The Florida Senate

To be eligible for a funding allocation, a charter school must:

The first priority for charter school capital outlay funding is to allocate to charter schools that received funding in the 2005-2006 fiscal year an allocation of the same amount per capital outlay full-time equivalent student, up to the lesser of the actual number of capital outlay full-time equivalent students in the current year, or the capital outlay full-time equivalent students in the 2005-2006 fiscal year. After calculating the first priority, the second priority is to allocate excess funds remaining in the appropriation in an amount equal to the per capital outlay full-time equivalent student amount in the first priority calculation to eligible charter schools not included in the first priority calculation and to schools in the first priority calculation with growth greater than the 2005-2006 capital outlay full-time equivalent students. After calculating the first and second priorities, excess funds remaining in the appropriation must be allocated to all eligible charter schools.

A charter school’s allocation may not exceed one-fifteenth of the cost per student station specified in s. 1013.64(6)(b). Before releasing capital outlay funds to a school district on behalf of the charter school, the Department of Education must ensure that the district school board and the charter school governing board enter into a written agreement that provides for the reversion of any unencumbered funds and all equipment and property purchased with public education funds to the ownership of the district school board, as provided for in subsection (3) if the school terminates operations. Any funds recovered by the state shall be deposited in the General Revenue Fund.

A charter school is not eligible for a funding allocation if it was created by the conversion of a public school and operates in facilities provided by the charter school’s sponsor for a nominal fee, or at no charge, or if it is directly or indirectly operated by the school district.

Unless otherwise provided in the General Appropriations Act, the funding allocation for each eligible charter school is determined by multiplying the school’s projected student enrollment by one-fifteenth of the cost-per-student station specified in s. 1013.64(6)(b) for an elementary, middle, or high school, as appropriate. If the funds appropriated are not sufficient, the commissioner shall prorate the available funds among eligible charter schools. However, a charter school or charter lab school may not receive state charter school capital outlay funds greater than the one-fifteenth cost per student station formula if the charter school’s combination of state charter school capital outlay funds, capital outlay funds calculated through the reduction in the administrative fee provided in s. 1002.33(20), and capital outlay funds allowed in s. 1002.32(9)(e) and (h) exceeds the one-fifteenth cost per student station formula.

Funds shall be distributed on the basis of the capital outlay full-time equivalent membership by grade level, which is calculated by averaging the results of the second and third enrollment surveys. The Department of Education shall distribute capital outlay funds monthly, beginning in the first quarter of the fiscal year, based on one-twelfth of the amount the department reasonably expects the charter school to receive during that fiscal year. The commissioner shall adjust subsequent distributions as necessary to reflect each charter school’s actual student enrollment as reflected in the second and third enrollment surveys. The commissioner shall establish the intervals and procedures for determining the projected and actual student enrollment of eligible charter schools.

Purchase of real property.

Construction of school facilities.

Purchase, lease-purchase, or lease of permanent or relocatable school facilities.

Purchase of vehicles to transport students to and from the charter school.

Renovation, repair, and maintenance of school facilities that the charter school owns or is purchasing through a lease-purchase or long-term lease of 5 years or longer.

Effective July 1, 2008, purchase, lease-purchase, or lease of new and replacement equipment, and enterprise resource software applications that are classified as capital assets in accordance with definitions of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, have a useful life of at least 5 years, and are used to support schoolwide administration or state-mandated reporting requirements.

Payment of the cost of premiums for property and casualty insurance necessary to insure the school facilities.

Purchase, lease-purchase, or lease of driver’s education vehicles; motor vehicles used for the maintenance or operation of plants and equipment; security vehicles; or vehicles used in storing or distributing materials and equipment.