Florida HB 129: The Florida Virtual School

Bill Text

HB 129 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb129-00
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Florida Virtual School; 2
amending s. 1002.37, F.S.; deleting provisions 3
relating to the Florida Virtual School giving priority 4
to certain students; revising who may call a board of 5
trustees meeting; providing that the board of trustees 6
may use supplemental funding sources to develop a 7
state-of-the-art technology-based education delivery 8
system; authorizing the Florida Virtual School to 9
accrue supplemental revenue from direct-support 10
organizations; revising which entities review and 11
approve expenditures; revising which personnel are 12
subject to policies of the board of trustees; deleting 13
a requirement for the board of trustees to establish 14
priorities for the admission of students; deleting a 15
requirement for the board of trustees to establish 16
performance and accountability measures; revising 17
requirements for an annual report the board of 18
trustees must submit to specified entities; revising 19
which students are subject to specified requirements; 20
making technical changes; providing an effective date. 21
22
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 23
24
Section 1. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (1), 25

HB 129 2026

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subsections (2), (4), and (7), paragraph (b) of subsection (9), 26
and paragraph (d) of subsection (10) of section 1002.37, Florida 27
Statutes, are amended to read: 28
1002.37 The Florida Virtual School.— 29
(1) 30
(b) The mission of the Florida Virtual School is to 31
provide students with technology-based educational opportunities 32
to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. The 33
school shall serve all students any student in the state who 34
meet meets the profile for success in this educational delivery 35
context and shall give priority to: 36
1. Students who need expanded access to courses in order 37
to meet their educational goals, such as home education students 38
and students in inner-city and rural high schools who do not 39
have access to higher-level courses. 40
2. Students seeking accelerated access in order to obtain 41
a high school diploma at least one semester early. 42
3. Students who are children of an active duty member of 43
the United States Armed Forces who is not stationed in this 44
state whose home of record or state of legal residence is 45
Florida. 46
(c) To ensure parents and students are informed of the 47
opportunities offered by the Florida Virtual School, the 48
commissioner shall provide the board of trustees of the Florida 49
Virtual School access to the records of public school students 50

HB 129 2026

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in a format prescribed by the board of trustees. 51
52
The board of trustees of the Florida Virtual School shall 53
identify appropriate performance measures and standards based on 54
student achievement that reflect the school's statutory mission 55
and priorities, and shall implement an accountability system for 56
the school that includes assessment of its effectiveness and 57
efficiency in providing quality services that encourage high 58
student achievement, seamless articulation, and maximum access. 59
(2) The Florida Virtual School shall be governed by a 60
board of trustees consisting comprised of seven members 61
appointed by the Governor to 4-year staggered terms. The board 62
of trustees shall be a public agency entitled to sovereign 63
immunity pursuant to s. 768.28, and board members shall be 64
public officers who shall bear fiduciary responsibility for the 65
Florida Virtual School. The board of trustees shall have the 66
following powers and duties: 67
(a)1. The board of trustees shall meet at least 4 times 68
each year, upon the call of the board chair, or at the request 69
of a majority of the board membership, or at the request of the 70
president and chief executive officer of the Florida Virtual 71
School. 72
2. The fiscal year for the Florida Virtual School shall be 73
the state fiscal year as provided in s. 216.011(1)(q). 74
(b) The board of trustees shall be responsible for the 75

HB 129 2026

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Florida Virtual School's development of a state-of-the-art 76
technology-based education delivery system that is cost-77
effective, educationally sound, marketable, and capable of 78
sustaining a self-sufficient delivery system through the Florida 79
Education Finance Program and other supplemental funding 80
sources