HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS
BILL #: HB 1393 Florida School for Competitive Academics
SPONSOR(S): Snyder
TIED BILLS: None. IDEN./SIM. BILLS: SB 1386
REFERENCE ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF
1) Choice & Innovation Subcommittee 12 Y, 0 N Dixon Sleap
2) PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee
3) Education & Employment Committee
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
The bill establishes the Florida School for Competitive Academics (FSCA) as a public school in Alachua
County for students in grades 6-12, to be admitted starting in the 2024-2025 school year. The school is
intended to provide a rigorous academic curriculum, and to prepare students for regional, state, and national
academic competitions in all areas of study, including, but not limited to, science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics.
The bill establishes a board of trustees to govern the FSCA, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the
Senate. The board of trustees is authorized to manage, maintain, support, and control the FSCA. Specific
authority includes, but is not limited to, admissions, personnel, purchasing, school safety, budgets, and
records.
The FSCA is exempted from Florida Statutes in the same manner as charter schools, and is subject to
financial and operational audits by the Auditor General in the same manner as other public educational
institutions.
The bill has an indeterminate but significant fiscal impact on state government expenditures. See Fiscal
Analysis.
The bill has an effective date of July 1, 2023.
This docum ent does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives .
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 FULL ANALYSIS
I. SUBSTANTIVE ANALYSIS
A. EFFECT OF PROPOSED CHANGES:
Present Situation
Background
Florida’s Early Learning-20 Education System
Florida’s Early Learning-20 education system includes publicly supported and controlled K-12 schools,
Florida College System institutions, state universities and other postsecondary educational institutions,
other educational institutions, and other educational services as provided or authorized by the
Constitution and laws of the state. These include:1
 The Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and the school readiness program.
 Public K-12 schools, which include charter schools and consist of kindergarten classes;
elementary, middle, and high school grades and special classes; virtual instruction programs;
workforce education; career centers; adult, part-time, and evening schools, courses, or classes,
as authorized by law to be operated under the control of district school boards; and lab schools
operated under the control of state universities.
 Public postsecondary educational institutions, which include workforce education; Florida
College System institutions; state universities; and all other state-supported postsecondary
educational institutions that are authorized and established by law.
 The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.2
 The Florida Virtual School.3
Advanced Academic Public Schools in Florida
Florida offers a number of public school options for academically talented students, for example:
 The Pine View School, established in 1969 in Sarasota County, serves intellectually gifted
students in grades 2-12. Its mission is to provide a qualitatively different learning environment
that nurtures a passion for intellectual curiosity, encourages risk taking, independence and
innovation, and is committed to a tradition of academic excellence and social responsibility.
Children are admitted based on a series of tests, recommendations, and other pertinent
admissions data. These are reviewed by a committee of teachers and other personnel. The
basic curriculum conforms to local and state requirements as expressed in accreditation
standards and the officially approved programs of studies. 4
 Stanton College Preparatory School opened in 1981 in Duval County as the district’s first
magnet school. The school serves grades 9-12, with a mission to provide a rigorous academic
program of all advanced academic courses supplemented by philanthropic, artistic, and forensic
activities. Stanton consistently ranks first in the county and in the top three in the state for the
number of National Merit Semi-Finalists.5
 The School for Advanced Studies (SAS) is a nationally recognized collegiate high school of
excellence, a combined effort between Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Miami Dade
College. Students attending SAS complete their last two years of high school while they obtain
a two-year Associate in Arts degree from Miami Dade College. The opportunity for acceleration
and enrichment attracts motivated and academically talented students. SAS provides its
students with a rich and rigorous liberal arts education with many of its students specializing in
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). SAS was recently recognized by
1 Section 1000.04, F.S.
2 See also, Section 1002.36, F.S.
3 See also, Section 1002.37, F.S.
4 Pine View School, About Pine View School, https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/domain/1447 (last visited Mar. 23, 2023).
5 School for Advanced Studies, About Us, https://sasdreamfactory.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=473938&type=d (last visited
Mar. 23, 2023).
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 U.S. News and World Report and the "Best High School in Florida" and the "Fifth Best High
School in the United States."6 Admissions is based on a variety of factors including GPA,
attendance record, and college placement test scores. 7
 Buchholz High School (BHS) in Alachua county has won 14 national championships in 15
years at the National Mu Alpha Theta8 Competition. The team broke records by winning a total
of 304 trophies, with many of the team members earning first-place awards. The team has
taken first place in 32 out of 39 national competitions. 9
Other States Advanced Academic Public Schools
Other states have public schools that offer specialized advanced academic instruction. The Alabama
School of Mathematics and Science was founded in 1989 as a public residential high school in Mobile,
Alabama. While the school is located in Mobile, the recruitment of candidates for the school
encompasses the state’s 67 counties, serving sophomores, juniors and seniors. The mission of the
school is to provide academically motivated Alabama students with exceptional preparations in the
fields of math and science, empowering them to improve their community, state, and nation.10
North Carolina has the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics founded in 1980 as a public
residential school with campuses in Durham and Morganton, North Carolina. In addition, the school
offers an online component for admitted 11th and 12th graders to supplement their local high school
education. The school is part of the University of North Carolina system and is open to high school
juniors and seniors across North Carolina. The school provides an intellectually stimulating, divers e,
inclusive, and collaborative community, which among other criteria, offers challenging programs, with
an emphasis in STEM.11
Local Education Agencies
Charter schools, like traditional public schools, receive federal education funding through such
programs as Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 12 and the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act.13 Typically, these programs are structured so that funding flows from the
federal government to a state educational agency,14 which then awards subgrants to local education
agencies (LEA) within the state.15
Each federal education funding program has unique policy goals and program requirements. A LEA
must submit a separate application and implementation plan for each federal program. 16 LEAs must
have the personnel and infrastructure necessary to maintain financial, procurement, and inventory
management systems that meet federal requirements.17 LEAs must also comply with record keeping
6 School for Advanced Studies, About Us, https://sasdreamfactory.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=473938&type=d (last visited
Mar. 22, 2023).
7 Id.
8 Mu Alpha Theta, the National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society is dedicated to inspiring a keen
interest in mathematics, developing strong scholarship in the subject, and promoting the enjoyment of mathematics in high sch ool and
two-year college students. Currently, more than 100,000 students are Mu Alpha Theta members at more than 2,420 schools in the
United States and in 23 foreign countries. Mu Alpha Theta, About Us, https://mualphatheta.org/about-us (last visited Mar. 22, 2023).
9 The Gainesville Sun, Buchholz High School takes home 14th national math championship win in 15 -year span,
https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2022/07/19/buchholz-high-school-wins-14th-national-championship/10089688002/ (last
visited Mar. 22, 2023).
10 The Alabama School of Math and Science, available at https://www.asms.net/about (last visited Mar. 22, 2023). see also, ALA.
CODE § 16-26A-3 (2016).
11 North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, available at https://www.ncssm.edu/ (last visited Mar. 22, 2023).
12 20 U.S.C. s. 6301 et. seq.
13 20 U.S.C. s. 1400 et. seq.; s. 1002.33(17)(c)-(d), F.S.
14 The Florida Department of Education is Florida’s state educational agency for federal funding purposes. See 20 U.S.C. s. 1412(a).
15 See 20 U.S.C. ss. 1412(a) and 1413(a).
16 See, e.g., 20 U.S.C. s. 6312 (local education agency Title I plans).
17 34 C.F.R. s. 76.702 and 2 C.F.R. 200.302-200.308 (financial management); 2 C.F.R. s. 200.318 (procurement management); 2
C.F.R. ss. 200.313 and 200.314 (inventory management).
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 and annual financial and performance accountability reporting requirements.18 A LEA that fails to
comply with the terms of a federal grant may be subject to withholding, suspension, or termination of
grant funds or designated as a “high risk” grantee.19 Grant recipients who commit fraud may be
debarred or suspended from participation in all federally funded programs. 20
Each state determines which entities may serve as LEAs. 21 In most cases, Florida’s school districts are
the LEA for district public schools, including charter schools. Federal education funds are received by
the school district, which then distributes to the charter school its proportionate share of funding. 22
Effect of Proposed Changes
The bill establishes the Florida School for Competitive Academics (FSCA) in Alachua County as a
state-supported public school for Florida residents in grades 6-12 and modifies the Florida Early
Learning-20 public education system to include the FSCA.
The bill states that the primary purpose of the FSCA is to provide a rigorous academic curriculum, and
the secondary purpose is to prepare students for regional, state, and national academic competitions in
all areas of study, such as, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The school may admit
students in grades 6-12 beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.
The bill also establishes the mission of the FSCA to provide students who meet selective admissions
requirements an environment that will foster high academic engagement and advanced understanding
of subject areas, develop productive work habits, build resiliency, connect students with industry
leaders, and promote civic leadership.
To assist in the recruitment of students to the FSCA, the bill requires the Commissioner of Education
(commissioner) to ensure all eligible students are informed of the FSCA. The commissioner must
inform parents of public school students that they may provide their child’s student records to the
FSCA’s board of trustees for recruitment purposes.
Board of Trustees
The bill provides for the FSCA to be governed by a board of trustees. The bill establishes that the
FSCA board of trustees will be composed of seven members appointed by the Governor to 4-year
terms and confirmed by the Senate. For purposes of staggering terms, four members, including the
chair as designated by the Governor, will be appointed to 4-year terms beginning July 1, 2023, and
three members will be appointed to 2-year terms beginning July 1, 2023. After the initial 4-year term,
the chair will be elected by the board. The bill specifies that no more than one employee of the school
may serve on the board of trustees as a member or as chairman. The members of the board of trustees
serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses.
The bill specifies that the board of trustees is established as a public agency entitled to sovereign
immunity, and the members as public officers who bear fiduciary responsibility for the FSCA. As a
corporation, the board of trustees is authorized by the bill to operate and manage the FSCA. Gifts,
donations, or bequests to the FSCA are under the jurisdiction of the board of trustees; all other property
and assets are under the jurisdiction of the SBE.
The bill establishes the powers and authority of the board of trustees, that include:
18 34 C.F.R. s. 76.702 and 2 C.F.R ss. 200.318, 200.313, 200.314, and 200.334 (fiscal, procurement, and inventory management
records); 2 C.F.R. ss. 200.328-200.330 (financial reporting).
19 2 C.F.R. ss 200.339-343 (noncompliance with grant terms); 2 C.F.R. s. 200.206 (high-risk grantees).
20 2 C.F.R. s. 200.339
21 Federal law broadly defines the term LEA to include state boards of education, state departments of education, local school boards,
cities, counties, political subdivisions, public postsecondary institutions, or any other public entities that a state’s law authorizes to
administer public elementary and secondary schools. See, e.g., 34 C.F.R. s. 77.1.
22 Section 1002.33(17)(c), F.S.
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  Adopting rules for the operation of the school that comply with state law and must be submitted
to the SBE for approval.
 Appointing and removing a principal, administrators, teachers, and other employees.
 Determining eligibility of students and procedures for admission.
 Providing for the proper keeping of accounts and records and for budgeting of funds.
 Receiving gifts, donations, and bequests of money or property, real or personal, tangible or
intangible, from any person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity for the use and benefit of the
school.
 Recommending to the Legislature for the school to become a residential public school.
 Performing every other matter or thing requisite to the proper management, maintenance,
support, and control of the school at the highest efficiency economically possible.
 Having a stand-alone law enforcement agency.
 After receiving approval from the Administration Commission, exercising the power of eminent
domain in the manner as provided in law.
The bill also requires the board of trustees to:
 Prepare and submit legislative budget requests for operations and fixed capital outlay to the
Department of Education (DOE) for review and approval. The DOE will analyze the request for
fixed capital outlay to determine if the request is consistent with the school’s campus master
plan, educational plant survey, and facilities master plan.
 Approve and administer an annual operating budget in accordance with law.
 Require all purchases to be in accordance requirements in law, except for purchases made with
funds received as gifts, donations, or bequests or funds raised by or belonging to student clubs
or student organizations.
 Administer and maintain personnel programs for all employees of the board of trustees and the
FSCA, who shall be school employees, including the personnel.
 Ensure that the FSCA complies with laws concerning the coordination of planning between the
FSCA and local governing bodies.
 Ensure that the FSCA complies with laws concerning per diem and travel expenses.
 Adopt a master plan that specifies the objectives of the FSCA. The plan must be for a period of
5 years and must be reviewed for needed modifications every 2 years. The board of trustees
must submit the initial plan and subsequent modifications to the President of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Student and Employee Records
The bill requires the board of tru