Students go back to school after Ron DeSantis signs SB 266 altering Florida’s public education system forever.

Florida is not the only state with laws of this kind. Other states like Texas, Iowa, and Alabama have adopted similar bills in their public education system.

In Florida’s Public schools specifically SB 266 prohibits certain general education courses from being taught.

Some students we interviewed are considering getting their graduate degrees outside of Florida’s public higher education system because of this bill.

Classrooms now look different with the bill limiting discussions on Diversity Equity and inclusion (DEI).

This bill that was implemented in January of 2024 has many implications outside of the classroom.

The majors being affected by this bill include political science, psychology, and sociology among many others.

Additionally three out of every four students surveyed by the WIlliams Institute report declining mental health because of this bill.

The majority of students believe that discussions about DEI in the classroom should be welcomed rather than limited.

This bill not only affects classrooms but was responsible for the closure of the DEI office which was a resource that was previously available before the implementation of this bill.

Half of students from the Williams institute survey are considering moving out of state due to the anti-DEI climate with 20% of students taking steps to do so.

According to the Williams Institute this bill also affects faculty with 7% of faculty omitting material found in their courses previous to this bill.