Today Governor Ron DeSantis signed historic legislation to expand school choice options in Florida. HB 1 eliminates financial eligibility restrictions and the current enrollment caps for the state scholarship programs. This bill is intended to make school choice an option for every child in the state.

Florida already has 1.3 million students who learn full-time in a school of their family’s choosing – larger than the entire K-12 student enrollments of 35 other states. Now law, HB 1 will further cement Florida’s position as the nation’s leader in school choice.

The bill also addresses some issues with teacher certification. It extends the length of a temporary certificate from 3 to 5 years. It also removes the requirement to meet the General Knowledge requirement for teachers who have been in the classroom for 3 years and who have been rated effective or highly effective for each of those 3 years.

The new legislation converts FES-EO and FTC into education savings accounts. It expands program eligibility to any student who is a resident of Florida and is eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 in a public school in Florida.

It establishes scholarship priority based on household income:

1. Renewal students will continue to have first priority
2. Students whose household income level does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level receive the next highest priority
3. Students whose household income level exceeds 185% of the federal poverty level but does not exceed 400% of the federal poverty level receive the third highest priority

It expands Authorized Uses of Program Funds under FES-EO and FTC to include:

• Instructional materials
• Curriculum
• Tuition & fees for full-time or part-time enrollment in an eligible postsecondary institution or a program offered by a postsecondary institution
• An approved pre-apprenticeship program
• A private tutoring program
• A virtual program from a Dept. of Education-approved private online provider
• Florida Virtual School as a private pay student
• An approved online course
• Fees for Nationally standardized, norm-referenced achievement tests, Advanced Placement exams, industry certification exams, assessments related to postsecondary education, or other assessments
• Contracted services provided by a public school or school district, including classes (subject to the school’s space and availability)
• Tuition & fees for part-time tutoring services or fees for services provided by a choice navigator

It allows all students who are eligible for FES-EO to use the transportation scholarship.

Parents of students in full-time private schools must agree to have their Scholarship Funding Organization, or “SFO,” commit scholarship funds on behalf of their students for tuition and fees before using ESA funds for other authorized uses of program funds.