Board Consultant’s Report

Kathleen D. Sanz, PhD Board Consultant, FAEA

Advocacy/legislation

The regular legislative session closed on March 11, 2022. The Legislature approved a resolution that extended the session through March 14, 2022 for budget bills only.

Several bills have been sent to the Governor including:

• CS/CS/HB 1557 Parental Rights in Education—Requires district school boards to adopt procedures that comport with certain provisions of law for notifying students’ parent of specified information; requires such procedures to reinforce fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding upbringing & control of their children; prohibits school district from adopting procedures or student support forms that prohibit school district personnel from notifying parent about specified information or that encourage student to withhold from parent such information; prohibits school district personnel from discouraging or prohibiting parental notification & involvement in critical decisions affecting student’s mental, emotional, or physical well-being; prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels; requires school districts to notify parents of healthcare services; authorizes parent to bring action against school district to obtain declaratory judgment; provides for additional award of injunctive relief, damages, & reasonable attorney fees & court costs to certain parents.

The bill will limit discussions teachers and businesses can have about race was approved in the House and Senate. The bill reads in part, “A person should not be instructed that he or she must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress for actions, in which he or she played no part, committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.”

It applies to K-12 public schools, but not universities and and has been signed by the Governor and will take effect July 1, 2022.

• CS/HB 1467—The Florida Legislature is imposing 12-year term limits for school board members in 67 school districts, a new standard for locally elected board members who currently don’t have term limits. The term-limit legislation is being sent to the Governor for signature. At issue is whether the bill may overstep local authority or Constitutional rules. Local boards, under the Florida Constitution, have the authority to operate public schools.