Senate passes SB 320, seeks to remove red tape at schools

The Senate has unanimously passed a comprehensive education bill (SB 320) that lawmakers say will help roll back red tape for public schools, giving Districts more flexibility to hire teachers and pay for buses. 

“For the last few years, we’ve tried to carve back some of the many, many, many rules and regulations that we’ve put on our district schools,” said Sen. Corey Simon, a Tallahassee Republican sponsoring the bill. “And when I look at our education code and the 4 inches thick that it is now, many of those rules, all being well-meaning, have slowed down the progress in our education system.”

Rep. David Smith has filed an identical House companion bill (HB 963).

In the early days of the 2026 Session, Simon has kept a high-profile role on the Senate floor. Bills that he either sponsored or co-sponsored that have passed include fixes the state’s universal school choice framework and a Rural Renaissance package aimed at beefing investments in rural counties.

Speaking on the Senate floor before the final vote Thursday, Simon said his latest bill will still provide accountability for schools but will cut back some administrative rules.

The bill would allow School Districts to spend their 1.5 mill discretionary capital levies for operational and capital purposes, which Senators said gives more flexibility for Schools Districts on student busing, facilities and other local needs.

The bill would remove the rule in state law that School Districts receiving more than $500 million in annual, federal and local money must hire an internal auditor to investigate fraud and waste.

The bill would streamline how Districts can pay teachers, creating a three-year instructional multiyear contract, though employees rated “unsatisfactory” or “needs improvement” in their performance reviews can be placed back on a one-year contract the following year. Under the bill, instructional multiyear contracts would be given out starting July 1 if employees meet the criteria, such as not receiving low performance evaluations in the past three years.

In addition to the five-year professional certificate that exists for educators, the bill also adds a new 10-year certificate.

“An applicant must be issued at least one 5-year professional certificate to be eligible for a 10-year professional certificate,” the bill reads.

The bill also clarifies the specifications for a teacher with an advance degree as Districts set pay schedules. “For the purposes of the salary schedule, an advanced degree may include a master’s degree or higher in the area of certification or teaching assignment, or an advanced degree in another field with a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours related to the area of certification or teaching assignment,” the bill says.

“Our legacy, neighborhood public schools have educated generations of Floridians across our state and should remain a viable option for parents and students within Florida’s universal school choice environment,” Senate President Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican, said in a statement after the Senate passed the bill.

“Rooting out inefficiencies and keeping government accountable to taxpayers who fund it is important across all of state government. I’m proud to see Sen. Simon and many other Senators continue to run to the fight to rid public school districts of burdensome red tape and support those teachers, students, and families who choose a neighborhood public school.”