Florida implements new school safety and curriculum rules

Students across Florida are returning to school amid the implementation of new safety measures and curriculum requirements mandated by recent state legislation.

Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted that the state has invested over $3 billion in school safety. New regulations under HB 757 classify discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school as a second-degree felony. The School Guardian Program has also been expanded to allow eligible employees and faculty at colleges and universities to carry firearms on campus. Additionally, school district safety specialists are now required to train staff on specific safety protocols.

Curriculum updates include mandatory cursive writing instruction for students in second through fifth grade, with proficiency evaluations required by the end of fifth grade. Public schools are also now required to teach age-appropriate lessons on the history of communism, including its history in the United States and atrocities committed abroad.

In terms of scheduling, several public school districts are beginning the academic year in mid-August. Districts such as Citrus, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota are set to open on Monday, while others including Pinellas and Polk County begin on Tuesday.