Legislative Platform
District School Board of Collier County 2026 Florida Legislative Platform
Increase the base student allocation (BSA)
Ensure Florida funding for education, at a minimum, increases to at least match inflation (Consumer Price Index) to keep pace with rising costs for salaries, insurance, utilities, and state mandates—protecting classroom resources and student services.
Restore local capital millage to 2.00 mills
Reinstate the pre-2009 cap to give school boards local control to meet urgent facility, maintenance, and technology needs without relying on costly referendums or borrowing.
Ensure transparency with separate "Florida Empowerment Scholarship District"
Improve transparency by separating Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) students and funding from public school district data—protecting public school resources and ensuring
accurate reporting.
Increase accountability for home education
Allow Florida school districts time to support students returning from home education before their performance impacts school grades—ensuring fairness in Florida’s accountability model.
Extend referendum duration to eight years
Reduce the frequency of voter-approved referendums to every eight years, easing administrative burden and improving long-term financial planning.
Provide flexibility in teacher certification
Allow certified teachers to temporarily teach outside their subject area without penalty—helping school districts address staffing shortages while maintaining instructional quality.
Expand funding for Pre-Kindergarten (VPK)
Support full-day, high-quality Pre-K programs by increasing funding, incentivizing certified instructors, and allowing capital dollars to expand access—especially for underserved families.
Maintain funding for academic acceleration
Protect current funding levels for the Academic Acceleration Options Supplement in the Florida Education Finance Program, which supports student access to advanced coursework and college-credit opportunities.
Florida Senate & Florida House of Representatives
Your voice matters - contact your local legislators.
Kathleen Passidomo (R)
Senator - District 28
3299 East Tamiami Trail
Suit 203
Naples, FL 34112
Phone: (239) 417-6205
Yvette Benarroch (R)
Representative - District 81
3299 East Tamiami Trail
Suit 304
Naples, FL 34112
Phone: (239) 417-6200
Lauren Melo (R)
Representative - District 82
3299 East Tamiami Trail
Suit 212
Naples, FL 34112
Phone: (239) 417-6270
Adam Botana (R)
Representative - District 80
27820 Forester Drive
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
Phone: (239) 949-6279