House Bill hb0695

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 695

        By Representative Sobel






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; amending s.

  3         236.687, F.S.; specifying the maximum class

  4         size for kindergarten through grade three in

  5         public schools; providing priorities for school

  6         districts in complying with the requirements

  7         for class size; specifying the maximum class

  8         size for grades four through 12 in public

  9         schools; requiring school districts to employ a

10         licensed social worker and a licensed

11         psychologist for each elementary and secondary

12         school; providing an appropriation; providing

13         an effective date.

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

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17         Section 1.  Section 236.687, Florida Statutes, is

18  amended to read:

19         236.687  Maximum class size goals.--

20         (1)  Beginning with the 2002-2003 school year and

21  thereafter, the class size for It shall be the goal of the

22  Legislature and each school district that each elementary

23  school in each the school district in beginning with

24  kindergarten through grade three may class sizes not exceed 20

25  students, with a ratio of one full-time-equivalent full-time

26  equivalent teacher per 20 students; however, except that only

27  in the case of critically low-performing schools as identified

28  by the Commissioner of Education, the goal in kindergarten

29  through grade three shall be a ratio of one full-time

30  equivalent teacher per 15 students.  For purposes of any

31  funding in the General Appropriations Act to comply with this

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 695

    710-130-02






  1  subsection meet these goals, the district shall give priority

  2  to identified critically low-performing schools in the

  3  district. Second priority for the use of any funds designated

  4  for complying with this subsection meeting these goals shall

  5  be for kindergarten through grade one.  Third priority for the

  6  use of any funds designated for complying with this subsection

  7  meeting these goals shall be for grades two and three.

  8         (2)  Beginning with the 2002-2003 school year and

  9  thereafter, the class size for each school in each school

10  district in grades four through 12 may not exceed 25 students,

11  with a ratio of one full-time-equivalent teacher per 25

12  students.

13         Section 2.  School districts to employ school social

14  workers and psychologists.--Beginning with the 2002-2003

15  school year and thereafter, each school district in the state

16  shall employ a psychologist licensed under chapter 490,

17  Florida Statutes, and a social worker licensed under chapter

18  491, Florida Statutes, for each elementary and secondary

19  school in the district. The psychologist and social worker

20  shall be available to counsel students during regular school

21  hours.

22         Section 3.  The sum of $_______ is appropriated from

23  the General Revenue Fund to the district school boards for the

24  purpose of carrying out this act during the 2002-2003 fiscal

25  year.

26         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

27  law.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                 HB 695

    710-130-02






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  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Requires school districts to limit classes in
      kindergarten through grade three to 20 students per class
  4    and to limit classes in grade four through grade 12 to 25
      students per class. Requires school districts to employ a
  5    licensed psychologist and a licensed social worker who
      are available during regular school hours in each
  6    elementary and secondary school.

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