House Bill 1045 amends Florida Statutes to enhance accountability and transparency for private schools participating in educational scholarship programs. The bill requires private schools receiving over $250,000 in scholarship funds to submit an annual report from an independent certified public accountant and prohibits individuals disqualified due to misconduct from working in positions with direct student contact. Additionally, private schools must disclose attendance conditions related to religious tenets, student conduct codes, and policies on sexual orientation or gender identity. They are also required to report disenrollments and return funds for students who leave midyear without parental consent.

The legislation also establishes the K-12 Classroom Technology Grant Program to assist public schools in acquiring or updating classroom technology and creates a K-12 Education Funding Task Force to evaluate nontraditional schools receiving state funds. This task force will focus on transparency, accountability, and the impact of disenrollment, providing annual reports starting in 2026. Furthermore, the bill revises the calculation for the base student allocation to include the Consumer Price Index and sets a new minimum base salary for teachers, ensuring it is at least the national average or 10% higher than the previous year's minimum. The act is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 1045 Filed: 1002.421