Florida SB 182: Education

Bill Text

182 
Education 
2026-03-18T09:24:02Z 
Providing that students may not be dismissed from certain charter schools based on academic performance; requiring students in specified grades to receive instruction in cursive writing; requiring, subject to legislative appropriation, each district school board to adopt rules to require the display of portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln at each public school in the district; establishing the School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program within the Department of Education, etc. 
ENROLLED 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
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 ENROLLED 
 2026 Legislature CS for CS for SB 182, 1st Engrossed 

 2026182er 
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 2 An act relating to education; amending s. 1002.33, 
 3 F.S.; providing that students may not be dismissed 
 4 from certain charter schools based on academic 
 5 performance; amending s. 1002.395, F.S.; adding a 
 6 condition for Florida Tax Credit (FTC) scholarship 
 7 reimbursements; requiring that certain FTC scholarship 
 8 funds revert to the organization; amending s. 1002.42, 
 9 F.S.; providing that certain private schools are 
 10 considered a permitted use in certain zoning 
 11 districts; authorizing certain private schools to 
 12 operate in facilities that meet specified 
 13 requirements; providing exceptions; requiring certain 
 14 private schools operating in such facilities to meet 
 15 specified Florida Fire Prevention Code standards; 
 16 providing that completion of a specified evaluation 
 17 system with certain ratings by specified persons 
 18 constitutes evidence of compliance with the Florida 
 19 Fire Prevention Code for such private schools; 
 20 authorizing the State Fire Marshal to adopt rules; 
 21 amending s. 1003.42, F.S.; requiring students in 
 22 specified grades to receive instruction in cursive 
 23 writing; providing requirements for such instruction; 
 24 requiring students to demonstrate proficiency in 
 25 cursive writing by the end of a specified grade; 
 26 defining the term “proficiency in cursive writing”; 
 27 amending s. 1003.44, F.S.; requiring, subject to 
 28 legislative appropriation, each district school board 
 29 to adopt rules to require the display of portraits of 
 30 George Washington and Abraham Lincoln at each public 
 31 school in the district; requiring the Department of 
 32 Education to select the portraits and make them 
 33 available to each school district; creating s. 
 34 1012.988, F.S.; establishing the School Teacher 
 35 Training and Mentoring Program within the Department 
 36 of Education; providing the purpose of the program; 
 37 authorizing school districts and charter schools to 
 38 place certain classroom teachers as teacher mentors in 
 39 specified schools for specified purposes; providing 
 40 requirements for teacher mentors and mentees; 
 41 authorizing teacher mentors to receive a stipend; 
 42 providing the time period for each mentor and mentee 
 43 relationship through the program; providing 
 44 limitations on the number of mentees teacher mentors 
 45 may work with; providing department and teacher mentor 
 46 responsibilities; authorizing the State Board of 
 47 Education to adopt rules; amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; 
 48 authorizing specified funds to be used for the School 
 49 Teacher Training and Mentoring Program; providing an 
 50 effective date. 
 51 
 52 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 53 
 54 Section 1. Paragraph (e) of subsection (10) of section 
 55 1002.33, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 
 56 1002.33 Charter schools.— 
 57 (10) ELIGIBLE STUDENTS.— 
 58 (e) A charter school may limit the enrollment process only 
 59 to target the following student populations: 
 60 1. Students within specific age groups or grade levels. 
 61 2. Students considered at risk of dropping out of school or 
 62 academic failure. Such students shall include exceptional 
 63 education students. 
 64 3. Students enrolling in a charter school-in-the-workplace 
 65 or charter school-in-a-municipality established pursuant to 
 66 subsection (15). 
 67 4. Students residing within a reasonable distance of the 
 68 charter school, as described in paragraph (20)(c). Such students 
 69 shall be subject to a random lottery and to the racial/ethnic 
 70 balance provisions described in subparagraph (7)(a)8. or any 
 71 federal provisions that require a school to achieve a 
 72 racial/ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves or 
 73 within the racial/ethnic range of other nearby public schools. 
 74 5. Students who meet reasonable academic, artistic, or 
 75 other eligibility standards established by the charter school 
 76 and included in the charter school application and charter or, 
 77 in the case of existing charter schools, standards that are 
 78 consistent with the school’s mission and purpose. Such standards 
 79 shall be in accordance with current state law and practice in 
 80 public schools and may not discriminate