FL H0445

School districts must notify students entitled to a certificate of completion and their parents, in writing, of the option to remain in high school for up to 1 additional year to receive special instruction to remedy deficiencies and earn a standard high school diploma, including contact information for a certified school counselor.

Students who decline the additional year of instruction and accept a certificate of completion must be informed by their school counselor or other personnel of opportunities to continue education through postsecondary, workforce, and adult education programs.

School districts receive a bonus of 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) student membership through the Florida Education Finance Program for each certificate-of-completion-eligible student who stays the additional year and earns a standard high school diploma, added to grades 9–12 basic program funding in the subsequent fiscal year.

Bonus FTE funding must be allocated to the specific schools whose students generated it and spent solely on special instruction and support services for certificate-of-completion-eligible students electing to remain in high school.

The State Board of Education is required to adopt rules to monitor compliance with the notification and counseling requirements, with an effective date of July 1, 2023.