The Florida Senate

1002.63  School-year prekindergarten program delivered by public schools.--

(1)  Each school district eligible under subsection (4) may administer the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program at the district level for students enrolled under s. 1002.53(3)(c) in a school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a public school.

(2)  Each school-year prekindergarten program delivered by a public school must comprise at least 540 instructional hours.

(3)  The district school board of each school district eligible under subsection (4) shall determine which public schools in the district are eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program during the school year.

(4)  To be eligible to deliver the prekindergarten program during the school year, each school district must meet both of the following requirements:

(a)  The district school board must certify to the State Board of Education that the school district:

1.  Has reduced the average class size in each classroom in accordance with s. 1003.03 and the schedule in s. 1(a), Art. IX of the State Constitution; and

2.  Has sufficient satisfactory educational facilities and capital outlay funds to continue reducing the average class size in each classroom in the district's elementary schools for each year in accordance with the schedule for class size reduction and to achieve full compliance with the maximum class sizes in s. 1(a), Art. IX of the State Constitution by the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.

(b)  The Commissioner of Education must certify to the State Board of Education that the department has reviewed the school district's educational facilities, capital outlay funds, and projected student enrollment and concurs with the district school board's certification under paragraph (a).

(5)  Each public school must have, for each prekindergarten class, at least one prekindergarten instructor who meets each requirement in s. 1002.55(3)(c) for a prekindergarten instructor of a private prekindergarten provider.

(6)  Each prekindergarten instructor employed by a public school delivering the school-year prekindergarten program must be of good moral character, must be screened using the level 2 screening standards in s. 435.04 before employment and rescreened at least once every 5 years, must be denied employment or terminated if required under s. 435.06, and must not be ineligible to teach in a public school because his or her educator certificate is suspended or revoked. This subsection does not supersede employment requirements for instructional personnel in public schools which are more stringent than the requirements of this subsection.

(7)  Each prekindergarten class in a public school delivering the school-year prekindergarten program must be composed of at least 4 students but may not exceed 18 students. In order to protect the health and safety of students, each school must also provide appropriate adult supervision for students at all times and, for each prekindergarten class composed of 11 or more students, must have, in addition to a prekindergarten instructor who meets the requirements of s. 1002.55(3)(c), at least one adult prekindergarten instructor who is not required to meet those requirements but who must meet each requirement of subsection (6).

(8)  Each public school delivering the school-year prekindergarten program must:

(a)  Register with the early learning coalition on forms prescribed by the Agency for Workforce Innovation; and

(b)  Deliver the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program in accordance with this part.

History.--s. 1, ch. 2004-484.