Fla. governor signs ‘school choice' bill

TALLAHSSEE, Fla. — Parents are being given more control when it comes to their children’s education.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed House Bill 7029, allowing parents to travel across county lines to enroll their children in school.

There are some concerns with the bill that schools districts will have to look into, including the possibility of overcrowding. But in regards to the overcrowding concern, students can only transfer to a new school if that school is not at capacity, according to the “school choice” bill.

The bill also allows students to transfer to another school and have immediate eligibility to play sports as long as they don’t play the same sport for two schools within a school year. There’s concern that would allow certain schools to effectively recruit and stack teams.

The open enrollment for students only goes so far, and students zoned for a certain district get priority over those trying to transfer, according to the school choice bill.

Students changing districts need to transport themselves, unless the individual school decides to accommodate.

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Cox Media Group