Senate Bill sb1954

    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1954

    By Senator Rossin





    35-815-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the small-school

  3         requirement; amending s. 235.2157, F.S.;

  4         eliminating the requirement that schools other

  5         than elementary schools must not exceed a

  6         specified student population; providing an

  7         effective date.

  8

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

10

11         Section 1.  Section 235.2157, Florida Statutes, is

12  amended to read:

13         235.2157  Small school requirement.--

14         (1)  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.--The Legislature finds that:

15         (a)  Florida's schools are among the largest in the

16  nation.

17         (b)  Smaller schools provide benefits of reduced

18  discipline problems and crime, reduced truancy and gang

19  participation, reduced dropout rates, improved teacher and

20  student attitudes, improved student self-perception, student

21  academic achievement equal to or superior to that of students

22  at larger schools, and increased parental involvement.

23         (c)  Smaller schools can provide these benefits while

24  not increasing administrative and construction costs.

25         (2)  DEFINITION.--As used in this section, "small

26  school" means:

27         (a)  an elementary school with a student population of

28  not more than 500 students.

29         (b)  A middle school with a student population of not

30  more than 700 students.

31

                                  1

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






    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1954
    35-815-01




  1         (c)  A high school with a student population of not

  2  more than 900 students.

  3         (d)  A school serving kindergarten through grade 8 with

  4  a student population of not more than 700 students.

  5         (e)  A school serving kindergarten through grade 12

  6  with a student population of not more than 900 students.

  7

  8  A school on a single campus which operates as a

  9  school-within-a-school, as defined by s. 230.23(20), shall be

10  considered a small school if each smaller unit located on the

11  single campus meets the requirements of this subsection.

12         (3)  REQUIREMENTS.--

13         (a)  Beginning July 1, 2003, all plans for new

14  elementary schools educational facilities to be constructed

15  within a school district and reflected in the 5-year school

16  district facilities work plan shall be plans for small schools

17  in order to promote increased learning and more effective use

18  of school facilities.

19         (b)  Small schools shall comply with all laws, rules,

20  and court orders relating to racial balance.

21         (4)  EXCEPTIONS.--This section does not apply to plans

22  for new elementary schools educational facilities already

23  under architectural contract on July 1, 2003.

24         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

25  law.

26

27            *****************************************

28                          SENATE SUMMARY

29    Repeals the requirement that all educational facilities
      that are placed under architectural contract after July
30    1, 2003, must be small schools, as defined by the maximum
      numbers of students specified for each category of
31    schools. Retains the small-school requirements set forth
      in s. 235.2157, F.S., for elementary schools.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.