Senate Bill 1390c1
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Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1390
By the Committee on Education and Senators Mitchell, Horne and
Dyer
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1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s.
3 236.025, F.S.; revising funding for exceptional
4 student education programs; amending s.
5 236.081, F.S.; revising funding for exceptional
6 student education programs; amending s. 237.34,
7 F.S.; revising reporting requirements for
8 exceptional student education programs;
9 providing an effective date.
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11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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13 Section 1. Section 236.025, Florida Statutes, is
14 amended to read:
15 236.025 Revised funding model for exceptional student
16 education programs.--
17 (1) The revised funding model for exceptional student
18 education programs is designed to: be better for students
19 than the existing funding system by encouraging school
20 districts and schools to identify and implement educationally
21 effective instructional delivery models; simplify funding by
22 utilizing three five weighted cost factors and a categorical
23 program; provide fiscal support for exceptional students in
24 general education classes; be outcome driven; and be revenue
25 neutral; and reduce the paperwork burden associated with state
26 funding. This funding model is designed to support both
27 traditional and new service delivery models along the
28 continuum of services required for exceptional students. It is
29 the intent of the Legislature, through the General
30 Appropriations Act, to minimize the fiscal impact on school
31 districts of the implementation of this funding model.
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1 (2)(a) The revised funding model uses existing basic,
2 at-risk, and vocational five Florida Education Finance Program
3 cost factors, three exceptional eduction cost factors, and a
4 categorical program for exceptional student education
5 programs. Exceptional education cost factors are determined by
6 using a matrix of services to document the services that each
7 exceptional student will receive. The nature and intensity of
8 the services indicated on the matrix shall be consistent with
9 the services described in each exceptional student's
10 individual education plan.
11 (b) In order to generate funds using one of the three
12 weighted cost factors, a matrix of services must be completed
13 at the time of the student's initial placement into an
14 exceptional student education program and at least once every
15 3 years least once each year by public school personnel who
16 have received approved training. Additionally, each time an
17 exceptional student's individual education plan, family
18 support plan, or education plan is reviewed, the matrix of
19 services must also be reviewed. Nothing listed in the matrix
20 shall be construed as limiting the services a school district
21 must provide in order to ensure that exceptional students are
22 provided a free, appropriate public education. ensure that
23 exceptional students are provided a free, appropriate public
24 education.
25 (c) Students identified as exceptional, in accordance
26 with Chapter 6A-6, F.A.C., who do not have a matrix of
27 services as specified in paragraph (2)(b) shall generate funds
28 on the basis of full-time-equivalent student membership in the
29 Florida Education Finance Program at the same funding level
30 per student as provided for nonexceptional students.
31 Additional funds for these exceptional students will be
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Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1390
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1 provided through the categorical program designated in
2 paragraph (3)(a).
3 (3)(a) For students identified as exceptional who do
4 not have a matrix of services, there is created a categorical
5 program to provide these students with a free appropriate
6 public education, in accordance with s. 230.23(4)(m) and rules
7 of the state board, which shall be allocated annually to each
8 school district in the amount provided in the General
9 Appropriations Act. These funds shall be in addition to the
10 funds appropriated on the basis of full-time-equivalent
11 student membership in the Florida Education Finance Program,
12 and the amount allocated for each school district shall not be
13 adjusted after the initial allocation. These funds shall be
14 used to provide the special education and related services to
15 exceptional students as identified in their individual
16 educational plans, family support plans, or educational plans.
17 (b) It is the Legislature's intent that the
18 appropriation of funds for this categorical program be
19 reviewed annually to reflect appropriate increases based on
20 program growth and the costs of providing these services.
21 (4)(3) The Department of Education shall revise its
22 monitoring systems for exceptional student education programs
23 to include a review of delivery of services as indicated on
24 the matrix of services.
25 (5)(4) The Department of Education shall adopt
26 promulgate rules necessary to implement the revised funding
27 model.
28 (5) The funding level in the 1997-1998 FEFP for
29 exceptional student education shall be guaranteed for 3 years
30 so that no district will have a financial uncertainty during
31 the initial implementation of the revised funding model.
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Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1390
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1 Section 2. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (1) of
2 section 236.081, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
3 236.081 Funds for operation of schools.--If the annual
4 allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
5 district for operation of schools is not determined in the
6 annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
7 the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
8 follows:
9 (1) COMPUTATION OF THE BASIC AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR
10 OPERATION.--The following procedure shall be followed in
11 determining the annual allocation to each district for
12 operation:
13 (c) Determination of programs.--Cost factors based on
14 desired relative cost differences between the following
15 programs shall be established in the annual General
16 Appropriations Act. The Commissioner of Education shall
17 specify a matrix of services and intensity levels to be used
18 by districts in the determination of the three weighted cost
19 factors for exceptional students with the highest levels of
20 need. For these students, the funding support level shall fund
21 the exceptional students' education program, with the
22 exception of extended school year services for students with
23 disabilities. funding support for each exceptional student.
24 The funding support level for each exceptional student shall
25 fund the exceptional student's total education program.
26 1. Basic programs.--
27 a. Kindergarten and grades 1, 2, and 3.
28 b. Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
29 c. Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12.
30 2. Programs for exceptional students.--
31 a. Support Level I.
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1 b. Support Level II.
2 a.c. Support Level III.
3 b.d. Support Level IV.
4 c.e. Support Level V.
5 3. Secondary career education programs.--
6 4. Students-at-risk programs.--
7 a. Dropout prevention and teenage parents.
8 4.b. English for Speakers of Other Languages.--
9 (d) Annual allocation calculation.--
10 1. The Department of Education is authorized and
11 directed to review all district programs and enrollment
12 projections and calculate a maximum total weighted full-time
13 equivalent student enrollment for each district for the K-12
14 FEFP.
15 2. Maximum enrollments calculated by the department
16 shall be derived from enrollment estimates used by the
17 Legislature to calculate the FEFP. If two or more districts
18 enter into an agreement under the provisions of s.
19 230.23(4)(d), after the final enrollment estimate is agreed
20 upon, the amount of FTE specified in the agreement, not to
21 exceed the estimate for the specific program as identified in
22 paragraph (c), may be transferred from the participating
23 districts to the district providing the program.
24 3. As part of its calculation of each district's
25 maximum total weighted full-time equivalent student
26 enrollment, the department shall establish separate enrollment
27 ceilings for each of two program groups. Group 1 shall be
28 composed of grades K-3, grades 4-8, and grades 9-12, and
29 programs for exceptional students. Group 2 shall be composed
30 of students in at-risk exceptional student education programs,
31 students-at-risk programs, all basic programs other than the
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1 programs in group 1, and all vocational programs in grades
2 7-12.
3 a. The weighted enrollment ceiling for group 2
4 programs shall be calculated by multiplying the final
5 enrollment conference estimate for each program by the
6 appropriate program weight. The weighted enrollment ceiling
7 for program group 2 shall be the sum of the weighted
8 enrollment ceilings for each program in the program group,
9 plus the increase in weighted full-time equivalent student
10 membership from the prior year for clients of the Department
11 of Children and Family Services and the Department of Juvenile
12 Justice.
13 b. If, for any calculation of the FEFP, the weighted
14 enrollment for program group 2, derived by multiplying actual
15 enrollments by appropriate program weights, exceeds the
16 enrollment ceiling for that group, the following procedure
17 shall be followed to reduce the weighted enrollment for that
18 group to equal the enrollment ceiling:
19 (I) The weighted enrollment ceiling for each program
20 in the program group shall be subtracted from the weighted
21 enrollment for that program derived from actual enrollments.
22 (II) If the difference calculated under
23 sub-sub-subparagraph (I) is greater than zero for any program,
24 a reduction proportion shall be computed for the program by
25 dividing the absolute value of the difference by the total
26 amount by which the weighted enrollment for the program group
27 exceeds the weighted enrollment ceiling for the program group.
28 (III) The reduction proportion calculated under
29 sub-sub-subparagraph (II) shall be multiplied by the total
30 amount of the program group's enrollment over the ceiling as
31 calculated under sub-sub-subparagraph (I).
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1 (IV) The prorated reduction amount calculated under
2 sub-sub-subparagraph (III) shall be subtracted from the
3 program's weighted enrollment. For any calculation of the
4 FEFP, the enrollment ceiling for group 1 shall be calculated
5 by multiplying the actual enrollment for each program in the
6 program group by its appropriate program weight.
7 c. For program group 2, the weighted enrollment
8 ceiling shall be a number not less than the sum obtained by:
9 (I) Multiplying the sum of reported FTE for all
10 programs in the program group that have a cost factor of 1.0
11 or more by 1.0, and
12 (II) By adding this number to the sum obtained by
13 multiplying the projected FTE for all programs with a cost
14 factor less than 1.0 by the actual cost factor.
15 4. Following completion of the weighted enrollment
16 ceiling calculation as provided in subparagraph 3., a
17 supplemental capping calculation shall be employed for those
18 districts that are over their weighted enrollment ceiling. For
19 each such district, the total reported unweighted FTE
20 enrollment for group 2 programs shall be compared with the
21 total appropriated unweighted FTE enrollment for group 2
22 programs. If the total reported unweighted FTE for group 2 is
23 greater than the appropriated unweighted FTE, then the excess
24 unweighted FTE up to the unweighted FTE transferred from group
25 2 to group 1 for each district by the Public School FTE
26 Estimating Conference shall be funded at a weight of 1.0 and
27 added to the funded weighted FTE computed in subparagraph 3.
28 This adjustment shall be calculated beginning with the third
29 calculation of the 1998-1999 FEFP.
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Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1390
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1 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and
2 paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section 237.34, Florida
3 Statutes, are amended to read:
4 237.34 Cost accounting and reporting.--
5 (2) COST REPORTING.--
6 (b) Each district shall report on a school-by-school
7 and on an aggregate district basis expenditures for each
8 program funded in s. 236.081(1)(c), except that programs for
9 exceptional students in support levels III, IV, and V shall be
10 reported on an aggregate basis.
11 (3) PROGRAM EXPENDITURE REQUIREMENTS.--
12 (a) Each district shall expend at least the percent of
13 the funds generated by each of the programs listed herein on
14 the aggregate total school costs for such programs:
15 1. Kindergarten and grades 1, 2, and 3, 90 percent.
16 2. Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, 80 percent.
17 3. Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, 80 percent.
18 4. Programs for exceptional students, on an aggregate
19 program basis, 90 80 percent.
20 5. Grades 7 through 12 vocational education programs,
21 on an aggregate program basis, 80 percent.
22 6. Students-at-risk programs, on an aggregate program
23 basis, 80 percent.
24 7. Juvenile justice programs, on an aggregate program
25 basis, 80 percent.
26 8. Any new program established and funded under s.
27 236.081(1)(c), that is not included under subparagraphs 1.
28 through 6., on an aggregate basis as appropriate, 80 percent.
29 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
30 law.
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1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 SB 1390
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4 The committee substitute differs from SB 1390 in the following
ways:
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The committee substitute does not create a state
6 reports-control and forms-control management system committee.
7 The number of weighted cost factors for exceptional student
education is decreased from five factors to three factors.
8 The three cost factors serve students with the highest level
of need.
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A categorical program is created to serve students with the
10 lowest level of need.
11 The percentage of program funds a district is required to
spend on programs for exceptional students on an aggregate
12 program basis is increased from 80 percent to 90 percent.
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