HJR 307

1	House Joint Resolution
2	A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 1 of
3	Article IX of the State Constitution, relating to public
4	education, to require students to recite the pledge of
5	allegiance daily in public schools, to provide protocol
6	for such recitals, and to provide for a student to be
7	excused at the written request of the student's parent.
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 is agreed to and shall be submitted to
13	the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
14	general election or at an earlier special election specifically
15	authorized by law for that purpose.
16	ARTICLE IX
17	EDUCATION
18	SECTION 1.  Public education.--
19	(a)  The education of children is a fundamental value of
20	the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a
21	paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the
22	education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate
23	provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe,
24	secure, and high quality system of free public schools that
25	allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the
26	establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of
27	higher learning and other public education programs that the
28	needs of the people may require. To assure that children
29	attending public schools obtain a high quality education, the
30	legislature shall make adequate provision to ensure that, by the
31	beginning of the 2010 school year, there are a sufficient number
32	of classrooms so that:
33	(1)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to
34	each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
35	prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;
36	(2)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to
37	each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
38	grades 4 through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and
39	(3)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to
40	each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
41	grades 9 through 12 does not exceed 25 students.
42
43	The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to
44	extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated with
45	reducing class size to meet these requirements is the
46	responsibility of the state and not of local schools districts.
47	Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the legislature shall
48	provide sufficient funds to reduce the average number of
49	students in each classroom by at least two students per year
50	until the maximum number of students per classroom does not
51	exceed the requirements of this subsection.
52	(b)  Every four-year old child in Florida shall be provided
53	by the State a high quality pre-kindergarten learning
54	opportunity in the form of an early childhood development and
55	education program which shall be voluntary, high quality, free,
56	and delivered according to professionally accepted standards. An
57	early childhood development and education program means an
58	organized program designed to address and enhance each child's
59	ability to make age appropriate progress in an appropriate range
60	of settings in the development of language and cognitive
61	capabilities and emotional, social, regulatory and moral
62	capacities through education in basic skills and such other
63	skills as the Legislature may determine to be appropriate.
64	(c)  The early childhood education and development programs
65	provided by reason of subparagraph (b) shall be implemented no
66	later than the beginning of the 2005 school year through funds
67	generated in addition to those used for existing education,
68	health, and development programs. Existing education, health,
69	and development programs are those funded by the State as of
70	January 1, 2002 that provided for child or adult education,
71	health care, or development.
72	(d)  Each district school board shall adopt rules to
73	require the reciting of the pledge of allegiance to the American
74	flag at the beginning of the day in each public pre-
75	kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school in the state.
76	Students shall stand with the right hand over the heart to
77	render the pledge of allegiance: "I pledge allegiance to the
78	flag of the United States of America and to the republic for
79	which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty
80	and justice for all." Each student shall be informed by posting
81	a notice in a conspicuous place that the student has the right
82	not to participate in reciting the pledge. Upon written request
83	by his or her parent, the student must be excused from reciting
84	the pledge. When the pledge is given, civilians must show full
85	respect to the flag by standing at attention, men removing the
86	headdress, as provided by Pub. L. No. 77-435, s. 7, approved
87	June 22, 1942, 56 Stat. 377, as amended by Pub. L. No. 77-806,
88	56 Stat. 1074, approved December 22, 1942, except when the
89	headdress is worn for religious purposes.
90	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
91	placed on the ballot:
92	CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
93	ARTICLE IX, SECTION 1
94	PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.--Proposing an amendment to the State
95	Constitution to require the daily recital of the pledge of
96	allegiance to the American flag in the public schools of this
97	state, to provide for a student to be excused from reciting the
98	pledge upon written request by the student's parent, and to
99	provide protocol for showing respect during the recital.

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