CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.House Bill 0261
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 261
By Representative Valdes
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; providing for a
3 pilot scholarship program in Dade County;
4 providing for eligibility and amount of
5 scholarships; providing program requirements;
6 requiring annual reports and evaluations;
7 providing an effective date.
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9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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11 Section 1. (1) The Department of Education shall,
12 beginning in the 1998-1999 school year, institute a 3-year
13 pilot scholarship program in Dade County, which shall provide
14 annual scholarships for 1 percent of the students for 1 full
15 year of academic instruction at any public or eligible private
16 school. Participation in the program shall require parental
17 or guardian involvement and be voluntary.
18 (2) Students in grades 4 through 9 who qualify for a
19 dropout prevention program pursuant to s. 230.2316, Florida
20 Statutes, and who attend an inner-city school in Dade County
21 are eligible to receive a scholarship to a school of their
22 parents' or guardians' choice.
23 (3) The award of scholarships shall be by a lottery of
24 all eligible students, with steps taken to ensure that
25 district racial and ethnic diversity is maintained in the
26 lottery process.
27 (4) Students who successfully complete an academic
28 year and progress to the next grade shall be guaranteed
29 continuation in the program.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 261
225-183D-97
1 (5) Those students determined to be eligible shall be
2 notified by April 1 of the school year preceding participation
3 in the program.
4 (6) Eligible nonpublic schools shall comply with
5 compulsory attendance laws pursuant to s. 232.01, Florida
6 Statutes, register with the Department of Education pursuant
7 to s. 229.808, Florida Statutes, meet all health, safety, and
8 sanitation requirements, pursuant to chapter 381, Florida
9 Statutes, have admission policies which do not discriminate on
10 the basis of race, national origin, sex, or handicap, require
11 criminal background checks of all teachers and administrators,
12 and ensure that disciplinary and expulsion policies do not
13 discriminate against educational choice students.
14 (7) The program shall provide each student with a
15 scholarship equal to the amount of funds that would be
16 allocated for the student for dropout prevention pursuant to
17 s. 236.081, Florida Statutes, or the regularly charged tuition
18 and fees, including transportation costs where appropriate, at
19 the private school, whichever is less. Scholarships provided
20 pursuant to this section are grants of aid to children through
21 their parents or guardians and not to the schools in which the
22 children are enrolled. The selection of the school by parents
23 or guardians shall not constitute a decision or act of the
24 state or any of its subdivisions. The scholarships shall not
25 constitute taxable income.
26 (8) Each participating private school shall file an
27 annual report with the Department of Education which indicates
28 each student's academic and behavioral performance, including
29 progress in the areas identified as qualifying the student for
30 a dropout prevention program.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 261
225-183D-97
1 (9) The program shall include a component for annual
2 and cumulative evaluations of effectiveness. The Department
3 of Education shall select an independent entity to conduct the
4 evaluations which shall contain annual recommendations for
5 legislative and administrative change to the program. The
6 results of these evaluations shall be made available to the
7 President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
8 Representatives by December 1 for each year of the program.
9 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1997.
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12 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Requires the Department of Education to institute a
14 3-year pilot scholarship program in Dade County for
eligible students at public or private schools. Provides
15 criteria for student eligibility and the amount of
scholarships.
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