TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Lawmakers moved a state bill forward Tuesday aiming to change the school grading scale, so it is no longer easier for a school to get an “A” than it is for a student.
As the scale stands, if an elementary school student in Florida gets a 62% that is likely a very low “B,” but an elementary school with that rate gets an A grade.
Florida House Bill 1483 would implement gradual changes to raise the standards starting in the 2026-27 school year. Lawmakers reported it out of the Pre K-12 Budget Subcommittee and into the Education & Employment Committee.
There are several other bills related to public education that lawmakers have had to consider before the state’s legislative session ends on May 2.
The Florida Education Association, the state’s main teachers’ union, has been tracking bills related to teacher pay, charter schools, school starting times, and opportunities for students to earn industry certifications and college credit.
The FEA and The Florida Policy Institute were most critical of proposed cuts that would impact advanced academics and career and technical education courses.
“Students, schools, and the state’s ability to compete and thrive economically will all be negatively affected by reductions in funding for advanced academic and technical preparation,” FPI’s Norín Dollard wrote.
The FEA and the Florida School Boards Association have also both been tracking state Senate Bill 140 or House Bill 123 favoring charter schools by not requiring teachers’ consent for conversions and affecting access to school district property. SB 140 is on the committee’s agenda on Wednesday.
State SB 296 and HB 261 are both related to school start times. And while The National Education Association has ranked Florida as low for average teachers’ salaries, the unions are tracking state SB 136 and HB 439 without much hope of changing that. HB 439 is also in the PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee.
The Florida House and Senate were also preparing to formally negotiate the budget. Gov. Ron DeSantis’s proposed $115.6 billion budget includes $3.9 billion for universities, $1.7 billion for colleges, and $239.8 million for charter school maintenance.
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