HJR 1295 2003
1	House Joint Resolution No. ____
2	A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 1 of
3	Article IX of the State Constitution, as amended, relating
4	to public education, to repeal requirements relating to
5	the maximum number of students who may be assigned to each
6	public school classroom for students in prekindergarten
7	through grade 12.
8
9	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11	That the following amendment to Section 1 of Article IX of
12	the State Constitution, as amended in 2002, is agreed to and
13	shall be submitted to the electors of this state for approval or
14	rejection at a special election specifically authorized by law
15	for that purpose, and, if approved, the amendment shall take
16	effect upon becoming a law:
17	ARTICLE IX
18	EDUCATION
19	SECTION 1. Public education.--
20	(a) The education of children is a fundamental value of
21	the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a
22	paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the
23	education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate
24	provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe,
25	secure, and high quality system of free public schools that
26	allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the
27	establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of
28	higher learning and other public education programs that the
29	needs of the people may require. To assure that children
30	attending public schools obtain a high quality education, the
31	legislature shall make adequate provision to ensure that, by the
32	beginning of the 2010 school year, there are a sufficient number
33	of classrooms so that:
34	(1) The maximum number of students who are assigned to
35	each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
36	prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;
37	(2) The maximum number of students who are assigned to
38	each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
39	grades 4 through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and
40	(3) The maximum number of students who are assigned to
41	each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
42	grades 9 through 12 does not exceed 25 students.
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44	The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to
45	extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated with
46	reducing class size to meet these requirements is the
47	responsibility of the state and not of local schools districts.
48	Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the legislature shall
49	provide sufficient funds to reduce the average number of
50	students in each classroom by at least two students per year
51	until the maximum number of students per classroom does not
52	exceed the requirements of this subsection.
53	(b) Every four-year old child in Florida shall be provided
54	by the State a high quality pre-kindergarten learning
55	opportunity in the form of an early childhood development and
56	education program which shall be voluntary, high quality, free,
57	and delivered according to professionally accepted standards. An
58	early childhood development and education program means an
59	organized program designed to address and enhance each child's
60	ability to make age appropriate progress in an appropriate range
61	of settings in the development of language and cognitive
62	capabilities and emotional, social, regulatory and moral
63	capacities through education in basic skills and such other
64	skills as the Legislature may determine to be appropriate.
65	(c) The early childhood education and development programs
66	provided by reason of subparagraph (b) shall be implemented no
67	later than the beginning of the 2005 school year through funds
68	generated in addition to those used for existing education,
69	health, and development programs. Existing education, health,
70	and development programs are those funded by the State as of
71	January 1, 2002 that provided for child or adult education,
72	health care, or development.
73	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
74	placed on the ballot:
75	MAXIMUM CLASS SIZES
76	Proposes an amendment to Section 1 of Article IX of the
77	State Constitution to repeal class-size requirements that apply
78	to public school classrooms for students in prekindergarten
79	through grade 12.