House Bill 0307c1

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999              CS/HB 307

        By the Committee on Education Innovation and
    Representatives Diaz de la Portilla and Goodlette





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to school attendance; amending

  3         s. 232.01, F.S.; revising provisions relating

  4         to eligibility for enrollment in public

  5         kindergartens; authorizing the enrollment of

  6         certain children who are determined to be ready

  7         for entrance into kindergarten; providing

  8         eligibility requirements; providing school

  9         district requirements; authorizing the

10         Commissioner of Education to adopt rules;

11         providing an effective date.

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

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15         Section 1.  Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) of

16  section 232.01, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, are amended

17  to read:

18         232.01  School attendance.--

19         (1)(a)1.  All children who have attained the age of 6

20  years or who will have attained the age of 6 years by February

21  1 of any school year or who are older than 6 years of age but

22  who have not attained the age of 16 years, except as

23  hereinafter provided, are required to attend school regularly

24  during the entire school term.

25         2.a.  Children who will have attained the age of 5

26  years on or before September 1 of the school year are eligible

27  for admission to public kindergartens during that school year

28  under rules prescribed by the school board.

29         b.  Beginning in the 1999-2000 school year, children

30  who will have attained the age of 5 years after September 1

31  but before October 1 of the school year are eligible to take

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999              CS/HB 307

    603-137-99






  1  the assessment of readiness for kindergarten which is included

  2  in the statewide assessment program.  Beginning in the

  3  2000-2001 school year, children who will have attained the age

  4  of 5 years after September 1 but before November 1 of the

  5  school year are eligible to take the assessment of readiness

  6  for kindergarten which is included in the statewide assessment

  7  program. Beginning in the 2001-2002 school year, children who

  8  will have attained the age of 5 years after September 1 but

  9  before December 1 of the school year are eligible to take the

10  assessment of readiness for kindergarten which is included in

11  the statewide assessment program.  Beginning in the 2002-2003

12  school year, children who will have attained the age of 5

13  years after September 1 but before January 1 of the school

14  year are eligible to take the assessment of readiness for

15  kindergarten which is included in the statewide assessment

16  program. Upon written request of a child's parent or guardian,

17  the school district must provide at least one opportunity for

18  the child to take the assessment of readiness for

19  kindergarten. Any child who is determined to be ready for

20  entrance into kindergarten, according to rules of the

21  Commissioner of Education, is eligible for admission to public

22  kindergartens during that school year. Any child who is

23  determined not to be ready for entrance into kindergarten,

24  according to rules of the commissioner, is subject to the

25  admission requirements of sub-subparagraph a. The commissioner

26  may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this

27  sub-subparagraph.

28         3.  Children who will have attained the age of 3 years

29  on or before September 1 of the school year are eligible for

30  admission to prekindergarten early intervention programs

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999              CS/HB 307

    603-137-99






  1  during that school year as provided in s. 230.2305 or a

  2  preschool program as provided in s. 228.061.

  3         (b)  Any child who has attained the age of 6 years on

  4  or before September 1 of the school year and who has been

  5  enrolled in a public school or who has attained the age of 6

  6  years on or before September 1 and has satisfactorily

  7  completed the requirements for kindergarten in a nonpublic

  8  school from which the district school board accepts transfer

  9  of academic credit, or who has been enrolled in a public

10  kindergarten under the provisions of sub-subparagraph (a)2.b.,

11  or who otherwise meets the criteria for admission or transfer

12  in a manner similar to that applicable to other grades, shall

13  progress according to the district's pupil progression plan.

14  However, nothing in this section shall authorize the state or

15  any school district to oversee or exercise control over the

16  curricula or academic programs of nonpublic schools or home

17  education programs.

18         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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