SB 1348 Summary: Private Schools

• Private schools participating in state scholarship programs must annually submit to the Department of Education the number and graduation rate of scholarship students, their results on standardized assessments, and the school's annual budget.

• Private schools must require scholarship students to participate in statewide assessments under s. 1008.22, with exemptions for students with disabilities where standardized testing is deemed inappropriate by physicians, psychologists, or IEP teams.

• Private schools must establish curricula meeting state standards in s. 1003.41 and provide at least 100 minutes of supervised free-play recess weekly for kindergarten through grade 5 students (minimum 20 consecutive minutes daily).

• Private schools accepting scholarship students must comply with State Requirements for Educational Facilities of the Florida Building Code, and local governments cannot impose more stringent building requirements; violation allows schools to seek injunctive relief with attorney fees and court costs.

• The Department of Education must annually develop school report cards in collaboration with private schools accepting scholarship students and grade such schools using the same system as public schools, requiring at least 95 percent of eligible students to be assessed.