Senate Bill 2074c1

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 2074

    By the Committee on Education and Senator Burt





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  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; authorizing the

  3         creation of charter technical career centers;

  4         prescribing powers and duties of the

  5         Commissioner of Education, the Department of

  6         Education, participating district school

  7         boards, and community college district boards

  8         of trustees, with respect to charter technical

  9         career centers; prescribing powers and duties

10         of charter technical career centers and their

11         boards of directors; providing for funding;

12         prescribing rights and duties of employees of

13         centers and of district school board employees

14         and community college employees working at

15         charter technical career centers; providing for

16         the resolution of complaints; providing for

17         revocation of a charter; providing for rules;

18         amending s. 121.021, F.S.; redefining the term

19         "covered group" with respect to the Florida

20         Retirement System to include charter technical

21         career centers; amending s. 121.051, F.S.;

22         providing for optional participation in the

23         Florida Retirement System by employees of

24         charter technical career centers; amending s.

25         236.081, F.S.; providing for calculating

26         changes in school district funding resulting

27         from a drop in enrollment based on student

28         transfers to a charter technical career center;

29         providing an effective date.

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  1         WHEREAS, The Legislature supports a strong prosperous

  2  economy, with a well-trained, highly qualified work force, and

  3         WHEREAS, the Legislature continues to foster transition

  4  of WAGES participants from dependency on public funds to

  5  self-sufficiency; and

  6         WHEREAS, local economies are dependent upon maximizing

  7  local work force training and education resources; and

  8         WHEREAS, the Legislature promotes more choices for

  9  parents and students, but has not authorized public chartering

10  entities to encourage public or public and private

11  partnerships for work force education and training, and

12         WHEREAS, technical career centers that operate under a

13  charter rather than under the direct supervision of a school

14  board or a community college may be able to respond more

15  rapidly to economic development and economic expansion

16  opportunities, and

17         WHEREAS, traditional educational and career training

18  environments may be restricted in their flexibility to serve

19  the individual education and career training needs of

20  students, and

21         WHEREAS, charter technical career centers may be able

22  to provide more innovative approaches to workforce

23  preparation, and

24         WHEREAS, business and industry should have primary

25  input on the design and structure of all career programs and

26  services, and

27         WHEREAS, the Legislature desires to maintain and

28  strengthen the mission of individual education and training

29  delivery systems, and, NOW, THEREFORE,

30

31  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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  1         Section 1.  (1)  AUTHORIZATION.--The Legislature finds

  2  that the establishment of charter technical career centers can

  3  assist in promoting advances and innovations in workforce

  4  preparation and economic development. A charter technical

  5  career center may provide a learning environment that better

  6  serves the needs of a specific population group or a group of

  7  occupations, thus promoting diversity and choices within the

  8  public education and public postsecondary technical education

  9  community in this state.  Therefore, the creation of such

10  centers is authorized as part of the state's program of public

11  education.  A charter technical career center may be formed by

12  creating a new school or converting an existing school

13  district or community college program to charter technical

14  status.

15         (2)  PURPOSE.--The purpose of a charter technical

16  career center is to:

17         (a)  Develop a competitive workforce to support local

18  business and industry and economic development.

19         (b)  Create a training and education model that is

20  reflective of marketplace realities.

21         (c)  Offer a continuum of career educational

22  opportunities using a school-to-work, tech-prep, technical,

23  academy, and magnet school model.

24         (d)  Provide career pathways for lifelong learning and

25  career mobility.

26         (e)  Enhance career and technical training.

27         (3)  DEFINITIONS.--As used in this act, the term:

28         (a)  "Charter technical career center" or "center"

29  means a public school or a public technical center operated

30  under a charter granted by the local school board or community

31  college district board of trustees or a consortium, including

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  1  one or more school boards and community college district

  2  boards of trustees that includes the district in which the

  3  facility is located, which is nonsectarian in its programs,

  4  admission policies, employment practices, and operations and

  5  is managed by a board of directors.

  6         (b)  A "sponsor" means a district school board, a

  7  community college district board of trustees, or a consortium

  8  of one or more of each.

  9         (4)  CHARTER.--A sponsor may designate centers as

10  provided in this section.  An application to establish a

11  center may be submitted by a sponsor or another organization

12  that is determined, by rule of the State Board of Education,

13  to be appropriate. However, an independent school is not

14  eligible for status as a center. The charter must be signed by

15  the governing body of the center and the sponsor and must be

16  approved by the district school board and community college

17  board of trustees in whose geographic region the facility is

18  located. An applicant who wishes to establish a center must

19  submit to the local school board or community college district

20  board of trustees, or a consortium of one or more of each, an

21  application that includes:

22         (a)  The name of the proposed center.

23         (b)  The proposed structure of the center, including a

24  list of proposed members of the board of directors or a

25  description of the qualifications for and method of their

26  appointment or election.

27         (c)  The workforce development goals of the center, the

28  curriculum to be offered, and the outcomes and the methods of

29  assessing the extent to which the outcomes are met.

30         (d)  The admissions policy and criteria for evaluating

31  the admission of students.

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  1         (e)  A description of the staff responsibilities and

  2  the proposed qualifications of the teaching staff.

  3         (f)  A description of the procedures to be implemented

  4  to ensure significant involvement of representatives of

  5  business and industry in the operation of the center.

  6         (g)  A method for determining whether a student has

  7  satisfied the requirements for graduation specified in section

  8  232.246, Florida Statutes, and for completion of postsecondary

  9  certificates and degrees.

10         (h)  A method for granting secondary and postsecondary

11  diplomas, certificates, and degrees.

12         (i)  A description of and address for the physical

13  facility in which the center will be located.

14         (j)  A method of resolving conflicts between the

15  governing body of the center and the sponsor and between

16  consortium or partnership members, if applicable.

17         (k)  A method for reporting student data as required by

18  law and rule.

19         (l)  Other information required by the local school

20  board or community college district board of trustees.

21

22  Students at a center must meet the same testing and academic

23  performance standards as those established by law and rule for

24  students at public schools and public technical centers.  The

25  students must also meet any additional assessment indicators

26  that are included within the charter approved by the district

27  school board or community college district board of trustees.

28         (5)  APPLICATION.--An application to establish a center

29  must be submitted by February 1 of the year preceding the

30  school year in which the center will begin operation. The

31  sponsor must review the application and make a final decision

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  1  on whether to approve the application and grant the charter by

  2  March 1, and may condition the granting of a charter on the

  3  center's taking certain actions or maintaining certain

  4  conditions. Such actions and conditions must be provided to

  5  the applicant in writing. The local school board or community

  6  college district board of trustees is not required to issue a

  7  charter to any person.

  8         (6)  SPONSOR.--A district school board or community

  9  college district board of trustees or a consortium of one or

10  more of each may sponsor a center in the county over which the

11  board has jurisdiction.

12         (a)  A sponsor must review all applications for centers

13  received through at least February 1 of each calendar year for

14  centers to be opened at the beginning of the sponsor's next

15  school year.  A sponsor may receive applications later than

16  this date if it so chooses. To facilitate an accurate budget

17  projection process, a sponsor shall be held harmless for FTE

18  students that are not included in the FTE projections due to

19  approval of applications after the FTE projection deadline. A

20  sponsor must, by a majority vote, approve or deny an

21  application no later than 60 days after the application is

22  received.  If an application is denied, the sponsor must,

23  within 10 days, notify the applicant in writing of the

24  specific reasons for denial, which must be based upon good

25  cause. Upon approval of a charter application, the initial

26  startup must be consistent with the beginning of the public

27  school or community college calendar for the district in which

28  the charter is granted, unless the sponsor allows a waiver of

29  this provision for good cause.

30         (b)  An applicant may appeal any denial of its

31  application to the State Board of Education within 30 days

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  1  after the sponsor's denial and shall notify the sponsor of its

  2  appeal. Any response of the sponsor must be submitted to the

  3  state board within 30 days after notification of the appeal.

  4  The state board must, by majority vote, accept or reject the

  5  decision of the sponsor no later than 60 days after an appeal

  6  is filed, pursuant to state board rule. The state board may

  7  reject an appeal for failure to comply with procedural rules

  8  governing the appeals process, and the rejection must describe

  9  the submission errors. The appellant may have up to 15 days

10  after notice of rejection to resubmit an appeal. An

11  application for appeal submitted after a rejection is timely

12  if the original appeal was filed within 30 days after the

13  sponsor's denial. The state board shall remand the application

14  to the sponsor with a written recommendation that the sponsor

15  approve or deny the application, consistent with the state

16  board's decision. The decision of the state board is not

17  subject to the provisions of chapter 120, Florida Statutes.

18         (c)  The sponsor must act upon the recommendation of

19  the State Board of Education within 30 days after it is

20  received, unless the sponsor determines by competent

21  substantial evidence that approving the state board's

22  recommendation would be contrary to law or the best interests

23  of the pupils or the community. The sponsor must notify the

24  applicant in writing concerning the specific reasons for its

25  failure to follow the state board's recommendation.  The

26  sponsor's action on the state board's recommendation is a

27  final action, subject to judicial review.

28         (d)  The Department of Education may provide technical

29  assistance to an applicant upon written request.

30         (e)  The terms and conditions for the operation of a

31  center must be agreed to by the sponsor and the applicant in a

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  1  written contract. The sponsor may not impose unreasonable

  2  requirements that violate the intent of giving centers greater

  3  flexibility to meet educational goals. The applicant and

  4  sponsor must reach an agreement on the provisions of the

  5  contract or the application is deemed denied.

  6         (f)  The sponsor shall monitor and review the center's

  7  progress towards charter goals and shall monitor the center's

  8  revenues and expenditures.

  9         (7) LEGAL ENTITY.--A center must organize as a

10  nonprofit organization and adopt a name and corporate seal. A

11  center is a body corporate and politic, with all powers to

12  implement its charter program. The center may:

13         (a)  Be a private or a public employer.

14         (b)  Sue and be sued, but only to the same extent and

15  upon the same conditions that a public entity can be sued.

16         (c)  Acquire real property by purchase, lease, lease

17  with an option to purchase, or gift, to use as a center

18  facility.

19         (d)  Receive and disburse funds.

20         (e)  Enter into contracts or leases for services,

21  equipment, or supplies.

22         (f)  Incur temporary debts in anticipation of the

23  receipt of funds.

24         (g)  Solicit and accept gifts or grants for career

25  center purposes.

26         (h)  Take any other action that is not inconsistent

27  with this section and rules adopted under this section.

28         (8)  ELIGIBLE STUDENTS.--A center must be open to all

29  students as space is available and may not discriminate in

30  admissions policies or practices on the basis of an

31  individual's physical disability or proficiency in English or

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  1  on any other basis that would be unlawful if practiced by a

  2  public school or a community college. A center may establish

  3  reasonable criteria by which to evaluate prospective students,

  4  which criteria must be outlined in the charter.

  5         (9)  FACILITIES.--A center may be located in any

  6  suitable location, including part of an existing public school

  7  or community college building, space provided on a public

  8  worksite, or a public building. A center's facilities must

  9  comply with the State Uniform Building Code for Public

10  Educational Facilities Construction adopted pursuant to

11  section 235.26, Florida Statutes, or with applicable state

12  minimum building codes pursuant to chapter 553, Florida

13  Statutes, and state minimum fire protection codes pursuant to

14  section 633.025, Florida Statutes, adopted by the authority in

15  whose jurisdiction the facility is located.  If K-12 public

16  school funds are used for construction, the facility must

17  remain on the local school district's Florida Inventory of

18  School Houses (FISH) school building inventory of the local

19  school board and must revert to the local school board if the

20  partnership or consortium dissolves and the program is

21  discontinued. If community college public school funds are

22  used for construction, the facility must remain on the local

23  community college's facilities inventory and must revert to

24  the local community college district board if the partnership

25  or consortium dissolves and the program is discontinued. The

26  additional student capacity created by the addition of the

27  center to the local school district's FISH may not be

28  calculated in the permanent student capacity for the purpose

29  of determining need or eligibility for state capital outlay

30  funds while the facility is used as a center. If the

31  construction of the center is funded jointly by K-12 public

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  1  school funds and community college funds, the sponsoring

  2  entities must agree, before granting the charter, on the

  3  appropriate owner and terms of transfer of the facility if the

  4  charter is dissolved.

  5         (10)  EXEMPTION FROM STATUTES.--

  6         (a)  A center must operate pursuant to its charter and

  7  is exempt from all statutes of the Florida School Code except

  8  provisions pertaining to civil rights and to student health,

  9  safety, and welfare, or as otherwise required by law.

10         (b)  A center must comply with the Florida School Code

11  with respect to providing services to students with

12  disabilities.

13         (c)  A center must comply with the antidiscrimination

14  provisions of section 228.2001, Florida Statutes.

15         (11)  FUNDING.--

16         (a)  Each school board and community college that

17  sponsors a charter technical career center shall pay directly

18  to the center an amount stated in the charter. State funding

19  shall be generated for the center for its student enrollment

20  and program outcomes as provided in law. A center is eligible

21  for funding from the Florida Workforce Development Education

22  Fund, the Florida Education Finance Program, and the Community

23  College Program Fund, depending upon the programs conducted by

24  the center.

25         (b)  A center may receive other state and federal aid,

26  grants, and revenue through the local school board or

27  community college district board of trustees.

28         (c)  A center may receive gifts and grants from private

29  sources.

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  1         (d)  A center may not levy taxes or issue bonds, but it

  2  may charge a student tuition fee consistent with authority

  3  granted in its charter and permitted by law.

  4         (e)  A center is subject to an annual financial audit

  5  in a manner similar to that of a school district or community

  6  college.

  7         (f)  A center must provide instruction for at least the

  8  number of days required by law for other public schools or

  9  community colleges, as appropriate, and may provide

10  instruction for additional days.

11         (g)  The sponsor, at the center's request, may apply to

12  the Commissioner of Education for a waiver of any requirements

13  that inhibit maximizing the use of public education funds.

14         (12)  EMPLOYEES OF A CENTER.--

15         (a)  A center may select its own employees.

16         (b)  A center may contract for services with an

17  individual, partnership, or a cooperative. Such persons

18  contracted with are not public employees.

19         (c)  If a center contracts with a public educational

20  agency for services, the terms of employment must follow

21  existing state law and rule and local policies and procedures.

22         (d)  The employees of a center may bargain

23  collectively, as a separate unit or as part of the existing

24  district collective bargaining unit, as determined by the

25  structure of the center.

26         (e)  As a public employer, a center may participate in:

27         1.  The Florida Retirement System upon application and

28  approval as a "covered group" under section 121.021(34),

29  Florida Statutes. If a center participates in the Florida

30  Retirement System, its employees are compulsory members of the

31  Florida Retirement System.

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  1         2.  The state community college system optional

  2  retirement plan pursuant to section 240.3195(2), Florida

  3  Statutes, if the charter is granted by a community college

  4  that participates in the optional retirement program and meets

  5  the eligibility criteria of section 121.051(2)(c), Florida

  6  Statutes.

  7         (f)  Teachers who are considered qualified by the

  8  career center are exempt from state certification

  9  requirements.

10         (g)  A public school or community college teacher or

11  administrator may take a leave of absence to accept employment

12  by a charter technical career center upon the approval of the

13  school district or community college.

14         (h)  An employee who is on a leave of absence under

15  this section may retain seniority accrued in that school

16  district or college and may continue to be covered by the

17  benefit programs of that district or college if the center and

18  the district school board or community college board of

19  trustees agree to this arrangement and its financing.

20         (13)  BOARD OF DIRECTORS AUTHORITY.--The board of

21  directors of a center may decide matters relating to the

22  operation of the school, including budgeting, curriculum, and

23  operating procedures, subject to the center's charter.

24         (14)  ACCOUNTABILITY.--Each center must submit a report

25  to the participating school board or district community

26  college board of trustees by August 1 of each year.  The

27  report must be in such form as the sponsor prescribes and must

28  include:

29         (a)  A discussion of progress made toward the

30  achievement of the goals outlined in the center's charter; and

31

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  1         (b) A financial statement setting forth by appropriate

  2  categories the revenue and expenditures for the previous

  3  school year.

  4

  5  Any person may bring before the board of directors of a center

  6  a complaint alleging a violation of this section.  If, after

  7  presenting the complaint, the person feels that the board has

  8  not adequately addressed the grievance, he or she may present

  9  that complaint to the sponsoring board, which must investigate

10  the complaint.

11         (15)  TERMS OF THE CHARTER.--The term of an initial

12  charter may not exceed 5 years. Thereafter, the sponsor may

13  renew a charter for a period up to 5 years.  The sponsor may

14  refuse to renew a charter or may revoke a charter if the

15  center has not fulfilled a condition imposed under the charter

16  or if the center has violated any provision of the charter.

17  The sponsor may place the center on probationary status to

18  allow the implementation of a remedial plan, after which, if

19  the plan is unsuccessful, the charter may be summarily

20  revoked.  The sponsor shall develop procedures and guidelines

21  for the revocation and renewal of a center's charter.  The

22  sponsor must give written notice of its intent not to renew

23  the charter at least 12 months before the charter expires.  If

24  the sponsor revokes a charter before the scheduled expiration

25  date, the sponsor must provide written notice to the governing

26  board of the center at least 60 days before the date of

27  termination, stating the grounds for the proposed revocation.

28  The governing board of the center may request in writing an

29  informal hearing before the sponsor within 14 days after

30  receiving the notice of revocation.  A revocation takes effect

31  at the conclusion of a school year, unless the sponsor

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  1  determines that earlier revocation is necessary to protect the

  2  health, safety, and welfare of students.  The sponsor shall

  3  monitor and review the center in its progress towards the

  4  goals established in the charter and shall monitor the

  5  revenues and expenditures of the center.

  6         (16)  TRANSPORTATION.--The center may provide

  7  transportation, pursuant to chapter 234, Florida Statutes,

  8  through a contract with the district school board or the

  9  community college district board of trustees, a private

10  provider, or parents of students.  The center must ensure that

11  transportation is not a barrier to equal access for all

12  students in grades K-12 residing within a reasonable distance

13  of the facility.

14         (17)  IMMUNITY.--For the purposes of tort liability,

15  the governing body and employees of a center are governed by

16  section 768.28, Florida Statutes.

17         (18)  RULES.--The State Board of Education shall adopt

18  rules, pursuant to chapter 120, Florida Statutes, relating to

19  the implementation of charter technical career centers.

20         (19)  EVALUATION; REPORT.--The Commissioner of

21  Education shall provide for an annual comparative evaluation

22  of charter technical career centers and public technical

23  centers.  The evaluation may be conducted in cooperation with

24  the sponsor, through private contracts, or by department

25  staff.  At a minimum, the comparative evaluation must address

26  the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the

27  students served, the types and costs of services provided, and

28  the outcomes achieved.  By December 30 of each year, the

29  Commissioner of Education shall submit to the Governor, the

30  President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of

31  Representatives, and the Senate and House committees that have

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  1  responsibility for secondary and postsecondary career

  2  education a report of the comparative evaluation completed for

  3  the previous school year.

  4         Section 2.  Subsection (34) of section 121.021, Florida

  5  Statutes, is amended to read:

  6         121.021  Definitions.--The following words and phrases

  7  as used in this chapter have the respective meanings set forth

  8  unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:

  9         (34)  "Covered group" means the officers and employees

10  of an employer who become members under this chapter. "Covered

11  group" applies also when the employer is a charter technical

12  career center, charter school, special district, or city for

13  which coverage under this chapter is applied for by the

14  employer and approved for social security coverage by the

15  United States Secretary of Health and Human Services and

16  approved by the administrator for membership under this

17  chapter. Members of a firefighters' pension trust fund or a

18  municipal police officers' retirement trust fund, established

19  in accordance with chapter 175 or chapter 185, respectively,

20  shall be considered eligible for membership under this chapter

21  only after holding a referendum and by affirmative majority

22  vote electing coverage under this chapter.

23         Section 3.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section

24  121.051, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

25         121.051  Participation in the system.--

26         (2)  OPTIONAL PARTICIPATION.--

27         (c)  Employees of members of the State Community

28  College System or charter technical career centers sponsored

29  by members of the State Community College System, as

30  designated in s. 240.3031, who are members of the Regular

31  Class of the Florida Retirement System and who comply with the

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  1  criteria set forth in this paragraph and in s. 240.3195 may

  2  elect, in lieu of participating in the Florida Retirement

  3  System, to withdraw from the Florida Retirement System

  4  altogether and participate in a lifetime monthly annuity

  5  program, to be known as the State Community College System

  6  Optional Retirement Program, which may be provided by the

  7  employing agency under s. 240.3195. Pursuant thereto:

  8         1.  The cost to the employer for such annuity shall

  9  equal the normal cost portion of the employer retirement

10  contribution which would be required if the employee were a

11  member of the Regular Class, plus the portion of the

12  contribution rate required by s. 112.363(8) that would

13  otherwise be assigned to the Retiree Health Insurance Subsidy

14  Trust Fund, and less an amount approved by the employer to

15  provide for the administration of the optional retirement

16  program.  The employer providing such annuity shall contribute

17  an additional amount to the Florida Retirement System Trust

18  Fund equal to the unfunded actuarial accrued liability portion

19  of the Regular Class contribution rate.

20         2.  The decision to participate in such an optional

21  retirement program shall be irrevocable for as long as the

22  employee holds a position eligible for participation.  Any

23  service creditable under the Florida Retirement System shall

24  be retained after the member withdraws from the Florida

25  Retirement System; however, additional service credit in the

26  Florida Retirement System shall not be earned while a member

27  of the optional retirement program.

28         3.  Participation in an optional annuity program shall

29  be limited to those employees who satisfy the following

30  eligibility criteria:

31

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  1         a.  The employee must be otherwise eligible for

  2  membership in the Regular Class of the Florida Retirement

  3  System, as provided in s. 121.021(11) and (12).

  4         b.  The employee must be employed in a full-time

  5  position classified in the Accounting Manual for Florida's

  6  Public Community Colleges as:

  7         (I)  Instructional; or

  8         (II)  Executive Management, Instructional Management,

  9  or Institutional Management, if a community college determines

10  that recruiting to fill a vacancy in the position is to be

11  conducted in the national or regional market, and:

12         (A)  The duties and responsibilities of the position

13  include either the formulation, interpretation, or

14  implementation of policies; or

15         (B)  The duties and responsibilities of the position

16  include the performance of functions that are unique or

17  specialized within higher education and that frequently

18  involve the support of the mission of the community college.

19         c.  The employee must be employed in a position not

20  included in the Senior Management Service Class of the Florida

21  Retirement System, as described in s. 121.055.

22         4.  Participants in the program are subject to the same

23  reemployment limitations, renewed membership provisions, and

24  forfeiture provisions as are applicable to regular members of

25  the Florida Retirement System under ss. 121.091(9), 121.122,

26  and 121.091(5), respectively.

27         5.  Eligible community college employees shall be

28  compulsory members of the Florida Retirement System until,

29  pursuant to the procedures set forth in s. 240.3195, the first

30  day of the next full calendar month following the filing of

31  both a written election to withdraw and a completed

                                  17

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 2074
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  1  application for an individual contract or certificate with the

  2  program administrator and receipt of such election by the

  3  division.

  4         Section 4.  Subsection (7) of section 236.081, Florida

  5  Statutes, is amended to read:

  6         236.081  Funds for operation of schools.--If the annual

  7  allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each

  8  district for operation of schools is not determined in the

  9  annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing

10  the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as

11  follows:

12         (7)  DECLINE IN FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENTS.--In

13  those districts where there is a decline between prior year

14  and current year unweighted FTE students, 50 percent of the

15  decline in the unweighted FTE students shall be multiplied by

16  the prior year calculated FEFP per unweighted FTE student and

17  shall be added to the allocation for that district.  For this

18  purpose, the calculated FEFP shall be computed by multiplying

19  the weighted FTE students by the base student allocation and

20  then by the district cost differential.  If a district

21  transfers a program to another institution not under the

22  authority of the district's school board, including a charter

23  technical career center, the decline is to be multiplied by a

24  factor of 0.15.

25         Section 5.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

26  law.

27

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    Florida Senate - 1998                           CS for SB 2074
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  1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  2                             SB 2074

  3

  4  The Committee Substitute:

  5  Requires the school district or the community college in whose
    geographic region the charter technical career center is
  6  located to be the sponsor or part of the consortium that
    sponsors a center.
  7
    Requires approval of the charter by both the school district
  8  and community college in whose geographic region the charter
    technical career center is located.
  9
    Requires a district school board or community college board of
10  trustees to approve a leave of absence for its teachers to
    accept employment by a charter technical career center.
11
    Makes technical changes in linguistic constructions that are
12  confusing or in error.

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