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HB 5101 — Education Funding
by Education Appropriations Subcommittee and Rep. Fresen
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Appropriations Committee (AP)
The bill:
- Authorizes payment to postsecondary institutions for summer term dual enrollment courses subject to annual appropriation.
- Amends s. 1004.32, F.S., to clarify that the mission of New College of Florida is not limited to undergraduate education and establishes a master’s degree program in Data Science and Analytics at New College of Florida upon approval from the Board of Governors.
- Expands lab school eligibility for sparsity supplement funds to all lab schools with a permanent high school center in operation prior to September 1, 2013.
- Creates the Florida digital classrooms allocation within the Florida Education Finance Program to fund and support the use of technology enhancements in Florida’s classrooms.
- Requires the State Board of Education to develop a Florida digital classrooms plan that establishes minimum protocols and parameters for the state and districts to meet statutory requirements and timelines for instruction, learning, assessments, and accountability.
- Requires school districts to develop district digital classroom plans for activities resulting from purchasesfor digital learning and technology infrastructure, professional development, digital tools, and online assessments to measure student performance outcomes.
- Creates the Complete Florida Plus Program at the University of West Florida and transfers the requirements and responsibilities associated with student support services that are currently administered through the Florida Virtual Campus to the new program.
- Establishes the Florida Academic Library Services Cooperative and reassigns the duties and resources regarding online library support services that are currently administered by the Florida Virtual Campus to the new center.
- Renames the Complete Florida Degree Program as the Complete Florida Degree Initiative (Initiative) and restructures the related functions under the new program.
- Establishes a one-year moratorium on new baccalaureate degree programs at Florida Colleges.
- Expands the Rosewood Family Scholarship Program from 25 to 50 students and increases annual award from $4,000 to $6,100.
- Creates the Florida National Merit Scholar Incentive Program to encourage National Merit Scholars and National Achievement Scholars graduating from a Florida high school, to stay and enroll in Florida postsecondary institutions.
- Expands the extra hour for reading requirement to the lowest performing 300 elementary schools.
- Requires the Department of Education to make monthly transfers within the Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund into a separate sub-account to reserve funds for the purpose of paying debt service. Priority is placed on the transfer of funds for debt service over the expenditure of funds for project appropriations.
- Requires the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and Pasco Hernando State College to negotiate an inter-local agreement governing the operation of the Law Enforcement and Corrections Academy at Pasco Hernando State College for the training of officers and employees of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
- Establishes the Florida Center for Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida and establishes goals for the center.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2014.
Vote: Senate 39-1; House 107-8