Senate Bill sb2170c1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2006 CS for SJR 2170
By the Committee on Judiciary
590-2093-06
1 Senate Joint Resolution
2 A joint resolution proposing the creation of
3 Section 8 of Article IX of the State
4 Constitution relating to education.
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6 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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8 That the following creation of Section 8 of Article IX
9 of the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted
10 to the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the
11 next general election or at an earlier special election
12 specifically authorized by law for that purpose:
13 ARTICLE IX
14 EDUCATION
15 SECTION 8. Equal opportunity to obtain a high quality
16 education.--Every child deserves an equal opportunity to
17 obtain a high quality education, regardless of his or her
18 family's income, religion, or race.
19 (a) Funding for a high quality public K-12 education
20 through classroom instruction is fundamental. To make
21 adequate provision for a high quality public K-12 education,
22 at least sixty-five percent of school funding received by
23 school districts shall be spent on classroom instruction,
24 rather than administration. Classroom instruction and
25 administration shall be defined by law.
26 (b) Students in prekindergarten through college who
27 have disabilities, are economically disadvantaged, or whose
28 parents request alternatives to traditional public education
29 programs may participate, as provided by law, in education
30 programs that include non-public schools. The legislature may
31 enact and publicly fund prekindergarten through college
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2006 CS for SJR 2170
590-2093-06
1 education programs, without regard to the religious nature of
2 any participant or non-public provider, notwithstanding any
3 other provision of this Article or Section 3 of Article I of
4 this constitution.
5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
6 placed on the ballot:
7 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
8 ARTICLE IX, SECTION 8
9 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO OBTAIN A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION.--
10 Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to provide
11 that every child deserves an equal opportunity to obtain a
12 high quality education, regardless of his or her family's
13 income, religion, or race; to provide that funding for high
14 quality public K-12 education through classroom instruction is
15 fundamental; to provide that to make adequate provision for a
16 high quality public K-12 education, at least sixty-five
17 percent of school funding received by school districts shall
18 be spent on classroom instruction rather than administration;
19 to provide that classroom instruction and administration shall
20 be defined by law; to provide that students in prekindergarten
21 through college who have disabilities, are economically
22 disadvantaged, or whose parents request alternatives to
23 traditional public education programs may participate, as
24 provided by law, in education programs that include non-public
25 schools; and to provide that the Legislature may enact and
26 publicly fund prekindergarten through college education
27 programs, without regard to the religious nature of any
28 participant or non-public provider, notwithstanding any other
29 provision of this Article or of Section 3 of Article I of the
30 State Constitution.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2006 CS for SJR 2170
590-2093-06
1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 Senate Joint Resolution 2170
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4 The committee substitute:
5 -- Adds a new section 8 to the existing Education Article of
the constitution.
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-- States that every child deserves an equal opportunity to
7 obtain a high quality education;
8 -- Provides that funding for a high quality public education
for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade is
9 fundamental;
10 -- Requires at least 65 percent of school funding received
by school districts to be spent on classroom instruction,
11 rather than administration;
12 -- Provides that "classroom instruction" and
"administration" shall be defined by law;
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-- Allows students in prekindergarten through college to
14 participate in education programs, as created by law,
that utilize non-public schools; and
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-- Authorizes the Legislature to enact and publicly fund
16 prekindergarten through college education programs,
without regard to the religious nature of any participant
17 or non-public provider.
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