The Florida Senate

1012.71  The Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend.--

(1)  Funding for the Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend shall be as determined by the Legislature in the General Appropriations Act. Funds appropriated for the Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend are provided to purchase classroom materials and supplies used in the instruction of students in kindergarten through grade 12 of the public school system. From the funds appropriated, the Commissioner of Education shall calculate an amount for each school district by prorating the total of each school district's share of the total K-12 unweighted FTE student enrollment.

(2)  From the funds allocated to each district, the district school board shall calculate an identical amount for each classroom teacher which is his or her proportionate share of the amount allocated to the district for the total number of teachers in the district. The district school board shall provide the funds no later than September 30 of each year directly to each teacher as a stipend to purchase, on behalf of the school district, classroom materials and supplies to be used in the instruction of students assigned to the teacher. Each teacher shall have sole discretion regarding which classroom materials and supplies best meet the needs of the students, when they are needed, and where they are acquired. The funds expended by individual teachers shall not be subject to state or local competitive bidding requirements. Disbursement of Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend funds directly to each teacher shall complete the school district's expenditure of these funds.

(3)  Each teacher shall sign a statement acknowledging receipt of the funds, agreeing to keep receipts to show the expenditure of the funds used to purchase classroom materials and supplies for use in the instruction of the students assigned to them, and agreeing to return any unused funds by the end of the regular school year. The statement to be signed and dated by each teacher for receipt of the Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend shall include the wording: "I,  (Name of teacher) , am employed by the _____ County District School Board as a full-time classroom teacher. I acknowledge that Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend funds are appropriated by the Legislature for the sole purpose of purchasing classroom materials and supplies to be used in the instruction of students assigned to me. In accepting custody of these funds, I agree to keep receipts for all expenditures. I understand that if I do not keep receipts showing these funds were spent to purchase classroom materials and supplies for use with my students, it will be my personal responsibility to pay any federal taxes due on these funds. I also agree to return any unused funds to the district school board at the end of the regular school year for deposit into the School Advisory Council account of the school at which I was employed at the time of the receipt of the funds."

(4)  Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend funds shall be provided to each teacher in addition to any other funds appropriated for public school operations.

(5)  Any unused funds which are returned to the district school board shall be deposited into the School Advisory Council account of the school at which the teacher returning the funds was employed at the time of the receipt of the funds.

(6)  For purposes of this section, the term "classroom teacher" includes certified teachers employed on or before September 1 of each year whose full-time job responsibility is the classroom instruction of students in kindergarten through grade 12, and full-time media specialists and guidance counselors who serve students in kindergarten through grade 12. Only school district personnel employed in these positions are eligible for the classroom materials and supply stipend from funds appropriated to implement the provisions of this section.

History.--s. 749, ch. 2002-387.