HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — Students and parents in Hernando County are voicing their concerns about Senate Bill 86. 

What You Need To Know

  • Bright Futures was created in 1997 to keep high school graduates in the state by offering them college scholarships

  • Senate Bill 86 aims to make changes to how college students receive financial aid 

  • Many students and parents are worried about how that will impact a senior's college decision

  • Senate Bill 86

School board student rep Haven Anderson said she's worried about fellow students being motivated to attend a 4-year university without help from a bright futures scholarship. 

"As much as I attempt to limit myself from politics and school-related circumstances, a recent issue in the Florida Senate has arisen, that being Senate Bill 86, also known as SB 86, also known as Bright Futures Benacquisto Bill,” Anderson said at Tuesday Night’s School Board meeting.

That bill, created in 1997 to keep high school graduates in the state by offering them college scholarships, is now facing big changes.

Laksmy Ossaba-Quiroz has a daughter in the Hernando County school system and one who recently graduated. She attended Tuesday night’s meeting with her eldest daughter with signs in opposition of SB 86. 

“If this goes away,” Ossaba-Quiroz mentioned, “They are not guaranteeing it even though they earned it. This is a merit scholarship that they’ve earned.”

Her daughter Tatiana Quiroz-Ossaba is also worried about the potential changes and agrees that students have worked hard to earn this scholarship.

In her presentation, Anderson stated the number of hours a student puts in to earn that scholarship. “40 hours spent on average doing SAT prep, 100 hours spent for the community service requirement for the Florida Academic Scholar Award, 16 hours spent on average for ACT prep,” she said, just to name a few things. 

Quiroz-Ossaba said bright futures encouraged her to attend USF but the future at her university is looking very hazy. “Our community would definitely suffer if kids didn’t have this incentive to do the community service, to strive for higher academics.”

Though this school board doesn’t make a decision, they say they've listened to their students and parents and are sending a letter to lawmakers in opposition of the bill.

Superintendent John Stratton also discussed doing away with digital learning next school year but will keep the e-school learning for parents and brick-and-mortar learning.