Senate Bill 0832

    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 832

    By Senator Laurent





    17-583A-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; creating a pilot

  3         program to extend the school calendar for

  4         students in Polk County; requiring additional

  5         training days for teachers; requiring

  6         evaluations and reports to legislative

  7         officers; providing an appropriation; providing

  8         an effective date.

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

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12         Section 1.  There is created a 5-year pilot program in

13  Polk County to extend the school calendar. In order to achieve

14  greater improvements in student performance as measured by the

15  Sunshine State Standards, beginning with school year

16  1999-2000, the school year for all K-12 students in Polk

17  County is to be extended by 7 days, and teachers are to

18  receive an additional 3 training days. This pilot project will

19  be in effect for 5 school years, commencing with school year

20  1999-2000 and concluding with school year 2003-2004. However,

21  the continuation of the pilot project after school year

22  1999-2000 depends upon the Legislature's appropriation of

23  adequate state funds.

24         Section 2.  The Polk County school district shall

25  conduct an annual evaluation of the pilot program and shall

26  provide to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the

27  House of Representatives, by June 1 of the year following the

28  end of the school year that is being evaluated, an annual

29  report that includes recommendations. The first evaluative

30  report is due June 1, 2001.

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






    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 832
    17-583A-99




  1         Section 3.  There is appropriated from the General

  2  Revenue Fund to the Department of Education in fiscal year

  3  1999-2000 the sum of $11 million, to be allocated on a

  4  full-time-equivalent, pro-rata basis to the Polk County

  5  school district for the purpose of carrying out the provisions

  6  of this act during school year 1999-2000. Appropriations

  7  should continue during the 5-year period of this pilot

  8  program.

  9         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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12                          SENATE SUMMARY

13    Creates a 5-year pilot program in Polk County which
      extends the school calendar by 7 days and requires
14    teachers to receive an additional 3 training days.
      Requires an annual evaluative report to be submitted to
15    the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House
      of Representatives. Provides an appropriation.
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