SESSION WATCH
Superseded — its companion passed SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 320

Administrative Efficiency in Public Schools
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SPONSOR
Simon
FILED BY
Corey Simon — District 3, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
COMPANION
CS/CS/HB 1279 — SB 320 was set aside and its companion carried the policy

Filed under Education.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Administrative Efficiency in Public Schools; Exempting district school boards from requirements for adopting certain rules; deleting a requirement for a district school board to employ an internal auditor in certain circumstances; revising requirements relating to district school board attendance policies for Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Programs; prohibiting a school from being required to use a certain parameter as the sole determining factor to recruit instructional personnel; specifying requirements for advanced degrees that may be used to set salary schedules for instructional personnel and school administrators hired after a specified date; revising eligibility requirements for individuals to participate in the Teacher Apprenticeship Program, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Removes auditor, rulemaking, and facilities planning mandates for school districts.

Districts over $500 million no longer must employ an internal auditor, eliminating a key financial oversight role. This change removes a mandatory compliance requirement for the state's largest school districts.

School boards are exempt from standard rulemaking procedures when adopting rules, provided they hold public meetings. This allows districts to create local policies without following the state's formal administrative rulemaking process.

Districts must now prepare only a tentative facilities plan, removing the requirement for detailed 5-, 10-, and 20-year projections. Local governments may review these plans but are no longer required to coordinate with them.

The bill authorizes districts to issue temporary teacher certificates and offer three-year contracts to eligible staff. It also prohibits schools from using student growth as the sole factor for recruiting instructional personnel.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Removal of Internal Auditor Requirement majors. 1001.42(12)(l)

AIDistricts receiving over $500 million in annual funds no longer must employ an internal auditor.

“in the case of a school district receiving annual federal, state, and local funds in excess of $500 million, shall employ an internal auditor” bill text, line 197 →
§ 2 Exemption from Rulemaking Requirements majors. 120.81(1)(a)

AIDistrict school boards are exempt from standard rulemaking procedures when adopting rules.

“District school boards are not subject to the requirements for rules in this chapter when making and adopting rules with public input at a public meeting.” bill text, line 163 →
§ 3 Districts may issue temporary teacher certificates majors. 1012.56(7)(h)

AISchool districts and regional education consortia can now issue temporary educator certificates, subject to reporting to the Department of Education and oversight by the Education Practices Commission.

“A school district or a regional education consortium may issue temporary certificates, based on the requirements in paragraph (b).” bill text, line 1373 →
§ 4 Multiyear instructional contracts authorized majors. 1012.335(1)(b)

AIDistricts may offer 3-year contracts to teachers who hold a professional certificate, are recommended by the superintendent, and have no recent unsatisfactory evaluations, replacing annual contract renewals for eligible staff.

“"Instructional multiyear contract," beginning July 1, 2026, means an employment contract for a period not to exceed 3 years which the district school board may choose to award” bill text, line 1141 →
§ 5 School district facilities planning requirements reduced majors. 1013.35(1)(a)

AIDistrict school boards no longer must develop detailed 5-, 10-, and 20-year facilities plans with specific projections, inventories, and work programs; they must only prepare a tentative plan and submit it to the department.

“Annually, before the adoption of the district school budget, each district school board shall prepare a tentative district educational facilities plan that includes long-range”
§ 6 Local government coordination and review requirements removed majors. 1013.35(4)

AIDistrict school boards no longer must coordinate with local governments or ensure consistency with local comprehensive plans during facilities planning; local governments may but are not required to review plans.

“The affected local governments may review the tentative district educational facilities plan and comment to the district school board on the consistency of the plan with the local”
§ 7 Prohibition on Sole Recruitment Factor moderates. 1008.33(3)(c)

AISchools cannot use student learning growth as the only factor for recruiting teachers.

“A school may not be required to use the measure of student learning growth in s. 1012.34(7) as the sole determinant to recruit instructional personnel.” bill text, line 613 →
§ 8 Removal of Uniform Assessment Calendar moderates. 1008.22(7)(b)

AIThe requirement for a uniform electronic assessment calendar with detailed data fields is deleted.

“By January of each year, the commissioner shall publish on the department's website a uniform calendar that includes the assessment and reporting schedules” bill text, line 472 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Messages; Companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/HB 1279 (Ch....
1/22/2026
In Messages
1/22/2026
Immediately certified -SJ 163
1/22/2026
Passed; YEAS 36 NAYS 0 -SJ 162
1/22/2026
Read 3rd time -SJ 162
1/22/2026
Read 2nd time -SJ 162
1/20/2026
Placed on Special Order Calendar, 01/22/26
1/14/2026
Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
1/14/2026
Favorable by- Fiscal Policy; YEAS 20 NAYS 0
1/13/2026
Introduced
1/9/2026
On Committee agenda-- Fiscal Policy, 01/14/26, 9:00 am, 110 Senate Building
12/10/2025
Now in Fiscal Policy
12/9/2025
Favorable by Education Pre-K - 12; YEAS 6 NAYS 0
12/1/2025
On Committee agenda-- Education Pre-K - 12, 12/09/25, 3:30 pm, 412...
11/21/2025
Referred to Education Pre-K - 12; Fiscal Policy
11/21/2025
Filed
10 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 120.81
+26 / −0
s. 1001.23
+117 / −0
s. 1001.42
+0 / −236
s. 1002.20
+44 / −14
s. 1002.33
+0 / −7
s. 1002.451
+3 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES