Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the District Advisory Council Advocacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District Advisory Council mobilizes advocacy on ESE funding and school start-times ahead of legislative session
Summary
The District Advisory Council reported it has formed a legislative subgroup to advocate at the state level on ESE (including gifted) funding, school start‑time home‑rule (HB 261) and advisory‑council changes; members plan meetings and will seek meetings with the local legislative delegation.
Jacqueline Steele, chair of the Leon County School District Advisory Council (DAC), told the school board on Feb. 11 that DAC members formed a legislative subcommittee and will track several bills in the 2025 legislative session, including special‑education (ESE) funding and a proposal to return school start‑time authority to local districts.
Steele said DAC members are concerned about the governor’s proposed budget and a reported 13 percent decrease affecting ESE and gifted services. The subcommittee intends to identify where additional state funding would be most needed and to push local testimony to the legislative delegation. Steele said the DAC plans to meet again on March 6 and that a legislative‑committee meeting will precede that meeting to prepare advocacy talking points.
The DAC is also tracking House Bill 261 (school start times), which the DAC described as a bill that would remove a state mandate and return start‑time decisions to local control. Steele urged the district and community members to help provide local voices to the Legislature on that and other bills.
Board member Dr. Nicholas praised the DAC’s recent meetings as unusually productive and cross‑partisan, noting DAC members of different political persuasions met and agreed on shared objectives for local advocacy. Other board members suggested DAC consider the Florida School Boards Association platform as a resource and to coordinate with the school‑board association on shared priorities.
Steele said the DAC will also monitor proposed changes to advisory‑council membership rules and encouraged parents and community members to participate in upcoming DAC meetings and in direct outreach to the district’s legislative delegation.
