School district staff presented the 2025–26 student progression plan and the annual secondary course catalog update at the Sept. 9 workshop, telling the board formal edits were made to align district practice with recent state statutes and Florida Department of Education rules.

The key changes staff highlighted focus on three areas: third‑grade retention and mid‑year promotion, high school diploma/certificate updates tied to recent state law and updates to the Bright Futures volunteer‑service requirements.

Why it matters: The student progression plan defines grade‑level placement, promotion and remediation policy and is the district’s primary document for aligning local practice with state education rules.

Third grade: District staff added the state’s clarified rule that a retained third‑grade student may be considered for mid‑year promotion if the student scores level 2 or higher on a PM1 progress‑monitoring ELA assessment and "there is evidence the student is progressing sufficiently to master appropriate grade‑level reading skills." Dr. Nathan Shaker said the district will move eligible retained students “as quickly as possible within 10 days of the assessment.” The district will report mid‑year promotion numbers and percentages to the board when PM1 testing is complete.

Middle grades: The plan removed a district‑level requirement that all middle school students in grades 6–8 receive a specific reading course; staff said the change allows schools to offer a broader set of enrichment options for students who are level 3–5 readers, including course offerings from the ACE catalog or other high‑school level courses in some cases.

High school and scholarships: Staff explained changes tied to House Bill 1105. The bill added a fourth pathway to waive the HOPE physical‑education credit: completing two years of marching band can now satisfy the one‑credit HOPE requirement or a performing‑arts credit. The bill also removed “certificates of completion” from statute starting this school year; the state Department of Education is expected to issue guidance by Jan. 1, 2026 that will clarify how the district should proceed for students who previously used that pathway. Staff said most students with disabilities already earn standard diplomas via assessment waivers, and the district will provide guidance to families as the state issues rules.

Bright Futures: Beginning with students who entered grade 9 in 2024–25, the Bright Futures volunteer‑service thresholds were standardized: volunteer‑hour requirements rise so that a 75‑hour threshold now applies in key scholarship tracks; students may still substitute paid work hours or a combination of volunteer and paid hours where statute permits. Lori Brooks confirmed students could submit paid work hours in lieu of some volunteer hours when that option applies.

GED preparation: District language now tracks updated State Board of Education rules. The plan removes a district requirement that students who fail a practice test must complete mandated weeks of GED prep; instead, GED prep is now recommended rather than required in those circumstances.

Board follow‑up: Trustee Ciminelli requested mid‑year promotion reporting by school and percentage of retained students who subsequently qualify for promotion; staff said they will include those figures in the weekly board update after PM1 testing and make district‑level and school‑level percentages available.

The student progression plan and redlined course catalog were provided to trustees; staff said there were no substantial changes beyond the statutory and catalog alignment items summarized to the board.