School Start Times, SB 296/HB 261

Text of the Bill and a Brief Summary

  • SB 296 (full text)/HB 261 (full text) repeals an unfunded mandate that would set school start times statewide. 

What’s Next

SB 296

SB 296 was passed unanimously by the Senate. It is awaiting a vote in the House.

HB 261

HB 261 passed each of its committee stops and is ready for a vote of the House.

Vote History

SB 296

  • 6-1; March 3, 2025, Senate PreK-12 Education Committee
  • 8-1; March 11, 2025, Senate PreK-12 Education Appropriations Committee
  • 19-0; March 20, 2025, Senate Fiscal Policy Committee
  • 38-0, March 27, Senate

HB 261

  • 16-0; March 19, 2025; House Education Administration Subcommittee
  • 19-0; March 26, 2025, House Education and Employment Committee

Talking Points

  • Decisions such as when schools start are best made at the local level. By repealing statewide mandated school start times, this bill helps to restore local control.
  • School districts will incur hundreds of millions of dollars in costs in order to comply with the unfunded mandate to change school start times.
  • Already, Florida is ranked #50 in the nation for average teacher pay. If this unfunded mandate is not repealed, school districts will be forced to spend money on bussing that would better be spent on increasing teacher salaries to help address the teacher shortage.

We Stand for Unity

"We want to take a moment to address what we have seen on social media today. "Everyone deserves the right to be safe in their communities- whether that’s at home,…

Read more about We Stand for Unity

Protecting Students Means Protecting Their Learning

As educators, our first responsibility is to keep students safe and provide the best environment to support and educate them. That means protecting both students and the educators who teach…

Read more about Protecting Students Means Protecting Their Learning

State Board of Education Continues Governor’s “Blame Educators Tour”

“It’s time to stop weaponizing our classrooms and ensure every child has access to the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.”Today’s State Board of Education meeting follows a…

Read more about State Board of Education Continues Governor’s “Blame Educators Tour”