Senate Bill 0062
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2000 SB 62
By Senators Diaz de la Portilla and Meek
36-16-00
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 determined to be ready for
7 entrance into kindergarten; providing
8 eligibility requirements; providing school
9 district requirements; authorizing the
10 Commission 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, are amended to read:
17 232.01 School attendance.--
18 (1)(a)1. All children who have attained the age of 6
19 years or who will have attained the age of 6 years by February
20 1 of any school year or who are older than 6 years of age but
21 who have not attained the age of 16 years, except as
22 hereinafter provided, are required to attend school regularly
23 during the entire school term.
24 2.a. Children who will have attained the age of 5
25 years on or before September 1 of the school year are eligible
26 for admission to public kindergartens during that school year
27 under rules prescribed by the school board.
28 b. Beginning in the 2000-2001 school year, children
29 who will have attained the age of 5 years after September 1
30 but before October 1 of the school year are eligible to take
31 the assessment of readiness for kindergarten which is included
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2000 SB 62
36-16-00
1 in the statewide assessment program. Beginning in the
2 2001-2002 school year, children who will have attained the age
3 of 5 years after September 1 but before November 1 of the
4 school year are eligible to take the assessment of readiness
5 for kindergarten which is included in the statewide assessment
6 program. Beginning in the 2002-2003 school year, children who
7 will have attained the age of 5 years after September 1 but
8 before December 1 of the school year are eligible to take the
9 assessment of readiness for kindergarten which is included in
10 the statewide assessment program. Upon written request of a
11 child's parent or guardian, the school district must provide
12 at least one opportunity for the child to take the assessment
13 of readiness for kindergarten. Any child who is determined to
14 be ready for entrance into kindergarten, according to rules of
15 the Commissioner of Education, is eligible for admission to
16 public kindergartens during that school year. Any child who is
17 determined not to be ready for entrance into kindergarten,
18 according to rules of the commissioner, is subject to the
19 admission requirements of sub-subparagraph a. The commissioner
20 may adopt rules to implement the provisions of this
21 sub-subparagraph.
22 3. Children who will have attained the age of 3 years
23 on or before September 1 of the school year are eligible for
24 admission to prekindergarten early intervention programs
25 during that school year as provided in s. 230.2305 or a
26 preschool program as provided in s. 228.061.
27 (b) Any child who has attained the age of 6 years on
28 or before September 1 of the school year and who has been
29 enrolled in a public school or who has attained the age of 6
30 years on or before September 1 and has satisfactorily
31 completed the requirements for kindergarten in a nonpublic
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2000 SB 62
36-16-00
1 school from which the district school board accepts transfer
2 of academic credit, or who has been enrolled in a public
3 kindergarten under the provisions of sub-subparagraph (a)2.b.,
4 or who otherwise meets the criteria for admission or transfer
5 in a manner similar to that applicable to other grades, shall
6 progress according to the district's pupil progression plan.
7 However, nothing in this section shall authorize the state or
8 any school district to oversee or exercise control over the
9 curricula or academic programs of nonpublic schools or home
10 education programs.
11 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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14 SENATE SUMMARY
15 Revises eligibility for enrollment in public
kindergarten. Requires a school district to provide at
16 least one opportunity for children to take the assessment
of readiness for kindergarten. Authorizes the enrollment
17 of any child determined to be ready for entrance into
kindergarten according to rules of the Commissioner of
18 Education.
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