OCPS legislative liaison outlines 2025 bills that change funding, sports eligibility, health requirements and teacher certification

Marquise McMiller, OCPS senior director for government relations, briefed the school board on a package of education bills passed in the 2025 Florida Legislature and explained how several of the measures will affect district operations.

McMiller said the 2025 session extended to 105 days and that the conforming bill (Senate Bill 2502) plus the preK–12 conforming language in Senate Bill 2510 created an "academic acceleration option supplement" that replaces the prior "added weights" FTE approach. "Under this change it preserves funding levels for APIB, ACE, and CAPE programs but going forward the funding will no longer increase in line with the base student allocation," he said, and added that "districts are now also required to report enrollment and other data to the DOE before the FTE amendment deadline."

On Schools of Hope, McMiller described new co‑location provisions that allow operators to use underused areas of public school facilities and said the state will provide capital outlay dollars for each enrolled student at such sites. "Districts will receive capital outlay funding for each enrolled student to help offset operational costs related to this change," he said; McMiller said he would provide specific per‑student capital amounts to the board later.

McMiller summarized health and athletics changes: Senate Bill 248 expands athletic choice by allowing home‑educated students and some private students to try out for county school teams, subject to academic eligibility. Effective next year under Senate Bill 1070, districts must provide or partner to provide electrocardiograms (ECGs) for high‑school athletes at a cost not to exceed $50, with medical and religious opt‑outs. He also highlighted Senate Bill 1514, which requires training for K–8 school personnel on recognizing and responding to allergies and anaphylaxis.

On educator credentialing, McMiller said House Bill 875 overhauled preparation and certification, creating accomplished practices to be in place by August 2026 and a new Florida Teacher Excellence Exam slated to begin development in July 2027. He noted the law also creates new certification components for supporting students with autism and adds alternative pathways for certain arts and substitute teachers.

McMiller also said Senate Bill 1374 preserved existing volunteer screening methods for the district's programs (saving the district screening costs) and that the district obtained a one‑year extension for athletic coach screening under Senate Bill 1546.

Board members asked several follow‑up questions. Member Gallo pressed on whether the proposed student tracking ID (to make funding follow the child) had failed; McMiller attributed the outcome to interchamber politics and said the tracking idea remains a district priority for future sessions. Member Vanos asked who determines whether a facility is available for Schools of Hope; general counsel summarized the DOE rulemaking process and a two‑step annual inventory that requires districts to publish a preliminary list of unused, vacant or surplus facilities by Jan. 1 and the department to publish a final list by April 1.

McMiller closed by noting new reporting requirements for employees: instructional and administrative staff must self‑report certain arrests or indictments; districts must temporarily remove staff under investigation in some cases and notify parents of students who had contact with the individual. He said general counsel would monitor compliance.

McMiller provided more detailed materials in the board packet and offered to answer additional questions as the district moves into implementation work.