HB 1203

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to charter schools capital outlay funding;
3amending s. 1013.62, F.S.; providing eligibility for
4funding to a charter school operated by the operator of
5one or more charter schools that meet certain
6requirements; providing additional uses for charter school
7capital outlay funds; amending s. 199.133, F.S.; providing
8for the distribution of an amount of nonrecurring taxes to
9the Charter Schools Capital Outlay Trust Fund; providing
10an effective date.
11
12Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14     Section 1.  Subsections (1) and (2) of section 1013.62,
15Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
16     1013.62  Charter schools capital outlay funding.--
17     (1)  In each year in which funds are appropriated for
18charter school capital outlay purposes, the Commissioner of
19Education shall allocate the funds among eligible charter
20schools. To be eligible for a funding allocation, a charter
21school must:
22     (a)1.  Have been in operation for 3 or more years;
23     2.  Be an expanded feeder chain of a charter school within
24the same school district that is currently receiving charter
25school capital outlay funds; or
26     3.  Have been accredited by the Commission on Schools of
27the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; or.
28     4.  Be a charter school operated by an existing charter
29school operator of one or more charter schools that are
30currently receiving charter school capital outlay funds, 50
31percent or more of which charter schools received a school grade
32designation of "A" or "B" pursuant to s. 1008.34 during the
33previous school year.
34     (b)  Have financial stability for future operation as a
35charter school.
36     (c)  Have satisfactory student achievement based on state
37accountability standards applicable to the charter school.
38     (d)  Have received final approval from its sponsor pursuant
39to s. 1002.33 for operation during that fiscal year.
40     (e)  Serve students in facilities that are not provided by
41the charter school's sponsor.
42
43The first priority for charter school capital outlay funding
44shall be to allocate to the charter schools that received
45funding in the 2005-2006 fiscal year an allocation of the same
46amount per capital outlay full-time equivalent student up to the
47lesser of the actual number of capital outlay full-time
48equivalent students in the current year or the capital outlay
49full-time equivalent students in the 2005-2006 fiscal year.
50After calculating the first priority, the second priority shall
51be to allocate excess funds remaining in the appropriation in an
52amount equal to the per capital outlay full-time equivalent
53student amount in the first priority calculation to eligible
54charter schools not included in the first priority calculation
55and to schools in the first priority calculation with growth in
56excess of the 2005-2006 capital outlay full-time equivalent
57students. After calculating the first and second priorities,
58excess funds remaining in the appropriation shall be allocated
59to all eligible charter schools. A charter school's allocation
60shall not exceed one-fifteenth of the cost per student station
61specified in s. 1013.64(6)(b). Prior to the release of capital
62outlay funds to a school district on behalf of the charter
63school, the Department of Education shall ensure that the
64district school board and the charter school governing board
65enter into a written agreement that includes provisions for the
66reversion of any unencumbered funds and all equipment and
67property purchased with public education funds to the ownership
68of the district school board, as provided for in subsection (3),
69in the event that the school terminates operations. Any funds
70recovered by the state shall be deposited in the General Revenue
71Fund. A charter school is not eligible for a funding allocation
72if it was created by the conversion of a public school and
73operates in facilities provided by the charter school's sponsor
74for a nominal fee or at no charge or if it is directly or
75indirectly operated by the school district. Unless otherwise
76provided in the General Appropriations Act, the funding
77allocation for each eligible charter school shall be determined
78by multiplying the school's projected student enrollment by one-
79fifteenth of the cost-per-student station specified in s.
801013.64(6)(b) for an elementary, middle, or high school, as
81appropriate. If the funds appropriated are not sufficient, the
82commissioner shall prorate the available funds among eligible
83charter schools. However, no charter school or charter lab
84school shall receive state charter school capital outlay funds
85in excess of the one-fifteenth cost per student station formula
86if the charter school's combination of state charter school
87capital outlay funds, capital outlay funds calculated through
88the reduction in the administrative fee provided in s.
891002.33(20), and capital outlay funds allowed in s.
901002.32(9)(e) and (h) exceeds the one-fifteenth cost per student
91station formula. Funds shall be distributed on the basis of the
92capital outlay full-time equivalent membership by grade level,
93which shall be calculated by averaging the results of the second
94and third enrollment surveys. The Department of Education shall
95distribute capital outlay funds monthly, beginning in the first
96quarter of the fiscal year, based on one-twelfth of the amount
97the department reasonably expects the charter school to receive
98during that fiscal year. The commissioner shall adjust
99subsequent distributions as necessary to reflect each charter
100school's actual student enrollment as reflected in the second
101and third enrollment surveys. The commissioner shall establish
102the intervals and procedures for determining the projected and
103actual student enrollment of eligible charter schools.
104     (2)  A charter school's governing body may use charter
105school capital outlay funds for the following purposes:
106     (a)  Purchase of real property.
107     (b)  Construction of school facilities.
108     (c)  Purchase, lease-purchase, or lease of permanent or
109relocatable school facilities.
110     (d)  Purchase of vehicles to transport students to and from
111the charter school.
112     (e)  Renovation, repair, and maintenance of school
113facilities that the charter school owns or is purchasing through
114a lease-purchase or long-term lease of 5 years or longer.
115     (f)  Furnishing and equipping the charter school.
116
117Conversion charter schools may use capital outlay funds received
118through the reduction in the administrative fee provided in s.
1191002.33(20) for construction, renovation, repair, and
120maintenance of school facilities that are owned by the sponsor.
121     Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 199.133, Florida
122Statutes, is amended to read:
123     199.133  Levy of nonrecurring tax.--
124     (1)  A one-time nonrecurring tax of 2 mills is hereby
125imposed on each dollar of the just valuation of all notes,
126bonds, and other obligations for payment of money which are
127secured by mortgage, deed of trust, or other lien upon real
128property situated in this state. This tax shall be assessed and
129collected as provided by this chapter. Of the amount collected,
130an amount equal to 0.75 mills shall be distributed to the
131Charter Schools Capital Outlay Trust Fund created under s.
1321013.625.
133     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.


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