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2025 Florida Statutes

Title XLVIII EARLY LEARNING-20 EDUCATION CODE
Chapter 1011
PLANNING AND BUDGETING
CHAPTER 1011
CHAPTER 1011
PLANNING AND BUDGETING
PART I
PREPARATION, ADOPTION, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
BUDGETS
(ss. 1011.01-1011.57)
PART II
FUNDING FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
(ss. 1011.60-1011.78)
PART III
FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE EDUCATION
(ss. 1011.80-1011.8041)
PART IV
FUNDING FOR FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM
INSTITUTIONS
(ss. 1011.81-1011.86)
PART V
FUNDING FOR UNIVERSITIES
(ss. 1011.90-1011.94)
PART I
PREPARATION, ADOPTION, AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF BUDGETS
1011.01 Budget system established.
1011.011 Legislative capital outlay budget request.
1011.012 Annual capital outlay budget.
1011.01 Budget system established.—
(1) The State Board of Education shall prepare and submit a coordinated K-20 education annual legislative budget request to the Governor and the Legislature on or before the date provided by the Governor and the Legislature. The board’s legislative budget request must clearly define the needs of school districts, Florida College System institutions, universities, other institutions, organizations, programs, and activities under the supervision of the board and that are assigned by law or the General Appropriations Act to the Department of Education.
(2)(a) There shall be established in each school district and Florida College System institution a budget system as prescribed by law and rules of the State Board of Education.
(b) There shall be established in each state university a budget system as prescribed by law and rules of the Board of Governors.
(3)(a) Each district school board and each Florida College System institution board of trustees shall prepare, adopt, and submit to the Commissioner of Education an annual operating budget. Operating budgets shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with the provisions of law, rules of the State Board of Education, the General Appropriations Act, and for district school boards in accordance with the provisions of s. 200.065.
(b) Each state university board of trustees shall prepare, adopt, and submit to the Chancellor of the State University System for review an annual operating budget in accordance with provisions of law, rules of the Board of Governors, and the General Appropriations Act.
(4) The State Board of Education shall coordinate with the Board of Governors to facilitate the budget system requirements of this section. The Board of Governors exclusively retains the review and approval powers of this section for state universities.
History.—s. 601, ch. 2002-387; s. 149, ch. 2007-217; s. 164, ch. 2011-5; s. 30, ch. 2011-175; s. 10, ch. 2018-5.
1011.011 Legislative capital outlay budget request.—The State Board of Education shall submit an integrated, comprehensive budget request for educational facilities construction and fixed capital outlay needs for school districts, Florida College System institutions, and, in conjunction with the Board of Governors, universities pursuant to this section and s. 1013.46 and applicable provisions of chapter 216.
History.—s. 602, ch. 2002-387; s. 150, ch. 2007-217; s. 165, ch. 2011-5.
1011.012 Annual capital outlay budget.—
(1) Each district school board, Florida College System institution board of trustees, and university board of trustees shall, each year, adopt a capital outlay budget for the ensuing year in order that the capital outlay needs of the board for the entire year may be well understood by the public. This capital outlay budget shall be a part of the annual budget and shall be based upon and in harmony with the educational plant and ancillary facilities plan. This budget shall designate the proposed capital outlay expenditures by project for the year from all fund sources. The board may not expend any funds on any project not included in the budget, as amended.
(2) Each district school board must prepare its tentative district facilities work program as required by s. 1013.35 before adopting the capital outlay budget.
History.—s. 603, ch. 2002-387; s. 166, ch. 2011-5.
A. District School Boards:
Preparation, Adoption, and
Implementation of Budgets
B. Florida College System institutions:
Preparation, Adoption, and
Implementation of Budgets
C. Universities: Preparation,
Adoption, and Implementation of Budgets
D. Florida School for the Deaf and the
Blind and Florida School for Competitive
Academics: Preparation, Adoption, and
Implementation of Budgets
A. District School Boards:
Preparation, Adoption, and
Implementation of Budgets
1011.02 District school boards to adopt tentative budget.
1011.03 Public hearings; budget to be submitted to Department of Education.
1011.035 School district fiscal transparency.
1011.04 Levying of taxes.
1011.05 Implementation of the official budget.
1011.051 Guidelines for general funds.
1011.06 Expenditures.
1011.07 Internal funds.
1011.08 Expenditures between July 1 and date budget becomes official.
1011.09 Expenditure of funds by district school board.
1011.10 Penalty.
1011.11 Certain provisions to be directory.
1011.12 Purposes of and procedures in incurring school indebtedness.
1011.13 Current loans authorized under certain conditions.
1011.14 Obligations for a period of 1 year.
1011.15 Obligations to eliminate major emergency conditions.
1011.16 Provisions for retirement of existing indebtedness which is unfunded or in default.
1011.17 School funds to be paid to Chief Financial Officer or into depository.
1011.18 School depositories; payments into and withdrawals from depositories.
1011.19 Sources of district school fund.
1011.20 Apportionment and use of district school fund.
1011.21 Source and use of district interest and sinking fund.
1011.22 Interest and sinking funds may be invested in certain bonds, warrants, and notes.
1011.23 Disposition of balance in interest and sinking fund.
1011.24 Special district units.
1011.02 District school boards to adopt tentative budget.—
(1) On or before the date prescribed in rules of the State Board of Education, each district school board shall receive and examine the tentative budget submitted by the district school superintendent, and shall require such changes to be made, in keeping with the purposes of the school code, as may be to the best interest of the school program in the district.
(2) The district school board shall determine, within prescribed limits, the reserves to be allotted for contingencies, and the cash balance to be carried forward at the end of the year. If the district school board shall require any changes to be made in receipts, in the reserves for contingencies, or in the cash balance to be carried forward at the end of the year, it shall also require necessary changes to be made in the appropriations for expenditures so that the budget, as changed, will not contain appropriations for expenditures and reserves in excess of, or less than, estimated receipts and balances.
(3) The proposed budget shall include an amount for local required effort for current operation, in accordance with the requirements of s. 1011.62(4).
(4) When a tentative budget has been prepared in accordance with rules of the State Board of Education, the proposed expenditures, plus transfers, and balances shall not exceed the estimated income, transfers, and balances. The budget and each of the parts thereof shall balance.
(5) The district school board shall adopt a tentative budget.
History.—s. 605, ch. 2002-387.
1011.03 Public hearings; budget to be submitted to Department of Education.—
(1) Each district school board shall cause a summary of its tentative budget, including the proposed millage levies as provided for by law, to be posted on the district’s official website or on a publicly accessible website as provided in s. 50.0311.
(2) The advertisement shall appear adjacent to the advertisement required pursuant to s. 200.065. The State Board of Education may adopt rules necessary to provide specific requirements for the format of the advertisement.
(3) The board shall hold public hearings to adopt tentative and final budgets pursuant to s. 200.065. The hearings shall be primarily for the purpose of hearing requests and complaints from the public regarding the budgets and the proposed tax levies and for explaining the budget and proposed or adopted amendments thereto, if any. The tentative budget must be posted on the district’s official website at least 2 days before the budget hearing held pursuant to s. 200.065 or other law. The final adopted budget must be posted on the district’s official website within 30 days after adoption. The board shall require the superintendent to transmit the adopted budget to the Department of Education as prescribed by law and rules of the State Board of Education.
(4) If the governing body of a district amends the budget, the adopted amendment must be posted on the official website of the district within 5 days after adoption.
History.—s. 606, ch. 2002-387; s. 24, ch. 2010-154; s. 23, ch. 2011-144; s. 31, ch. 2011-175; s. 11, ch. 2018-5; s. 14, ch. 2020-3; s. 15, ch. 2024-159.
1011.035 School district fiscal transparency.—
(1) It is important for school districts to provide budgetary transparency to enable taxpayers, parents, and education advocates to obtain school district budget and related information in a manner that is simply explained and easily understandable. Budgetary transparency leads to more responsible spending, more citizen involvement, and improved accountability. A budget that is not transparent, accessible, and accurate cannot be properly analyzed, its implementation thoroughly monitored, or its outcomes evaluated.
(2) Each district school board shall post on its website a plain language version of each proposed, tentative, and official budget which describes each budget item in terms that are easily understandable to the public and includes:
(a) Graphical representations, for each public school within the district and for the school district, of the following:
1. Summary financial efficiency data.
2. Fiscal trend information for the previous 3 years on:
a. The ratio of full-time equivalent students to full-time equivalent instructional personnel.
b. The ratio of full-time equivalent students to full-time equivalent administrative personnel.
c. The total operating expenditures per full-time equivalent student.
d. The total instructional expenditures per full-time equivalent student.
e. The general administrative expenditures as a percentage of total budget.
f. The rate of change in the general fund’s ending fund balance not classified as restricted.
(b) A link to the web-based fiscal transparency tool developed by the department pursuant to s. 1010.20 to enable taxpayers to evaluate the financial efficiency of the school district and compare the financial efficiency of the school district with other similarly situated school districts.

This information must be prominently posted on the school district’s website in a manner that is readily accessible to the public.

(3) Each district school board is encouraged to post the following information on its website:
(a) Timely information as to when a budget hearing will be conducted.
(b) Each contract between the district school board and the teachers’ union.
(c) Each contract between the district school board and noninstructional staff.
(d) Each contract exceeding $35,000 between the school board and a vendor of services, supplies, or programs or for the purchase or lease of lands, facilities, or properties.
(e) Each contract exceeding $35,000 that is an emergency procurement or is with a single source as authorized under s. 287.057(3).
(f) Recommendations of the citizens’ budget advisory committee.
(g) Current and archived video recordings of each district school board meeting and workshop.
(4) The website should contain links to:
(a) Help explain or provide background information on various budget items that are required by state or federal law.
(b) Allow users to navigate to related sites to view supporting details.
(c) Enable taxpayers, parents, and education advocates to send e-mails asking questions about the budget and enable others to view the questions and responses.
History.—s. 32, ch. 2011-175; s. 12, ch. 2018-5.
1011.04 Levying of taxes.—
(1) Upon receipt of the certificate of the property appraiser giving the assessed valuation of the county and of each of the special tax school districts pursuant to s. 200.065, the district school board shall determine by resolution the amounts necessary to be raised for current operating purposes and for each district bond interest and sinking fund and the millage necessary to be levied for each such fund, including the voted millage. A certified copy of the resolution shall thereupon be filed with the county property appraiser, and the district school board shall also order the property appraiser to assess the several millages certified by the school board against the appropriate taxable property in the school district.
(2) The property appraiser shall then assess the taxes as ordered by the district school board. Tax millages so assessed shall be clearly designated and separately identified as to source on the tax bill for other county taxes.
(3) The collector shall collect said taxes and pay over the same promptly as collected to the district school depository or depositories to be used as provided by law; provided, that all taxes authorized herein shall be assessed and collected on railroad, street railroad, sleeping car, parlor car, and telegraph company property in the manner now provided by law.
History.—s. 607, ch. 2002-387.
1011.05 Implementation of the official budget.—The official budget shall give the appropriations and reserves therein the force and effect of fixed appropriations and reserves, and the same shall not be altered, amended, or exceeded except as authorized. However, if the actual receipts during any year are less than budgeted receipts, and any obligations are thereby incurred which cannot be met before the close of the year, such obligations shall be paid and accounted for in the ensuing fiscal year in the manner prescribed by rules of the State Board of Education and shall be payable out of the first funds available for that purpose.
History.—s. 608, ch. 2002-387.
1011.051 Guidelines for general funds.—The district school board shall maintain a general fund ending fund balance that is sufficient to address normal contingencies.
(1) If at any time the portion of the general fund’s ending fund balance not classified as restricted, committed, or nonspendable in the district’s approved operating budget is projected to fall below 3 percent of projected general fund revenues during the current fiscal year, the superintendent shall provide written notification to the district school board and the Commissioner of Education. If such financial condition exists for 2 consecutive fiscal years, the superintendent shall reduce the district’s administration expenditures reported pursuant to s. 1010.215(4)(a) in proportion to the reduction in the general fund’s ending balance or the reduction in student enrollment, whichever is greater.
(2)(a) If at any time the portion of the general fund’s ending fund balance not classified as restricted, committed, or nonspendable in the district’s approved operating budget is projected to fall below 2 percent of projected general fund revenues during the current fiscal year, the superintendent shall provide written notification to the district school board and the Commissioner of Education. Within 14 days after receiving such notification, if the commissioner determines that the district does not have a plan that is reasonably anticipated to avoid a financial emergency as determined pursuant to s. 218.503, the commissioner shall appoint a financial emergency board that shall operate under the requirements, powers, and duties specified in s. 218.503(3)(g).
(b) If any of the conditions identified in s. 218.503(1) existed in the 2015-2016 school year or thereafter, the department shall contract with an independent third party to conduct an investigation of all accounts and records to determine the cause of the deficit; what efforts, if any, were made to avoid the deficit; and whether any of the conditions identified in s. 1011.10 have occurred. The investigation must include a detailed review and analysis of documents and records, including, but not limited to, budget reports, journal entries, budget methodologies, staff emails, hard copy records, monthly financial statements, quarterly revenue and expenditure reports, finance staff job descriptions, and minutes from meetings. The results of the investigation must include recommendations for corrective action and controls to avoid a reoccurrence of a future budget shortfall. A final report shall be provided to the district school board, the department, the Legislative Auditing Committee, and the district’s financial emergency board, if applicable.
History.—s. 11, ch. 2009-3; s. 24, ch. 2011-144; s. 13, ch. 2018-5.
1011.06 Expenditures.—
(1) LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURE AMOUNT.—Expenditures shall be limited to the amount budgeted under the classification of accounts provided for each fund and to the total amount of the budget after the same have been amended as prescribed by law and rules of the State Board of Education. The school board shall endeavor to obtain maximum value for all expenditures.
(2) EXPENDITURES FROM DISTRICT AND OTHER FUNDS.—Expenditures from district and all other funds available for the public school program of any district shall be authorized by law and must be in accordance with procedures prescribed by the district school board. A district school board may establish policies that allow expenditures to exceed the amount budgeted by function and object, provided that the district school board complies with s. 1011.09(4) and approves the expenditure by amending the budget at the next scheduled public meeting. The district school board must provide a full explanation of any amendments at the public meeting.
History.—s. 609, ch. 2002-387; s. 14, ch. 2018-5.
1011.07 Internal funds.—
(1) The district school board shall be responsible for the administration and control of all local school funds derived by any public school from all activities or sources, and shall prescribe the principles and procedures to be followed in administering these funds consistent with regulations adopted by the State Board of Education.
(2) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules governing the procedures for the recording of the receipts, expenditures, deposits, and disbursements of internal funds.
History.—s. 610, ch. 2002-387.
1011.08 Expenditures between July 1 and date budget becomes official.—During the period from July 1 to the date the tentative budget becomes official, district school boards are authorized to approve ordinary expenditures, including salary payments, which are necessary for the approved school program.
History.—s. 611, ch. 2002-387.
1011.09 Expenditure of funds by district school board.—All state funds apportioned to the credit of any district constitute a part of the district school fund of that district and must be budgeted and expended under authority of the district school board subject to the provisions of law and rules of the State Board of Education.
(1) A district school board shall credit interest or profits on investments to the specific budgeted fund, as defined by the accounting system required by s. 1010.01, that produced the earnings unless otherwise authorized by law or rules of the State Board of Education.
(2) A district school board may temporarily advance moneys from one fund, as defined by the accounting system required by s. 1010.01, to another fund when insufficient moneys are available to meet current obligations if the temporary advancement is repaid within 13 months, appropriate accounting records are maintained, and the temporary advancement does not restrict, impede, or limit implementation or fulfillment of the original purposes for which the moneys were received in the fund providing the advancement.
(3) Funds expended from school nonrecurring incentives or bonus type state or federal funded programs based on performance outcomes may not be used for measuring compliance with state or federal maintenance of effort, supplanting, or comparability standards.
(4) If the financial conditions in s. 1011.051 exist, a district school board may not make expenditures for travel outside of the district or cellular phones, cellular phone service, personal digital assistants, or any other mobile wireless communication device or service, including text messaging, whether through purchasing, leasing, contracting, or any other method, while the financial conditions exist. The expenditure of public funds for art programs, music programs, sports programs, and extracurricular programs for students is a higher priority than expending funds for employee travel and cellular phones.
History.—s. 612, ch. 2002-387; s. 25, ch. 2009-59; s. 15, ch. 2018-5.
1011.10 Penalty.—
(1) Any member of a district school board or any district school superintendent who violates the provisions of this section commits malfeasance and misfeasance in office and shall be subject to removal from office by the Governor, and any contract or attempted contract entered into by any school officer or subordinate school officer that is not within the purview or in violation of the provisions of this section shall be void, and no such contract or attempted contract shall be enforceable in any court.
(2) Each member of any district school board voting to incur an indebtedness against the district school funds in excess of the expenditure allowed by law, or in excess of any appropriation as adopted in the original official budget or amendments thereto, or to approve or pay any illegal charge against the funds, and any chair of a district school board or district school superintendent who signs a warrant for payment of any such claim or bill of indebtedness against any of the funds shall be personally liable for the amount, and shall be guilty of malfeasance in office and subject to removal by the Governor. It shall be the duty of the Auditor General, other state officials, or independent certified public accountants charged by law with the responsibility for auditing school accounts, upon discovering any such illegal expenditure or expenditures in excess of the appropriations in the budget as officially amended, to certify such fact to the Department of Financial Services, which thereupon shall verify such fact and it shall be the duty of the Department of Financial Services to advise the Department of Legal Affairs thereof, and it shall be the duty of the Department of Legal Affairs to cause to be instituted and prosecuted, either through its office or through any state attorney, proceedings at law or in equity against such member or members of a district school board or district school superintendent. If either of the officers does not institute proceedings within 90 days after the audit has been certified to them by the Department of Financial Services, any taxpayer may institute suit in his or her own name on behalf of the district.
(3) If any of the conditions identified in s. 218.503(1) exist within a school district, the salary of each district school board member and district superintendent, calculated pursuant to ss. 1001.395 and 1001.47, shall be withheld until the conditions are corrected. This subsection does not apply to a district school board member or district superintendent elected or appointed within 1 year after the identification of the conditions in s. 218.503(1) if he or she did not participate in the approval or preparation of the final school district budget adopted before the identification of such conditions.
History.—s. 613, ch. 2002-387; s. 1969, ch. 2003-261; s. 16, ch. 2018-5.
1011.11 Certain provisions to be directory.—No irregularities of form or manner in the preparation or adoption of any budget under the provisions of this chapter shall invalidate either the budget adopted or the taxes levied therefor. However, the budget and the taxes levied must conform substantially to the principles and provisions of law and rules of the State Board of Education.
History.—s. 614, ch. 2002-387.
1011.12 Purposes of and procedures in incurring school indebtedness.—Indebtedness for school purposes may be incurred only as follows:
(1) School districts may issue bonds creating a long-term indebtedness as prescribed by law.
(2) Notes may be issued for money borrowed in anticipation of the receipt of current school funds, included in the budget from the state, county, or districts, as authorized under s. 1011.13.
(3) Indebtedness may be incurred for certain purposes as authorized under s. 1011.14, s. 1011.15, or s. 1011.16.
(4) Bonds or revenue certificates issued on behalf of the district by the State Board of Education as authorized by s. 18, Art. XII of the State Constitution of 1885 as adopted by s. 9(d), Art. XII of the State Constitution, and the additional provisions of s. 9(d), Art. XII of the State Constitution.
History.—s. 615, ch. 2002-387.
1011.13 Current loans authorized under certain conditions.—Except as provided in subsection (2), for any fiscal year in which school funds are estimated to be insufficient at any time during that fiscal year to pay obligations created by the district school board in accordance with the official budget of the district, or a budget approved by the district school board which is prepared preliminarily to the tentative budget required by this chapter, the school board is authorized to negotiate a current loan to pay these obligations, providing for the repayment of that loan from the proceeds of revenues reasonably to be anticipated during the fiscal year in which the loan is made as prescribed below. However, the district school board shall, whenever possible, so arrange its expenditures as to make the incurring of current loans unnecessary. When it is deemed necessary for the benefit of the schools of the district for a current loan to be negotiated, the school board shall arrange for a loan in an amount not violative of federal arbitrage regulations and for the repayment of the loan, in accord with the other provisions of this section.
(1) CURRENT LOANS AGAINST DISTRICT FUND, DISTRICT CAPITAL PROJECTS FUNDS, AND DISTRICT INTEREST AND SINKING FUNDS.—
(a) District school boards are authorized and empowered to borrow money, to be retired from the district tax receipts anticipated in the operating budget, the district capital projects budget, and the debt service budget, at a rate of interest not to exceed the rate authorized under the provisions of s. 215.84, for the purpose of paying all outstanding obligations and for the further purpose of paying any and all lawful expenses incurred in operating the schools of the district. However, it is unlawful for any district school board to borrow any sum of money in any one year in excess of 80 percent of the amount as estimated by it in the official budget for the current fiscal year for the district to be available from the district tax. The sum so borrowed shall be paid in full before the school board is authorized to borrow money in any succeeding year.
(b) Nothing in paragraph (a) shall be construed to invalidate any outstanding debt of any district as now existing and now due, or to become due, or as requiring any school board to pay the same in full before being permitted to borrow 80 percent on the estimate for the next ensuing year.
(c) In the event that the county tax roll is subjected to litigation and the tax collector is prevented from collecting taxes on that roll, the following provisions shall apply:
1. The restriction of 80 percent in paragraph (b) shall not apply if the collection of taxes is delayed beyond May 1.
2. District school boards are authorized and empowered to borrow money, to be repaid from the district school fund for operating purposes, the district capital projects funds, and the district interest and sinking funds, at a rate not to exceed the rate authorized under the provisions of s. 215.84, for the purposes of paying any and all lawful operating expense, capital expense, and required debt service necessary for the outstanding bond issues of such districts at the times that the funds are needed to prevent the bonds or interest payments from being in default. However, the amount of money so borrowed shall be limited to the amount of the district school fund and district interest and sinking fund tax receipts included in the official school budget for that year or the amount necessary to be borrowed to meet such obligations, whichever amount is the lesser. Any funds borrowed pursuant to the authority of this subsection shall, insofar as possible, be repaid during the fiscal year in which the loan was made. However, any such loan unpaid at the end of the fiscal year shall be repaid from the first available revenue in the next succeeding year.
(2) CURRENT LOANS PAYABLE FROM REVENUE PROCEEDS.—
(a) A district school board is also authorized to negotiate a current loan before the end of the fiscal year, the note or notes from which loan shall be issued no earlier than 60 days before the beginning of the subsequent fiscal year, to be repaid during the subsequent fiscal year from the proceeds of revenue reasonably anticipated to be received during that year. The proceeds of any loan obtained pursuant to this subsection shall be limited, and the district school board shall take any and all action necessary, to assure that the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder are not violated.
(b) Loans arranged pursuant to this subsection shall be negotiated in accordance with a budget approved by the district school board which is prepared preliminarily to the tentative budget required by this chapter. Such loans shall be at a rate of interest not to exceed the rate of interest authorized under the provisions of s. 215.84 and shall not be in excess of amounts authorized under the Internal Revenue Code for arbitrage.
(c) The proceeds of any loan obtained pursuant to this subsection, or any interest earnings thereon, shall not be used to pay any expenses incurred in the fiscal year in which the loan is made; nor shall the proceeds of the loan or interest earnings thereon be in any way encumbered to pay expenses incurred in the fiscal year in which the loan is made, but shall be held in escrow until the subsequent fiscal year. Any outstanding loan issued pursuant to subsection (1) must be defeased not less than 5 business days prior to the issuance of any obligation pursuant to this subsection. All proceeds of any loan obtained pursuant to this subsection, and any interest earnings thereon, shall be placed at closing in an irrevocable escrow account and held until the beginning of the subsequent fiscal year. The district school board shall maintain the integrity of such loan proceeds and related interest in its accounting records so as to be able to validate compliance with the provisions of this paragraph.
History.—s. 616, ch. 2002-387.
1011.14 Obligations for a period of 1 year.—District school boards are authorized only under the following conditions to create obligations by way of anticipation of budgeted revenues accruing on a current basis without pledging the credit of the district or requiring future levy of taxes for certain purposes for a period of 1 year; however, such obligations may be extended from year to year with the consent of the lender for a period not to exceed 4 years, or for a total of 5 years including the initial year of the loan:
(1) PURPOSES.—The purposes for which such obligations may be incurred within the intent of this section shall include only the purchase of school buses, land, and equipment for educational purposes; the erection of, alteration to, or addition to educational facilities; and the adjustment of insurance on educational property on a 5-year plan, as provided by rules of the State Board of Education.
(2) OBLIGATIONS MAY NOT EXCEED ONE-FOURTH OF DISTRICT AD VALOREM TAX REVENUE FOR OPERATIONS FOR THE PRECEDING YEAR.—No obligation of the nature prescribed herein may be incurred by any district school board when such proposed obligations exceed one-fourth of the revenue received during the preceding year for the district school fund for operating expense of the district.
(3) DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD TO ADOPT PROPOSAL.—When the district school board proposes to incur obligations of the nature authorized in this section, it shall adopt and spread upon its minutes a resolution giving the nature of the obligations to be incurred, stating the plan of payment, and providing that such funds will be budgeted during the period of the loan from the current revenue to retire the obligations maturing during the year. This plan of payment shall not extend over a period longer than 1 year.
(4) INTEREST-BEARING NOTES AUTHORIZED.—Each district school board which has authorized the incurring of the obligations as provided in this section shall issue interest-bearing notes for the obligations. The notes shall provide the terms of payment and shall not bear interest in excess of the rate authorized under the provisions of s. 215.84. No additional obligations of a similar nature may be incurred against the funds of any school district when notes authorized under this subsection are still outstanding and unpaid when such proposed obligations together with the unpaid notes outstanding exceed one-fourth of the revenue of the preceding year, as defined in subsection (2).
History.—s. 617, ch. 2002-387.
1011.15 Obligations to eliminate major emergency conditions.—The district school board of any district experiencing a major emergency condition in an existing school plant that demands immediate correction in order to prevent further damage to the building or equipment or to eliminate a safety hazard that constitutes an immediate danger to the students and other occupants is authorized to create an obligation for a period of 1 year by way of anticipation of revenues for capital outlay purposes accruing on a current basis without pledging the credit of the district. Such obligation may be extended from year to year with the consent of the lender for a period not to exceed 4 years, or for a total of 5 years including the initial year of the loan. Obligations occurring under this section may be repaid from funds to be received from taxes authorized by s. 1011.71(2) and from any other funds available to the district school board for the purpose under the following conditions:
(1) DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD TO ADOPT PROPOSAL.—When the district school board proposes to incur obligations of the nature authorized in this section, it shall adopt and spread upon its minutes a resolution fully describing the emergency condition outlined above, giving the nature of the obligations to be incurred, stating the plan of payment, and providing that such funds will be budgeted during the period of the loan from the current revenue to retire the obligations maturing during the year. This plan of payment shall not extend over a period longer than 1 year.
(2) INTEREST-BEARING NOTES AUTHORIZED.—Each district school board which has authorized the incurring of the obligations as provided in this section shall issue interest-bearing notes for the obligations. The notes shall provide the terms of payment and shall not bear interest in excess of the rate authorized in s. 1010.59.
History.—s. 618, ch. 2002-387.
1011.16 Provisions for retirement of existing indebtedness which is unfunded or in default.—In any district in which there is any indebtedness outstanding against the district school fund which has not yet been funded, or at any time any such indebtedness is in default as to principal or interest, the district school board shall proceed as follows:
(1) PLAN FOR RETIRING INDEBTEDNESS TO BE PROPOSED.—The district school board shall prepare and propose a plan for retiring any unfunded indebtedness or any such indebtedness which is in default so that no creditor having a valid claim will be given a preferred status. This plan shall be so prepared as to show the funds needed for operating the schools on the most economical basis practicable, the amount of any other obligations which must be met each year, the total funds available each year for the entire school program, and the funds that can reasonably be spared for retirement of indebtedness without needlessly handicapping the school program and which can be budgeted each year for the retirement of such indebtedness.
(2) PROPOSAL TO BE SUBMITTED TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.—The proposal for funding and retiring all such indebtedness, when approved by the district school board, shall be submitted to the Department of Education for consideration. The district school board shall not attempt to retire any such indebtedness until this procedure has been followed and until it has had the benefit of the recommendations of the department. Upon receiving the proposal, the department shall determine the minimum funds which are, in its opinion, necessary for the operation of the school program in the district; shall determine what funds remain for retirement of indebtedness each year; shall determine whether the proposed plan is in accordance with these facts, and, if it is not, shall propose modifications in the plan in accordance with the facts. The recommendations of the department shall then be submitted to the district school board for consideration.
(3) WHEN PLAN TO BE EFFECTIVE.—The plan for retiring indebtedness, herein prescribed, shall become effective when the district school board and the Department of Education jointly agree upon the amount of funds necessary for operating the schools and the amount which can be budgeted each year for retiring indebtedness. When this plan has been agreed upon, it shall become the duty of the district school board to see that the amount approved for retiring indebtedness is incorporated in the budget each year, and the department shall see that this amount has been incorporated before the budget is approved, or, if such an amount can not reasonably be incorporated in the budget, as shown by evidence submitted by the district school board, determine the respects in which the plan should be modified, and to see that the budget includes the amount for retiring indebtedness which can reasonably be included.
(4) FUNDING OUTSTANDING INDEBTEDNESS.—
(a) Each district school board having an outstanding indebtedness legally incurred and constituting an obligation or obligations payable from the district school fund is authorized to issue and sell interest-bearing coupon warrants in a sum or sums not to exceed the total amount of such indebtedness. Such coupon warrants shall bear interest at a rate not to exceed the rates authorized under the provisions of s. 215.84, shall be payable either annually or semiannually, and shall be in such form and denomination as the district school board issuing the same shall prescribe. None of such warrants shall be issued to run for a longer period of time than 10 years from the date of issue. Such warrants shall be numbered consecutively, beginning with number one, and each warrant shall have attached thereto interest coupons, each coupon bearing the number of its warrant and representing or calling for an annual or semiannual, as the case may be, payment of interest on its warrant.
(b) Each such warrant shall be signed by the chair and attested by the secretary of the district school board issuing the same, and shall have the seal of the district school board affixed thereto, and the interest coupons attached thereto shall be signed by, or bear the printed or lithographed facsimile signature of the chair and secretary. Each warrant and interest coupon shall be dated and shall bear the due date. Such warrants and interest coupons shall be issued upon, and payable from, the fund designated on the face thereof. The fund so designated shall be the district school fund. All funds derived from the sale of interest-bearing coupon warrants, as herein provided, shall be used for the purpose of retiring the indebtedness for payment of which the warrants were issued, and for no other purpose, and any funds remaining from the sale of such warrants shall be applied to retiring the interest-bearing coupon warrants from which such funds were derived.
(5) FUNDING OR REFUNDING OTHER TYPES OF INDEBTEDNESS.—Any proposed plan for refunding any type of outstanding and legally incurred school indebtedness, not covered by this section, shall be submitted to the Department of Education for approval under rules of the State Board of Education. No such indebtedness may be refunded and no plan for refunding such indebtedness may be approved, unless the plan provides for retiring the indebtedness in reasonably equal annual installments over the period of years covered, unless other obligations to be retired during any of these years make adjustments necessary. No indebtedness of any type may be refunded on a sinking fund basis. The district school board shall provide that all refunding warrants, notes, or bonds shall be callable, upon proper notice, beginning not more than 10 years following the date of refunding. If any indebtedness outstanding against the county or district current school funds cannot be retired over a period of 10 years as prescribed in this section, or cannot be funded or refunded by issuing interest-bearing coupon warrants, the Department of Education is authorized to cooperate with the school officials of the district in developing a practicable plan for refunding such indebtedness and, when such a plan has been developed, may approve an agreement with the district school officials for refunding such indebtedness to be retired over a period of time which shall not exceed a maximum of 20 years; and, if necessary, for refunding the indebtedness by issuing interest-bearing notes. Any funding or refunding obligations issued, as prescribed herein, are not and shall not be deemed to be additional bonds within the meaning of the Constitution and laws of Florida, and it shall not be necessary for such obligations to be submitted to, or approved by, a vote of the people of the district. In preparing and carrying out such a plan for funding or refunding the school indebtedness, the district school board and the district school superintendent shall follow the procedures prescribed in this section, supplemented by rules of the State Board of Education, except for the modifications which are herein authorized.
History.—s. 619, ch. 2002-387.
1011.17 School funds to be paid to Chief Financial Officer or into depository.—
(1) Every tax collector or other person having moneys which by law go to any district school fund shall at least once each month pay the same over to the depository or depositories designated by the district school board for such purpose, and shall provide said board with confirmation of the deposit. Every officer having moneys which by law go to any state school fund shall pay the same to the Chief Financial Officer of the state, and the Chief Financial Officer shall see that these moneys are deposited to the credit of the proper state school fund.
(2) The district school board shall have the authority to designate that funds due it be placed for investment for its account with the State Board of Administration rather than be deposited, and said board may direct those persons having moneys due it or due any state school fund to pay out such funds to the State Board of Administration to make authorized investments for its account.
History.—s. 620, ch. 2002-387; s. 1970, ch. 2003-261.
1011.18 School depositories; payments into and withdrawals from depositories.—
(1) SCHOOL FUNDS TO BE PAID INTO DEPOSITORIES.—The tax collector, the clerk of the circuit court, the superintendent, and all other persons having, receiving, or collecting any money payable to the school district shall promptly pay the same to the bank or banks selected by the district school board to receive funds for that purpose. No bank shall be so selected unless it is qualified as an approved depository as provided by law. Each bank receiving any school money as provided herein shall make a receipt for same.
(2) INVESTMENT OF FUNDS DUE.—The district school board shall have the authority to designate that funds due it be placed for investment for its account with the State Board of Administration rather than be deposited, and the district school board may direct those persons having moneys due it or due any state school fund to pay out such funds to the State Board of Administration to make authorized investments for its account.
(3) FUNDS ON DEPOSIT WITH EACH DEPOSITORY; OVERDRAWING ACCOUNTS PROHIBITED.—The district school board shall require an accurate and complete set of accounts to be maintained in the books and records for each fund on deposit in each district school depository. Each such account shall show the amount subject to withdrawal, the amount deposited, the amount expended, and the balance of the account. In compliance with the provisions of this subsection, a district school board may maintain a separate checking account for each such fund or may utilize a single checking account for the deposit and withdrawal of moneys from all funds and segregate the various funds on the books and records only. No check or warrant shall be drawn in excess of the balance to the credit of the appropriate fund. The funds awaiting clearing may be invested in an approved county depository in instruments earning interest, such as repurchase agreements, savings accounts, etc. If repurchase agreements are involved, United States Treasury securities or GNMA’s must be pledged as collateral for an amount to exceed the principal, interest, and a reasonable safety margin for protection against date-to-date price fluctuation.
(4) HOW FUNDS DRAWN FROM DEPOSITORIES.—All money drawn from any district school depository holding same as prescribed herein shall be upon a check or warrant drawn on authority of the district school board as prescribed by law. Each check or warrant shall be signed by the chair or, in his or her absence, the vice chair of the district school board and countersigned by the district school superintendent, with corporate seal of the school board affixed. However, as a matter of convenience, the corporate seal of the district school board may be printed upon the warrant and a proper record of such warrant shall be maintained. The district school board may by resolution, a copy of which must be delivered to the depository, provide for internal funds to be withdrawn from any district depository by a check duly signed by at least two bonded school employees designated by the board to be responsible for administering such funds. However, the district school superintendent or his or her designee, after having been by resolution specifically authorized by the district school board, may transfer funds from one depository to another, within a depository, to another institution, or from another institution to a depository for investment purposes and may transfer funds to pay expenses, expenditures, or other disbursements that must be evidenced by an invoice or other appropriate documentation in a similar manner. Such transfer may be made by electronic, telephonic, or other medium; and each transfer shall be confirmed in writing and signed by the district school superintendent or his or her designee.
(5) FORM OF WARRANTS; DIRECT DEPOSIT OF FUNDS.—The district school board is authorized to establish the form or forms of warrants, which are to be signed by the chair or, in his or her absence, the vice chair of the district school board and countersigned by the district school superintendent, for payment or disbursement of moneys out of the school depository and to change the form thereof from time to time as the district school board deems appropriate. If authorized in writing by the payee, such district school board warrants may provide for the direct deposit of funds to the account of the payee in any financial institution that is designated in writing by the payee and that has lawful authority to accept such deposits. The written authorization of the payee must be filed with the district school board. Direct deposit of funds may be by any electronic or other medium approved by the district school board for such purpose. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules prescribing minimum security measures that must be implemented by any district school board before establishing the system authorized in this subsection.
(6) EXEMPTION FOR SELF-INSURANCE PROGRAMS AND THIRD-PARTY ADMINISTERED EMPLOYEES’ FRINGE BENEFIT PROGRAMS.—
(a) Each district school board is authorized to contract with an approved service organization to provide self-insurance services, including, but not limited to, the evaluation, settlement, and payment of self-insurance claims on behalf of the district school board. Pursuant to such contract, the district school board may advance money to the service organization to be deposited in a special checking account for paying claims against the district school board under its self-insurance program. The special checking account shall be maintained in a designated district school depository. The district school board may replenish such account as often as necessary upon the presentation by the service organization of documentation for claims paid equal to the amount of the requested reimbursement. Such replenishment shall be made by a warrant signed by the chair of the district school board and countersigned by the district school superintendent. Such replenishment may be made by electronic, telephonic, or other medium, and each transfer shall be confirmed in writing and signed by the superintendent or his or her designee.
(b) The district school board may contract with an insurance company or professional administrator who holds a valid certificate of authority issued by the Office of Insurance Regulation of the Financial Services Commission to provide any services that a third-party administrator is authorized by law to perform. Pursuant to such contract, the district school board may advance or remit money to the administrator to be deposited in a designated special checking account for paying claims against the district school board under its self-insurance programs, and remitting premiums to the providers of insured benefits on behalf of the district school board and the participants in such programs, and otherwise fulfilling the obligations imposed upon the administrator by law and the contractual agreements between the district school board and the administrator. The special checking account shall be maintained in a designated district school depository. The district school board may replenish such account as often as necessary upon the presentation by the service organization of documentation for claims or premiums due paid equal to the amount of the requested reimbursement. Such replenishment shall be made by a warrant signed by the chair of the district school board and countersigned by the district school superintendent. Such replenishment may be made by electronic, telephonic, or other medium, and each transfer shall be confirmed in writing and signed by the district school superintendent or his or her designee. The provisions of strict accountability of all funds and an annual audit by an independent certified public accountant as provided in s. 1001.42(12)(k) apply to this subsection.
History.—s. 621, ch. 2002-387; s. 1971, ch. 2003-261; s. 24, ch. 2008-108; s. 26, ch. 2009-59.
1011.19 Sources of district school fund.—The district school fund shall consist of funds derived from the district school tax levy; state appropriations; appropriations by county commissioners; local, state, and federal school food service funds; any and all other sources for school purposes; national forest trust funds and other federal sources; and gifts and other sources.
History.—s. 622, ch. 2002-387.
1011.20 Apportionment and use of district school fund.—The district school fund shall be apportioned, expended and disbursed in the district solely for the support of the public schools of the district as prescribed by law; provided, however, that the district school fund shall also be used to pay the principal and interest on bonds legally issued and payable from said fund, together with other proper items of debt service against such fund, including any necessary refunding expense as prescribed by rules of the State Board of Education. The district school board shall, before the maturity of such bonds or other indebtedness and before interest due dates, deposit with the paying agent or make available, as designated in the resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds or other legal evidences of indebtedness, sufficient funds with which to pay all principal and interest when due; provided, that when such funds have been so deposited with the paying agent or made available, all interest on the indebtedness represented by the maturing bonds, coupons or other evidences of indebtedness shall cease as of their maturity dates; and provided, further, that if any such bonds, coupons or other evidences of indebtedness are not presented for payment within 6 months after the date on which they mature, the funds shall be returned to the district school board and shall be placed by said board in the district school fund and the district school board shall pay said bonds, coupons or other evidences of indebtedness from said fund when presented for payment. Any holder of bonds, coupons or other indebtedness claiming interest after maturity on account of the fact that funds were not deposited with the paying agent or made available to pay such bonds, coupons or other indebtedness at maturity, shall be required to produce evidence in the form of a letter from the paying agent or the district school board, respectively, acknowledging that the bonds, coupons and other evidences of indebtedness upon which interest is claimed were presented for payment, that no funds were available for the payment thereof, that such bonds, coupons and other evidences of indebtedness were presented for payment at least annually thereafter and that no funds were available to pay such indebtedness. The paying agent or the district school board, whichever has the duty of holding the funds, shall, upon request of the holder of defaulted bonds, coupons or other evidences of indebtedness, furnish to such holder the letter required herein. When such evidence is presented, the district school fund shall be liable for the payment of principal and interest on the bonds, coupons or other evidences of indebtedness from maturity until paid at the rate prescribed on the face thereof. If at any time any bonds, coupons or other evidences of indebtedness are reduced to judgment, the district school fund shall be responsible for past due interest only at the rate prescribed by the bonds or other evidences of indebtedness and any rate of interest in excess of that amount shall be illegal and invalid. Such judgments shall bear interest at the rate of 5 percent per annum until paid. When any proposal for refunding the indebtedness against said district school fund has been prepared and approved by the State Board of Education, as required by law, and when the holders of at least 80 percent of the outstanding indebtedness against said fund have agreed in writing to the refunding plan, the district school board shall be authorized to pay, out of the district school fund, from and after that date, on the original and refunding bonds or other evidences of indebtedness only the rate of interest which has been agreed upon for the refunding bonds or other evidences of indebtedness and no owner or holder of a bond, coupon or other evidence of indebtedness shall be entitled to a higher rate of interest after that date; provided, that such owner or holder shall be given the option by the district school board of receiving payment in cash for all principal and interest due on the bonds and coupons or other evidence of indebtedness he or she holds at the same rate at which the remaining indebtedness has been refunded.
History.—s. 623, ch. 2002-387.
1011.21 Source and use of district interest and sinking fund.—The district interest and sinking fund of any school district shall comprise the proceeds of the tax levied for the purpose of paying the principal and interest of bonds outstanding against the district as provided in this chapter and in addition such funds as may accrue to the credit of the district interest and sinking fund from interest on deposits, investments or other sources. The district interest and sinking fund in each district shall be used to pay the principal and interest on bonds legally issued against the district and other proper items of debt service against such district, including any necessary refunding expense as prescribed by rules of the State Board of Education. The district school board shall, before the maturity of bonds and before interest due dates, deposit with the paying agent or make available, as designated in the resolution authorizing the issuance of bonds, sufficient money of the district interest and sinking fund with which to pay all principal and interest when due; provided, that when such money has been so deposited with the paying agent or made available, all interest on the indebtedness represented by the maturing bonds or coupons shall cease as of their maturity dates; and provided, further, that if any such bonds or coupons are not presented for payment within 6 months after the date on which they mature, the money shall be returned to the district school board and shall be held by the board as a reserve fund in the account of the district interest and sinking fund until the bonds and coupons are presented for payment. Any holder of bonds or coupons claiming interest after maturity shall be required to produce evidence in the form of a letter from the paying agent or the district school board of the district, respectively, acknowledging that the bonds or coupons upon which interest is claimed were presented for payment upon maturity, that no funds were available for the payment thereof, that such bonds or coupons were presented for payment at least annually thereafter and that no funds were available to pay such bonds or coupons. The paying agent or the district school board, whichever has the duty of holding the money, shall, upon request of the holder of defaulted bonds or coupons, furnish to such holder the letter required herein. When such evidence is presented, the district interest and sinking fund shall be liable for the payment of principal and interest on the bonds and coupons from maturity until paid at the rate prescribed on the face of the bonds. If at any time any bonds or coupons are reduced to judgment, the district interest and sinking fund shall be responsible for past due interest only at the rate prescribed by the bonds and any rate of interest in excess of that amount shall be illegal and invalid. Such judgments shall bear interest at the rate of 5 percent per annum until paid. When any proposal for refunding the indebtedness against any district has been prepared and approved by the Department of Education, as required by law, and when the holders of at least 80 percent of the outstanding indebtedness represented by the bond issue have agreed in writing to the refunding plan, the district school board shall be authorized to pay, from and after that date on the original and refunding bonds from the district interest and sinking fund, only the rate of interest which has been agreed upon for the refunding bonds and no owner or holder of a bond or coupon shall be entitled to a higher rate of interest after that date; provided, that such owner or holder shall be given the option by the school board of receiving payment in cash for all principal and interest due on the bonds and coupons he or she holds at the same rate at which the remaining bonds and coupons have been refunded.
History.—s. 624, ch. 2002-387.
1011.22 Interest and sinking funds may be invested in certain bonds, warrants, and notes.—Each district school board shall have the power at all times to invest the interest and sinking funds collected for the retirement of any bonds of the school district in any investment as authorized in s. 1010.53(2). The district school board shall have authority at any time to use the interest and sinking fund of any district for purchasing, for the purpose of canceling and retiring, bonds outstanding against the interest and sinking fund of said district at any price which will result in a net saving to the taxpayers of the district; provided, always, that the district school board shall have the right to keep the interest and sinking fund on deposit earning the rate of interest agreed upon until such time as within its judgment it may be able to invest it in bonds, warrants, or notes to better advantage as provided herein.
History.—s. 625, ch. 2002-387.
1011.23 Disposition of balance in interest and sinking fund.—If all principal and interest outstanding against any school district shall have been paid, and there shall still remain a balance in the interest and sinking fund to the credit of that district, the district school board shall, by resolution, authorize this balance to be transferred to the credit of the district school fund.
History.—s. 626, ch. 2002-387.
1011.24 Special district units.—For the purposes of funding through this chapter and chapter 1013, lab schools shall be designated as special school districts. Such districts shall be accountable to the Department of Education for budget requests and reports on expenditures.
History.—s. 627, ch. 2002-387; s. 65, ch. 2004-41.
B. Florida College System institutions:
Preparation, Adoption, and
Implementation of Budgets
1011.30 Budgets for Florida College System institutions.
1011.31 Current loans to Florida College System institution boards of trustees.
1011.32 Florida College System Institution Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program.
1011.30 Budgets for Florida College System institutions.—Each Florida College System institution president shall recommend to the Florida College System institution board of trustees a budget of income and expenditures at such time and in such form as the State Board of Education may prescribe. Upon approval of a budget by the Florida College System institution board of trustees, such budget shall be transmitted to the Department of Education for review. Rules of the State Board of Education shall prescribe procedures for effecting budget amendments subsequent to the final approval of a budget for a given year.
History.—s. 629, ch. 2002-387; s. 167, ch. 2011-5; s. 13, ch. 2011-177.
1011.31 Current loans to Florida College System institution boards of trustees.—
(1) At any time the current funds on hand are insufficient to pay obligations created by a Florida College System institution board of trustees in accordance with the approved budget of the Florida College System institution, the Florida College System institution board of trustees may request approval by the Commissioner of Education of a proposal to negotiate a current loan, with provisions for the repayment of such loan during the fiscal year in which the loan is made, in order to meet these obligations.
(2) The Commissioner of Education shall approve such proposal when, in his or her opinion, the proposal is reasonable and just, the expenditure is necessary, and revenues sufficient to meet the requirements of the loan can reasonably be anticipated.
History.—s. 630, ch. 2002-387; s. 2, ch. 2003-3; s. 168, ch. 2011-5.
1011.32 Florida College System Institution Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program.—
(1) The Legislature recognizes that the Florida College System institutions do not have sufficient physical facilities to meet the current demands of their instructional and community programs. It further recognizes that, to strengthen and enhance Florida College System institutions, it is necessary to provide facilities in addition to those currently available from existing revenue sources. It further recognizes that there are sources of private support that, if matched with state support, can assist in constructing much needed facilities and strengthen the commitment of citizens and organizations in promoting excellence at each Florida College System institution. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to establish a program to provide the opportunity for each Florida College System institution through its direct-support organization to receive and match challenge grants for instructional and community-related capital facilities within the Florida College System institution.
(2) There is established the Florida College System Institution Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program for the purpose of assisting the Florida College System institutions in building high priority instructional and community-related capital facilities consistent with s. 1004.65, including common areas connecting such facilities. The direct-support organizations that serve the Florida College System institutions shall solicit gifts from private sources to provide matching funds for capital facilities. For the purposes of this section, private sources of funds shall not include any federal or state government funds that a Florida College System institution may receive.
(3) The Florida College System Institution Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program shall provide funds to match private contributions for the development of high priority instructional and community-related capital facilities, including common areas connecting such facilities, within the Florida College System institutions.
(4) Within the direct-support organization of each Florida College System institution there must be established a separate capital facilities matching account for the purpose of providing matching funds from the direct-support organization’s unrestricted donations or other private contributions for the development of high priority instructional and community-related capital facilities, including common areas connecting such facilities. The Legislature shall appropriate funds for distribution to a Florida College System institution after matching funds are certified by the direct-support organization and Florida College System institution. The Public Education Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund shall not be used as the source of the state match for private contributions.
(5) A project may not be initiated unless all private funds for planning, construction, and equipping the facility have been received and deposited in the direct-support organization’s matching account for this purpose. However, this requirement does not preclude the Florida College System institution or direct-support organization from expending available funds from private sources to develop a prospectus, including preliminary architectural schematics or models, for use in its efforts to raise private funds for a facility and for site preparation, planning, and construction. The Legislature may appropriate the state’s matching funds in one or more fiscal years for the planning, construction, and equipping of an eligible facility. Each Florida College System institution shall notify all donors of private funds of a substantial delay in the availability of state matching funds for this program.
(6) To be eligible to participate in the Florida College System Institution Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program, a Florida College System institution, through its direct-support organization, shall raise a contribution equal to one-half of the total cost of a facilities construction project from private sources which shall be matched by a state appropriation equal to the amount raised for a facilities construction project, subject to the General Appropriations Act.
(7) If the state’s share of the required match is insufficient to meet the requirements of subsection (6), the Florida College System institution shall renegotiate the terms of the contribution with the donors. If the project is terminated, each private donation, plus accrued interest, reverts to the direct-support organization for remittance to the donor.
(8) By October 15 of each year, the State Board of Education shall transmit to the Governor and the Legislature a list of projects that meet all eligibility requirements to participate in the Florida College System Institution Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program and a budget request that includes the recommended schedule necessary to complete each project.
(9) In order for a project to be eligible under this program, it must be survey recommended under the provisions of s. 1013.31 and included in the Florida College System institution’s 5-year capital improvement plan, and it must receive approval from the State Board of Education or the Legislature.
(10) A Florida College System institution project may not be removed from the approved 3-year PECO priority list because of its successful participation in this program until approved by the Legislature and provided for in the General Appropriations Act. When such a project is completed and removed from the list, all other projects shall move up on the 3-year PECO priority list.
(11) Any private matching funds for a project which are unexpended after the project is completed shall revert to the Florida College System institution’s direct-support organization capital facilities matching account. The balance of any unexpended state matching funds shall be returned to the fund from which those funds were appropriated.
(12) The surveys, architectural plans, facility, and equipment shall be the property of the participating Florida College System institution. A facility constructed under this section may be named in honor of a donor at the option of the Florida College System institution district board of trustees. A facility may not be named after a living person without prior approval by the State Board of Education.
(13) Effective July 1, 2011, state matching funds are temporarily suspended for donations received for the program on or after June 30, 2011. Existing eligible donations remain eligible for future matching funds. The program may be restarted after $200 million of the backlog for programs under this section and ss. 1011.85, 1011.94, and 1013.79 have been matched.
History.—s. 631, ch. 2002-387; s. 1, ch. 2007-61; s. 29, ch. 2009-60; s. 179, ch. 2010-102; s. 23, ch. 2010-155; s. 169, ch. 2011-5; s. 33, ch. 2011-63; s. 183, ch. 2020-2.
C. Universities: Preparation,
Adoption, and Implementation of Budgets
1011.40 Budgets for universities.
1011.41 University appropriations.
1011.4106 Trust fund dissolution and local account appropriations.
1011.411 Budgets for sponsored research at universities.
1011.42 University depositories; deposits into and withdrawals from depositories.
1011.43 Investment of university agency and activity funds; earnings used for scholarships.
1011.45 End of year balance of funds.
1011.47 Auxiliary enterprises; contracts, grants, and donations.
1011.48 Establishment of educational research centers for child development.
1011.49 Assent to Smith-Lever Act; university board of trustees authorized to receive grants.
1011.50 Agricultural experiment stations; assent to Act of Congress; federal appropriation.
1011.501 Assent to ss. 1444 and 1445 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977; board of trustees authorized to receive grants, etc.
1011.51 Independent postsecondary endowment grants.
1011.52 Appropriation to first accredited medical school.
1011.521 Appropriation to private colleges and universities.
1011.40 Budgets for universities.—
(1) LEGISLATIVE BUDGET REQUEST.—The Board of Governors shall provide instructions, guidelines, and standard formats to be used by each university that will provide to the Board of Governors and the Legislature adequate information to support and justify the legislative budget requests submitted pursuant to ss. 216.023, 1011.90, and 1013.60 for each university.
(2) OPERATING BUDGET.—Each university board of trustees shall adopt an operating budget for the operation of the university as prescribed by law and rules of the Board of Governors. Each university president shall prepare and implement the operating budget of the university as prescribed by law, rules of the Board of Governors, policies of the university board of trustees, and provisions of the General Appropriations Act. The proposed expenditures, plus transfers, and balances shall not exceed the estimated income, transfers, and balances. The budget and each part thereof shall balance. If at any time the unencumbered balance in the education and general fund of the university board of trustees approved operating budget goes below 5 percent, the president shall provide written notification to the Board of Governors.
(3) EXPENDITURES.—Expenditures from any source of funds by any university shall not exceed the funds available. Expenditures shall not exceed the amount budgeted under each classification of accounts for each fund and the total amount of the budget, as amended as prescribed by rules of the Board of Governors. No expenditure of funds, contract, or agreement of any nature shall be made that requires additional appropriation of funds by the Legislature unless specifically authorized in advance by law or the General Appropriations Act.
(4) DISTRIBUTION OF APPROPRIATION.—Funds appropriated in the General Appropriations Act for the operation of state universities shall be distributed to the universities twice monthly. The Executive Office of the Governor may modify this schedule if required to meet specific needs of a university.
History.—s. 633, ch. 2002-387; s. 151, ch. 2007-217.
1011.41 University appropriations.—Funds for the general operations of universities shall be requested and appropriated as Aid to Local Governments Grants and Aids, subject to provisions of the General Appropriations Act. Funds provided to state universities in the General Appropriations Act are contingent upon each university complying with the tuition and fee policies established in the proviso language and with the tuition and fee policies for state universities included in part II of chapter 1009. However, the funds appropriated to a specific university shall not be affected by the failure of another university to comply with this provision.
History.—s. 634, ch. 2002-387; s. 152, ch. 2007-217.
1011.4106 Trust fund dissolution and local account appropriations.—
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of ss. 215.3206(2) and 215.3208(2), and pursuant to s. 216.351, all unexpended balances as of June 30, 2002, in the following State University System trust funds are hereby appropriated to the appropriate accounts of each university based upon the original source of the trust fund revenue and any accrued interest: the Education/General Student and Other Fees Trust Fund, the Experiment Station Federal Grant Trust Fund, the Experiment Station Incidental Trust Fund, the Extension Service Federal Grant Trust Fund, the Extension Service Incidental Trust Fund, the Incidental Trust Fund, the UF Health Center Operations and Maintenance Trust Fund, the Operations and Maintenance Trust Fund, and all other trust funds in the State Treasury for universities. Expenditure of these funds by each university must be based on the laws, rules, grant agreements, or other legal controlling factors associated with all trust fund balances which are appropriated to local accounts pursuant to this section, and included in each university board of trustees approved operating budget. Each university shall be responsible for the payment of outstanding debts or obligations associated with these funds.
(2) Any appropriations provided in the General Appropriations Act from the Education/General Student and Other Fees Trust Fund are the only budget authority for the fiscal year to the named universities to expend tuition and out-of-state fees that are collected during the fiscal year and carried forward from the prior fiscal year. The expenditure of tuition and fee revenues from local accounts by each university shall not exceed the authority provided in the General Appropriations Act unless approved pursuant to the provisions of chapter 216. If a court of competent jurisdiction finds that the restriction in this subsection is invalid, the moneys described in this section shall be deposited in the State Treasury.
History.—s. 636, ch. 2002-387; s. 153, ch. 2007-217.
1011.411 Budgets for sponsored research at universities.—Funds for sponsored research at each university shall be budgeted and expended pursuant to ss. 1004.22 and 1011.42.
History.—s. 637, ch. 2002-387; s. 154, ch. 2007-217.
1011.42 University depositories; deposits into and withdrawals from depositories.—
(1) The board of trustees of each university shall designate the depositories in which any university funds may be deposited. No bank shall be designated unless it is a qualified depository as provided by Florida Statutes.
(2) All funds received by a university, from whatever source and for whatever purpose, shall promptly be deposited in a board of trustees approved qualified depository.
(3) The board of trustees shall require an accurate and complete set of accounts to be maintained in the books and records for each fund on deposit in each university depository. Each account shall show the amount subject to withdrawal, the amount deposited, the amount expended, and the balance of the account.
(4) The university may maintain a separate checking account for each fund or may utilize a single checking account for the deposit and withdrawal of moneys from all funds and segregate the various funds on the books and records only. No check or withdrawal shall be drawn in excess of the balance to the credit of the appropriate fund.
(5) Funds awaiting clearing may be invested in investments earning interest in a qualified depository, in the State Treasury, and in the State Board of Administration. Investments of university funds shall comply with the requirements of Florida Statutes for the investment of public funds by local government. Due diligence shall be exercised to assure that the highest available amount of earnings is obtained on investments.
(6) The university president or his or her designee, after having been specifically authorized by the university board of trustees, may transfer funds from one depository to another, within a depository, to another institution, or from another institution to a depository for investment purposes and may transfer funds to pay expenses, expenditures, or other disbursements, evidenced by an invoice or other appropriate documentation.
(7) The university board of trustees shall specifically designate and spread upon the minutes of the board the legal name and position title of any university employee authorized to sign checks to pay legal obligations of the university.
History.—s. 638, ch. 2002-387; s. 3, ch. 2003-3; s. 155, ch. 2007-217.
1011.43 Investment of university agency and activity funds; earnings used for scholarships.—Each university is authorized to invest available agency and activity funds and to use the earnings from such investments for student scholarships and loans. The university board of trustees shall provide procedures for the administration of these scholarships and loans by regulations.
History.—s. 639, ch. 2002-387; s. 25, ch. 2010-78.
1011.45 End of year balance of funds.—Unexpended amounts in any fund in a university current year operating budget shall be carried forward and included as the balance forward for that fund in the approved operating budget for the following year.
(1) Each university shall maintain a minimum carry forward balance of at least 7 percent of its state operating budget; however, a university may retain and report to the Board of Governors an annual reserve balance exceeding that amount. If a university fails to maintain a 7 percent balance in state operating funds, the university shall submit a plan to the Board of Governors to attain the 7 percent balance of state operating funds within the next fiscal year.
(2) Each university that retains a state operating fund carry forward balance in excess of the 7 percent minimum shall submit a spending plan for its excess carry forward balance. The spending plan shall be submitted to the university’s board of trustees for review, approval, or, if necessary, amendment by September 30, 2020, and each September 30 thereafter. The Board of Governors shall review, approve, and amend, if necessary, each university’s carry forward spending plan by November 15, 2020, and each November 15 thereafter.
1(3) A university’s carry forward spending plan must include the estimated cost per planned expenditure and a timeline for completion of the expenditure. A carry forward spending plan may include retention of the carry forward balance as a reserve fund to be used for authorized expenses in subsequent years. For any annual reserve balance in excess of the 7 percent minimum carry forward balance pursuant to subsection (1), the authorized expenditures in a carry forward spending plan must include a commitment of 12 percent of the university’s 2025-2026 fiscal year state operating fund carry forward balance to fund a public education capital outlay project for which an appropriation has previously been provided which requires additional funds for completion and which is included in the list required by s. 1001.706(12)(d) or for deferred building maintenance expenses. The carry forward spending plan must identify the specific public education capital outlay project and the amount the university will contribute toward the fixed capital outlay project pursuant to s. 1001.706(12)(d) or specific deferred maintenance project. Authorized expenditures in a carry forward spending plan may include:
(a) Commitment of funds to a public education capital outlay project for which an appropriation has previously been provided that requires additional funds for completion and which is included in the list required by s. 1001.706(12)(d);
(b) Completion of a renovation, repair, or maintenance project that is consistent with s. 1013.64(1) or replacement of a minor facility;
(c) Completion of a remodeling or infrastructure project, including a project for a developmental research school, if such project is survey recommended pursuant to s. 1013.31;
(d) Completion of a repair or replacement project necessary due to damage caused by a natural disaster for buildings included in the inventory required pursuant to s. 1013.31;
(e) Operating expenditures that support the university’s mission;
(f) Any purpose specified by the board or in the General Appropriations Act, including the requirements in s. 1001.706(12)(c) or similar requirements pursuant to Board of Governors regulations;
(g) A commitment of funds to a contingency reserve for expenses incurred as a result of a state of emergency declared by the Governor pursuant to s. 252.36; and
(h) Deferred building maintenance expenses for the maintenance, repair, and renovation of projects to improve the health and safety of such facilities.
(4) Annually, by September 30, the chief financial officer of each university shall certify the unexpended amount of funds appropriated to the university from the General Revenue Fund, the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, and the Education/General Student and Other Fees Trust Fund as of June 30 of the previous fiscal year.
1(5) A university’s carry forward spending plan pursuant to subsection (1) must provide detailed documentation of expenditures that the university applied toward the prior year carry forward spending plan.
(6) A university may spend the minimum carry forward balance of 7 percent if a demonstrated emergency exists and the plan is approved by the university’s board of trustees and the Board of Governors.
History.—s. 640, ch. 2002-387; s. 15, ch. 2019-103; s. 184, ch. 2020-2; s. 16, ch. 2020-117; s. 3, ch. 2023-95; s. 1, ch. 2024-124; ss. 4, 5, ch. 2025-199.
1Note.—

A. Section 4, ch. 2025-199, amended subsection (3) and added subsection (5) “[i]n order to implement Specific Appropriation 147 of the 2025-2026 General Appropriations Act.”

B. Section 5, ch. 2025-199, provides that “[t]he amendments to s. 1011.45, Florida Statutes, made by this act expire July 1, 2026, and the text of that section shall revert to that in existence on June 30, 2025, except that any amendments to such text enacted other than by this act shall be preserved and continue to operate to the extent that such amendments are not dependent upon the portions of text which expire pursuant to this section.” Effective July 1, 2026, subsection (5) expires, and subsection (3), as amended by s. 5, ch. 2025-199, will read:

(3) A university’s carry forward spending plan must include the estimated cost per planned expenditure and a timeline for completion of the expenditure. A carry forward spending plan may include retention of the carry forward balance as a reserve fund to be used for authorized expenses in subsequent years. Authorized expenditures in a carry forward spending plan may include:

(a) Commitment of funds to a public education capital outlay project for which an appropriation has previously been provided that requires additional funds for completion and which is included in the list required by s. 1001.706(12)(d);

(b) Completion of a renovation, repair, or maintenance project that is consistent with s. 1013.64(1) or replacement of a minor facility;

(c) Completion of a remodeling or infrastructure project, including a project for a developmental research school, if such project is survey recommended pursuant to s. 1013.31;

(d) Completion of a repair or replacement project necessary due to damage caused by a natural disaster for buildings included in the inventory required pursuant to s. 1013.31;

(e) Operating expenditures that support the university’s mission;

(f) Any purpose specified by the board or in the General Appropriations Act, including the requirements in s. 1001.706(12)(c) or similar requirements pursuant to Board of Governors regulations; and

(g) A commitment of funds to a contingency reserve for expenses incurred as a result of a state of emergency declared by the Governor pursuant to s. 252.36.

1011.47 Auxiliary enterprises; contracts, grants, and donations.—As used in s. 19(f)(3), Art. III of the State Constitution, the term:
(1) “Auxiliary enterprises” includes activities that directly or indirectly provide a product or a service, or both, to a university or its students, faculty, or staff and for which a charge is made. These auxiliary enterprises are business activities of a university which require no support from the General Revenue Fund, and include activities such as housing, bookstores, student health services, continuing education programs, food services, college stores, operation of vending machines, specialty shops, day care centers, golf courses, student activities programs, data center operations, and intercollegiate athletics programs.
(2) “Contracts, grants, and donations” includes noneducational and general funding sources in support of research, public services, and training. The term includes grants and donations, sponsored-research contracts, and Department of Education funding for lab schools and other activities for which the funds are deposited outside the State Treasury.
History.—s. 641, ch. 2002-387; s. 66, ch. 2004-41.
1011.48 Establishment of educational research centers for child development.—
(1) Upon approval of the university president, the student government association of any state university may establish an educational research center for child development in accordance with the provisions of this section. Each such center shall be a child day care center established to provide care for the children of students, both graduate and undergraduate, faculty, and other staff and employees of the university and to provide an opportunity for interested schools or departments of the university to conduct educational research programs and establish internship programs within such centers. Whenever possible, such center shall be located on the campus of the university. There shall be a director of each center, selected by the board of directors of the center.
(2) There shall be a board of directors for each educational research center for child development, consisting of the president of the university or his or her designee, the student government president or his or her designee, the chair of each department participating in the center or his or her designee, and one parent for each 50 children enrolled in the center, elected by the parents of children enrolled in the center. The director of the center shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of the board. The board shall establish local policies and perform local oversight and operational guidance for the center.
(3) Each center is authorized to charge fees for the care and services it provides, subject to the fees authorized by s. 1009.24(14).
(4) Each educational research center for child development shall be funded by a portion of the Capital Improvement Trust Fund fee established by the Board of Governors pursuant to s. 1009.24(8). Each university that establishes a center shall receive a portion of such fees collected from the students enrolled at that university, usable only at that university, equal to 22.5 cents per student per credit hour taken per term, based on the summer term and fall and spring semesters. This allocation shall be used by the university only for the establishment and operation of a center as provided by this section. Said allocation may be made only after all bond obligations required to be paid from such fees have been met.
History.—s. 642, ch. 2002-387; s. 156, ch. 2007-217; s. 191, ch. 2008-4; s. 119, ch. 2013-18; s. 53, ch. 2022-154.
1011.49 Assent to Smith-Lever Act; university board of trustees authorized to receive grants.—The Legislature, in behalf of and for the state, assents to, and gives its assent to, the provisions and requirements of the Act of Congress commonly known as the “Smith-Lever Act,” and all acts supplemental thereto, and the University of Florida Board of Trustees, having supervision over and control of the University of Florida, located at Gainesville, may receive the grants of money appropriated under said Act of Congress and organize and conduct agricultural and home economics extension work, which shall be carried on in connection with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, in accordance with the terms and conditions expressed in said Act of Congress.
History.—s. 643, ch. 2002-387.
1011.50 Agricultural experiment stations; assent to Act of Congress; federal appropriation.—The objects and purposes contained in the Act of Congress entitled “An Act to provide for an increased annual appropriation for agricultural experiment stations and regulating the expenditure thereof” are assented to; and the Board of Trustees of the University of Florida is authorized to accept and receive the annual appropriations for the use and benefit of the agricultural experiment station fund of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences of the University of Florida, located at Gainesville, upon the terms and conditions contained in said Act of Congress.
History.—s. 644, ch. 2002-387.
1011.501 Assent to ss. 1444 and 1445 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977; board of trustees authorized to receive grants, etc.—The assent of Legislature is given to the provisions and requirements of ss. 1444 and 1445 of the Act of Congress commonly known as the “Food and Agriculture Act of 1977” and all acts supplemental thereto. The Board of Trustees of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University may receive grants of money appropriated under said sections of said act and may organize and conduct agricultural extension work and conduct agricultural research, which shall be carried on in connection with the College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture of said Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, in accordance with the terms and conditions expressed in the Act of Congress aforesaid.
History.—s. 645, ch. 2002-387.
1011.51 Independent postsecondary endowment grants.—
(1) The Legislature finds and declares that accredited baccalaureate-degree-granting independent nonprofit colleges and universities are an integral part of the higher education system in this state; that significant numbers of persons choose to utilize these institutions for obtaining higher education; that the burdens on public colleges and universities are lessened because of the students that choose to utilize these institutions for their higher education; that having a strong system of baccalaureate-degree-granting independent nonprofit colleges and universities will improve the educational, economic, and social well-being of the state; and that creation of a state program to provide matching endowment grants will improve the academic excellence of these institutions and enhance educational opportunities for Florida citizens, furthering the improvement of the overall educational system in the state.
(2) There is established the Florida Postsecondary Endowment Grants Program to be administered by the Department of Education. The program shall provide matching endowment grants to independent nonprofit colleges and universities in Florida that meet the requirements of this section. The Legislature shall designate funds for the program to be transferred to the Grants and Donations Trust Fund from available sources. All funds transferred to the trust fund, or retained in the trust fund, shall be invested in accordance with the provisions of chapter 215. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, any undisbursed balance remaining in the trust fund for the program and income from investments and interest related thereto shall remain in the trust fund and shall increase the total funds available for such matching endowment grants.
(3) The matching endowment grants made available under this section shall be made available to any independent nonprofit college or university which:
(a) Is located in and chartered by the state.
(b) Is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
(c) Grants baccalaureate degrees.
(d) Is not a state university or Florida College System institution.
(e) Has a secular purpose, so long as the receipt of state aid by students at the institution would not have the primary effect of advancing or impeding religion or result in an excessive entanglement between the state and any religious sect.
(4)(a) The amounts appropriated for the program shall be allocated by the Department of Education to each independent nonprofit college or university that meets the criteria of subsection (3) in the following manner:
1. Each such college or university that raises an endowment contribution of at least $50,000, but no more than $75,000, from private sources shall receive a matching endowment grant equal to 70 percent of the private contribution.
2. Each such college or university that raises an endowment contribution in excess of $75,000, but no more than $100,000, from private sources shall receive a matching endowment grant equal to 75 percent of the private contribution.
3. Each such college or university that raises an endowment contribution in excess of $100,000, but no more than $125,000, from private sources shall receive a matching endowment grant equal to 80 percent of the private contribution.
4. Each such college or university that raises an endowment contribution in excess of $125,000 from private sources shall receive a matching endowment grant equal to 100 percent of the private contribution.
(b) The private sources may include combined contributions for a common purpose, but shall not include separate unrelated contributions. The state endowment matching grant shall be disbursed to the independent nonprofit college or university upon certification by the college or university that it has received and deposited the proportionate amount specified in this subsection.
(c) Contributions may also be eligible for matching if there is a commitment to make a donation of $125,000, and an initial payment of $25,000 is accompanied by a written pledge to provide the balance within 4 years after the date of such initial payment. Payments on the balance must be at least $25,000 per year and shall be made on or before the anniversary date of the initial payment. No matching endowment grant shall be disbursed prior to collection of the total pledged contribution from the private source, but a pledged contribution shall encumber the matching endowment grant for that independent nonprofit college or university.
(5)(a) By July 1 of each year, each independent nonprofit college or university that desires to participate in the program shall certify to the department its eligibility. The department, upon receipt and acceptance of such certifications, shall reserve an equal amount of the additional funds for the program transferred to the Grants and Donations Trust Fund for that fiscal year for each independent nonprofit college or university that is eligible to participate. An eligible independent nonprofit college or university shall have 3 fiscal years within which to encumber its share of trust funds reserved during the first 3 fiscal years. After the third fiscal year, if any independent nonprofit college or university does not fully utilize or encumber its share of reserved trust funds for any single fiscal year, such reserved funds shall be available in subsequent fiscal years for the purposes of this program.
(b) Each eligible institution shall certify to the department its contributions for the year ending June 30, 1989. Only the qualified new contributions above the certified base shall be calculated for the purpose of allocating grants during the first 3 years of the program. In subsequent years, only the qualified new contributions above the certified prior year base shall be calculated for the purpose of allocating such grants.
(6) Matching endowment grants made pursuant to this section to a qualified independent nonprofit college or university shall be placed in a separate restricted endowment by such institution. The interest or other income accruing from the endowment shall be expended exclusively for professorships, library resources, scientific and technical equipment, and nonathletic scholarships. Moreover, the funds in the endowment shall not be used for pervasively sectarian instruction, religious worship, or theology or divinity programs or resources. The records of the endowment shall be subject to review by the department and audit or examination by the Auditor General and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability. If any institution receiving a matching endowment grant pursuant to this section ceases operations and undergoes dissolution proceedings, then all funds received pursuant to this section from the state shall be returned.
(7) This section shall be implemented to the extent specifically funded and authorized by law.
History.—s. 646, ch. 2002-387; s. 170, ch. 2011-5; s. 120, ch. 2013-18.
1011.52 Appropriation to first accredited medical school.—
(1) Subject to the provisions hereinafter set forth, the Legislature shall provide an annual appropriation to the first accredited medical school. Payments of moneys from such appropriation shall be made semiannually at the beginning of the first and third quarters.
(2) In order for a medical school to qualify under this section and to be entitled to the benefits herein, such medical school:
(a) Must be primarily operated and established to offer, afford, and render a medical education to residents of the state qualifying for admission to such institution;
(b) Must be operated by a municipality or county of this state, or by a nonprofit organization heretofore or hereafter established exclusively for educational purposes;
(c) Must, upon the formation and establishment of an accredited medical school, transmit and file with the Department of Education documentary proof evidencing the facts that such institution has been certified and approved by the council on medical education and hospitals of the American Medical Association and has adequately met the requirements of that council in regard to its administrative facilities, administrative plant, clinical facilities, curriculum, and all other such requirements as may be necessary to qualify with the council as a recognized, approved, and accredited medical school;
(d) Must certify to the Department of Education the name, address, and educational history of each student approved and accepted for enrollment in such institution for the ensuing school year; and
(e) Must have in place an operating agreement with a government-owned hospital that is located in the same county as the medical school and that is a statutory teaching hospital as defined in s. 408.07(46). The operating agreement must provide for the medical school to maintain the same level of affiliation with the hospital, including the level of services to indigent and charity care patients served by the hospital, which was in place in the prior fiscal year. Each year, documentation demonstrating that an operating agreement is in effect shall be submitted jointly to the Department of Education by the hospital and the medical school prior to the payment of moneys from the annual appropriation.
(3) The Department of Education shall, within 60 days of the receipt of the student enrollment of the medical school, pay to the school, each year, the amount appropriated for students accepted and approved for enrollment in such medical institution, provided each medical student is a legal resident of the state or, if the student is not of legal age, his or her parents or legal guardian are residents of the state at the time of the student’s acceptance and approval as a medical student. In the event a student resigns or is dismissed from such medical institution for any reason whatsoever before the end of a school year, then the medical institution shall, within 30 days from such dismissal or resignation, remit to the state, through the Department of Education, a pro rata amount of the sum before paid by the state to the medical institution, which amount is to be computed by dividing the total number of days in the school year into the sum paid for that student and multiplying the result by the total number of days remaining in such school year after such resignation or dismissal.
(4) Such institution is prohibited from expending any of the sums received under the terms of this section for any purposes whatsoever, except for the operation and maintenance of a medical school and for medical research. The institution is further prohibited from expending any sums received under the terms of this section for the construction or erection of any buildings of any kind, nature, or description or for the maintenance and operation of a hospital in any form or manner whatsoever.
History.—s. 647, ch. 2002-387; s. 5, ch. 2008-109; s. 24, ch. 2010-155; s. 128, ch. 2018-24; s. 15, ch. 2021-41.
1011.521 Appropriation to private colleges and universities.—
(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Legislature may provide an annual appropriation to support Florida private colleges and universities. Such appropriations may be used to provide access to Florida residents seeking a postsecondary education, to fulfill the state’s need for graduates in specific disciplines, and to support medical research.
(2) Each institution receiving an appropriation under this section shall submit a proposed expenditure plan to the Department of Education by the date and in the format established by the department.
(3) By September 1 of each fiscal year, each institution receiving an appropriation under this section shall submit a report to the Department of Education detailing expenditures of the funds received under this section in the preceding fiscal year. Any funds used to provide financial assistance to students shall be reported to the department in accordance with s. 1009.94.
(4) An institution may not expend any of the funds received under this section for the construction of any buildings.
History.—s. 30, ch. 2009-60.
D. Florida School for the Deaf and the
Blind and Florida School for Competitive
Academics: Preparation, Adoption, and
Implementation of Budgets
1011.55 Procedure for legislative budget requests for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.
1011.56 Operating budget for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.
1011.57 Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind; board of trustees; management flexibility.
1011.55 Procedure for legislative budget requests for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.—
(1) The legislative budget request of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind shall be prepared using the same format, procedures, and timelines required for the submission of the legislative budget of the Department of Education. The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind shall submit its legislative budget request to the Department of Education for review and approval. Subsequent to the Department of Education’s approval, the Commissioner of Education shall include the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in the department’s legislative budget request to the State Board of Education, the Governor, and the Legislature. The legislative budget request and the appropriation for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind shall be a separate identifiable sum in the public schools budget entity of the Department of Education. The annual appropriation for the school shall be distributed monthly in payments as nearly equal as possible. Appropriations for textbooks, instructional technology, and school buses may be released and distributed as necessary to serve the instructional program for the students.
(2) The school shall submit its fixed capital outlay request to the Department of Education for review and approval in accordance with s. 1002.36(4)(f)1. Subsequent to the department’s approval, the school’s request shall be included within the department’s public education capital outlay legislative budget request.
History.—s. 649, ch. 2002-387; s. 4, ch. 2004-331.
1011.56 Operating budget for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.—The president of the school shall recommend to the board of trustees a budget of income and expenditures at such time and in such form as the board of trustees may prescribe. The board of trustees shall adopt procedures for the approval of budget amendments. If at any time the unencumbered balance of approved operating budget goes below 5 percent, the president shall provide written notification to the State Board of Education.
History.—s. 650, ch. 2002-387.
1011.57 Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind; board of trustees; management flexibility.—
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of ss. 216.031, 216.181, and 216.262 to the contrary and pursuant to the provisions of s. 216.351, but subject to any guidelines imposed in the General Appropriations Act, funds for the operation of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind shall be requested and appropriated within budget entities, program components, program categories, lump sums, or special categories. Funds appropriated to the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind for each program category, lump sum, or special category may be transferred to traditional categories for expenditure by the board of trustees of the school. The board of trustees shall develop an annual operating budget that allocates funds by program component and traditional expenditure category.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 216.181 and pursuant to the provisions of s. 216.351, but subject to any requirements imposed in the General Appropriations Act, no lump-sum plan is required to implement the special categories, program categories, or lump-sum appropriations. Upon release of the special categories, program categories, or lump-sum appropriations to the board of trustees, the Chief Financial Officer, upon the request of the board of trustees, shall transfer or reallocate funds to or among accounts established for disbursement purposes. The board of trustees shall maintain records to account for the original appropriation.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of ss. 216.031, 216.181, 216.251, and 216.262 to the contrary and pursuant to the provisions of s. 216.351, but subject to any requirements imposed in the General Appropriations Act, the board of trustees shall establish the authorized positions and may amend such positions, within the total funds authorized annually in the appropriations act.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 216.301 to the contrary, all unexpended funds appropriated for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind shall be carried forward and included as the balance forward for that fund in the approved operating budget for the following year.
(5) The board of trustees and administration of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind shall not authorize fee waivers for out-of-state students.
History.—s. 651, ch. 2002-387; s. 1973, ch. 2003-261; s. 7, ch. 2004-271; s. 43, ch. 2006-122.
PART II
FUNDING FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
1011.60 Minimum requirements of the Florida Education Finance Program.
1011.61 Definitions.
1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.
1011.6202 Principal Autonomy Program Initiative.
1011.621 Adjustments for interdistrict transfers of students in Department of Juvenile Justice detention facilities within a survey period.
1011.622 Adjustments for students without a Florida student identification number.
1011.63 Reporting for state funding; prohibition.
1011.65 Recalculation of the Florida Education Finance Program.
1011.66 Distribution of FEFP funds.
1011.68 Funds for student transportation.
1011.685 Class size reduction; operating categorical fund.
1011.69 Equity in School-Level Funding Act.
1011.70 Medicaid certified school funding maximization.
1011.71 District school tax.
1011.715 Resolution regarding school capital outlay surcharge.
1011.72 Levy based on interim assessment roll; reimbursement to state for additional taxes collected upon reconciliation of roll.
1011.73 District millage elections.
1011.74 Source and use of district capital improvement fund.
1011.75 Gifted education exemplary program grants.
1011.76 Small School District Stabilization Program.
1011.765 Florida Academic Improvement Trust Fund matching grants.
1011.77 Special laws and general laws of local application prohibited.
1011.78 Standard student attire incentive payments.
1011.60 Minimum requirements of the Florida Education Finance Program.—Each district which participates in the state appropriations for the Florida Education Finance Program shall provide evidence of its effort to maintain an adequate school program throughout the district and shall meet at least the following requirements:
(1) ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS.—Maintain adequate and accurate records, including a system of internal accounts for individual schools, and file with the Department of Education, in correct and proper form on or before the date due as fixed by law or rule, each annual or periodic report that is required by rules of the State Board of Education.
(2) MINIMUM TERM.—Operate all schools for a term of 180 actual teaching days or the equivalent on an hourly basis as specified by rules of the State Board of Education each school year. The State Board of Education may prescribe procedures for altering, and, upon written application, may alter, this requirement during a national, state, or local emergency as it may apply to an individual school or schools in any district or districts if, in the opinion of the board, it is not feasible to make up lost days or hours, and the apportionment may, at the discretion of the Commissioner of Education and if the board determines that the reduction of school days or hours is caused by the existence of a bona fide emergency, be reduced for such district or districts in proportion to the decrease in the length of term in any such school or schools. A strike, as defined in s. 447.203(6), by employees of the school district may not be considered an emergency.
(3) EMPLOYMENT POLICIES.—Adopt rules relating to the appointment, promotion, transfer, suspension, and dismissal of personnel.
(a) Such rules must conform to applicable law and rules of the State Board of Education and must include the duties and responsibilities of the district school superintendent and school board pertaining to these and other personnel matters.
(b) All personnel shall be paid in accordance with payroll period schedules adopted by the school board and included in the official salary schedule.
(c) No salary payment shall be paid to any employee in advance of service being rendered.
(d) District school boards may authorize a maximum of six paid legal holidays which shall apply to the total annual number of required days of service adopted by the board.
(e) Such rules may include reasonable time for vacation and absences for further professional studies for personnel employed on a 12-month basis.
(f) Such rules must not require more than 10 calendar months of service for principals, other school site administrators, and instructional staff, as prescribed by rules of the State Board of Education, excluding Sundays and other holidays. Principals, other school site administrators, and instructional staff may serve more than 10 calendar months of service if specifically approved by the district school board. Contracts for 12 months of service may include reasonable allowance for vacation or further study as prescribed by the school board in accordance with rules of the State Board of Education.
(4) SALARY SCHEDULES.—Expend funds for salaries in accordance with a salary schedule or schedules adopted by the school board in accordance with the provisions of law and rules of the State Board of Education. Expenditures for salaries of instructional personnel must include compensation based on employee performance demonstrated under s. 1012.34.
(5) BUDGETS.—Observe fully at all times all requirements of law and rules of the State Board of Education relating to the preparation, adoption, and execution of budgets for district school boards.
(6) MINIMUM FINANCIAL EFFORT REQUIRED.—Make the minimum financial effort required for the support of the Florida Education Finance Program as prescribed in the current year’s General Appropriations Act.
(7) DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL PLANNING.—Maintain a system of planning and evaluation as required by law.
History.—s. 653, ch. 2002-387; s. 169, ch. 2004-5; s. 67, ch. 2004-41; s. 27, ch. 2009-59; s. 17, ch. 2018-5; s. 15, ch. 2020-3.
1011.61 Definitions.—Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 1000.21, the following terms are defined as follows for the purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program:
(1) A “full-time equivalent student” in each program of the district is defined in terms of full-time students and part-time students as follows:
(a) A “full-time student” is one student on the membership roll of one school program or a combination of school programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c) for the school year or the equivalent for:
1. Instruction in a standard school, comprising not less than 900 net hours for a student in or at the grade level of 4 through 12, or not less than 720 net hours for a student in or at the grade level of kindergarten through grade 3 or in an authorized prekindergarten exceptional program; or
2. Instruction comprising the appropriate number of net hours set forth in subparagraph 1. for students who, within the past year, have moved with their parents for the purpose of engaging in the farm labor or fish industries, if a plan furnishing such an extended school day or week, or a combination thereof, has been approved by the commissioner. Such plan may be approved to accommodate the needs of migrant students only or may serve all students in schools having a high percentage of migrant students. The plan described in this subparagraph is optional for any school district and is not mandated by the state.
(b) A “part-time student” is a student on the active membership roll of a school program or combination of school programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c) who is less than a full-time student. A student who receives instruction in a school that operates for less than the minimum term shall generate full-time equivalent student membership proportional to the amount of instructional hours provided by the school divided by the minimum term requirement as provided in s. 1011.60(2).
(c)1. A “full-time equivalent student” is:
a. A full-time student in any one of the programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c); or
b. A combination of full-time or part-time students in any one of the programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c) which is the equivalent of one full-time student based on the following calculations:
(I) A full-time student in a combination of programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c) shall be a fraction of a full-time equivalent membership in each special program equal to the number of net hours per school year for which he or she is a member, divided by the appropriate number of hours set forth in subparagraph (a)1. The difference between that fraction or sum of fractions and the maximum value as set forth in 1subsection (4) for each full-time student is presumed to be the balance of the student’s time not spent in a special program and shall be recorded as time in the appropriate basic program.
(II) A prekindergarten student with a disability shall meet the requirements specified for kindergarten students.
(III) A full-time equivalent student for students in kindergarten through grade 12 in a full-time virtual instruction program under s. 1002.45 or a virtual charter school under s. 1002.33 shall consist of six full-credit completions or the prescribed level of content that counts toward promotion to the next grade in programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c). Credit completions may be a combination of full-credit courses or half-credit courses.
(IV) A full-time equivalent student for students in kindergarten through grade 12 in a part-time virtual instruction program under s. 1002.45 shall consist of six full-credit completions in programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c)1. and 3. Credit completions may be a combination of full-credit courses or half-credit courses.
(V) A Florida Virtual School full-time equivalent student shall consist of six full-credit completions or the prescribed level of content that counts toward promotion to the next grade in the programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c)1. and 3. for students participating in kindergarten through grade 12 part-time virtual instruction and the programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c) for students participating in kindergarten through grade 12 full-time virtual instruction. Credit completions may be a combination of full-credit courses or half-credit courses.
(VI) Each successfully completed full-credit course earned through an online course delivered by a district other than the one in which the student resides shall be calculated as 1/6 FTE.
(VII) A full-time equivalent student for courses requiring passage of a statewide, standardized end-of-course assessment under s. 1003.4282 to earn a standard high school diploma shall be defined and reported based on the number of instructional hours as provided in this subsection.
(VIII) For students enrolled in a school district as a full-time student, the district may report 1/6 FTE for each student who passes a statewide, standardized end-of-course assessment without being enrolled in the corresponding course.
2. A student in membership in a program scheduled for more or less than 180 school days or the equivalent on an hourly basis as specified by rules of the State Board of Education is a fraction of a full-time equivalent membership equal to the number of instructional hours in membership divided by the appropriate number of hours set forth in subparagraph (a)1.; however, for the purposes of this subparagraph, membership in programs scheduled for more than 180 days is limited to students enrolled in:
a. Juvenile justice education programs.
b. The Florida Virtual School.
c. Virtual instruction programs and virtual charter schools for the purpose of course completion and credit recovery pursuant to ss. 1002.45 and 1003.498. Course completion applies only to a student who is reported during the second or third membership surveys and who does not complete a virtual education course by the end of the regular school year. The course must be completed no later than the deadline for amending the final student enrollment survey for that year. Credit recovery applies only to a student who has unsuccessfully completed a traditional or virtual education course during the regular school year and must retake the course in order to be eligible to graduate with the student’s class.

The full-time equivalent student enrollment calculated under this subsection is subject to the requirements in subsection (3).

The department shall determine and implement an equitable method of equivalent funding for schools operating under emergency conditions, which schools have been approved by the department to operate for less than the minimum term as provided in s. 1011.60(2).

(2) For the purpose of calculating the Florida Education Finance Program funds, a student is in membership until he or she withdraws or until the close of the 11th consecutive school day of his or her absence, whichever comes first.
(3) The maximum value for funding a student in kindergarten through grade 12 or in a prekindergarten program for exceptional children as provided in s. 1003.21(1)(e) shall be the sum of the calculations in paragraphs (a)-(c) as calculated by the department.
(a) The sum of the student’s full-time equivalent student membership value for the school year or the equivalent derived from paragraphs (1)(a) and (b), subparagraph (1)(c)1., and sub-subparagraphs (1)(c)2.b. and c. If the sum is greater than 1.0, the full-time equivalent student membership value for each program or course shall be reduced by an equal proportion so that the student’s total full-time equivalent student membership value is equal to 1.0.
(b) If the result in paragraph (a) is less than 1.0 full-time equivalent student and the student has full-time equivalent student enrollment pursuant to sub-sub-subparagraph (1)(c)1.b.(VIII), calculate an amount that is the lesser of the value in sub-sub-subparagraph (1)(c)1.b.(VIII) or the value of 1.0 less the value in paragraph (a).
(c) The full-time equivalent student enrollment value in sub-subparagraph (1)(c)2.a.
(4) The “Florida Education Finance Program” includes all programs and costs as provided in ss. 1003.03, 1011.62, 1011.68, and 1011.685.
(5) “Basic programs” include, but are not limited to, language arts, mathematics, art, music, physical education, science, and social studies.
History.—s. 654, ch. 2002-387; s. 20, ch. 2003-391; s. 6, ch. 2008-147; s. 2, ch. 2008-174; s. 28, ch. 2009-59; s. 34, ch. 2011-63; s. 9, ch. 2011-137; s. 15, ch. 2012-133; s. 27, ch. 2012-191; s. 10, ch. 2012-192; s. 38, ch. 2013-27; s. 60, ch. 2013-35; s. 18, ch. 2013-45; s. 187, ch. 2014-17; s. 5, ch. 2016-137; s. 27, ch. 2016-237; s. 10, ch. 2021-27; s. 40, ch. 2023-245; s. 16, ch. 2025-203.
1Note.—Redesignated as subsection (3) by s. 16, ch. 2025-203.
11011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each district for operation of schools is not determined in the annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as follows:
(1) COMPUTATION OF THE BASE FLORIDA EDUCATION FINANCE PROGRAM.—The following procedure shall be followed in determining the base Florida Education Finance Program funds for each district:
(a) Determination of full-time equivalent membership.—
1. During the fiscal year, including scheduled intersessions of a year-round school program during the fiscal year, each district shall complete full-time equivalent surveys by aggregating the full-time equivalent student membership of each program by school. The department shall establish the number and interval of membership calculations. The district’s full-time equivalent membership shall be computed and currently maintained in accordance with regulations of the commissioner.
2. All final reported full-time equivalent survey data must include the unduplicated count of both school district full-time equivalent students and full-time equivalent Family Empowerment Scholarship students.
(b) Determination of base student allocation.—The base student allocation for the Florida Education Finance Program for kindergarten through grade 12 shall be determined annually by the Legislature and shall be that amount prescribed in the current year’s General Appropriations Act.
(c) Determination of programs.—Cost factors based on desired relative cost differences between the following programs shall be established in the annual General Appropriations Act. The cost factor for secondary career education programs must be greater than the cost factor for basic programs grade 9 through 12. The Commissioner of Education shall specify a matrix of services and intensity levels to be used by districts in the determination of the two weighted cost factors for exceptional students with the highest levels of need. For these students, the funding support level shall fund the exceptional students’ education program, with the exception of extended school year services for students with disabilities.
1. Basic programs.—
a. Kindergarten and grades 1, 2, and 3.
b. Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
c. Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12.
2. Programs for exceptional students.—
a. Support Level IV.
b. Support Level V.
3. Secondary career education programs.
4. English for Speakers of Other Languages.
(d) Funding model for exceptional student education programs.—The funding model for exceptional student education programs shall include all of the following:
1. For programs for exceptional students in support levels IV and V as established in paragraph (c), the funding model shall include program cost factors.
a. Exceptional education cost factors are determined by using a matrix of services to document the services that each support level IV and support level V exceptional student will receive. The nature and intensity of the services indicated on the matrix shall be consistent with the services described in each exceptional student’s individual educational plan.
b. In order to generate funds using one of the two weighted cost factors, a matrix of services must be completed at the time of the student’s initial placement into an exceptional student education program and at least once every 3 years by personnel who have received approved training. Nothing listed in the matrix shall be construed as limiting the services a school district must provide in order to ensure that exceptional students are provided a free, appropriate public education.
2. For students identified as exceptional in accordance with chapter 6A-6, Florida Administrative Code, who do not have a matrix of services as specified in subparagraph 1. and for students who are gifted in grades kindergarten through 8, the funding model shall include the funds generated on the basis of full-time equivalent student membership in the Florida Education Finance Program at the same funding level per student as provided for a basic student and additional funds provided by the exceptional student education guaranteed allocation established pursuant to subsection (8).
(e) Calculation of additional full-time equivalent membership for small school district exceptional student education.—An additional value per full-time equivalent student membership is provided to school districts with a full-time equivalent student membership of fewer than 10,000 and fewer than three full-time equivalent students in exceptional student education support levels IV and V. The Department of Education shall set the amount of the additional value based on documented evidence of the difference between the cost of the school district’s exceptional student education support levels IV and V services and the applicable Florida Education Finance Program funds appropriated in the General Appropriations Act. The total statewide value may not exceed a value per weighted full-time equivalent student as specified in the General Appropriations Act. The additional value for an eligible school district shall not exceed three full-time equivalent students for each of the exceptional student education support levels IV and V.
(f) Small district factor.—An additional value per full-time equivalent student membership is provided to each school district with a full-time equivalent student membership of fewer than 20,000 full-time equivalent students which is in a fiscally constrained county as described in s. 218.67(1). The amount of the additional value shall be specified in the General Appropriations Act.
(g) Education for speakers of other languages.—A school district or a full-time virtual instruction program is eligible to report full-time equivalent student membership in the ESOL program in the Florida Education Finance Program provided the following conditions are met:
1. The school district or the full-time virtual instruction program has a plan approved by the Department of Education.
2. The eligible student is identified and assessed as limited English proficient based on assessment criteria.
3.a. An eligible student may be reported for funding in the ESOL program for a base period of 3 years. However, a student whose English competency does not meet the criteria for proficiency after 3 years in the ESOL program may be reported for a fourth, fifth, and sixth year of funding, provided his or her limited English proficiency is assessed and properly documented prior to his or her enrollment in each additional year beyond the 3-year base period.
b. If a student exits the program and is later reclassified as limited English proficient, the student may be reported in the ESOL program for funding for an additional year, or extended annually for a period not to exceed a total of 6 years pursuant to this paragraph, based on an annual evaluation of the student’s status.
4. An eligible student may be reported for funding in the ESOL program for membership in ESOL instruction in English and ESOL instruction or home language instruction in the basic subject areas of mathematics, science, social studies, and computer literacy.
(h) Small, isolated schools.—Districts that levy the maximum nonvoted discretionary millage, exclusive of millage for capital outlay purposes levied pursuant to s. 1011.71(2), may calculate full-time equivalent students for small, isolated district-operated schools by multiplying the number of unweighted full-time equivalent students times 2.75. The following schools may be considered small, isolated schools under this paragraph:
1. A high school that is located at least 28 miles by the shortest route from another high school; has been serving students primarily in basic studies provided by sub-subparagraphs (c)1.b. and c. and may include subparagraph (c)4.; and has a membership of at least 28, but no more than 100, students in grades 9 through 12; or
2. A district elementary school with a grade configuration of kindergarten through grade 5, but which may also include prekindergarten, grade 6, grade 7, or grade 8, that is located at least 35 miles by the shortest route from another elementary school within the district; has been serving students primarily in basic studies provided by sub-subparagraphs (c)1.a. and b. and may include subparagraph (c)4.; has a student population in which 75 percent or greater of students are eligible for free and reduced-price school lunch; and has a membership of at least 28, but no more than 100, students.
(i) Calculation of full-time equivalent membership with respect to dual enrollment instruction.—Students enrolled in dual enrollment instruction pursuant to s. 1007.271 may be included in calculations of full-time equivalent student memberships for basic programs for grades 9 through 12 by a district school board. Instructional time for dual enrollment may vary from 900 hours; however, the full-time equivalent student membership value shall be subject to the provisions in s. 1011.61(3). Dual enrollment full-time equivalent student membership shall be calculated in an amount equal to the hours of instruction that would be necessary to earn the full-time equivalent student membership for an equivalent course if it were taught in the school district. Students in dual enrollment courses may also be calculated as the proportional shares of full-time equivalent enrollments they generate for a Florida College System institution or university conducting the dual enrollment instruction. Early admission students shall be considered dual enrollments for funding purposes. Students may be enrolled in dual enrollment instruction provided by an eligible independent college or university and may be included in calculations of full-time equivalent student memberships for basic programs for grades 9 through 12 by a district school board. However, those provisions of law which exempt dual enrolled and early admission students from payment of instructional materials and tuition and fees, including laboratory fees, shall not apply to students who select the option of enrolling in an eligible independent institution. An independent college or university, which is not for profit, is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, and confers degrees as defined in s. 1005.02 shall be eligible for inclusion in the dual enrollment or early admission program. Students enrolled in dual enrollment instruction shall be exempt from the payment of tuition and fees, including laboratory fees. No student enrolled in college credit mathematics or English dual enrollment instruction shall be funded as a dual enrollment unless the student has successfully completed the relevant section of the entry-level examination required pursuant to s. 1008.30.
(j) Instruction in exploratory career education.—Students in grades 7 through 12 who are enrolled for more than four semesters in exploratory career education may not be counted as full-time equivalent students for this instruction.
(k) Study hall.—A student who is enrolled in study hall may not be included in the calculation of full-time equivalent student membership for funding under this section.
(l) Year-round-school programs.—The Commissioner of Education is authorized to adjust student eligibility definitions, funding criteria, and reporting requirements of statutes and rules in order that year-round-school programs may achieve equivalent application of funding requirements with non-year-round-school programs.
(m) Extended-school-year program.—It is the intent of the Legislature that students be provided additional instruction by extending the school year to 210 days or more. Districts may apply to the Commissioner of Education for funds to be used in planning and implementing an extended-school-year program.
(n) Determination of the base amount for the Florida Education Finance Program.—The base amount for the Florida Education Finance Program for kindergarten through grade 12 for each district shall be the product of the following:
1. The full-time equivalent student membership in each program, multiplied by
2. The cost factor for each program, as provided in paragraph (c), added to
3. The additional full-time equivalent membership weights provided in paragraphs (e) and (h), multiplied by
4. The comparable wage factor, if applicable, multiplied by
5. The small district factor, if applicable, and multiplied by
6. The base student allocation.
(2) DETERMINATION OF COMPARABLE WAGE FACTOR.—
(a) The Commissioner of Education shall annually compute for each district the current year’s comparable wage factor. The comparable wage factor shall be calculated by adding each district’s price level index as published in the Florida Price Level Index for the most recent 3 years and dividing the resulting sum by 3. The result for each district shall be multiplied by 0.008 and to the resulting product shall be added 0.200; the sum thus obtained shall be the comparable wage factor for that district for that year.
(b) The comparable wage factor for each school district is used in the calculation of the base Florida Education Finance Program pursuant to subsection (1) if the comparable wage factor is greater than 1.000.
(c) The limitation authorized in paragraph (b) applies to any categorical funding provided in the Florida Education Finance Program that has a calculation methodology that includes the comparable wage factor.
(3) INSERVICE EDUCATIONAL PERSONNEL TRAINING EXPENDITURE.—Of the amount computed in subsection (1), a percentage of the base Florida Education Finance Program or other funds shall be expended for educational training programs as determined by the district school board as provided in s. 1012.98.
(4) COMPUTATION OF DISTRICT REQUIRED LOCAL EFFORT.—The Legislature shall prescribe the aggregate required local effort for all school districts collectively as an item in the General Appropriations Act for each fiscal year. The amount that each district shall provide annually toward the cost of the Florida Education Finance Program for kindergarten through grade 12 programs shall be calculated as follows:
(a) Estimated taxable value calculations.—
1.a. Not later than 2 working days before July 19, the Department of Revenue shall certify to the Commissioner of Education its most recent estimate of the taxable value for school purposes in each school district and the total for all school districts in the state for the current calendar year based on the latest available data obtained from the local property appraisers. The value certified shall be the taxable value for school purposes for that year, and no further adjustments shall be made, except those made pursuant to paragraphs (c) and (d), or an assessment roll change required by final judicial decisions as specified in paragraph (15)(b). Not later than July 19, the Commissioner of Education shall compute a millage rate, rounded to the next highest one one-thousandth of a mill, which, when applied to 96 percent of the estimated state total taxable value for school purposes, would generate the prescribed aggregate required local effort for that year for all districts. The Commissioner of Education shall certify to each district school board the millage rate, computed as prescribed in this subparagraph, as the minimum millage rate necessary to provide the district required local effort for that year.
b. The General Appropriations Act shall direct the computation of the statewide adjusted aggregate amount for required local effort for all school districts collectively from ad valorem taxes to ensure that no school district’s revenue from required local effort millage will produce more than 90 percent of the district’s total Florida Education Finance Program calculation as calculated and adopted by the Legislature, and the adjustment of the required local effort millage rate of each district that produces more than 90 percent of its total Florida Education Finance Program entitlement to a level that will produce only 90 percent of its total Florida Education Finance Program entitlement in the July calculation.
2. On the same date as the certification in sub-subparagraph 1.a., the Department of Revenue shall certify to the Commissioner of Education for each district:
a. Each year for which the property appraiser has certified the taxable value pursuant to s. 193.122(2) or (3), if applicable, since the prior certification under sub-subparagraph 1.a.
b. For each year identified in sub-subparagraph a., the taxable value certified by the appraiser pursuant to s. 193.122(2) or (3), if applicable, since the prior certification under sub-subparagraph 1.a. This is the certification that reflects all final administrative actions of the value adjustment board.
(b) Equalization of required local effort.—
1. The Department of Revenue shall include with its certifications provided pursuant to paragraph (a) its most recent determination of the assessment level of the prior year’s assessment roll for each county and for the state as a whole.
2. The Commissioner of Education shall adjust the required local effort millage of each district for the current year, computed pursuant to paragraph (a), as follows:
a. The equalization factor for the prior year’s assessment roll of each district shall be multiplied by 96 percent of the taxable value for school purposes shown on that roll and by the prior year’s required local-effort millage, exclusive of any equalization adjustment made pursuant to this paragraph. The dollar amount so computed shall be the additional required local effort for equalization for the current year.
b. Such equalization factor shall be computed as the quotient of the prior year’s assessment level of the state as a whole divided by the prior year’s assessment level of the county, from which quotient shall be subtracted 1.
c. The dollar amount of additional required local effort for equalization for each district shall be converted to a millage rate, based on 96 percent of the current year’s taxable value for that district, and added to the required local effort millage determined pursuant to paragraph (a).
3. Notwithstanding the limitations imposed pursuant to s. 1011.71(1), the total required local-effort millage, including additional required local effort for equalization, shall be an amount not to exceed 10 minus the maximum millage allowed as nonvoted discretionary millage, exclusive of millage authorized pursuant to s. 1011.71(2). Nothing herein shall be construed to allow a millage in excess of that authorized in s. 9, Art. VII of the State Constitution.
4. For the purposes of this chapter, the term “assessment level” means the value-weighted mean assessment ratio for the county or state as a whole, as determined pursuant to s. 195.096, or as subsequently adjusted. However, for those parcels studied pursuant to s. 195.096(3)(a)1. which are receiving the assessment limitation set forth in s. 193.155, and for which the assessed value is less than the just value, the department shall use the assessed value in the numerator and the denominator of such assessment ratio. In the event a court has adjudicated that the department failed to establish an accurate estimate of an assessment level of a county and recomputation resulting in an accurate estimate based upon the evidence before the court was not possible, that county shall be presumed to have an assessment level equal to that of the state as a whole.
5. If, in the prior year, taxes were levied against an interim assessment roll pursuant to s. 193.1145, the assessment level and prior year’s nonexempt assessed valuation used for the purposes of this paragraph shall be those of the interim assessment roll.
(c) Exclusion.—
1. In those instances in which:
a. There is litigation either attacking the authority of the property appraiser to include certain property on the tax assessment roll as taxable property or contesting the assessed value of certain property on the tax assessment roll, and
b. The assessed value of the property in contest involves more than 6 percent of the total nonexempt assessment roll, the plaintiff shall provide to the district school board of the county in which the property is located and to the Department of Education a certified copy of the petition and receipt for the good faith payment at the time they are filed with the court.
2. For purposes of computing the required local effort for each district affected by such petition, the Department of Education shall exclude from the district’s total nonexempt assessment roll the assessed value of the property in contest and shall add the amount of the good faith payment to the district’s required local effort.
(d) Recomputation.—Following final adjudication of any litigation on the basis of which an adjustment in taxable value was made pursuant to paragraph (c), the department shall recompute the required local effort for each district for each year affected by such adjustments, utilizing taxable values approved by the court, and shall adjust subsequent allocations to such districts accordingly.
(e) Prior period funding adjustment millage.—
1. An additional millage to be known as the Prior Period Funding Adjustment Millage shall be levied by a school district if the prior period unrealized required local effort funds are greater than zero. The Commissioner of Education shall calculate the amount of the prior period unrealized required local effort funds as specified in subparagraph 2. and the millage required to generate that amount as specified in this subparagraph. The Prior Period Funding Adjustment Millage shall be the quotient of the prior period unrealized required local effort funds divided by the current year taxable value certified to the Commissioner of Education pursuant to sub-subparagraph (a)1.a. This levy shall be in addition to the required local effort millage certified pursuant to this subsection. Such millage shall not affect the calculation of the current year’s required local effort, and the funds generated by such levy shall not be included in the district’s Florida Education Finance Program allocation for that fiscal year. For purposes of the millage to be included on the Notice of Proposed Taxes, the Commissioner of Education shall adjust the required local effort millage computed pursuant to paragraph (a) as adjusted by paragraph (b) for the current year for any district that levies a Prior Period Funding Adjustment Millage to include all Prior Period Funding Adjustment Millage. For the purpose of this paragraph, a Prior Period Funding Adjustment Millage shall be levied for each year certified by the Department of Revenue pursuant to sub-subparagraph (a)2.a. since the previous year certification and for which the calculation in sub-subparagraph 2.b. is greater than zero.
2.a. As used in this subparagraph, the term:
(I) “Prior year” means a year certified under sub-subparagraph (a)2.a.
(II) “Preliminary taxable value” means:
(A) If the prior year is the 2009-2010 fiscal year or later, the taxable value certified to the Commissioner of Education pursuant to sub-subparagraph (a)1.a.
(B) If the prior year is the 2008-2009 fiscal year or earlier, the taxable value certified pursuant to the final calculation as specified in former paragraph (b) as that paragraph existed in the prior year.
(III) “Final taxable value” means the district’s taxable value as certified by the property appraiser pursuant to s. 193.122(2) or (3), if applicable. This is the certification that reflects all final administrative actions of the value adjustment board.
b. For purposes of this subsection and with respect to each year certified pursuant to sub-subparagraph (a)2.a., if the district’s prior year preliminary taxable value is greater than the district’s prior year final taxable value, the prior period unrealized required local effort funds are the difference between the district’s prior year preliminary taxable value and the district’s prior year final taxable value, multiplied by the prior year district required local effort millage. If the district’s prior year preliminary taxable value is less than the district’s prior year final taxable value, the prior period unrealized required local effort funds are zero.
c. If a district’s prior period unrealized required local effort funds and prior period district required local effort millage cannot be determined because such district’s final taxable value has not yet been certified pursuant to s. 193.122(2) or (3), the Prior Period Funding Adjustment Millage for such fiscal year shall be levied, if not previously levied, in an amount equal to 75 percent of such district’s most recent unrealized required local effort for which a Prior Period Funding Adjustment Millage was determined as provided in this section. Upon certification of the final taxable value in accordance with s. 193.122(2) or (3) for a tax roll for which a 75 percent Prior Period Funding Adjustment Millage was levied, the next Prior Period Funding Adjustment Millage shall be adjusted to include any shortfall or surplus in the prior period unrealized required local effort funds that would have been levied, had the district’s final taxable value been certified pursuant to s. 193.122(2) or (3). If this adjustment is made for a surplus, the reduction in prior period millage may not exceed the prior period funding adjustment millage calculated pursuant to subparagraph 1. and sub-subparagraphs a. and b., or pursuant to this sub-subparagraph, whichever is applicable, and any additional reduction shall be carried forward to the subsequent fiscal year.
(5) DISCRETIONARY MILLAGE COMPRESSION SUPPLEMENT.—The Legislature shall prescribe in the General Appropriations Act, pursuant to s. 1011.71(1), the rate of nonvoted current operating discretionary millage that shall be used to calculate a discretionary millage compression supplement. If the prescribed millage generates an amount of funds per unweighted full-time equivalent student for the district that is less than the state average, the district shall receive an amount per full-time equivalent student that, when added to the funds per full-time equivalent student generated by the designated levy, shall equal the state average. The discretionary millage compression supplement shall be recalculated during the fiscal year based on actual full-time equivalent student membership.
(6) STATE-FUNDED DISCRETIONARY CONTRIBUTION.—The state-funded discretionary contribution is created to fund the nonvoted discretionary millage for operations pursuant to s. 1011.71(1) and (3) for developmental research schools (lab schools) established in s. 1002.32, charter schools sponsored by a Florida College System institution or a state university pursuant to s. 1002.33(5), and the Florida Virtual School established in s. 1002.37.
(a) To calculate the state-funded discretionary contribution for lab schools, multiply the maximum allowable nonvoted discretionary millage for operations pursuant to s. 1011.71(1) and (3) by the value of 96 percent of the current year’s taxable value for school purposes for the school district in which the lab school is located; divide the result by the total full-time equivalent membership of the school district; and multiply the result by the full-time equivalent membership of the lab school. The amount obtained shall be appropriated in the General Appropriations Act.
(b) To calculate the state-funded discretionary contribution for a charter school sponsored by a Florida College System institution or a state university and the Florida Virtual School, multiply the maximum allowable nonvoted discretionary millage for operations pursuant to s. 1011.71(1) and (3) by the value of 96 percent of the current year’s taxable value for school purposes for the state; divide the result by the total full-time equivalent membership of the state; and multiply the result by the full-time equivalent membership of the Florida Virtual School.
(c) The state-funded discretionary contribution shall be recalculated during the fiscal year based on actual full-time equivalent student membership.
(7) EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT ALLOCATION.—
(a) The educational enrichment allocation is created to assist school districts in providing educational enrichment activities and services that support and increase the academic achievement of students in grades kindergarten through 12. Educational enrichment activities and services may be provided in a manner and at any time during or beyond the regular 180-day term identified by the school district as being the most effective and efficient way to best help the student progress from grade to grade and graduate from high school. For fiscal year 2023-2024, the educational enrichment allocation shall consist of a base amount as specified in the General Appropriations Act. Beginning in fiscal year 2024-2025, the educational enrichment allocation shall consist of the base amount that includes a workload adjustment based on changes in the unweighted full-time equivalent membership. Beginning in fiscal year 2025-2026, and each year thereafter, the statewide average base amount as specified in the General Appropriations Act shall be used for any new educational entity funded in the Florida Education Finance Program.
(b) For district-managed turnaround schools as identified in s. 1008.33(4)(a), schools that earn three consecutive grades below a “C,” as identified in s. 1008.33(4)(b)3., and schools that have improved to a “C” and are no longer in turnaround status, as identified in s. 1008.33(4)(c), a supplemental amount shall be added to their educational enrichment allocation for purposes of implementing the intervention and support strategies identified in the turnaround plan submitted pursuant to s. 1008.33.
1. The supplemental amount shall be based on the unweighted full-time equivalent student enrollment at the eligible schools and a per full-time equivalent funding amount of $500 or as provided in the General Appropriations Act.
2. Services funded by the allocation may include, but are not limited to, tutorial and after-school programs, student counseling, nutrition education, parental counseling, and an extended school day and school year. In addition, services may include models that develop a culture that encourages students to complete high school and to attend college or career training, set high academic expectations, and inspire character development.
3. A school district may enter into a formal agreement with a nonprofit organization that has tax-exempt status under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to implement an integrated student support service model that provides students and families with access to wrap-around services, including, but not limited to, health services, after-school programs, drug prevention programs, college and career readiness programs, and food and clothing banks.
(c) The educational enrichment allocation, to include the supplemental amount, shall be recalculated during the fiscal year based on actual full-time equivalent student membership.
(d) Funding on the basis of full-time equivalent membership beyond the 180-day regular term shall be provided in the Florida Education Finance Program only for students enrolled in juvenile justice education programs or in education programs for juveniles placed in secure facilities or programs pursuant to s. 985.19. Funding for instruction beyond the regular 180-day school year for all other kindergarten through grade 12 students shall be provided through the educational enrichment allocation and other state, federal, and local funding sources with flexibility for schools to provide educational enrichment activities and services to assist students in grades kindergarten through 12.
(8) EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION GUARANTEED ALLOCATION.—The exceptional student education guaranteed allocation is created to fund the additional costs of programs for exceptional students specified in subparagraph (1)(d)2. and shall be supplemental to the funds appropriated in the Florida Education Finance Program for the basic student funding level.
(a) The amount of each school district’s exceptional student education guaranteed allocation shall be the greater of either the school district’s prior year exceptional student education guaranteed allocation funds per eligible full-time equivalent student or the exceptional student education guaranteed allocation factor as specified in the General Appropriations Act multiplied by the school district’s total number of eligible full-time equivalent students.
(b) The exceptional student education guaranteed allocation shall be recalculated during the fiscal year based on actual full-time equivalent student membership.
(9) CALCULATION OF SUPPLEMENTAL ALLOCATION FOR JUVENILE JUSTICE EDUCATION PROGRAMS.—
(a) The total kindergarten through grade 12 weighted full-time equivalent student membership in juvenile justice education programs in each school district shall be multiplied by the amount of the state average class-size-reduction factor multiplied by the comparable wage factor for the school district established in subsection (2). An amount equal to the sum of this calculation shall be allocated in the Florida Education Finance Program to each school district to supplement other sources of funding for students in juvenile justice education programs. The supplemental allocation for juvenile justice education programs shall be recalculated during the fiscal year based on actual full-time equivalent student membership.
(b) Funds allocated under this subsection shall be used to provide the juvenile justice education programs pursuant to s. 1003.52 and may be used to pay for the high school equivalency examination fees for juvenile justice students who pass the high school equivalency examination in full, or in part, while in a juvenile justice education program, the industry credentialing testing fees for such students, and the costs associated with such juvenile justice students enrolled in career and technical education courses that lead to industry-recognized certifications.
(10) FEDERALLY CONNECTED STUDENT SUPPLEMENT.—The federally connected student supplement is created to provide supplemental funding for school districts to support the education of students connected with federally owned military installations, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) real property, and Indian lands. To be eligible for this supplement, the district must be eligible for federal Impact Aid Program funds under s. 8003 of Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The supplement shall be allocated annually to each eligible school district in the General Appropriations Act. The supplement shall be the sum of the student allocation and an exempt property allocation.
(a) The student allocation shall be calculated based on the number of students reported for federal Impact Aid Program funds, including students with disabilities, who meet one of the following criteria:
1. The student has a parent who is on active duty in the uniformed services or is an accredited foreign government official and military officer. Students with disabilities shall also be reported separately for this category.
2. The student resides on eligible federally owned Indian land. Students with disabilities shall also be reported separately for this category.
3. The student resides with a civilian parent who lives or works on eligible federal property connected with a military installation or NASA. The number of these students shall be multiplied by a factor of 0.5.
(b) The total number of federally connected students calculated under paragraph (a) shall be multiplied by a percentage of the base student allocation as provided in the General Appropriations Act. The total of the number of students with disabilities as reported separately under subparagraphs (a)1. and 2. shall be multiplied by an additional percentage of the base student allocation as provided in the General Appropriations Act. The base amount and the amount for students with disabilities shall be summed to provide the student allocation.
(c) The exempt property allocation shall be equal to the tax-exempt value of federal impact aid lands reserved as military installations, real property owned by NASA, or eligible federally owned Indian lands located in the district, multiplied by the millage authorized and levied under s. 1011.71(2).
(d) The amount allocated for each eligible school district shall be recalculated during the year based on actual full-time equivalent student membership, as amended, from the most recent February survey and the tax-exempt valuation from the most recent assessment roll.
(11) QUALITY ASSURANCE GUARANTEE.—The Legislature may annually in the General Appropriations Act determine a percentage increase in funds per kindergarten through grade 12 unweighted full-time equivalent student as a minimum guarantee to each school district. The guarantee shall be calculated from prior year base funding per unweighted full-time equivalent student which shall include the adjusted full-time equivalent dollars as provided in subsection (15), quality guarantee funds, and actual nonvoted discretionary local effort from taxes. From the base funding per unweighted full-time equivalent student, the increase shall be calculated for the current year. The current year funds from which the guarantee shall be determined shall include the adjusted full-time equivalent dollars as provided in subsection (15) and potential nonvoted discretionary local effort from taxes. A comparison of current year funds per unweighted full-time equivalent student to prior year funds per unweighted full-time equivalent student shall be computed. For those school districts which have less than the legislatively assigned percentage increase, funds shall be provided to guarantee the assigned percentage increase in funds per unweighted full-time equivalent student. Should appropriated funds be less than the sum of this calculated amount for all districts, the commissioner shall prorate each district’s allocation. This provision shall be implemented to the extent specifically funded.
(12) SAFE SCHOOLS ALLOCATION.—A safe schools allocation is created to provide funding to assist school districts in their compliance with ss. 1006.07-1006.12, with priority given to safe-school officers pursuant to s. 1006.12. Each school district shall receive a minimum safe schools allocation in an amount provided in the General Appropriations Act. Of the remaining balance of the safe schools allocation, one-third shall be allocated to school districts based on the most recent official Florida Crime Index provided by the Department of Law Enforcement and two-thirds shall be allocated based on each school district’s proportionate share of the state’s total unweighted full-time equivalent student enrollment. If a district school board is required by s. 1006.12 to assign a school resource officer or school safety officer to a charter school, the charter school’s share of costs for such officer may not exceed the amount of funds allocated to the charter school under this subsection. The safe schools allocation shall be recalculated during the fiscal year based on actual full-time equivalent student membership.
(13) MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE ALLOCATION.—The mental health assistance allocation is created to provide funding to assist school districts in implementing their school-based mental health assistance program pursuant to s. 1006.041. These funds shall be allocated annually in the General Appropriations Act or other law to each eligible school district. Each school district shall receive a minimum of $100,000, with the remaining balance allocated based on each school district’s proportionate share of the state’s total unweighted full-time equivalent student enrollment. The mental health assistance allocation shall be recalculated during the fiscal year based on actual full-time equivalent student membership.
(14) CLASSROOM TEACHER AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL SALARY INCREASE.—The Legislature shall annually apportion an amount of funds provided in the Florida Education Finance Program to assist school districts and charter schools in their compliance with the requirement that the minimum base salary for full-time classroom teachers, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a), and certified prekindergarten teachers funded in the Florida Education Finance Program is at least $47,500 or to provide salary increases to instructional personnel, as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), in a manner that best meets the needs of the school district or charter school. This subsection does not apply to substitute teachers. The amount and distribution methodology for the funding shall be specified in the General Appropriations Act.
(a) The term “minimum base salary” means the lowest annual base salary reported on the salary schedule for a full-time classroom teacher. A full-time classroom teacher may not receive a salary less than the minimum base salary as adjusted by this subsection.
(b) A school district or charter school shall maintain the minimum base salary achieved for classroom teachers provided in the prior fiscal year and may not reduce the salary increases in any subsequent fiscal year.
(c) Before distributing any additional funds received over the prior fiscal year, each school district and each charter school shall develop a salary distribution plan that clearly delineates the planned distribution of funds in accordance with modified salary schedules, as necessary, for the implementation of this subsection.
1. Each school district superintendent and each charter school administrator must submit its proposed salary distribution plan to the district school board or the charter school governing body, as appropriate, for approval.
2. Each school district shall submit the approved district salary distribution plan and the approved salary distribution plan for each charter school in the district to the department by October 1 of each fiscal year.
(d) Beginning August 1, 2024, and each year thereafter, in a format specified by the department, each school district shall provide a report to the department that includes a detailed summary explaining the school district’s prior year’s expenditures pursuant to this subsection. The report must include the amount of the increase to the minimum base salary for classroom teachers and the school district’s salary schedule for the prior fiscal year and the fiscal year in which the base salary is increased. Each charter school governing board shall submit the information required under this subparagraph to the district school board for inclusion in the school district’s report to the department.
(e) Although district school boards and charter school governing boards are not precluded from bargaining over wages, the classroom teacher and other instructional personnel salary increase must be used solely to comply with the requirements of this subsection. A district school board or charter school governing board that is unable to meet the reporting requirements in paragraph (d) due to a collective bargaining impasse must provide written notification to the department or the district school board, as applicable, detailing the reasons for the impasse with a proposed timeline and details for a resolution.
(15) TOTAL ALLOCATION OF STATE FUNDS TO EACH DISTRICT.—The total annual state allocation to each district for current operation for the Florida Education Finance Program shall be distributed to districts pursuant to s. 1011.66 and based on the results of the full-time equivalent membership surveys established in paragraph (1)(a).
(a) When the Florida Education Finance Program allocation is recalculated, if the gross state Florida Education Finance Program funds are not sufficient to pay the state requirement in full, the department shall prorate the available state funds to each district in the following manner:
1. To calculate the gross state and local Florida Education Finance Program funding, add the base Florida Education Finance Program and the categorical funds, except for the categorical funding provided in subsection (16) and s. 1011.685.
2. To calculate the gross state Florida Education Finance Program funding, subtract the required local effort in subsection (4) from the gross and local Florida Education Finance Program funding.
3. To determine the amount that must be prorated among all school districts, subtract the gross state Florida Education Finance Program and any prior year adjustments pursuant to paragraph (b) from the corresponding amount of state funds appropriated in the General Appropriations Act.
4. Each school district’s amount of the proration is calculated based on its proportionate share of the gross state and local Florida Education Finance Program funding.
(b) The amount thus obtained shall be the net annual allocation to each school district. However, if it is determined that any school district received an under allocation or over allocation for any prior year because of an arithmetical error, assessment roll change required by final judicial decision, full-time equivalent student membership error, or any allocation error revealed in an audit report, the allocation to that district shall be appropriately adjusted. An under allocation in a prior year caused by a school district’s error may not be the basis for a positive allocation adjustment for the current year. If a special program cost factor is less than the basic program cost factor, an audit adjustment may not result in the reclassification of the special program FTE to the basic program FTE. If the Department of Education audit adjustment recommendation is based upon controverted findings of fact, the Commissioner of Education is authorized to establish the amount of the adjustment based on the best interests of the state.
(16) STATE-FUNDED DISCRETIONARY SUPPLEMENT.—
(a) The state-funded discretionary supplement is created to fund the nonvoted discretionary millage for operations pursuant to s. 1011.71(1) and (3) for students awarded a Family Empowerment Scholarship in accordance with s. 1002.394. To calculate the state-funded discretionary supplement for inclusion in the amount of the scholarship funding:
1. For fiscal year 2023-2024, multiply the maximum allowable nonvoted discretionary millage for operations pursuant to s. 1011.71(1) and (3) by the value of 96 percent of the current year’s taxable value for school purposes for the school district where the student is reported for purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program as appropriated in the General Appropriations Act; divide the result by the school district’s total unweighted full-time equivalent membership as appropriated in the General Appropriations Act; and multiply the result by the total unweighted full-time equivalent membership associated with the number of Family Empowerment Scholarship students included in the school district’s total unweighted full-time equivalent membership. A base amount as specified in the General Appropriations Act shall be added to this amount for purposes of calculating the total amount of the supplement.
2. Beginning in fiscal year 2024-2025 and thereafter, multiply the maximum allowable nonvoted discretionary millage for operations pursuant to s. 1011.71(1) and (3) by the value of 96 percent of the current year’s taxable value for school purposes for the school district where the student is reported for purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program as appropriated in the General Appropriations Act; divide the result by the school district’s total unweighted full-time equivalent membership as appropriated in the General Appropriations Act; and multiply the result by the total unweighted full-time equivalent membership associated with the number of Family Empowerment Scholarship students. The prior year’s base amount shall be adjusted based on changes in the eligible number of unweighted full-time equivalent membership associated with the number of Family Empowerment Scholarship students.
(b) The state-funded discretionary supplement shall be recalculated during the fiscal year based on actual full-time equivalent student membership.
(17) ACADEMIC ACCELERATION OPTIONS SUPPLEMENT.—The academic acceleration options supplement is created to assist school districts in providing academic acceleration options, career-themed courses, and courses that lead to digital tool certificates and industry certifications for prekindergarten through grade 12 students and shall be allocated annually in the General Appropriations Act.
(a)1. Each school district shall report its total number of academic acceleration values in a format prescribed by the Department of Education.
2. The supplement shall be allocated based on each school district’s proportionate share of the state’s total academic acceleration values.
3. For purposes of the amount of the supplement appropriated in the fiscal year 2025-2026 General Appropriations Act, an adjustment is included which will not be a part of the supplement when the Florida Education Finance Program is recalculated pursuant to paragraph (1)(a).
(b)1. A value of 0.16 is assigned to a student enrolled in an early college program pursuant to s. 1007.273 who completes a general education core course through the dual enrollment program with a grade of “A” or better; however, the value is 0.08 if the student is not enrolled in an early college program. A value of 0.08 shall be assigned to a student who completed a career course through the dual enrollment program with a grade of “A” in a pathway that leads to an industry certification that is included on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List. A value of 0.3 shall be assigned to a student who receives an associate degree through the dual enrollment program with a 3.0 grade point average or better.
2. For the purposes of this paragraph, general education core courses are those that are identified in rule by the State Board of Education and in regulation by the Board of Governors pursuant to s. 1007.25(3).
3. Each school district shall use the funds received from the supplement for expenses associated with the applicable courses; however, such funds may not be used by the school district to supplant the district’s base Florida Education Finance Program funds provided pursuant to paragraph (1)(n).
(c)1. A value of 0.16 is assigned to a student enrolled in an Advanced Placement course who receives a score of 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement examination. A value of 0.3 is assigned to a student who receives an Advanced Placement Capstone diploma.
2. From the funds received from the supplement, each school district shall award a $50 bonus to each Advanced Placement teacher for each student who achieves a score of 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement examination. Each school district shall award an additional bonus of $500 to each Advanced Placement teacher in a school designated with a grade of “D” or “F” who has at least one student scoring 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement examination. The school district shall use the remaining balance of funds for expenses associated with the Advanced Placement courses to include the cost for the Advanced Placement examination fee and for teacher professional learning; however, such funds may not be used to supplant the school district’s base Florida Education Finance Program funds provided pursuant to paragraph (1)(n).
(d)1. A value of 0.16 is assigned to a student enrolled in a full-credit Advanced International Certificate of Education course and who receives a score of “E” or higher on the Advanced International Certificate of Education examination. A value of 0.08 is assigned for a student enrolled in a half-credit Advanced International Certificate of Education course and who receives a score of “E” or higher on the Advanced International Certificate of Education examination. A value of 0.3 is assigned to a student who receives an Advanced International Certificate of Education diploma.
2.a. From the funds received from the supplement, each school district shall award a $50 bonus to each Advanced International Certificate of Education teacher for each student who receives a score of “E” or higher on the Advanced International Certificate of Education examination or a $25 bonus to a pre-Advanced International Certificate of Education teacher if the student received a score of “E” or higher on the pre-Advanced International Certificate of Education examination. Each school district shall award an additional bonus in the amount of $500 to each teacher of an Advanced International Certificate of Education course in a school designated with a grade of “D” or “F” which has at least one student scoring an “E” or higher on the applicable examination. Each school district shall award an additional bonus in the amount of $250 to each teacher of a pre-Advanced International Certificate of Education course in a school designated with a grade of “D” or “F” which has at least one student scoring an “E” or higher on the applicable examination. A teacher receiving a $500 bonus is not eligible for the $250 bonus.
b. The school district shall use the remaining funds for expenses associated with the applicable courses to include any student program and examination fees; however, such funds may not be used to supplant the district’s base Florida Education Finance Program funds provided pursuant to paragraph (1)(n).
(e)1. A value of 0.16 is assigned to a student in an International Baccalaureate course who receives a score of 4 or higher on a subject examination or a score of “C” or higher on the Theory of Knowledge course. A value of 0.3 is assigned to a student who receives an International Baccalaureate diploma.
2. From the funds received from the supplement, each school district shall award a $50 bonus to each International Baccalaureate teacher for each student who achieves a score of 4 or higher on an International Baccalaureate examination or a “C” or higher in the Theory of Knowledge course. Each school district shall award an additional bonus of $500 if the International Baccalaureate teacher is in a school designated with a grade of “D” or “F” and has at least one student scoring 4 or higher on the International Baccalaureate examination or a “C” or higher in the Theory of Knowledge course. The school district shall use the remaining funds for expenses associated with the applicable courses to include the cost of the assessment fee for the International Baccalaureate diploma; however, such funds may not be used to supplant the district’s base Florida Education Finance Program funds provided pursuant to paragraph (1)(n).
(f)1. A value of 0.025 is assigned to each student who earns a CAPE Digital Tool certificate in elementary and middle school grades. Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, this value shall apply only to students in the elementary school grades. A value of 0.1 is assigned to each student who completes a career-themed course pursuant to ss. 1003.491-1003.493, or a course with an embedded CAPE industry certification and is issued an approved industry certification specifically identified in the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List as a CAPE Basic Non-articulated industry certification. A value of 0.2 is assigned to each student who completes a career-themed course pursuant to ss. 1003.491-1003.493, or a course with an embedded CAPE industry certification and is issued an approved industry certification specifically identified in the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List as a CAPE Basic Articulated industry certification. A value of 0.3 is assigned to a high school student who completes at least three courses and an industry certification in a single career and technical education program or program of study and who exits with a standard high school diploma. Each industry certification must be specifically identified in the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List as a CAPE Pathways industry certification. A value of 0.5 is assigned to a high school student who completes CAPE Acceleration industry certifications that articulate for 15 to 29 college credit hours. A value of 1.0 is assigned to a high school student who completes CAPE Acceleration industry certifications that articulate for 30 or more college credit hours.
2. From the funds received from the supplement, each school district shall award the following bonuses to teachers who provided instruction that led to the attainment of the assigned student value:
a. A bonus of $25 for each student with an assigned value of 0.1.
b. A bonus of $50 for each student with an assigned value of 0.2.
c. A bonus of $75 for each student with an assigned value of 0.3.
d. A bonus of $100 for each student with an assigned value of 0.5 or 1.0.
3. The school district shall use the remaining funds for expenses associated with the applicable courses; however, such funds may not be used to supplant the district’s base Florida Education Finance Program funds provided pursuant to paragraph (1)(n).
(g) Bonuses awarded under this subsection shall be in addition to any regular wage or other bonus the teacher received or is scheduled to receive. A bonus may not be awarded to a teacher who fails to maintain the security of any CAPE industry certification examination or who otherwise violates the security or administration protocol of any assessment instrument that may result in a bonus being awarded to the teacher under this subsection.
(h)1. A value of 0.25 is assigned to each student who graduates one semester in advance of the student’s cohort and a value of 0.5 is assigned to each student who graduates 1 year or more in advance of the student’s cohort pursuant to s. 1003.4281. If the student was enrolled in the district as a full-time high school student for at least 2 years, the district must report the student in the subsequent fiscal year. If the student was enrolled in the district for less than 2 years, the district of enrollment must report the students and must transfer a proportionate share of the funds earned for early graduation to the district in which the student was previously enrolled.
2. Each school district shall use the funds received from the supplement for expenses associated with providing students with early graduation options established pursuant to s. 1003.4281; however, such funds may not be used by the school district to supplant the district’s base Florida Education Finance Program funds provided pursuant to paragraph (1)(n).
(i) Beginning September 1, 2026, and each year thereafter, each school district must report its prior year total expenditures of its academic acceleration supplement funds to the Legislature in a format prescribed by the Department of Education.
(18) CATEGORICAL FUNDS.—
(a) If a district school board determines that some or all of the funds received for any of the categorical programs established in this section are needed to maintain or enhance school board-specified academic classroom instruction, maintain or expand career and technical education instruction, or improve school safety, the school district may consider and approve an amendment to the school district’s operating budget by transferring the identified amount of the categorical funds to the appropriate account for expenditure.
(b) Each school district shall include in its annual financial report to the Department of Education the amount of funds the school board transferred from each of the categorical funds identified in this subsection and the specific academic classroom instruction, career and technical education instruction, or school safety need for which the transferred funds were expended. The department shall provide instructions and specify the format to be used in submitting this required information as part of the district annual financial report. The department shall annually submit a report to the Legislature that identifies by school district and by categorical fund the amount transferred and the specific academic classroom or career and technical education activity or school safety need for which the funds were expended.
(19) EDUCATIONAL ENROLLMENT STABILIZATION PROGRAM.—
(a) The educational enrollment stabilization program is created to provide supplemental state funds as needed to maintain the stability of the operations of public schools in each school district and to protect districts, including charter schools, from financial instability as a result of changes in full-time equivalent student enrollment throughout the school year.
(b) The Legislature shall annually appropriate funds in the General Appropriations Act to the Department of Education for this program in an amount necessary to maintain a projected minimum balance of $250 million at the beginning of the upcoming fiscal year. The Department of Education shall use funds as appropriated to ensure that based on each recalculation of the Florida Education Finance Program pursuant to paragraph (1)(a), a school district’s funds per unweighted full-time equivalent student are not less than the greater of either the school district’s funds per unweighted full-time equivalent student as appropriated in the General Appropriations Act or the school district’s funds per unweighted full-time equivalent student as recalculated based upon the receipt of the certified taxable value for school purposes pursuant to s. 1011.62(4).
(c) Notwithstanding s. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, the unexpended balance of funds appropriated pursuant to this subsection which is not disbursed by June 30 of the fiscal year in which the funds are appropriated may be carried forward for up to 10 years after the effective date of the original appropriation.
History.—s. 655, ch. 2002-387; s. 124, ch. 2003-1; s. 15, ch. 2003-391; s. 68, ch. 2004-41; s. 8, ch. 2004-271; s. 10, ch. 2004-349; s. 129, ch. 2004-357; s. 10, ch. 2005-56; s. 10, ch. 2005-196; s. 6, ch. 2006-27; s. 50, ch. 2006-74; s. 177, ch. 2007-5; s. 3, ch. 2007-59; s. 5, ch. 2007-216; ss. 2, 3, ch. 2007-328; ss. 8, 9, ch. 2008-142; s. 7, ch. 2009-40; ss. 29, 41, ch. 2009-59; s. 180, ch. 2010-102; s. 25, ch. 2010-154; s. 171, ch. 2011-5; s. 17, ch. 2011-37; s. 33, ch. 2011-55; s. 33, ch. 2011-175; s. 16, ch. 2012-133; s. 28, ch. 2012-191; s. 11, ch. 2012-192; s. 39, ch. 2013-27; s. 19, ch. 2013-45; s. 8, ch. 2013-237; s. 379, ch. 2014-19; s. 87, ch. 2014-39; s. 5, ch. 2014-53; s. 27, ch. 2014-56; s. 13, ch. 2014-184; ss. 7, 9, ch. 2015-222; s. 16, ch. 2016-11; ss. 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 35, 36, 126, ch. 2016-62; s. 14, ch. 2016-128; s. 28, ch. 2016-237; s. 4, ch. 2017-116; s. 29, ch. 2018-3; s. 29, ch. 2018-6; s. 4, ch. 2018-10; ss. 14, 15, ch. 2019-22; s. 15, ch. 2019-23; s. 6, ch. 2019-116; s. 2, ch. 2020-94; s. 4, ch. 2020-95; s. 4, ch. 2020-114; s. 18, ch. 2021-9; s. 70, ch. 2021-10; s. 11, ch. 2021-27; s. 6, ch. 2021-37; s. 3, ch. 2021-44; s. 64, ch. 2021-51; s. 1, ch. 2021-84; s. 9, ch. 2021-176; s. 86, ch. 2022-4; s. 4, ch. 2022-126; s. 6, ch. 2022-144; s. 54, ch. 2022-154; ss. 6, 99, ch. 2022-157; s. 35, ch. 2023-81; s. 17, ch. 2023-108; s. 41, ch. 2023-245; s. 90, ch. 2024-2; s. 33, ch. 2024-5; s. 23, ch. 2024-230; s. 17, ch. 2025-203.
1Note.—The amendment to s. 1011.62 by s. 41, ch. 2023-245, deleted former subsection (8). Section 17, ch. 2023-108, also amended s. 1011.62, and that version added a sentence to former paragraph (8)(d), which reads: “Instructional materials for foundational reading skills shall be based on the science of reading and include phonics instruction for decoding and encoding as the primary instructional strategy for word reading. Instructional materials may not employ the three-cueing system model of reading or visual memory as a basis for teaching word reading. Instructional materials may include visual information and strategies which improve background and experiential knowledge, add context, and increase oral language and vocabulary to support comprehension, but may not be used to teach word reading.”
1011.6202 Principal Autonomy Program Initiative.—The Principal Autonomy Program Initiative is created within the Department of Education. The purpose of the program is to provide a highly effective principal of a participating school with increased autonomy and authority to operate his or her school, as well as other schools, in a way that produces significant improvements in student achievement and school management while complying with constitutional requirements. The State Board of Education may, upon approval of a principal autonomy proposal, enter into a performance contract with the district school board for participation in the program.
(1) PARTICIPATING SCHOOL DISTRICTS.—Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, contingent upon available funds, and on a first-come, first-served basis, a district school board may submit, no later than December 1, to the state board for approval a principal autonomy proposal that exchanges statutory and rule exemptions for an agreement to meet performance goals established in the proposal. If approved by the state board, the school district is eligible to participate in the program for 3 years.
(2) PRINCIPAL AUTONOMY PROPOSAL.—
(a) To participate in the program, a school district must:
1. Identify three schools that received at least two school grades of “D” or “F” pursuant to s. 1008.34 during the previous 3 school years.
2. Identify three principals who have earned a highly effective rating on the prior year’s performance evaluation pursuant to s. 1012.34, one of whom shall be assigned to each of the participating schools.
3. Describe the current financial and administrative management of each participating school; identify the areas in which each school principal will have increased fiscal and administrative autonomy, including the authority and responsibilities provided in s. 1012.28(8); and identify the areas in which each participating school will continue to follow district school board fiscal and administrative policies.
4. Explain the methods used to identify the educational strengths and needs of the participating school’s students and identify how student achievement can be improved.
5. Establish performance goals for student achievement, as defined in s. 1008.34(1), and explain how the increased autonomy of principals will help participating schools improve student achievement and school management.
6. Provide each participating school’s mission and a description of its student population.
(b) The state board shall establish criteria, which must include the criteria listed in paragraph (a), for the approval of a principal autonomy proposal.
(c) A district school board must submit its principal autonomy proposal to the state board for approval by December 1 in order to begin participation in the subsequent school year. By February 28 of the school year in which the proposal is submitted, the state board shall notify the district school board in writing whether the proposal is approved.
(3) EXEMPTION FROM LAWS.—
(a) With the exception of those laws listed in paragraph (b), a participating school or a school operated by a principal pursuant to subsection (5) is exempt from the provisions of chapters 1000-1013 and rules of the state board that implement those exempt provisions.
(b) A participating school or a school operated by a principal pursuant to subsection (5) shall comply with the provisions of chapters 1000-1013, and rules of the state board that implement those provisions, pertaining to the following:
1. Those laws relating to the election and compensation of district school board members, the election or appointment and compensation of district school superintendents, public meetings and public records requirements, financial disclosure, and conflicts of interest.
2. Those laws relating to the student assessment program and school grading system, including chapter 1008.
3. Those laws relating to the provision of services to students with disabilities.
4. Those laws relating to civil rights, including s. 1000.05, relating to discrimination.
5. Those laws relating to student health, safety, and welfare.
6. Section 1001.42(4)(f), relating to the uniform opening date for public schools.
7. Section 1003.03, governing maximum class size, except that the calculation for compliance pursuant to s. 1003.03 is the average at the school level for a participating school.
8. Sections 1012.22(1)(c) and 1012.27(2), relating to compensation and salary schedules.
9. Section 1012.33(5), relating to workforce reductions for annual contracts for instructional personnel. This subparagraph does not apply to at-will employees.
10. Section 1012.335, relating to annual contracts for instructional personnel hired on or after July 1, 2011. This subparagraph does not apply to at-will employees.
11. Section 1012.34, relating to personnel evaluation procedures and criteria.
12. Those laws pertaining to educational facilities, including chapter 1013, except that s. 1013.20, relating to covered walkways for relocatables, is eligible for exemption.
13. Those laws pertaining to participating school districts, including this section and ss. 1011.69(2) and 1012.28(8).
(c) A school shall remain exempt, as provided in this subsection, beyond the term of the program so long as the school receives no grade lower than a “B.”
(4) PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.—Each participating school district shall require that the principal of each participating school and a designated leadership team selected by the principal of the participating school complete a nationally recognized school turnaround program which focuses on improving leadership, instructional infrastructure, talent management, and differentiated support and accountability. The required personnel must enroll in the nationally recognized school turnaround program upon acceptance into the program.
(5) DISTRICT INNOVATION ACADEMIES AND ZONES.—To encourage further innovation and expand the reach of highly effective principals trained pursuant to subsection (4), district school boards may authorize these principals to manage multiple schools within a zone. A zone may include the school at which the principal is assigned, persistently low-performing schools, feeder pattern schools, or a group of schools identified by the school district. The principal may allocate resources and personnel between the schools under his or her administration.
(6) TERM OF PARTICIPATION.—The state board shall authorize a school district to participate in the program for a period of 3 years commencing with approval of the principal autonomy proposal. The state board may revoke authorization to participate in the program if the school district fails to meet the requirements of this section during the 3-year period.
(7) FUNDING.—Subject to an annual appropriation, the department shall fund the costs of the program to include the administrative and enrollment costs for the nationally recognized school turnaround program required in subsection (4) and an amount not to exceed $10,000 for each participating principal in each participating district as an annual salary supplement for 3 years. To be eligible for a salary supplement under this subsection, a participating principal must:
(a) Be rated “highly effective” as determined by the principal’s performance evaluation under s. 1012.34;
(b) Be transferred to a school that earned a grade of “F” or two consecutive grades of “D” pursuant to s. 1008.34, or manage, pursuant to subsection (5), a persistently low-performing school and provided additional authority and responsibilities pursuant to s. 1012.28(8); and
(c) Have implemented a turnaround option under s. 1008.33 at a school as the school’s principal. The turnaround option must have resulted in the school improving by at least one letter grade while he or she was serving as the school’s principal.
(8) RULEMAKING.—The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer this section.
History.—s. 1, ch. 2016-223; s. 30, ch. 2018-6; s. 34, ch. 2024-5; s. 43, ch. 2024-159.
1011.621 Adjustments for interdistrict transfers of students in Department of Juvenile Justice detention facilities within a survey period.—The Department of Education, upon request by a school district and verification by the Department of Juvenile Justice, shall direct a school district that receives Florida Education Finance Program funds attributed to a membership survey for children in secure detention care pursuant to chapter 985 to transfer a pro rata share of the funds to another district that served the same students during the same survey period but was unable to report the students for funding. The amount of the funds transfer shall be based on the percentage of the survey period in which the students were served by each district.
History.—s. 34, ch. 2011-55.
1011.622 Adjustments for students without a Florida student identification number.—The Florida Education Finance Program funding calculations, including the calculations authorized in ss. 1011.62, 1011.68, and 1011.685, shall include funding for a student only when all of the student’s records are reported to the Department of Education under a Florida student identification number. The State Board of Education may adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this section.
History.—s. 20, ch. 2013-45; s. 4, ch. 2014-41; s. 42, ch. 2023-245.
1011.63 Reporting for state funding; prohibition.—When a public educational institution has been fully funded by an external agency for direct instructional costs of any course or program, the FTE generated shall not be reported for state funding for purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program.
History.—s. 9, ch. 2004-271.
1011.65 Recalculation of the Florida Education Finance Program.—Prior to each recalculation of the Florida Education Finance Program, the Department of Education shall provide to the Legislature and the Executive Office of the Governor all data necessary for the Legislature and the Executive Office of the Governor to replicate the department’s recalculation of the Florida Education Finance Program. The recalculated Florida Education Finance Program may not be provided to school districts until the Legislature and the Executive Office of the Governor provide written notification to the department that the recalculated Florida Education Finance Program complies with law.
History.—s. 657, ch. 2002-387; s. 18, ch. 2025-203.
1011.66 Distribution of FEFP funds.—The distribution of FEFP funds shall be made in payments on or about the 10th and 26th of each month.
History.—s. 658, ch. 2002-387; s. 10, ch. 2004-271; s. 27, ch. 2010-154.
1011.68 Funds for student transportation.—The annual allocation to each district for transportation to public school programs, including charter schools as provided in s. 1002.33(17)(b), of students in membership in kindergarten through grade 12 and in migrant and exceptional student programs below kindergarten shall be determined as follows:
(1) Subject to the rules of the State Board of Education, each district shall determine the membership of students who are transported:
(a) By reason of living 2 miles or more from school.
(b) By reason of being students with disabilities or enrolled in a teenage parent program, regardless of distance to school.
(c) By reason of being in a state prekindergarten program, regardless of distance from school.
(d) By reason of being career, dual enrollment, or students with disabilities transported from one school center to another to participate in an instructional program or service; or students with disabilities, transported from one designation to another in the state, provided one designation is a school center and provided the student’s individual educational plan (IEP) identifies the need for the instructional program or service and transportation to be provided by the school district. A “school center” is defined as a public school center, Florida College System institution, state university, or other facility rented, leased, or owned and operated by the school district or another public agency. A “dual enrollment student” is defined as a public school student in membership in both a public secondary school program and a Florida College System institution or a state university program under a written agreement to partially fulfill ss. 1003.435 and 1007.23 and earning full-time equivalent membership under s. 1011.62(1)(i).
(e) With respect to elementary school students whose grade level does not exceed grade 6, by reason of being subjected to hazardous walking conditions en route to or from school as provided in s. 1006.23. Such rules shall, when appropriate, provide for the determination of membership under this paragraph for less than 1 year to accommodate the needs of students who require transportation only until such hazardous conditions are corrected.
(f) By reason of being a pregnant student or student parent, and the child of a student parent as provided in s. 1003.54, regardless of distance from school.
(2) The allocation for each district shall be calculated annually in accordance with the following formula:

T = B + EX. The elements of this formula are defined as follows: T is the total dollar allocation for transportation. B is the base transportation dollar allocation prorated by an adjusted student membership count. The adjusted membership count shall be derived from a multiplicative index function in which the base student membership is adjusted by multiplying it by index numbers that individually account for the impact of the price level index, average bus occupancy, and the extent of rural population in the district. EX is the base transportation dollar allocation for disabled students prorated by an adjusted disabled student membership count. The base transportation dollar allocation for disabled students is the total state base disabled student membership count weighted for increased costs associated with transporting disabled students and multiplying it by an average per student cost for transportation as determined by the Legislature. The adjusted disabled student membership count shall be derived from a multiplicative index function in which the weighted base disabled student membership is adjusted by multiplying it by index numbers that individually account for the impact of the price level index, average bus occupancy, and the extent of rural population in the district. Each adjustment factor shall be designed to affect the base allocation by no more or less than 10 percent.

(3) The total allocation to each district for transportation of students shall be the sum of the amounts determined in subsection (2). If the funds appropriated for the purpose of implementing this section are not sufficient to pay the base transportation allocation and the base transportation allocation for disabled students, the Department of Education shall prorate the available funds on a percentage basis. If the funds appropriated for the purpose of implementing this section exceed the sum of the base transportation allocation and the base transportation allocation for disabled students, the base transportation allocation for disabled students shall be limited to the amount calculated in subsection (2), and the remaining balance shall be added to the base transportation allocation.
(4) No district shall use funds to purchase transportation equipment and supplies at prices which exceed those determined by the department to be the lowest which can be obtained, as prescribed in s. 1006.27(1). A school district that is unable to purchase at such prices shall request from the department assistance with purchasing at such prices. The school district may exceed such prices if the department is unable to assist the school district with its purchase.
(5) Funds allocated or apportioned for the payment of student transportation services may be used to pay for transportation of students to and from school on local general purpose transportation systems. Student transportation funds may also be used to pay for transportation of students to and from school in private passenger cars and boats when transportation on a school bus is impractical or when the transportation is for isolated students or students with disabilities, or to support parents or carpools, as defined by rule. Subject to the rules of the State Board of Education, each school district shall determine and report the number of assigned students using general purpose transportation private passenger cars and boats. The allocation per student must be equal to the allocation per student riding a school bus.
(6) Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, in no case shall any student or students be counted for transportation funding more than once per day. This provision includes counting students for funding pursuant to trips in school buses, passenger cars, or boats or general purpose transportation.
History.—s. 660, ch. 2002-387; s. 3, ch. 2003-393; s. 130, ch. 2004-357; s. 30, ch. 2009-59; s. 29, ch. 2010-154; s. 172, ch. 2011-5; s. 55, ch. 2022-154; s. 16, ch. 2024-159.
1011.685 Class size reduction; operating categorical fund.—
(1) There is created an operating categorical fund for implementing the class size reduction provisions of s. 1, Art. IX of the State Constitution. These funds shall be allocated to each school district in the amount prescribed by the Legislature in the General Appropriations Act.
(2) Class size reduction operating categorical funds shall be used by school districts to reduce class size as required in s. 1003.03. A school district that meets the maximum class size requirement may use the funds for any lawful operating expenditure; however, priority shall be given to increasing salaries of classroom teachers.
History.—s. 3, ch. 2003-391; s. 26, ch. 2004-295; s. 53, ch. 2006-74; s. 31, ch. 2009-59; s. 35, ch. 2011-55.
1011.69 Equity in School-Level Funding Act.—
(1) This section may be cited as the “Equity in School-Level Funding Act.”
(2) District school boards shall allocate to schools within the district an average of 90 percent of the funds generated by all schools and guarantee that each school receives at least 80 percent, except schools participating in the Principal Autonomy Program Initiative under s. 1011.6202 are guaranteed to receive at least 90 percent, of the funds generated by that school based upon the Florida Education Finance Program as provided in s. 1011.62 and the General Appropriations Act, including gross state and local funds, discretionary lottery funds, and funds from the school district’s current operating discretionary millage levy. Total funding for each school shall be recalculated during the year to reflect the revised calculations under the Florida Education Finance Program by the state and the actual weighted full-time equivalent students reported by the school during the full-time equivalent student survey periods designated by the Commissioner of Education. If the district school board is providing programs or services to students funded by federal funds, any eligible students enrolled in the schools in the district shall be provided federal funds.
(3) Funds allocated to a school pursuant to this section that are unused at the end of the fiscal year shall not revert to the district, but shall remain with the school. These carryforward funds may be used for any purpose provided by law at the discretion of the principal of the school.
(4) After providing Title I, Part A, Basic funds to schools above the 75 percent poverty threshold, which may include high schools above the 50 percent threshold as permitted by federal law, school districts shall provide any remaining Title I, Part A, Basic funds directly to all eligible schools as provided in this subsection. For purposes of this subsection, an eligible school is a school that is eligible to receive Title I funds, including a charter school. The threshold for identifying eligible schools may not exceed the threshold established by a school district for the 2016-2017 school year or the statewide percentage of economically disadvantaged students, as determined annually.
(a) Prior to the allocation of Title I funds to eligible schools, a school district may withhold funds only as follows:
1. One percent for parent involvement, in addition to the one percent the district must reserve under federal law for allocations to eligible schools for parent involvement;
2. A necessary and reasonable amount for administration which includes the district’s indirect cost rate, not to exceed a total of 10 percent;
3. A reasonable and necessary amount to provide:
a. Homeless programs;
b. Delinquent and neglected programs;
c. Prekindergarten programs and activities;
d. Private school equitable services; and
e. Transportation for foster care children to their school of origin or choice programs; and
4. A necessary and reasonable amount, not to exceed 1 percent, for eligible schools to provide educational services in accordance with the approved Title I plan.
(b) All remaining Title I funds shall be distributed to all eligible schools in accordance with federal law and regulation. An eligible school may use funds under this subsection to participate in discretionary educational services provided by the school district. Any funds provided by an eligible school to participate in discretionary educational services provided by the school district are not subject to the requirements of this subsection.
(c) Any funds carried forward by the school district are not subject to the requirements of this subsection.
History.—s. 661, ch. 2002-387; s. 16, ch. 2003-391; s. 32, ch. 2009-59; s. 27, ch. 2010-70; s. 2, ch. 2016-223; s. 45, ch. 2017-116; s. 31, ch. 2018-6; s. 130, ch. 2019-3; s. 44, ch. 2023-245.
1011.70 Medicaid certified school funding maximization.—
(1) Each school district, subject to the provisions of ss. 409.9071 and 409.908(21) and this section, is authorized to certify funds provided for a category of required Medicaid services termed “school-based services,” which are reimbursable under the federal Medicaid program. Such services shall include, but not be limited to, physical, occupational, and speech therapy services, behavioral health services, mental health services, transportation services, Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) administrative outreach for the purpose of determining eligibility for exceptional student education, and any other such services, for the purpose of receiving federal Medicaid financial participation. Certified school funding shall not be available for the following services:
(a) Family planning.
(b) Immunizations.
(c) Prenatal care.
(2) The Agency for Health Care Administration shall monitor compliance of each participating school district with the Medicaid provider agreements. In addition, the Agency for Health Care Administration shall develop standardized recordkeeping procedures for the school districts that meet Medicaid requirements for audit purposes.
(3) Each school district’s continued participation in certifying funds to be reimbursed for Medicaid expenditures is contingent upon the district providing to the department an annual accounting of how the federal Medicaid reimbursements are utilized.
(4) Funds generated pursuant to this section may be used for autism therapy services allowed by federal law.
(5) Lab schools, as authorized under s. 1002.32, shall be authorized to participate in the Medicaid certified school match program on the same basis as school districts subject to the provisions of subsections (1)-(4) and ss. 409.9071 and 409.908(21).
History.—s. 662, ch. 2002-387; s. 69, ch. 2004-41; s. 34, ch. 2016-65; s. 27, ch. 2017-129.
1011.71 District school tax.—
(1) If the district school tax is not provided in the General Appropriations Act or the substantive bill implementing the General Appropriations Act, each district school board desiring to participate in the state allocation of funds for current operation as prescribed by s. 1011.62(15) shall levy on the taxable value for school purposes of the district, exclusive of millage voted under s. 9(b) or s. 12, Art. VII of the State Constitution, a millage rate not to exceed the amount certified by the commissioner as the minimum millage rate necessary to provide the district required local effort for the current year, pursuant to s. 1011.62(4)(a)1. In addition to the required local effort millage levy, each district school board may levy a nonvoted current operating discretionary millage. The Legislature shall prescribe annually in the appropriations act the maximum amount of millage a district may levy.
(2) In addition to the maximum millage levy as provided in subsection (1), each school board may levy not more than 1.5 mills against the taxable value for school purposes for charter schools pursuant to s. 1013.62(1) and (3) and for district schools to fund:
(a) New construction, remodeling projects, sites and site improvement or expansion to new sites, existing sites, auxiliary facilities, athletic facilities, or ancillary facilities.
(b) Maintenance, renovation, and repair of existing school plants or of leased facilities to correct deficiencies pursuant to s. 1013.15(2).
(c) The purchase, lease-purchase, or lease of school buses.
(d) The purchase, lease-purchase, or lease of new and replacement equipment; computer and device hardware and operating system software necessary for gaining access to or enhancing the use of electronic and digital instructional content and resources; 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 districtwide administration or state-mandated reporting requirements. Enterprise resource software may be acquired by annual license fees, maintenance fees, or lease agreements.
(e) Payments for educational facilities and sites due under a lease-purchase agreement entered into by a district school board pursuant to s. 1003.02(1)(f) or s. 1013.15(2), not exceeding, in the aggregate, an amount equal to three-fourths of the proceeds from the millage levied by a district school board pursuant to this subsection. The three-fourths limit is waived for lease-purchase agreements entered into before June 30, 2009, by a district school board pursuant to this paragraph. If payments under lease-purchase agreements in the aggregate, including lease-purchase agreements entered into before June 30, 2009, exceed three-fourths of the proceeds from the millage levied pursuant to this subsection, the district school board may not withhold the administrative fees authorized by s. 1002.33(20) from any charter school operating in the school district.
(f) Payment of loans approved pursuant to ss. 1011.14 and 1011.15.
(g) Payment of costs directly related to complying with state and federal environmental statutes, rules, and regulations governing school facilities.
(h) Payment of costs of leasing relocatable educational facilities, of renting or leasing educational facilities and sites pursuant to s. 1013.15(2), or of renting or leasing buildings or space within existing buildings pursuant to s. 1013.15(4).
(i) Payment of the cost of school buses when a school district contracts with a private entity to provide student transportation services if the district meets the requirements of this paragraph.
1. The district’s contract must require that the private entity purchase, lease-purchase, or lease, and operate and maintain, one or more school buses of a specific type and size that meet the requirements of s. 1006.25.
2. Each such school bus must be used for the daily transportation of public school students in the manner required by the school district.
3. Annual payment for each such school bus may not exceed 10 percent of the purchase price of the state pool bid.
4. The proposed expenditure of the funds for this purpose must have been included in the district school board’s notice of proposed tax for school capital outlay as provided in s. 200.065(10).
(j) Payment of the cost of the opening day collection for the library media center of a new school.
(k) Payment of salaries and benefits for employees whose job duties support activities funded by this subsection.
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2), if the revenue from 1.5 mills is insufficient to meet the payments due under a lease-purchase agreement entered into before June 30, 2009, by a district school board pursuant to paragraph (2)(e), or to meet other critical district fixed capital outlay needs, the board, in addition to the 1.5 mills, may levy up to 0.25 mills for fixed capital outlay in lieu of levying an equivalent amount of the discretionary mills for operations as provided in the General Appropriations Act. Millage levied pursuant to this subsection is subject to the provisions of s. 200.065 and, combined with the 1.5 mills authorized in subsection (2), may not exceed 1.75 mills. If the district chooses to use up to 0.25 mills for fixed capital outlay, the compression adjustment pursuant to s. 1011.62(5) shall be calculated for the standard discretionary millage that is not eligible for transfer to capital outlay.
(4) If the revenue from the millage authorized in subsection (2) is insufficient to make payments due under a lease-purchase agreement entered into prior to June 30, 2008, by a district school board pursuant to paragraph (2)(e), an amount up to 0.5 mills of the taxable value for school purposes within the school district shall be legally available for such payments, notwithstanding other restrictions on the use of such revenues imposed by law.
(5) A school district may expend, subject to s. 200.065, up to $200 per unweighted full-time equivalent student from the revenue generated by the millage levy authorized by subsection (2) to fund, in addition to expenditures authorized in paragraphs (2)(a)-(j), expenses for the following:
(a) The 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.
(b) Payment of the cost of premiums, as defined in s. 627.403, for property and casualty insurance necessary to insure school district educational and ancillary plants. As used in this paragraph, casualty insurance has the same meaning as in s. 624.605(1)(b), (d), (f), (g), (h), and (m). Operating revenues that are made available through the payment of property and casualty insurance premiums from revenues generated under this subsection may be expended only for nonrecurring operational expenditures of the school district.
(6) Violations of the expenditure provisions in subsection (2) or subsection (5) shall result in an equal dollar reduction in the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) funds for the violating district in the fiscal year following the audit citation.
(7) These taxes shall be certified, assessed, and collected as prescribed in s. 1011.04 and shall be expended as provided by law.
(8) Nothing in s. 1011.62(4)(a)1. shall in any way be construed to increase the maximum school millage levies as provided for in subsection (1).
(9) In addition to the maximum millage levied under this section and the General Appropriations Act, a school district may levy, by local referendum or in a general election, additional millage for school operational purposes up to an amount that, when combined with nonvoted millage levied under this section, does not exceed the 10-mill limit established in s. 9(b), Art. VII of the State Constitution. Any such levy shall be for a maximum of 4 years and shall be counted as part of the 10-mill limit established in s. 9(b), Art. VII of the State Constitution. For the purpose of distributing taxes collected pursuant to this subsection, the term “school operational purposes” includes charter schools sponsored by a school district. Millage elections conducted under the authority granted pursuant to this section are subject to s. 1011.73. Funds generated by such additional millage do not become a part of the calculation of the Florida Education Finance Program total potential funds in 2001-2002 or any subsequent year and must not be incorporated in the calculation of any hold-harmless or other component of the Florida Education Finance Program formula in any year. If an increase in required local effort, when added to existing millage levied under the 10-mill limit, would result in a combined millage in excess of the 10-mill limit, any millage levied pursuant to this subsection shall be considered to be required local effort to the extent that the district millage would otherwise exceed the 10-mill limit. Funds levied under this subsection shall be shared with charter schools based on each charter school’s proportionate share of the district’s total unweighted full-time equivalent student enrollment and used in a manner consistent with the purposes of the levy. The referendum must contain an explanation of the distribution methodology consistent with the requirements of this subsection.
History.—s. 28, ch. 2002-296; s. 663, ch. 2002-387; ss. 17, 18, ch. 2003-399; s. 1, ch. 2004-346; s. 7, ch. 2006-27; s. 54, ch. 2006-74; s. 9, ch. 2006-190; s. 178, ch. 2007-5; s. 4, ch. 2007-59; s. 4, ch. 2007-194; ss. 7, 33, ch. 2007-321; ss. 4, 5, ch. 2007-328; ss. 6, 7, ch. 2008-2; ss. 10, 11, ch. 2008-142; ss. 1, 2, ch. 2008-213; ss. 12, 13, ch. 2009-3; s. 33, ch. 2009-59; s. 129, ch. 2010-5; s. 30, ch. 2010-154; s. 36, ch. 2011-55; s. 98, ch. 2012-5; s. 17, ch. 2012-133; s. 88, ch. 2014-39; s. 28, ch. 2014-56; ss. 8, 9, ch. 2015-222; ss. 22, 23, 126, ch. 2016-62; s. 29, ch. 2016-237; s. 29, ch. 2017-116; s. 32, ch. 2018-6; s. 110, ch. 2018-110; s. 53, ch. 2018-118; s. 131, ch. 2019-3; s. 17, ch. 2019-4; s. 16, ch. 2019-23; s. 16, ch. 2019-42; s. 12, ch. 2021-44; s. 38, ch. 2022-97; s. 56, ch. 2022-154; s. 20, ch. 2023-16; s. 17, ch. 2024-159; s. 27, ch. 2025-109; s. 44, ch. 2025-110.
1011.715 Resolution regarding school capital outlay surcharge.—The resolution of a district school board providing for the imposition of the school capital outlay surtax authorized in s. 212.055(6) may include a covenant by the district school board to decrease the capital local school property tax levied pursuant to s. 1011.71(2) and to maintain that tax at the reduced millage as long as the surtax is in effect. The resolution may also provide that the surtax shall sunset on December 31 of any year in which the district school board levies the capital property tax under s. 1011.71(2) at a millage rate in excess of the reduced millage rate promised in the resolution. Finally, if the surtax revenues are pledged to service bonded indebtedness, the district school board may covenant not to levy the capital property tax under s. 1011.71(2) at a millage rate in excess of the reduced millage rate promised in the resolution.
History.—s. 664, ch. 2002-387.
1011.72 Levy based on interim assessment roll; reimbursement to state for additional taxes collected upon reconciliation of roll.—In any year in which the base student allocation has been guaranteed to school districts through the use of state funds, a school district which levied taxes based on an interim assessment roll shall be required to reimburse the state in an amount equal to the additional taxes collected upon reconciliation of that roll. Beginning with the distribution following the delinquency date of the supplemental bills, the state shall withhold all funds otherwise available to that school district from the appropriation to the Florida Education Finance Program until such time as the state is completely reimbursed.
History.—s. 665, ch. 2002-387.
1011.73 District millage elections.—
(1) MILLAGE AUTHORIZED NOT TO EXCEED 2 YEARS.—The district school board, pursuant to resolution adopted at a regular meeting, shall direct the county commissioners to call an election at which the electors within the school districts may approve an ad valorem tax millage as authorized in s. 9, Art. VII of the State Constitution. Such election may be held at any time, except that not more than one such election shall be held during any 12-month period. Any millage so authorized shall be levied for a period not in excess of 2 years or until changed by another millage election, whichever is the earlier. In the event any such election is invalidated by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidated election shall be considered not to have been held.
(2) MILLAGE AUTHORIZED NOT TO EXCEED 4 YEARS.—The district school board, pursuant to resolution adopted at a regular meeting, shall direct the county commissioners to call an election at which the electors within the school district may approve an ad valorem tax millage as authorized under s. 1011.71(9). Such election may be held at any time, except that not more than one such election shall be held during any 12-month period. Any millage so authorized shall be levied for a period not in excess of 4 years or until changed by another millage election, whichever is earlier. If any such election is invalidated by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidated election shall be considered not to have been held.
(3) HOLDING ELECTIONS.—All school district millage elections shall be held and conducted in the manner prescribed by law for holding general elections, except as provided in this chapter. A referendum under this part shall be held only at a general election, as defined in s. 97.021.
(4) FORM OF BALLOT.—
(a) The district school board may propose a single millage or two millages, with one for operating expenses and another for a local capital improvement reserve fund. When two millage figures are proposed, each millage must be voted on separately.
(b) The district school board shall provide the wording of the substance of the measure and the ballot title in the resolution calling for the election. The wording of the ballot must conform to the provisions of s. 101.161.
(5) QUALIFICATION OF ELECTORS.—All qualified electors of the school district are entitled to vote in the election to set the school tax district millage levy.
(6) RESULTS OF ELECTION.—When the district school board proposes one tax levy for operating expenses and another for the local capital improvement reserve fund, the results shall be considered separately. The tax levy shall be levied only in case a majority of the electors participating in the election vote in favor of the proposed special millage.
(7) EXPENSES OF ELECTION.—The cost of the publication of the notice of the election and all expenses of the election in the school district shall be paid by the district school board.
History.—s. 666, ch. 2002-387; s. 5, ch. 2007-194; s. 12, ch. 2008-142; s. 130, ch. 2010-5; s. 31, ch. 2010-154; s. 8, ch. 2022-214.
1011.74 Source and use of district capital improvement fund.—The district capital improvement fund shall consist of funds derived from the sale of school district bonds authorized in s. 17, Art. XII of the State Constitution of 1885 as amended, together with any other funds directed to be placed therein by rules of the State Board of Education, and other similar funds which are to be used for capital outlay purposes within the district.
History.—s. 667, ch. 2002-387.
1011.75 Gifted education exemplary program grants.—
(1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Challenge Grant Program for the Gifted.”
(2) There is hereby created a grant program for education for the gifted which shall be administered by the Commissioner of Education in cooperation and consultation with appropriate organizations and associations concerned with education for the gifted and pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of Education. The program may be implemented in any public school.
(3) Pursuant to policies and rules to be adopted by the State Board of Education, each district school board, two or more district school boards in cooperation, or a public school principal through the district school board may submit to the commissioner a proposed program designed to effectuate an exemplary program for education for the gifted in a school, district, or group of districts. Consideration for funding shall be given to proposed programs of district school boards that are developed with the cooperation of a Florida College System institution or public or private college or university for the purpose of providing advanced accelerated instruction for public school students pursuant to s. 1003.435. In order to be approved, a program proposal must include:
(a) Clearly stated goals and objectives expressed, to the maximum extent possible, in measurable terms.
(b) Information concerning the number of students, teachers, and other personnel to be involved in the program.
(c) The estimated cost of the program and the number of years for which it is to be funded.
(d) Provisions for evaluation of the program and for its integration into the general curriculum and financial program of the school district or districts at the end of the funded period.
(e) Such other information and provisions as the commissioner requires.
(4) The commissioner shall review and approve, disapprove, or resubmit for modification all proposed programs for education for the gifted submitted. For those programs approved, the commissioner shall authorize distribution of funds equal to the cost of the program from funds appropriated to the Department of Education for exemplary program grants for education for the gifted as provided for by this section. These funds shall be in addition to any funds for education for the gifted provided pursuant to s. 1011.62.
History.—s. 668, ch. 2002-387; s. 173, ch. 2011-5.
1011.76 Small School District Stabilization Program.—
(1) There is created the Small School District Stabilization Program to assist school districts in rural communities that document economic conditions or other significant community influences that negatively impact the school district. The purpose of the program is to provide technical assistance and financial support to maintain the stability of the educational program in the school district. A rural community means a county with a population of 75,000 or less; or a county with a population of 100,000 or less that is contiguous to a county with a population of 75,000 or less.
(2) In order to participate in this program, a school district must be located in a rural area of opportunity designated by the Executive Office of the Governor, and the district school board must submit a resolution to the Department of Commerce requesting participation in the program. A rural area of opportunity must be a rural community, or a region composed of such, that has been adversely affected by an extraordinary economic event or a natural disaster or that presents a unique economic development concern or opportunity of regional impact. The resolution must be accompanied by documentation of the economic conditions in the community and provide information indicating the negative impact of these conditions on the school district’s financial stability, and the school district must participate in a best financial management practices review to determine potential efficiencies that could be implemented to reduce program costs in the district.
(3) The Department of Commerce, in consultation with the Department of Education, shall review the resolution and other information required by subsection (2) and determine whether the school district is eligible to participate in the program. Factors influencing the determination of the Department of Commerce may include, but are not limited to, reductions in the county tax roll resulting from business closures or other causes, or a reduction in student enrollment due to business closures or impacts in the local economy.
(4) The Department of Education may award the school district a stabilization grant intended to protect the district from continued financial reductions. The amount of the grant will be determined by the Department of Education and may be equivalent to the amount of the decline in revenues projected for the next fiscal year. In addition, the Department of Commerce may implement a rural economic development initiative to identify the economic factors that are negatively impacting the community to develop a plan to assist the county with its economic transition. The grant will be available to the school district for a period of up to 5 years to the extent that funding is provided for such purpose in the General Appropriations Act.
(5) Based on the availability of funds, the Department of Commerce or the Department of Education may enter into contracts or issue grants necessary to implement the program.
History.—s. 669, ch. 2002-387; s. 470, ch. 2011-142; s. 89, ch. 2014-39; s. 43, ch. 2014-218; s. 146, ch. 2023-173; s. 255, ch. 2024-6.
1011.765 Florida Academic Improvement Trust Fund matching grants.—
(1) MATCHING GRANTS.—The Florida Academic Improvement Trust Fund shall be utilized to provide matching grants to the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind Endowment Fund and to any public school district education foundation that meets the requirements of this section. For purposes of this section, a public school district education foundation includes each district school board direct-support organization established pursuant to s. 1001.453 and the education foundation established by the Florida Virtual School established pursuant to s. 1002.37. Donations, state matching funds, or proceeds from endowments established pursuant to this section shall be used at the discretion of the public school district education foundation or the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind for academic achievement within the school district or school, and shall not be expended for the construction of facilities or for the support of interscholastic athletics. No public school district education foundation or the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind shall accept or purchase facilities for which the state will be asked for operating funds unless the Legislature has granted prior approval for such acquisition.
(2) ALLOCATION OF THE TRUST FUND.—Funds appropriated to the Florida Academic Improvement Trust Fund shall be allocated by the Department of Education in the following manner:
(a) For every year in which there is a legislative appropriation to the trust fund, an equal amount of the annual appropriation, to be determined by dividing the total legislative appropriation by the number of local education foundations as well as the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, must be reserved for each public school district education foundation and the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind Endowment Fund to provide each foundation and the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind with an opportunity to receive and match appropriated funds. Trust funds that remain unmatched by contribution on April 1 of any year shall be made available for matching by any public school district education foundation and by the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind which shall have an opportunity to apply for excess trust funds prior to the award of such funds.
(b) Matching grants shall be proportionately allocated from the trust fund on the basis of matching each $4 of state funds with $6 of private funds. To be eligible for matching, a minimum of $4,500 must be raised from private sources.
(c) Funds sufficient to provide the match shall be transferred from the state trust fund to the public school education foundation or to the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind Endowment Fund upon notification that a proportionate amount has been received and deposited by the foundation or school into its own trust fund.
(d) If the total of the amounts to be distributed in any quarter pursuant to this subsection exceeds the amount of funds remaining from specific appropriations made for the implementation of this section, all grants shall be proportionately reduced so that the total of matching grants distributed does not exceed available appropriations.
(3) GRANT ADMINISTRATION.—
(a) Each public school district education foundation and the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind participating in the Florida Academic Improvement Trust Fund shall separately account for all funds received pursuant to this section, and may establish its own academic improvement trust fund as a depository for the private contributions, state matching funds, and earnings on investments of such funds. State matching funds shall be transferred to the public school district education foundation or to the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind Endowment Fund upon notification that the foundation or school has received and deposited private contributions that meet the criteria for matching as provided in this section. The public school district education foundations and the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind are responsible for the maintenance, investment, and administration of their academic improvement trust funds.
(b) The public school district education foundations and the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind shall be responsible for soliciting and receiving contributions to be deposited and matched with grants for academic achievement within the school district or school.
(c) Each public school district education foundation and the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind shall be responsible for proper expenditure of the funds received pursuant to this section.
History.—s. 670, ch. 2002-387; s. 121, ch. 2013-18; s. 24, ch. 2024-230.
1011.77 Special laws and general laws of local application prohibited.—
(1) Pursuant to s. 11(a)(21), Art. III of the State Constitution, the Legislature hereby prohibits special laws and general laws of local application pertaining to:
(a) The assessment or collection of taxes for school purposes insofar as it may affect the distribution of state funds, including the determination of millages therefor, the extension of time therefor, relief of tax officers from due performance of their duties, and relief of their sureties from liability.
(b) The Florida Education Finance Program as enacted in 1973 or as subsequently amended.
(2) The department shall determine whether any district has received additional funds subsequent to June 30, 1973, as a result of any special law or general law of local application described in subsection (1) and shall deduct an amount equal to any such additional funds from allocations to that district.
History.—s. 671, ch. 2002-387.
1011.78 Standard student attire incentive payments.—There is created an incentive payment for school districts and charter schools that implement a standard student attire policy for all students in kindergarten through grade 8 in accordance with this section.
(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Students Attired for Education (SAFE) Act.”
(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of a standard student attire policy is to provide a safe environment for students which fosters learning and improves school safety and discipline by:
(a) Encouraging students to express their individuality through personality and academic achievements, rather than outward appearance.
(b) Enabling students to focus on academics, rather than fashion, because they are able to convey a neat, serious, and studious image.
(c) Minimizing disciplinary problems because students are not distracted by clothing.
(d) Reducing the time needed to correct dress code violations through a readily available inventory of compliant attire.
(e) Minimizing visible differences between students and eliminating social pressures to wear brand-name clothing or colors to show gang affiliation, thereby easing financial pressures on parents and enhancing school safety.
(f) Creating a sense of school pride and belonging.
(3) QUALIFICATIONS.—To qualify for the incentive payment, a school district or charter school must, at a minimum, implement a standard attire policy that:
(a) Applies to all students in kindergarten through grade 8 in the school district or charter school, regardless of individual school grade configurations.
(b) Prohibits certain types or styles of clothing.
(c) Allows reasonable accommodations based on a student’s religion, disability, or medical condition.
(4) AWARD.—Subject to the appropriation of funds by the Legislature, a qualified school district or charter school shall receive an annual award of not less than $10 per student in kindergarten through grade 8, as specified in the General Appropriations Act. Before the release of funds, but no later than September 1 of each year, the district school superintendent or the charter school governing board shall certify to the commissioner that the school district or charter school has implemented a districtwide or schoolwide standard student attire policy, respectively, in accordance with this section. A charter school may also qualify by participating in its sponsor’s qualifying policy. The commissioner shall make payment of awards to school districts and charter schools in the order in which certifications are received. As of June 30 of each year, any funds provided pursuant to this section that have not been disbursed to qualified school districts and charter schools revert to the fund from which they were appropriated pursuant to s. 216.301.
(5) IMMUNITY.—A district school board or governing board of a charter school that implements a districtwide or schoolwide standard student attire policy, respectively, is immune from civil liability resulting from adoption of the policy in accordance with this section.
History.—s. 2, ch. 2016-2; s. 6, ch. 2017-116.
PART III
FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE EDUCATION
1011.80 Funds for operation of workforce education programs.
1011.801 Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program.
1011.802 Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program.
1011.803 Money-back Guarantee Program.
1011.804 GATE Startup Grant Program.
1011.8041 GATE Program Performance Fund.
1011.80 Funds for operation of workforce education programs.—
(1) As used in this section, the terms “workforce education” and “workforce education program” include:
(a) Adult general education programs designed to improve the employability skills of the state’s workforce as defined in s. 1004.02(3).
(b) Career certificate programs, as defined in s. 1004.02(20).
(c) Applied technology diploma programs.
(d) Continuing workforce education courses.
(e) Degree career education programs.
(f) Apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs as defined in s. 446.021.
(2) Any workforce education program may be conducted by a Florida College System institution or a school district career center as described in this subsection and, if applicable, as approved by the State Board of Education pursuant to s. 1001.03(15). Any instruction designed to articulate to a degree program is subject to guidelines and standards adopted by the State Board of Education under s. 1007.25.
(a) To be responsive to industry needs for a skilled workforce, Florida College System institutions and school districts may offer continuing workforce education courses or programs without prior State Board of Education approval. Each Florida College System institution and school district offering continuing workforce education courses or programs must maintain adequate and accurate records of instructional activity. For purposes of measuring program performance and responsiveness to industry needs, institutions must report continuing workforce education instructional activity in a format prescribed by the Department of Education. Continuing workforce education courses and programs are exempt from the requirements in paragraphs (b) and (c) and are ineligible for performance funding.
(b) The State Board of Education shall establish criteria, based on the framework of quality established by the Credentials Review Committee under s. 445.004(4), for review and approval of new workforce education programs by a Florida College System institution or a school district that are not included in the statewide curriculum framework.
(c) A Florida College System institution or school district offering a new workforce education program that is in the statewide curriculum framework must be approved by the board of trustees of the Florida College System institution or the district school board based on criteria that must include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. A description of the new workforce education program that includes all of the following:
a. An analysis of workforce demand and unmet need consistent with the information provided by the Labor Market Statistics Center within the Department of Commerce for graduates of the program on a district, regional, or statewide basis, as appropriate, including evidence from entities independent of the technical center or institution.
b. The geographic region to be served.
2. Documentation of collaboration among technical centers and institutions serving the same students in a geographical or service area that enhances program offerings and prevents program duplication that exceeds workforce need. Unnecessary duplication of programs offered by public and private institutions must be avoided.
3. Alignment of program offerings with credentials or degree programs identified on the Master Credentials List under s. 445.004(4).
4. Articulation agreements between technical centers and Florida College System institutions for the enrollment of graduates in related workforce education programs.
5. Documentation of alignment between the exit requirements of a technical center and the admissions requirements of a Florida College System institution into which students typically transfer.
6. Performance and compliance indicators that will be used in determining the program’s success.
(3) Each school district and Florida College System institution receiving state appropriations for workforce education programs must maintain adequate and accurate records, including a system to record school district workforce education funding and expenditures, to maintain the separation of postsecondary workforce education expenditures and secondary workforce education expenditures. These records must be submitted to the Department of Education in accordance with rules of the State Board of Education.
(4) If a program for disabled adults pursuant to s. 1004.93 is a workforce program as defined in law, it must be funded as provided in this section.
(5) Funding for all workforce education programs must be based on cost categories, performance output measures, and performance outcome measures.
(a) The cost categories must be calculated to identify high-cost programs, medium-cost programs, and low-cost programs. The cost analysis used to calculate and assign a program of study to a cost category must include at least both direct and indirect instructional costs, consumable supplies, equipment, and standard program length.
(b) The performance output measure for an adult general education course of study is measurable improvement in student skills. This measure shall include improvement in literacy skills, grade level improvement as measured by an approved test, or attainment of a State of Florida diploma or an adult high school diploma.
(c) The performance outcome measures for adult general education programs are associated with placement and retention of students after reaching a completion point or completing a program of study. These measures include placement or retention in employment. Continuing postsecondary education at a level that will further enhance employment is a performance outcome for adult general education programs.
(6) State funding and student fees for workforce education instruction shall be established as follows:
(a) Expenditures for the continuing workforce education programs provided by the Florida College System institutions or school districts must be fully supported by fees, except for preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs as defined in s. 446.021(5) and (6). Enrollments in continuing workforce education courses shall not be counted for purposes of funding full-time equivalent enrollment, except for preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs as defined in s. 446.021(5) and (6).
(b) For all other workforce education programs, state funding shall be calculated based on a weighted enrollment and program cost minus fee revenues generated to offset program operational costs, including any supplemental cost factors recommended by the District Workforce Education Funding Steering Committee. Fees for courses within a program shall not vary according to the cost of the individual program, but instead shall be as provided in s. 1009.22, unless otherwise specified in the General Appropriations Act.
(c) For fee-exempt students pursuant to s. 1009.25, unless otherwise provided for in law, state funding shall equal 100 percent of the average cost of instruction.
(d) For a public educational institution that has been fully funded by an external agency for direct instructional costs of any course or program, the FTE generated shall not be reported for state funding.
(7)(a) A school district or a Florida College System institution that provides workforce education programs shall receive funds in accordance with distributions for base and performance funding established by the Legislature in the General Appropriations Act. To ensure equitable funding for all school district workforce education programs and to recognize enrollment growth, the Department of Education shall use the funding model developed by the District Workforce Education Funding Steering Committee to determine each district’s workforce education funding needs. Any District Workforce Education Funding Steering Committee meeting held for the purpose of taking action or recommending the workload for the funding model used by the Department of Education shall be publicly noticed 7 days in advance, open to the public, and provide a reasonable opportunity for public comment. All workpapers shall be published and distributed at the time of notice. Such meetings may be held using communications media technology. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “communications media technology” means telephone conference, video conference, or other communications technology by which all persons attending a public meeting or workshop may audibly communicate. To assist the Legislature in allocating workforce education funds in the General Appropriations Act, the funding model shall annually be provided to the legislative appropriations committees no less than 2 months before the start of the regular session of the Legislature.
(b) Performance funding for industry certifications for school district workforce education programs is contingent upon specific appropriation in the General Appropriations Act and must be determined as follows:
1. Postsecondary industry certifications identified on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List approved by the State Board of Education under s. 1008.44 are eligible for performance funding.
2. Unless otherwise specified in the General Appropriations Act, each district school board shall be provided $1,000 for each industry certification earned by a workforce education student. If funds are insufficient to fully fund the calculated total award, such funds must be prorated. The department shall annually, by October 1, report to the Legislature industry certifications sorted into three tiers based upon the anticipated average wages of all occupations to which each certification is linked on the Master Credentials List.
(c) A program is established to assist school districts and Florida College System institutions in responding to the needs of new and expanding businesses and thereby strengthening the state’s workforce and economy. The program may be funded in the General Appropriations Act. The district or Florida College System institution shall use the program to provide customized training for businesses which satisfies the requirements of s. 288.047. Business firms whose employees receive the customized training must provide 50 percent of the cost of the training. Balances remaining in the program at the end of the fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund, but shall be carried over for 1 additional year and used for the purpose of serving incumbent worker training needs of area businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Priority shall be given to businesses that must increase or upgrade their use of technology to remain competitive.
(8)(a) A school district or Florida College System institution that receives workforce education funds must use the money to benefit the workforce education programs it provides. The money may be used for equipment upgrades, program expansions, or any other use that would result in workforce education program improvement. The district school board or Florida College System institution board of trustees may not withhold any portion of the performance funding for indirect costs.
(b) Notwithstanding s. 1011.81(4), state funds provided for the operation of postsecondary workforce programs may be expended for the education of state inmates with 24 months or less of time remaining to serve on their sentences.
(9) School districts shall report full-time equivalent students by discipline category for the programs specified in subsection (1). There shall be an annual cost analysis for the school district workforce education programs that reports cost by discipline category consistent with the reporting for full-time equivalent students. The annual financial reports submitted by the school districts must accurately report on the student fee revenues by fee type according to the programs specified in subsection (1). The Department of Education shall develop a plan for comparable reporting of program, student, facility, personnel, and financial data between the Florida College System institutions and the school district workforce education programs.
(10) A high school student dually enrolled under s. 1007.271 in a workforce education program operated by a Florida College System institution or school district career center generates the amount calculated for workforce education funding, including any payment of performance funding, and the proportional share of full-time equivalent enrollment generated through the Florida Education Finance Program for the student’s enrollment in a high school. If a high school student is dually enrolled in a Florida College System institution program, including a program conducted at a high school, the Florida College System institution earns the funds generated for workforce education funding, and the school district earns the proportional share of full-time equivalent funding from the Florida Education Finance Program. If a student is dually enrolled in a career center operated by the same district as the district in which the student attends high school, that district earns the funds generated for workforce education funding and also earns the proportional share of full-time equivalent funding from the Florida Education Finance Program. If a student is dually enrolled in a workforce education program provided by a career center operated by a different school district, the funds must be divided between the two school districts proportionally from the two funding sources. A student may not be reported for funding in a dual enrollment workforce education program unless the student has completed the basic skills assessment pursuant to s. 1004.91. A student who is coenrolled in a K-12 education program and an adult education program may be reported for purposes of funding in an adult education program. If a student is coenrolled in courses for credit recovery or dropout prevention purposes and does not have a pattern of excessive absenteeism or habitual truancy or a history of disruptive behavior in school, the student may be reported for funding for up to four courses per year. Such a student is exempt from the payment of the block tuition for adult general education programs provided in s. 1009.22(3)(c).
(11) The State Board of Education shall phase out program offerings that do not align with the framework of quality or do not meet labor market demand under s. 445.004(4) or that are unwarranted program duplications.
(12) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to administer this section.
History.—s. 673, ch. 2002-387; s. 12, ch. 2004-271; s. 7, ch. 2004-357; s. 25, ch. 2010-155; s. 174, ch. 2011-5; s. 35, ch. 2011-63; s. 36, ch. 2012-134; s. 58, ch. 2013-27; s. 188, ch. 2014-17; s. 90, ch. 2014-39; s. 119, ch. 2015-2; s. 58, ch. 2015-98; ss. 44, 45, ch. 2018-10; s. 3, ch. 2018-104; s. 16, ch. 2019-103; ss. 9, 11, 52, 53, 115, ch. 2019-116; s. 32, ch. 2019-119; s. 40, ch. 2020-30; ss. 53, 54, ch. 2020-114; ss. 24, 25, ch. 2021-37; s. 35, ch. 2021-164; s. 3, ch. 2022-143; ss. 31, 32, 99, ch. 2022-157; s. 36, ch. 2023-81; s. 256, ch. 2024-6; s. 7, ch. 2024-161; s. 2, ch. 2025-139.
1011.801 Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program.—The Legislature recognizes that the need for school districts, charter schools, and Florida College System institutions to be able to respond to emerging local or statewide economic development needs is critical to the workforce development system. The Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program is created to provide grants to school districts, charter schools, and Florida College System institutions to fund some or all of the costs associated with the creation or expansion of career and technical education programs that lead to industry certifications included on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List. The programs may serve secondary students or postsecondary students if the postsecondary career and technical education program also serves secondary students in grades 6 through 12.
(1) Funds awarded for a workforce development capitalization incentive grant may be used for instructional equipment, laboratory equipment, supplies, personnel, student services, or other expenses associated with the creation or expansion of a career and technical education program that serves secondary students. Expansion of a program may include either the expansion of enrollments in a program or expansion into new areas of specialization within a program. No grant funds may be used for recurring instructional costs or for institutions’ indirect costs.
(2) The Department of Education shall administer the program. The State Board of Education may adopt rules for program administration. The State Board of Education shall consider the statewide geographic dispersion of grant funds in ranking the applications and shall give priority to applications from education agencies that are making maximum use of their workforce development funding by offering high-performing, high-demand programs or to applications from a job engine charter school under s. 1002.33(15)(c).
History.—s. 674, ch. 2002-387; s. 175, ch. 2011-5; s. 59, ch. 2015-98; s. 41, ch. 2020-30; s. 36, ch. 2021-164; s. 37, ch. 2023-81; s. 28, ch. 2025-109; s. 1, ch. 2025-144.
1011.802 Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program.—
(1) Subject to appropriations provided in the General Appropriations Act, the Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program is created to provide grants to high schools, career centers, charter technical career centers, Florida College System institutions, and other entities authorized to sponsor an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program, as defined in s. 446.021(6) and (5), respectively, to establish, expand, and operate new and existing apprenticeship or preapprenticeship programs. An individual applicant may not receive more than 10 percent of the total amount appropriated.
(2) The department shall administer the grant, identify projects, solicit proposals, and make funding recommendations to the Commissioner of Education, who is authorized to approve grant awards for preapprenticeship or apprenticeship programs with demonstrated statewide or regional demand that:
(a) Address a critical statewide or regional shortage, with consideration given to the information provided by the Labor Market Statistics Center within the Department of Commerce, the Labor Market Estimating Conference, and the Credentials Review Committee; or
(b) Expand existing programs that exceed the median completion rate and employment rate 1 year after completion of similar programs in the region, or the state if there are no similar programs in the region.
(3) Grant funds may be used to fund the cost of providing related technical instruction, for instructional equipment, supplies, instructional personnel, student services, and other expenses associated with the creation, expansion, or operation of an apprenticeship program. Grant funds may not be used for administrative or indirect costs. Grant recipients must submit quarterly reports in a format prescribed by the department.
(4) The department may grant a bonus in the award amount to applicants that submit a joint application for shared resources.
(5) The department shall annually report on its website:
(a) The number of programs funded and represented throughout the state under this section.
(b) Retention, completion, and employment rates, categorized by program and provider.
(c) Starting and ending salaries, as categorized by program and provider, for participants who complete the program.
(6) The department may use up to $400,000 of the total amount allocated to administer the grant program.
(7) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer this section.
History.—s. 33, ch. 2019-119; s. 37, ch. 2021-164; s. 87, ch. 2022-4; s. 38, ch. 2023-81; s. 257, ch. 2024-6.
1011.803 Money-back Guarantee Program.—
(1) The Money-back Guarantee Program is established to help individuals achieve self-sufficiency by requiring each school district and Florida College System institution to refund the cost of tuition to students who are not able to find a job in the field in which the student was trained within 6 months of successful completion of select workforce education programs that prepare students for in-demand, middle-level to high-level wage occupations.
(2) Each school district and Florida College System institution shall establish a money-back guarantee program to:
(a) Offer a money-back guarantee on at least three programs. However, by July 1, 2026, each school district and Florida College System institution must offer a money-back guarantee on at least three additional programs and notify the State Board of Education of such programs.
(b) Establish student eligibility criteria for the reimbursement of tuition under the money-back guarantee program that includes:
1. Student attendance.
2. Student program performance.
3. Career Service or Career Day attendance.
4. Participation in internship or work-study programs.
5. Job search documentation.
6. Development of a student career plan with the institution’s career services department.

Enrollment in a program established pursuant to this subsection constitutes enrollment in the money-back guarantee program. Eligibility criteria for the reimbursement of tuition established by the school district or Florida College System institution pursuant to subparagraphs 4. and 5. may not exceed the work search requirements under s. 443.091.

(3) No later than July 1, 2022, each school district and Florida College System institution shall notify the State Board of Education of the money-back guarantee programs it offers. Information about these programs shall be made available on each school district’s and Florida College System institution’s website, on the department’s website, and on EmployFlorida’s website.
(4) By November 1 of each year, the Department of Education shall report performance results and eligibility criteria for the reimbursement of tuition by school district, Florida College System institution, and program to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
History.—s. 38, ch. 2021-164; s. 39, ch. 2023-81; s. 2, ch. 2025-144.
1011.804 GATE Startup Grant Program.—
(1) The GATE Startup Grant Program is established within the Department of Education to fund and support the startup and implementation of the GATE Program, subject to legislative appropriation. The purpose of the grant program is to increase access to programs that support adult learners earning a high school credential, either a high school diploma or its equivalent, and a workforce credential aligned to statewide or regional demand. The department shall administer the grants, determine eligibility, and distribute grant awards.
(2) As used in this section, the term “institution” means a school district career center established under s. 1001.44, a charter technical career center established under s. 1002.34, or a Florida College System institution identified in s. 1000.21 which offers the GATE Program pursuant to s. 1004.933.
(3) The department may solicit proposals from institutions without programs that meet the requirements of s. 1004.933. Such institutions must be located in or serve a rural area of opportunity as designated by the Governor.
(4) The department shall prioritize grant proposals that combine adult basic education, adult secondary education, and career education programs at one location or allow students to complete programs through distance learning. An applicant may not receive more than 10 percent of the total amount appropriated for the program.
(5) The department shall make the grant application available to potential applicants no later than August 15, 2024. A grant proposal must include:
(a) The institution or institutions that will provide the adult basic education, adult secondary education, and career education programs;
(b) The proposed adult basic education and adult secondary education program or programs the institution or institutions will provide, and the projected enrollment for such program or programs;
(c) The proposed career education program or programs the institution or institutions will provide and the projected enrollment for such program or programs;
(d) The credential or credentials associated with the career education program or programs. Such credential or credentials must be included on the Master Credentials List under s. 445.004(4);
(e) The cost of instruction for all programs contemplated in the proposal, including costs for tuition, fees, registration, and laboratory, examination, and instructional materials costs;
(f) Outreach strategies, including collaboration with local workforce development boards; and
(g) A plan or timeline for implementing s. 1004.933 and enrolling students.
(6) Grant funds may be used for planning activities and other expenses associated with the creation of the GATE Program, such as expenses related to program instruction, instructional equipment, supplies, instructional personnel, and student services. Grant funds may not be used for indirect costs. Grant recipients must submit an annual report in a format prescribed by the department. The department shall consolidate such annual reports and include the reports in the report required by s. 1004.933(6).
(7) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to administer this section.
History.—s. 8, ch. 2024-161; s. 111, ch. 2025-6.
1011.8041 GATE Program Performance Fund.—
(1) The GATE Program Performance Fund is created to reward institutions for the documented success of students participating in the GATE Program established under s. 1004.933.
(2) As used in this section, the term “institution” means a school district career center established under s. 1001.44, a charter technical career center established under s. 1002.34, or a Florida College System institution identified in s. 1000.21 which offers the GATE Program pursuant to s. 1004.933.
(3) Subject to legislative appropriation, each participating institution must receive $1,000 per student who completes the GATE Program by earning a standard high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma and a credential on the Master Credentials List under s. 445.004(4) within 3 years. If the student earned his or her diploma and credential at different institutions, then each institution must receive $500. If funds are insufficient to fully fund the calculated total award, such funds must be prorated among the institutions.
(4) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to implement this section.
History.—s. 9, ch. 2024-161.
PART IV
FUNDING FOR FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM
INSTITUTIONS
1011.81 Florida College System Program Fund.
1011.82 Requirements for participation in Florida College System Program Fund.
1011.83 Financial support of Florida College System institutions.
1011.84 Procedure for determining state financial support and annual apportionment of state funds to each Florida College System institution district.
1011.85 Dr. Philip Benjamin Matching Grant Program for Florida College System Institutions.
1011.86 Educational leadership enhancement grants.
1011.81 Florida College System Program Fund.—
(1) There is established a Florida College System Program Fund. This fund shall comprise all appropriations made by the Legislature for the support of the current operating program and shall be apportioned and distributed to the Florida College System institution districts of the state on the basis of procedures established by law and rules of the State Board of Education. The annual apportionment for each Florida College System institution district shall be distributed monthly in payments as nearly equal as possible.
(2) Performance funding for industry certifications for Florida College System institutions is contingent upon specific appropriation in the General Appropriations Act and shall be determined as follows:
(a) Postsecondary industry certifications identified on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List approved by the State Board of Education under s. 1008.44 are eligible for performance funding.
(b) Unless otherwise specified in the General Appropriations Act, each Florida College System institution shall be provided $1,000 for each industry certification earned by a student under paragraph (a). If funds are insufficient to fully fund the calculated total award, such funds must be prorated. The department shall annually, by October 1, report to the Legislature industry certifications sorted into three tiers based upon the anticipated average wages of all occupations to which each certification is linked on the Master Credentials List.
(3) None of the funds made available in the Florida College System Program Fund, or funds made available to Florida College System institutions outside the Florida College System Program Fund, may be used to implement, organize, direct, coordinate, or administer, or to support the implementation, organization, direction, coordination, or administration of, activities related to, or involving, travel to a terrorist state. For purposes of this section, “terrorist state” is defined as any state, country, or nation designated by the United States Department of State as a state sponsor of terrorism.
(4) State funds provided for the Florida College System Program Fund may not be expended for the education of state or federal inmates.
History.—s. 676, ch. 2002-387; s. 1, ch. 2006-54; s. 176, ch. 2011-5; s. 36, ch. 2011-63; s. 99, ch. 2012-5; s. 59, ch. 2013-27; s. 120, ch. 2015-2; s. 17, ch. 2019-103; ss. 10, 11, 115, ch. 2019-116; s. 39, ch. 2021-164; s. 40, ch. 2023-81.
1011.82 Requirements for participation in Florida College System Program Fund.—Each Florida College System institution district which participates in the state appropriations for the Florida College System Program Fund shall provide evidence of its effort to maintain an adequate Florida College System institution program which shall:
(1) Meet the minimum standards prescribed by the State Board of Education in accordance with s. 1001.02(6).
(2) Effectively fulfill the mission of the Florida College System institutions in accordance with s. 1004.65.
History.—s. 677, ch. 2002-387; s. 157, ch. 2007-217; s. 177, ch. 2011-5.
1011.83 Financial support of Florida College System institutions.—
(1) Each Florida College System institution that has been approved by the Department of Education and meets the requirements of law and rules of the State Board of Education shall participate in the Florida College System Program Fund. However, funds to support workforce education programs conducted by Florida College System institutions shall be provided pursuant to s. 1011.80.
(2) A student in a baccalaureate degree program approved pursuant to s. 1007.33 who is not classified as a resident for tuition purposes pursuant to s. 1009.21 may not be included in calculations of full-time equivalent enrollments for state funding purposes.
History.—s. 678, ch. 2002-387; s. 9, ch. 2004-357; s. 9, ch. 2007-246; s. 31, ch. 2009-60; s. 26, ch. 2010-155; s. 178, ch. 2011-5.
1011.84 Procedure for determining state financial support and annual apportionment of state funds to each Florida College System institution district.—The procedure for determining state financial support and the annual apportionment to each Florida College System institution district authorized to operate a Florida College System institution under the provisions of s. 1001.61 shall be as follows:
(1) DETERMINING THE AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM PROGRAM FUND FOR THE CURRENT OPERATING PROGRAM.—
(a) The Department of Education shall determine annually from an analysis of operating costs, prepared in the manner prescribed by rules of the State Board of Education, the costs per full-time equivalent student served in courses and fields of study offered in Florida College System institutions. This information and current college operating budgets shall be submitted to the Executive Office of the Governor with the legislative budget request prior to each regular session of the Legislature.
(b) The allocation of funds for Florida College System institutions shall be based on advanced and professional disciplines, developmental education, and other programs for adults funded pursuant to s. 1011.80.
(c) The category of lifelong learning is for students enrolled pursuant to s. 1004.93. A student shall also be reported as a lifelong learning student for his or her enrollment in any course that he or she has previously taken, unless it is a credit course in which the student earned a grade of D or F.
(d) If an adult student has been determined to be a disabled student eligible for an approved educational program for disabled adults provided pursuant to s. 1004.93 and rules of the State Board of Education and is enrolled in a class with curriculum frameworks developed for the program, state funding for that student shall be provided at a level double that of a student enrolled in a special adult general education program provided by a Florida College System institution.
(e) All state inmate education provided by Florida College System institutions shall be reported by program, FTE expenditure, and revenue source. These enrollments, expenditures, and revenues shall be reported and projected separately. Instruction of state inmates shall not be included in the full-time equivalent student enrollment for funding through the Florida College System Program Fund.
(f) When a public educational institution has been fully funded by an external agency for direct instructional costs of any course or program, the FTE generated shall not be reported for state funding.
(g) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to implement s. 9(d)(8)f., Art. XII of the State Constitution. These rules shall provide for the use of the funds available under s. 9(d)(8)f., Art. XII by an individual Florida College System institution for operating expense in any fiscal year during which the State Board of Education has determined that all major capital outlay needs have been met. Highest priority for the use of these funds for purposes other than financing approved capital outlay projects shall be for the proper maintenance and repair of existing facilities for projects approved by the State Board of Education. However, in any fiscal year in which funds from this source are authorized for operating expense other than approved maintenance and repair projects, the allocation of Florida College System institution program funds shall be reduced by an amount equal to the sum used for such operating expense for that Florida College System institution that year, and that amount shall not be released or allocated among the other Florida College System institutions that year.
(2) DETERMINING THE AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR CAPITAL OUTLAY AND DEBT SERVICE.—The amount included for capital outlay and debt service shall be as determined and provided in s. 18, Art. XII of the State Constitution of 1885, as adopted by s. 9(d), Art. XII of the State Constitution and State Board of Education rules.
(3) DETERMINING THE APPORTIONMENT FROM STATE FUNDS.—
(a) By December 15 of each year, the Department of Education shall estimate the annual enrollment of each Florida College System institution for the current fiscal year and for the 3 subsequent fiscal years. These estimates shall be based upon prior years’ enrollments, upon the initial fall term enrollments for the current fiscal year for each college, and upon each college’s estimated current enrollment and demographic changes in the respective Florida College System institution districts. Upper-division enrollment shall be estimated separately from lower-division enrollment.
(b) The apportionment to each Florida College System institution from the Florida College System Program Fund shall be determined annually in the General Appropriations Act. In determining each college’s apportionment, the Legislature shall consider the following components:
1. Base budget, which includes the state appropriation to the Florida College System Program Fund in the current year plus the related student tuition and out-of-state fees assigned in the current General Appropriations Act.
2. The cost-to-continue allocation, which consists of incremental changes to the base budget, including salaries, price levels, and other related costs allocated through a funding model approved by the Legislature which may recognize differing economic factors arising from the individual educational approaches of the various Florida College System institutions, including, but not limited to:
a. Direct Instructional Funding, including class size, faculty productivity factors, average faculty salary, ratio of full-time to part-time faculty, costs of programs, and enrollment factors.
b. Academic Support, including small colleges factor, multicampus factor, and enrollment factor.
c. Student Services Support, including headcount of students as well as FTE count and enrollment factors.
d. Library Support, including volume and other materials/audiovisual requirements.
e. Special Projects.
f. Operations and Maintenance of Plant, including square footage and utilization factors.
g. Comparable wage factor.
3. Students enrolled in a recreation and leisure program and students enrolled in a lifelong learning program who may not be counted as full-time equivalent enrollments for purposes of enrollment workload adjustments.
4. Operating costs of new facilities adjustments, which shall be provided, from funds available, for each new facility that is owned by the college and is recommended in accordance with s. 1013.31.
5. New and improved program enhancements, which shall be determined by the Legislature.

Student fees in the base budget plus student fee revenues generated by increases in fee rates shall be deducted from the sum of the components determined in subparagraphs 1.-5. The amount remaining shall be the net annual state apportionment to each college.

(c) No Florida College System institution shall commit funds for the employment of personnel or resources in excess of those required to continue the same level of support for either the previously approved enrollment or the revised enrollment, whichever is lower.
(d) The apportionment to each Florida College System institution district for capital outlay and debt service shall be the amount determined in accordance with subsection (2). This amount, less any amount determined as necessary for administrative expense by the State Board of Education and any amount necessary for debt service on bonds issued by the State Board of Education, shall be transmitted to the Florida College System institution board of trustees to be expended in a manner prescribed by rules of the State Board of Education.
(e) If at any time the unencumbered balance in the general fund of the Florida College System institution board of trustees approved operating budget goes below 5 percent for a Florida College System institution with a final FTE less than 15,000 for the prior year, or below 7 percent for a Florida College System institution with a final FTE of 15,000 or greater for the prior year, the president shall provide written notification to the State Board of Education. By September 30 of each year, the chief financial officer of each Florida College System institution shall certify the unexpended amount of state funds remaining in the general fund of an institution as of June 30 of the previous fiscal year.
(f) Expenditures for apprenticeship programs shall be reported separately.
(g) Expenditures for upper-division enrollment in a Florida College System institution that grants baccalaureate degrees shall be reported separately from expenditures for lower-division enrollment, in accordance with law and State Board of Education rule.
(4) EXPENDITURE OF ALLOCATED FUNDS.—Any funds allocated herein to any Florida College System institution shall be expended only for the purpose of supporting that Florida College System institution.
(5) REPORT OF DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION.—Each Florida College System institution board of trustees shall report, as a separate item in its annual cost accounting system, the volume and cost of developmental education options provided to help students attain the communication and computation skills that are essential for college-level work pursuant to s. 1008.30.
History.—s. 679, ch. 2002-387; s. 13, ch. 2004-271; s. 27, ch. 2010-155; s. 179, ch. 2011-5; s. 37, ch. 2013-51; s. 18, ch. 2019-103; s. 45, ch. 2023-245.
1011.85 Dr. Philip Benjamin Matching Grant Program for Florida College System Institutions.—
(1) There is created the Dr. Philip Benjamin Matching Grant Program for Florida College System Institutions as a single matching gifts program that encompasses the goals originally set out in the Academic Improvement Program, the Scholarship Matching Program, and the Health Care Education Quality Enhancement Challenge Grant. The program shall be administered according to rules of the State Board of Education and used to encourage private support in enhancing Florida College System institutions by providing the Florida College System with the opportunity to receive and match challenge grants. Funds received prior to the effective date of this act for each of the three programs shall be retained in the separate account for which it was designated.
(2) Each Florida College System institution board of trustees receiving state appropriations under this program shall approve each gift to ensure alignment with the unique mission of the Florida College System institution. The board of trustees must link all requests for a state match to the goals and mission statement. The Florida College System Institution Foundation Board receiving state appropriations under this program shall approve each gift to ensure alignment with its goals and mission statement. Funds received from community events and festivals are not eligible for state matching funds under this program.
(3) Upon approval by the Florida College System institution board of trustees and the State Board of Education, the ordering of donations for priority listing of unmatched gifts should be determined by the submitting Florida College System institution.
(4) Each year, eligible contributions received by a Florida College System institution’s foundation or the State Board of Education by February 1 shall be eligible for state matching funds.
(a) Each Florida College System institution board of trustees and, when applicable, the Florida College System Institution Foundation Board, receiving state appropriations under this program shall also certify in an annual report to the State Board of Education the receipt of eligible cash contributions that were previously unmatched by the state. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules providing all Florida College System institutions with an opportunity to apply for excess funds before the awarding of such funds.
(b) Florida College System institutions must submit to the State Board of Education an annual expenditure report tracking the use of all matching funds.
(c) The audit of each foundation receiving state funds from this program must include a certification of accuracy in the amount reported for matching funds.
(5) The matching ratio for donations that are specifically designated to support scholarships, including scholarships for first-generation-in-college students, student loans, or need-based grants shall be $1 of state funds to $1 of local private funds.
(6) Otherwise, funds shall be proportionately allocated to the Florida College System institutions on the basis of matching each $6 of local or private funds with $4 of state funds. To be eligible, a minimum of $4,500 must be raised from private sources.
(7) The Florida College System institution board of trustees, in conjunction with the donor, shall make the determination of whether scholarships established pursuant to this program are endowed.
(8)(a) Funds sufficient to provide the match shall be transferred from the state appropriations to the local Florida College System institution foundation or the statewide Florida College System institution foundation upon notification that a proportionate amount has been received and deposited by a Florida College System institution in its own trust fund.
(b) If state funds appropriated for the program are insufficient to match contributions, the amount allocated shall be reduced in proportion to its share of the total eligible contributions. However, in making proportional reductions, every Florida College System institution shall receive a minimum of $75,000 in state matching funds if its eligible contributions would have generated an amount at least equal to $75,000. All unmet contributions shall be eligible for state matching funds in subsequent fiscal years.
(9) Each Florida College System institution entity shall establish its own matching grant program fund as a depository for the private contributions and matching state funds provided under this section. Florida College System institution foundations are responsible for the maintenance, investment, and administration of their matching grant program funds.
(10) The State Board of Education may receive submissions of requests for matching funds and documentation relating to those requests, may approve requests for matching funds, and may allocate such funds to the Florida College System institutions.
(11) The board of trustees of the Florida College System institution and the State Board of Education are responsible for determining the uses for the proceeds of their respective trust funds. Such use of the proceeds shall include, but not be limited to, expenditure of the funds for:
(a) Scientific and technical equipment.
(b) Scholarships, loans, or need-based grants.
(c) Other activities that will benefit future students as well as students currently enrolled at the Florida College System institution, will improve the quality of education at the Florida College System institution, or will enhance economic development in the community.
(12) Each Florida College System institution shall notify all donors of private funds of a substantial delay in the availability of state matching funds for this program.
(13) Effective July 1, 2011, state matching funds are temporarily suspended for donations received for this program on or after June 30, 2011. Existing eligible donations remain eligible for future matching funds. The program may be restarted after $200 million of the backlog for programs under this section and ss. 1011.32, 1011.94, and 1013.79 have been matched.
History.—s. 680, ch. 2002-387; s. 4, ch. 2006-73; s. 32, ch. 2009-60; s. 180, ch. 2011-5; s. 37, ch. 2011-63.
1011.86 Educational leadership enhancement grants.—
(1) State universities and Florida College System institutions may submit proposals for educational leadership enhancement grants to the Commissioner of Education. Proposals shall be funded competitively.
(2) To be eligible for funding, proposals must create programs designed to strengthen the academic and professional coursework or executive management preparation of women and minorities.
(3) Each proposal must include specific measurable goals and objectives.
(4) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules necessary to implement the provisions of this grant program.
(5) The grant program shall be implemented to the extent funded in the General Appropriations Act.
History.—s. 681, ch. 2002-387; s. 181, ch. 2011-5.
PART V
FUNDING FOR UNIVERSITIES
1011.90 State university funding.
1011.905 Performance funding for state universities.
1011.91 Additional appropriation.
1011.94 University Major Gifts Program.
1011.90 State university funding.—
(1) Planned enrollments for each university as accepted or modified by the Legislature and program cost categories shall be the basis for the allocation of appropriated funds to the universities.
(2) In addition to enrollment-based appropriations, categorical programs shall be established in universities which are not directly related to planned student enrollment. Such programs shall be based upon the assigned missions of the institutions and shall include, but not be limited to, research and public service programs and authority to spend fee revenues collected pursuant to subsection (5) and s. 1009.24. Appropriations by the Legislature and allocations to universities shall be based upon full costs, as determined pursuant to subsection (1), and priorities established by the Legislature.
(3) The Legislature by line item in an appropriations act may identify programs of extraordinary quality for the utilization of state funds to be matched by nonstate and nonfederal sources.
(4) The Board of Governors shall establish and validate a cost-estimating system consistent with the requirements of subsection (1) and shall report as part of its legislative budget request the actual expenditures for the fiscal year ending the previous June 30. The legislative budget request must also include 5-year trend information on the number of faculty and administrators at each university and the proportion of FTE dedicated to instruction and research compared to administration. The Board of Governors, by regulation, shall define faculty and administrator classifications and shall also report the definitions in the legislative budget request. Expenditure analysis, operating budgets, and annual financial statements of each university must be prepared using the standard financial reporting procedures and formats prescribed by the Board of Governors. These formats shall be the same as used for the 2000-2001 fiscal year reports. Any revisions to these financial and reporting procedures and formats must be approved by the Executive Office of the Governor and the appropriations committees of the Legislature jointly under s. 216.023(3). The Board of Governors shall continue to collect and maintain at a minimum management information existing on June 30, 2002. The expenditure analysis report shall include total expenditures from all sources for the general operation of the university and shall be in such detail as needed to support the legislative budget request.
(5) If the actual enrollment for any university is less than planned enrollment by more than 5 percent for any 2 consecutive fiscal years, the university enrollment plan for the next year shall be reduced. If actual enrollment exceeds planned enrollment by more than 5 percent, an explanation of the excess shall be provided with the next year’s enrollment plan. The analysis of enrollment conducted for implementing this subsection shall be based on the categories of enrollment used in the education and general appropriation.
(6) None of the state or nonstate funds made available to state universities may be used to implement, organize, direct, coordinate, or administer, or to support the implementation, organization, direction, coordination, or administration of, activities related to or involving travel to a terrorist state. For purposes of this section, “terrorist state” is defined as any state, country, or nation designated by the United States Department of State as a state sponsor of terrorism.
(7) State funds may not be used to join or maintain membership in an association whose decisions or proposed decisions are a result of, or in response to, actions proposed or adopted by the Legislature, if such decisions or proposed decisions will result in a negative fiscal impact to the state. The Board of Governors shall notify any association if its actions or proposed actions may require public postsecondary institutions to withdraw from the association in accordance with this subsection.
History.—s. 683, ch. 2002-387; s. 2, ch. 2006-54; s. 158, ch. 2007-217; s. 26, ch. 2010-78; s. 17, ch. 2020-117; s. 3, ch. 2021-217.
1011.905 Performance funding for state universities.—
(1) State performance funds for the State University System shall be based on indicators of system and institutional attainment of performance expectations. For the 2012-2013 through at least the 2016-2017 fiscal year, the Board of Governors shall review and rank each state university that applies for performance funding, as provided in the General Appropriations Act, based on the following formula:
(a) Twenty-five percent of a state university’s score shall be based on the percentage of employed graduates who have earned degrees which have a primary focus in the following programs:
1. For the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 fiscal years:
a. Computer and information science;
b. Computer engineering;
c. Information systems technology;
d. Information technology; and
e. Management information systems.

The 2012-2013 award recipients shall receive the same award for 2013-2014.

2. For the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 fiscal years, high-demand programs of emphasis determined by the Board of Governors using the gap-analysis data required by s. 1001.706(5).
3. For the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 fiscal years, a master’s degree in cloud virtualization technology and related large data management.
(b) Twenty-five percent of a state university’s score shall be based on the percentage of graduates who have earned baccalaureate degrees in the programs in paragraph (a) and who have earned industry certifications identified on the CAPE Postsecondary Industry Certification Funding List approved by the State Board of Education pursuant to s. 1008.44 in a related field from a Florida College System institution or state university prior to graduation.
(c) Fifty percent of a state university’s score shall be based on factors determined by the Board of Governors which relate to increasing the probability that graduates who have earned degrees in the programs described in paragraph (a) will be employed in high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand employment.
(2) The submission from a state university that has the highest score shall be ranked first, with each remaining submission from a state university ranked sequentially by score.
(3)(a) Each year, the Board of Governors shall award up to $15 million to the highest-ranked state universities in support of each program identified in paragraph (1)(a) from funds appropriated for the purposes in this section and as specified in the General Appropriations Act. The award per state university shall be a minimum of 25 percent of the total amount appropriated pursuant to this section.
(b) The funds shall be awarded to the department of the state university which offers the degrees described in paragraph (1)(a).
(c) The funds may not be used to supplant funding for the degree programs described in paragraph (1)(a).
(4) By December 31 of each year funds are appropriated for performance funding, the Board of Governors shall submit a report containing the rankings and award distributions to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
History.—s. 14, ch. 2012-195; s. 60, ch. 2013-27; s. 121, ch. 2015-2.
1011.91 Additional appropriation.—
(1) Except as otherwise provided in the General Appropriations Act, all moneys received by universities, from student fees authorized in s. 1009.24, from federal sources, from private sources, and from vending machine collections, are hereby appropriated to the use of the respective universities collecting same, to be expended as the university board of trustees may direct; however, the funds shall not be expended except in pursuance of detailed budgets filed with the Board of Governors and shall not be expended for the construction or reconstruction of buildings except as provided under s. 1013.74.
(2) All moneys received from vending machine collections by a state university shall be expended only as set forth in detailed budgets approved by the university’s board of trustees.
(3)(a) All moneys received by universities for the Auxiliary Enterprises and Contracts, Grants and Donations budget entities, and the self-insurance program authorized in s. 1004.24, shall be exempt from the requirements of s. 216.023.
(b) No new state appropriation shall be obligated as a source of matching funds for potential federal or private contracts or grants. Upon the termination of any federal or private contracts or grants, the state shall not be obligated to provide continued funding for personnel or project costs related to such contracts or grants.
History.—s. 684, ch. 2002-387; s. 159, ch. 2007-217.
1011.94 University Major Gifts Program.—
(1) There is established a University Major Gifts Program. The purpose of the program is to enable each university to provide donors with an incentive in the form of matching grants for donations for the establishment of permanent endowments and sales tax exemption matching funds received pursuant to s. 212.08(5)(j), which must be invested, with the proceeds of the investment used to support libraries and instruction and research programs, as defined by the Board of Governors.
(2) The Board of Governors shall specify the process for submission, documentation, and approval of requests for matching funds, accountability for endowments and proceeds of endowments, allocations to universities, restrictions on the use of the proceeds from endowments, and criteria used in determining the value of donations.
(3)(a) The Board of Governors shall allocate the amount appropriated to each university based on the amount of the donation and the restrictions applied to the donation.
(b) Donations for a specific purpose must be matched in the following manner:
1. Each university that raises at least $100,000 but no more than $599,999 from a private source must receive a matching grant equal to 50 percent of the private contribution.
2. Each university that raises a contribution of at least $600,000 but no more than $1 million from a private source must receive a matching grant equal to 70 percent of the private contribution.
3. Each university that raises a contribution in excess of $1 million but no more than $1.5 million from a private source must receive a matching grant equal to 75 percent of the private contribution.
4. Each university that raises a contribution in excess of $1.5 million but no more than $2 million from a private source must receive a matching grant equal to 80 percent of the private contribution.
5. Each university that raises a contribution in excess of $2 million from a private source must receive a matching grant equal to 100 percent of the private contribution.
(c) The Board of Governors shall encumber state matching funds for any pledged contributions, pro rata, based on the requirements for state matching funds as specified for the particular challenge grant and the amount of the private donations actually received by the university for the respective challenge grant.
(4) Matching funds may be provided for contributions encumbered or pledged under the Eminent Scholars Act prior to July 1, 1994, and for donations or pledges of any amount equal to or in excess of the prescribed minimums which are pledged for the purpose of this section.
(5)(a) Each university foundation shall establish a challenge grant account for each challenge grant as a depository for private contributions and state matching funds to be administered on behalf of the Board of Governors or the university. State matching funds must be transferred to a university foundation upon notification that the university has received and deposited the amount specified in this section in a foundation challenge grant account.
(b) The foundation serving a university has the responsibility for the maintenance and investment of its challenge grant account and for the administration of the program on behalf of the university, pursuant to procedures specified by the Board of Governors. Each foundation shall include in its annual report to the Board of Governors information concerning collection and investment of matching gifts and donations and investment of the account.
(c) A donation of at least $600,000 and associated state matching funds may be used to designate an Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair pursuant to procedures specified by the Board of Governors.
(6) The donations, state matching funds, or proceeds from endowments established under this section may not be expended for the construction, renovation, or maintenance of facilities or for the support of intercollegiate athletics.
(7) Each university shall notify all donors of private funds of a substantial delay in the availability of state matching funds for this program.
(8) Effective July 1, 2011, state matching funds are temporarily suspended for donations received for this program on or after June 30, 2011. Existing eligible donations remain eligible for future matching funds. The program may be restarted after $200 million of the backlog for programs under this section and ss. 1011.32, 1011.85, and 1013.79 have been matched.
History.—s. 11, ch. 2002-265; s. 686, ch. 2002-387; s. 125, ch. 2003-1; s. 1974, ch. 2003-261; s. 11, ch. 2005-56; s. 2, ch. 2007-18; s. 160, ch. 2007-217; s. 33, ch. 2009-60; s. 38, ch. 2011-63.