On April 1, 2025, a bill detailing proposed budget cuts to the education system was presented in the State of Florida’s House of Representatives. HB 5101, as the bill was named, aims to cut half the funding for higher-level high school courses that focus on career development.
If this bill passes and becomes a law, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Enrollment and Cambridge programs will be severely limited. The Hillsborough County School District may eliminate all IB programs across middle and high schools. In addition, the district faces a loss of $7 million in education funding. Pinellas faces a possible $10 million loss, and Pasco faces a $3 million loss, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
While school district funding will decline rapidly with the budget cuts, teachers, parents and students have begun to question what will happen to the educational capabilities of students across the state.
Will students be given the opportunities to reach their full potential?
Will this bill hinder the ability of students to get into a state university?
These questions and more are being asked because there is no complete understanding of the full effects of this bill should it be signed into law. After all, a bill like this is unprecedented in any state legislature. The state of Florida is the first to propose such detrimental budget cuts to higher-level courses, so the effects of such can only be hypothesized, not determined.
Joe Humphrey, a school administrator for Hillsborough County Public Schools and the contest coordinator for the Florida Scholastic Press Association (FSPA), gave his thoughts on the proposal of bill HB 5101 in the Florida legislature.
“I am definitely worried about the proposal in the house right now that will dramatically slash spending on very important programs that we need in our schools,” stated Humphrey. “If we are supposed to be preparing students for the future, then we need to offer strong career technical programs, and we need to offer acceleration options like AP classes and the IB program. To do those programs right, you’ve got to fund them properly.”
In addition to his beliefs as a member of the education workforce, Humphrey states that his wife is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher. He highlights how a cut in her funds would mean that she would be buying fewer lab supplies, meaning that her students would not receive as much hands-on experience.
From the student perspective, Ella Reeves, a sophomore at Plant High School, a nationally ranked institution in Tampa, FL, explains her thoughts on the proposed budget cuts.
“Part of the reason that I have a successful education right now is because I’m able to choose classes that specifically cater to my knowledge,” Reeves said. “AP courses are a big thing for me to excel at so I can have rigor in my classes. I want to be challenged because, with no distinctions in the school system, students will lose their individuality.”
In addition to the school administrator and student perspectives, Derek Thomas, a teacher at Plant High School who has taught AP courses for 20 years, shared his beliefs on the bill’s introduction.
“I think it would be a shame if the bill were passed, especially for a school like Plant where accelerated classes are essential to our student’s goals, and limiting funding for those would ultimately eliminate the ability to offer those classes,” Thomas expressed. “The bill could eliminate bonuses for teachers, possibly lowering their desire to teach certain classes. “
Although Humphrey, Reeves and Thomas hold different positions within the school system, they agree that the cut in educational funding will harm students, teachers and administrators.