HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS
BILL #: CS/HB 7025 PCB EQS 24-01 Education
SPONSOR(S): Education & Employment Committee, Education Quality Subcommittee, Trabulsy and others
TIED BILLS: None. IDEN./SIM. BILLS: CS/SB 7004
REFERENCE ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF
Orig. Comm.: Education Quality Subcommittee 17 Y, 1 N Blalock Sanchez
1) Choice & Innovation Subcommittee 16 Y, 0 N Blalock Sleap
2) Education & Employment Committee 17 Y, 0 N, As CS Blalock Hassell
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
In 2023, the Florida Legislature passed House Bill 1 (Ch. 2023 -16, Laws of Fla.), which included provisions regarding the deregulation
of public schools. In an effort to provide more flexibility and efficiency and reduce unnecessary regulation, the bill requir ed the State
Board of Education (SBE) to develop and recommend to the Governor and Legislature for adoption during the 2024 legislative session
repeals and revisions to the Florida Early Learning-20 Education Code, chapters 1000-1013, Florida Statutes.
The bill provides flexibility for district school boards to determine the adequate number of instructional materials in each classroom. The
bill provides school districts with additional time to review state -adopted instructional materials by requiring the Department of
Education (DOE) to publish the list prior to the start of the local school district adoption process. It provides superintendents with
flexibility on instructional material reporting timeframes and removes the requirement for submitting a district school board plan for
instructional materials use. The bill authorizes principals to determine collection of funds for lost or damaged instructional materials. In
addition, the bill authorizes school districts to assess a processing fee for each objection to a material under certain circ umstances.
The bill allows a school district to meet the requirement to offer summer Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) by contracting with private
providers. The bill revises the requirement that summer VPK program providers administer the coordinated scree ning and progress
monitoring (CSPM) system from 3 times per year to 2 times per year. The bill requires the referral of certain VPK students to the local
school district to receive additional instruction prior to entering kindergarten. The bill removes the requirement for administration of the
common assessment for students in Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) prevention, residential, or day treatment programs, as well as
the requirement that district school boards take action on a provider contract for DJJ educational programs that continue to
underperform within 6 months after a monitoring plan. Additionally, the bill allows the SBE to provide a school implementing a
turnaround plan additional time to implement a community school model if the school ha s received a community school planning grant.
The bill removes the requirement for a school district to offer a virtual instruction option. The bill removes the requiremen t that a virtual
provider be nonsectarian. The bill also authorizes a school district virtual program to provide the equipment and access necessary for
participation to any full-time student enrolled in the program, regardless of income status.
The bill provides that a student who has filed a formal declaration of intent to terminate s chool enrollment may take the GED
assessment, without an extraordinary exemption, after reaching the age of 16.
The bill revises the requirements that each Early Learning Coalition submit a School Readiness Plan to the DOE and that the DOE
review each plan every 3 years, rather than every 2 years.
The bill removes the requirement for the SBE to establish the tuition and out-of-state fees for developmental education and for credit
instruction that may be counted toward certain post-secondary degrees. The bill also removes the requirement for the SBE to identify
performance metrics for the Florida College System (FCS) and develop a plan that specifies goals and objectives for each FCS
institution.
Finally, the bill repeals reporting relating to fine arts, charter technical career centers, middle grades career courses, academically high -
performing school districts, Committee of Practitioners under the No Child Left Behind Act, and duplicative community assessment
feedback reports .
The bill does not appear to have a fiscal impact.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2024.
This docum ent does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives .
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DATE: 2/1/2024
 FULL ANALYSIS
I. SUBSTANTIVE ANALYSIS
A. EFFECT OF PROPOSED CHANGES:
Background
In 2023, the Florida Legislature passed House Bill 1 (HB1) (Ch. 2023-16, Laws of Fla.), which included
provisions regarding the deregulation of public schools. In an effort to provide more flexibility and
efficiency and reduce unnecessary regulation, the bill required the State Board of Education (SBE) to
develop and recommend to the Governor and Legislature for adoption during the 2024 legislative
session repeals and revisions to the Florida Early Learning-20 Education Code, chapters 1000-1013,
Florida Statutes.
Pursuant to HB1, the Department of Education (DOE) reviewed the entirety of the Code and
considered input from Florida teachers, superintendents, administrators, school boards, public and
private postsecondary institutions, home educators, and other stakeholders. Following that review, the
SBE developed recommendations for the deregulation of Florida public schools and provided them to
the Governor and Legislature on November 1, 2023.1
Instructional Materials
Present Situation
Instructional Materials Purchase and Reporting
Each district school board has the constitutional duty and responsibility to select and provide adequate
instructional materials for all students.2 Adequate instructional materials is defined as a sufficient
number of student or site licenses or set of materials that are available in bound, unbound, kit or
package form and may consist of textbooks, electronic content, consumables, learning laboratories,
manipulatives, electronic media and computer courseware or software that serve as the basis for
instruction for each student in the core subject areas.3 The core subject areas are mathematics,
language arts, social studies, science, reading, and literature. Each district school board is required to
purchase current instructional materials to provide each student in kindergarten through grade 12 with
a major tool of instruction in core courses.4 Purchases are required to be made within the first 3 years
after the effective date of the adoption cycle for instructional materials adopted by the state.5
Each district school board or a consortium of school districts may implement an instructional materials
program that includes the review, recommendation, adoption, and purchase of instructional materials.6
Procedures for the adoption of instructional materials by school districts or a consortium of school
districts are specified in law.7
By May 15 of any year in which an instructional materials adoption is to be initiated, the DOE is
required to advertise in the Florida Administrative Register four weeks preceding the date on which the
bids must be received, that at a certain designated time, no later than June 15, sealed bids or
proposals to be deposited with the DOE will be received from publishers or manufacturers for the
furnishing of instructional materials proposed to be adopted as listed in the advertisement beginning
April 1 following the adoption.8
1 Florida Department of Education (DOE), Recommendations to Reduce Regulation in Public Schools (2023), available at
https://flsenate.gov/Committees/Show/ED/MeetingPacket/5953/10483_MeetingPacket_5953_2.pdf.
2 Section 1006.28(2), F.S.
3 Section 1006.28(1)(a)1., F.S.
4 Section 1006.40(2), F.S.
5 Section 1006.40(2)-(3)(a), F.S.
6 Section 1006.283(1), F.S.
7 Section 1006.28(2), F.S.
8 Section 1006.33(1)(a), F.S.
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 The district school superintendent is required to certify to the DOE annually by March 31 that all
instructional materials for core courses used by the district are aligned with state standards.9 In
addition, each district school superintendent is required to annually notify the DOE by April 1 of the
state adopted materials that will be requisitioned for use in the district. The notification includes
providing a plan for instructional materials use to verify that adequate instructional materials were
requisitioned.10
Each school principal is charged with duties related to instructional materials including proper use of
instructional materials, collections for lost or damaged materials, sale of materials, disposition of funds
collected for materials, accounting for materials, and selection of library media center materials. 11 For
lost, destroyed, or unnecessarily damaged materials, the school principal is required to collect from
each student or the student’s parent the purchase price of the material. Failure to pay may result in the
suspension of the student from participation in extracurricular activities or satisfaction of the debt by the
student through community service activities at the school site as determined by the school principal,
pursuant to district school board policies.12
Objection to Materials
Each district school board is required to establish a process by which a parent or resident of the county
may contest the district school board’s adoption of a specific instructional material.13 The parent or
resident must file a petition, on a form provided by the school board, within 30 calendar days after the
adoption of the instructional material. The school board must make the form available to the public and
publish the form on the school district’s website. The school board is required to conduct at least one
open public hearing before an unbiased and qualified hearing officer that is not an employee or agent
of the school district. Following the hearing, the school board’s decision is made and not subject to
further petition or review.14
In addition, each school district must have a process by which a parent or resident of the county can
object to the use of a specific instructional material that was not subject to public adoption procedures
or any other material used in a classroom, made available in a school library, or included on a reading
list.15 If, through this process, the district school board finds that an instructional material does not m eet
state standards for adoption or that a material contains content harmful to a minor, is not suited to
student needs and ability to comprehend the material, or is inappropriate for the grade level and age
group it is used for, the district must discontinue the use of the material for that grade level or age
group.16
Beginning June 30, 2023, the district school board must submit to the Commissioner of Education
(commissioner) a report that identifies:
 each material for which the school district received an objection for the school year, including
the grade level and course the material was used in and the grounds for the objection;
 each material that was removed or discontinued; and
 each material that was not removed or discontinued and the rationale for not removing or
discontinuing the material.17
9 Section 1006.283(1), F.S.
10 Section 1006.28(3)(b), F.S.
11 Section 1006.28(4), F.S.
12 Section 1006.28(4)(b), F.S.
13 Section 1006.28(2)(a)3., F.S.
14 Id.
15 Section 1006.28(2)(a)2., F.S.
16 Id.
17 Section 1006.28(2)(e)3., F.S.
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 The DOE must publish and regularly update a list of materials that were removed or discontinued as a
result of an objection and disseminate the list to school districts for consideration in their selection
procedures.18
In fiscal year 2022-23, there were 1,218 objections in the state resulting in removal of 386 books. Over
half of the objections came from two school districts, Clay and Escambia. Clay County District Schools
reported 489 objections that resulted in removal of 177 book titles. Escambia County Public Schools
reported 215 objections that resulted in the removal of 9 book titles.19
Effect of Proposed Changes
Instructional Materials Purchase and Reporting
The bill provides flexibility for district school boards to determine the adequate number of instructional
materials in each classroom, which authorizes sharing of materials, if appropriate.
The bill provides school districts with additional time to review state-adopted instructional materials by
requiring the DOE to publish the list prior to the start of the local school district adoption process.
Beginning with the 2025-2026 instructional materials adoption cycle, the bill requires the DOE to
publish the list of adopted instructional materials no later than December 1, 2025 and for adoption
cycles after 2025-2026, no later than July 31 in the year preceding the adoption. Additionally, the bill
requires the DOE to publish an instructional materials adoption timeline that must include at least six
months between the release of bid specifications and the deadline for the submission of bids.
The bill changes from a specific date to annually, as determined by the superintendent, for each
superintendent to certify to the DOE that all instructional materials for core courses are aligned with
state standards and to notify the DOE of the state-adopted instructional materials requisitioned for use
in his or her school district. The bill also removes the requirement that the notification must include a
district school board plan for instructional materials use.
Finally, the bill authorizes the school principal to determine when the collection of the purchase price for
lost, destroyed, or damaged materials is appropriate.
Objection to Materials
The bill authorizes school districts to assess a processing fee of $100 for each objection to a material
by a resident or parent whose student is not enrolled in the school where the material is located if the
parent or resident has unsuccessfully objected to five materials during the calendar year. The bill also
requires the school district to return the fee if the objection is upheld.
The bill requires that the DOE-published and regularly updated list of materials that were removed or
discontinued as a result of an objection be sorted by grade level.
PreK-12 Assessment, School Improvement, and Accountability
Present Situation
Pre-K-12 Assessments
The DOE is required to operate a statewide assessment program designed to accurately measure the
core curricula content of the state educational standards. 20 Participation in the assessment program is
mandatory for all school districts and all students attending public schools. 21
18 Id.
19 DOE, 2022-2023 School District Reporting Pursuant to Section 1006.28(2), Florida Statutes (2023), available at
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5574/urlt/2223Object ionList.pdf.
20 Section 1008.22(3), F.S.
21 Id.
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 The statewide, standardized coordinated screening and progress monitoring (CSPM) system is used to
measure student progress in public schools and in the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program to
identify the educational strengths and needs of students. 22 The system measures student progress in
meeting the appropriate expectations in early literacy and mathematics skills and in English Language
Arts (ELA) and mathematics standards. For students in VPK through grade 3, the system measures
student performance in oral language development, phonological and phonemic awareness, knowledge
of print and letters, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as applicable by grade level.
The system must be administered at least three times in the school year and summer VPK programs. 23
Student Assessment for Department of Juvenile Justice Programs
The SBE must adopt rules prescribing expectations for education programs in Department of Juvenile
Justice (DJJ) prevention, day treatment, residential, and detention programs. 24 The rules include, but
are not limited to, assessment procedures that require:
 A common assessment for students in DJJ prevention, residential, or day treatment programs
with a career assessment and academic assessment designed to benchmark student-level
learning gains in ELA and mathematics between entry and exit from a DJJ education program. 25
 A determination of areas of academic need and strategies for intervention and instruction for
students in a DJJ detention center.
The DOE, with school districts and juvenile justice education providers, selects an assessment
instrument to measure lea