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178 SUPERINTENDENT ANNUAL REPORTLEGISLATIVE AFFAIRSThe District%u2019s FY26 Legislative Platform was drafted and approved by the School Board, with the final vote held on October 15, 2025. The platform focused on seven categories:1. School Safety and Security2. Students3. Teachers and Staff4. Finance5. Curriculum/Accountability6. Pre-Kindergarten7. Miscellaneous/AppropriationsOn October 30, 2025, the School Board, the superintendent, and his leadership team held a two-hour interactive meeting with the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation to review the District%u2019s legislative priorities for the upcoming session. Superintendent Burke presented these priorities and addressed questions on artificial intelligence, school meal access, the impact of immigration on student enrollment, support for homeless students, and bicycle path infrastructure.Throughout the 2026 Legislative Session, timely updates on critical state and federal issues were delivered through recorded presentations at eight leadership meetings held between January and March. These recordings were shared with all School Board members and accompanied by additional written reports. In 2026, the 13 school district members of the Greater Florida Consortium of School Boards (GFCSB) developed their first Federal Legislative Platform for K-12 schools, which the School Board unanimously approved in February. Palm Beach County staff played an instrumental role in leading the GFCSB federal task force and establishing this inaugural platform.While in Tallahassee for Palm Beach County Days in early January, Superintendent Burke and Board members met with several Florida lawmakers in both chambers to discuss the District%u2019s legislative priorities, including increased funding for teacher pay and opposition to proposed legislation that would divert local property tax revenue from school districts. 2026 Legislative State PrioritiesSchool Safety and SecurityStudent safety is a top priority for the District. The District remains committed to fully funding all state-mandated security requirements for Florida%u2019s public schools. Although the School District receives about $15 million to support school safety, it invests nearly three times that amount annually in its school police department and school-specific safety enhancements to ensure a secure learning environment. Despite efforts to increase the state allocation, the Florida Legislature voted to keep the Safe Schools Allocation at its current funding level during this year%u2019s legislative session.StudentsFlorida saw a statewide decline of about 47,000 students, including 7,000 in the Palm Beach County public school system. In response, Superintendent Burke and his team successfully advocated to the Florida Legislature for a revenue cushion for districts experiencing significant enrollment losses. Consequently, the Florida Senate and House approved $79 million in relief for the State%u2019s 67 school districts, with about $10.7 million allocated to Palm Beach County. Looking ahead, the Governor%u2019s analysts project a further decline of about 33,000 students for SY2027.