Panel advances bill to give school board members access to district documents, ban NDAs

Representative Koster presented CS HB 1073 to ensure individual school board members have timely access to school district documents and line-item budgets, require maintenance of agenda attachments as public records, and prohibit school districts from requiring employees to sign nondisclosure agreements. He said the bill is intended to establish consistent statutory practice across Florida.

Donna Brosmer, a Volusia County school board member, testified that 113 employees had been asked to sign NDAs in her district, that three who refused left employment, and that she was charged to obtain copies of signed NDAs. Shane Story, a former Volusia County teacher and administrator, described NDAs as shielding districts from scrutiny and argued transparency is essential for oversight. Committee members expressed broad support while urging narrower definitions to avoid FERPA and HIPAA conflicts and to add guardrails to prevent misuse.

Representative Koster said he is working on amendment language to address privacy concerns, streamline document requests, and ensure protections for sensitive student and health records. The committee voted 17-0 to report CS HB 1073 favorably.