CS/CS/CS/HB 1145 Summary

• Expands public school choice options by requiring district school boards to implement controlled open enrollment, allowing parents to enroll children in any public school that has not reached capacity (defined as 90% of student stations) beginning in 2016-2017, with students able to continue until completion of highest grade offered.

• Creates the Florida Institute for Charter School Innovation within Florida State University to provide technical assistance to charter school applicants and sponsors, conduct research on charter school best practices, and submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature.

• Establishes the Principal Autonomy Pilot Program Initiative allowing up to six school districts to exchange statutory and rule exemptions for performance-based contracts that grant principals increased fiscal and administrative autonomy over three-year terms, with participating principals required to complete professional development training.

• Authorizes district school boards to adopt standard student attire policies (the "Students Attired for Education (SAFE) Act") for kindergarten through eighth grade and provides $10 per-student incentive payments to districts implementing districtwide policies.

• Requires instruction for homebound or hospitalized students and mandates school districts housing children's specialty hospitals establish agreements with those hospitals to coordinate student eligibility and educational instruction timelines.