k8TZROskieejgfiKOPtYVph9ZOK~rMS3dhpk5BWhZVNlvGk3ih~9GalJav9lOAPQ2jj~pXBmWcoNLUEeHqXOilT9wK1SyhHstrbh0azEVQoRmk5nMRcD2XfoJBXH6jPcmvUoA~sn87ZiHMXGNH90HsJipMDiJ~KM7prTuaoIJ9CQWzz2~An4~FNSL0EXIZ-C~CMJ1Tctbr5tEPOak3CqUWRBKA-MH2ejp~VYBuJTw87eMWNA1plW9onopDcYuNGNO8VZ6P-VpGeejfbrgFqD9x-VWCp5gWHTC3kDQ1oQ4Okw7Z6930Zfr3AheBUmXeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Appropriations Committee on Pre K–12 Education on Oct. 12 unveiled the Senate's proposed fiscal-year 2025'26 budget for public education, a $34.7 billion package that includes nearly $29.6 billion for the Florida Education Finance Program and a separate state-funded categorical for the Family Empowerment Scholarship.

The budget proposal increases total funds per full-time-equivalent student (FTE) by $135, raises the base student allocation by $66, and lists a $4 billion allocation for scholarship programs, nearly $700 million more than the current year.

Why it matters: The proposal reflects lawmakers' efforts to reconcile a decades-old funding formula with rapid growth in school choice programs. Senators said the plan aims to move money more predictably to where students actually enroll while providing short-term support for districts facing sudden enrollment declines.

Chair Burgess introduced the package and told the committee, \"Obviously, it's budget day,\" and asked staff to call the roll. He and committee members noted the proposal is an initial rollout subject to conference with the full Appropriations Committee and further adjustment.

Senator Gates, who reviewed details of the FEFP portion, said the proposal seeks to respond to the pace of school choice by separating scholarship dollars from the FEFP calculation and by creating mechanisms to limit disruptive budget shortfalls for districts. \"The FEFP was designed in the 1970s and 1980s and it doesn't work in today's school choice environment,\" Gates told the committee.

Key items highlighted in the packet included:
- $29.6 billion for public schools and K'12 scholarships, a $984 million increase over the current year.
- $4.0 billion designated as a separate state-funded categorical for the Family Empowerment Scholarship program.
- $431.4 million for voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) to maintain per-student funding and $4.1 million for a VPK summer bridge program.
- $3.3 million to assist schools in fiscally constrained counties participating in the state's school safety K9 program.
- $19.5 million extra for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind for operating and fixed capital needs.
- $4.0 million in a new state grant to reimburse districts for costs tied to providing IEPs for scholarship students.
- $45.0 million for school hardening and $20.0 million for security at Jewish day schools.
- A $50.0 million increase to an education enrollment stabilization fund intended to address declines in district enrollment and scholarship growth in the FEFP calculations.

Committee members asked few substantive questions during the initial presentation and Chair Burgess opened the floor for public comment; none was offered. Senator Gates moved that staff be allowed to make technical corrections; the motion was adopted \"without objection.\" Gates then moved to forward the committee's budget proposal as the panel's recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee; that motion was also adopted without objection.

The chair and members emphasized this is an initial posture in a larger conference process with the House and said further technical and policy changes are likely as negotiations proceed.","The Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre K–12 Education unveiled a $34.7 billion fiscal-year proposal that raises FEFP funding, creates a separate categorical for the Family Empowerment Scholarship, and authorizes an enrollment stabilization fund and targeted increases for VPK and the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would require private schools to disclose which IEP/504 accommodations they will provide before enrollment

Senate bill creates monthly scholarship payments, student ID tracking and stabilization fund to align funding with school choice

Senate bill expands eligibility for dropout-retrieval programs, clarifies grading rules for providers

Senate panel rolls out $34.7 billion PreK–12 budget, boosts FEFP and scholarship funding