News - Education RSS Feed

The latest national and state-by-state Catholic school enrollment numbers are out – and they amplify the contrast between what’s happening in Florida and most of the rest of America. Nationally, Catholic school enrollment in PreK-12 held steady, according to the latest annual report from the National Catholic Educational Association, released Wednesday. In 2023-24, 1,693,327 students were enrolled in Catholic schools, virtually the same number as the prior year. In Florida, enrollment climbed to 90,785, up 5.2% from the prior year. Read more at nextstepsblog.org.

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) applauds today’s approval of HB 1 by Governor Ron DeSantis. The bill’s expansion of school choice and the creation of Education Savings Accounts will empower all parents to choose the educational environment and services that best meet the needs of their children.

The bill would streamline the state government background screening system, benefiting numerous organizations and industries throughout Florida, including Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools, while keeping children and vulnerable adults safe. 

HB 1505 (Trabulsy) and SB 1830 (Brodeur) would streamline the state government background screening system. These bills will benefit numerous organizations and industries throughout Florida, including Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools.

HB 7045 (PreK-12 Appropriations) was passed this week by the House (79-36) and is on third reading in the Senate. A final vote is expected in the Senate as early as Monday. The measure eliminates from all scholarship programs the requirement that scholarship recipients be previously enrolled in public schools. It also increases the maximum income eligibility and the scholarship amounts for the Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC). Additionally, the bill folds the McKay and Gardiner Scholarships for students with special needs and unique abilities into the FES. Earlier this year, Catholic Days at the Capitol participants urged lawmakers to support expansion of eligibility for the state's scholarship programs.

HB 419 (Grall) was passed unanimously (118-0) by the full House on April 22. The bill streamlines agency oversight of the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) Program, reasonably and effectively increases accountability for VPK providers, and provides more useful and accurate assessments to monitor student progress. The Senate companion, SB 1282 (Harrell), remains on the Senate Special Order Calendar. The FCCB supports reasonable oversight and accountability in Florida's VPK program. These bills accomplish that goal and enhance Florida's early learning education system.

On April 15, four bills supported by the FCCB were reported favorably by the House Education & Employment Committee:

On April 8, HB 7045 was passed by House Appropriations (20-5) and will go to the full House for consideration. This bill is the companion bill to SB 48 (Diaz). Similar to SB 48, this bill eliminates the prior-public-school requirement for all scholarships. It also increases the scholarship amount for the Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC). However, unlike SB 48, this bill leaves the FTC as a separate tax credit scholarship and folds the McKay and Gardiner Scholarships for students with special needs and unique abilities into the FES. Additionally, HB 7045 does not create educational savings accounts for FES and FTC. SB 48 passed all committee references earlier in the session and remains on the Senate calendar on second reading.

HB 259 (Williamson) passed the full House (76-37) on March 26. FCCB opposes this bill, which authorizes the carrying of concealed weapons or firearms on property owned, rented, leased, borrowed, or lawfully used by a church, a synagogue, or any other religious institution, unless the institution has a policy specifically prohibiting persons from carrying a firearm on such property. Current law already allows concealed weapon permit holders to carry firearms at most churches, unless the property owner prohibits it. The primary effect of the legislation would be to allow permit holders to carry weapons onto the campuses of religious schools, which is currently a second-degree misdemeanor. Schools that would seek to be gun-free would be required to enact policies to that effect; other schools may resort to allowing parents or faculty to provide armed security who are far less trained than required by law today. The Senate companion, SB 498 (Gruters), is in its final committee of reference.

Parents' Bill of Rights SB 582 (Rodrigues, R.) was passed by Senate Education (5-4). The bill ensures that the right of parents to review instructional materials and curriculum is transparent and forthcoming. It also establishes parental consent requirements for medical care provided to a minor child. Having access to information about their rights allows parents to make informed decisions and better direct their child's education and health care. Companion, HB 241 (Grall), remains on the House Calendar, on 2nd reading. A letter to the bill sponsor, highlights FCCB support.

In a letter to bill sponsor, Rep. Kaylee Tuck (R-Sebring), the FCCB outlined its support for HB 1475. This important bill protects the rights of female athletes and promotes equality in women's sports by recognizing key biological differences between men and women and requiring separate sex-specific athletic teams or sports. Laws and policies that affirm gender identities not aligned with biological sex overlook the potential for serious, and often irreversible, physical harm to gender dysphoric individuals. HB 1475 passed the House Secondary Education and Career Development Subcommittee (13-4) on March 17. Its companion in the Senate, SB 2012 by Sen. Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland), is on the agenda for its first committee of reference, Senate Education, on March 23.