Florida offers education options for every family and student. One of those is the GED. The GED is a great option for students that will not finish high school or would like to finish high school early. Obtaining the GED offers all of the same opportunities that a High School Diploma offers. College, Trade School, the military, etc. are all attainable with a GED.

When my son was 17, his father and I decided that the GED was the best educational route for him. My son sat and passed the GED pre-test at Orange Technical College and was ready for the main test. Orange County Public Schools, through it's rules, would not permit my son to take the GED and move onto a technical career. Apparently, even if you pass the Pre-test, you are required to take a GED class with no end date.

I vowed to fix this when I ran for office in 2022 and this was the first bill that I filed as a newly elected Representative. I was not surprised to find that 43 other school districts in Florida also had obstacles in place that kept children in the classroom long after they demonstrated they could pass a GED test.

HB 265 removed those obstacles and students are able to move onto the next chapter of their life.

As for my son, his father had residency in New Jersey. We flew our son to New Jersey to take his exam. He passed, returned to Florida and graduated from Orange Technical College specializing in Diesel Mechanics by the time he was 18 years old.