HB 1371

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to the Governor's School for Science and
3Technology; creating s. 1002.371, F.S.; creating the
4Governor's School for Science and Technology; requiring
5the Florida Virtual School to manage and control the
6Governor's School for Science and Technology; providing
7criteria governing such management and control; providing
8that the Governor's School for Science and Technology is a
9public school for selected students in grades 9 through 12
10who enroll in the school and reside on the school's
11premises; providing for location of the school in Brevard
12County; providing for commencement of the school's
13classes; requiring the school to offer specified programs;
14stating the mission of the school; requiring the Florida
15Virtual School to appoint a director of the Governor's
16School for Science and Technology and adopt rules
17concerning operation of the school and selection of
18individuals who are eligible to enroll in that school;
19authorizing rulemaking by the Florida Virtual School;
20creating the Governor's School for Science and Technology
21Advisory Council; providing for purpose, membership,
22duties, and operation of the council; exempting the
23Governor's School for Science and Technology from certain
24requirements concerning curriculum and operations in the
25Florida School Code; providing for the Florida Virtual
26School to be the fiscal agent of the Governor's School for
27Science and Technology and to submit certain budget
28requests; providing for funding the Governor's School for
29Science and Technology; amending ss. 1000.04, 1002.20, and
301003.02, F.S., relating to the components for the delivery
31of public education, the rights of students and parents
32concerning public school choice, and parental notice of
33acceleration mechanisms by district school boards;
34conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
35providing an appropriation; providing an effective date.
36
37Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
38
39     Section 1.  Section 1002.371, Florida Statutes, is created
40to read:
41     1002.371  Governor's School for Science and
42Technology.--The Governor's  School for Science and Technology
43is established and shall be managed and controlled by the
44Florida Virtual School in a manner that conforms to this
45section.
46     (1)  The Governor's School for Science and Technology is a
47public school for grades 9 through 12. The attendance area for
48the school is the entire state; however, admission to the school
49is a privilege reserved for those qualified students who are
50selected and is not a right afforded to the general population
51of students in this state. The school shall be located in
52Brevard County and be situated where connections between the
53school and the Kennedy Space Center may most readily be
54established. Students enrolled in the school must reside on the
55school's premises. The school's first classes must commence in
56the 2009-2010 academic year. The school shall offer:
57     (a)  Accelerated programs in the areas of math, science,
58and technology to qualified students in grades 9 through 12.
59     (b)  Summer programs for elementary, middle, or high school
60teachers.
61     (2)  The mission of the Governor's School for Science and
62Technology is to provide students in grades 9 through 12 with
63advanced educational opportunities in the areas of science,
64math, and technology in order to gain the knowledge and skills
65necessary to succeed in those areas. The Florida Virtual School
66shall administer and operate the Governor's School for Science
67and Technology and shall:
68     (a)  Appoint a director; and
69     (b)  Adopt rules specifying:
70     1.  The requirements that an individual must meet in order
71to be qualified for admission to the Governor's School for
72Science and Technology and the standards by which applicants
73will be selected for admission to the school. Priority must be
74given to individuals who excel or demonstrate interest in the
75areas of math, science, or technology. The requirements and
76standards may include, but are not limited to, scores on tests
77or favorable recommendations from teachers or other school
78officials.
79     2.  The number of students that may be enrolled at the
80school given the resources that are available.
81     3.  The procedures by which an individual may apply for
82admission to the school or appeal a decision concerning an
83application to attend the school. Such procedures must conform
84to applicable standards concerning the adequacy of due process.
85     4.  The procedures by which the school must operate so as
86to maximize achievement of its mission.
87     (3)  The Florida Virtual School may adopt rules under ss.
88120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer this section.
89     (4)(a)  The Governor's School for Science and Technology
90Advisory Council is created within the Florida Virtual School.
91The purpose of the advisory council is to provide the Florida
92Virtual School with insight, expertise, and recommendations
93concerning the development and implementation of a plan for the
94Governor's School for Science and Technology.
95     (b)  The advisory council consists of 13 members who shall
96be appointed by the board of trustees of the Florida Virtual
97School as follows:
98     1.  One member representing the Technological Research and
99Development Authority.
100     2.  Two members representing the Sunshine State Scholars
101Recognition Program.
102     3.  One member representing the Florida Institute of
103Technology.
104     4.  One member representing the Department of Education.
105     5.  Two members representing the Florida Center for
106Mathematics and Science Education Research created under s.
1071004.86.
108     6.  One member representing the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
109University.
110     7.  One member representing the University of Central
111Florida.
112     8.  One member representing the University of Florida.
113     9.  One member representing the National Aeronautics and
114Space Administration.
115     10.  Two members representing the faculty of the Florida
116Virtual School.
117     (c)  Initial appointments shall be made by August 1, 2007.
118Advisory council members shall be appointed to 5-year terms,
119except that the initial terms shall be staggered so that five
120members are appointed to 3-year terms, four other members are
121appointed to 4-year terms, and four other members are appointed
122to 5-year terms. An advisory council member who is absent from
123three consecutive meetings of the council is automatically
124removed from the council. Any vacancy on the advisory council
125must be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term. An
126advisory council member may not serve more than two consecutive
127terms.
128     (d)  The advisory council shall meet at least once each
129quarter. A majority of the members of the advisory council
130constitutes a quorum.
131     (e)  Members of the advisory council shall serve without
132compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
133travel expenses in accordance with s. 112.061 while performing
134their duties.
135     (4)  In order to facilitate innovative practices, the
136Governor's School for Science and Technology is exempt from each
137requirement of the Florida School Code which relates to
138curriculum and operations unless the requirement also relates to
139civil rights or student health, safety, and welfare. This
140subsection does not exempt the school from chapter 119 or s.
141286.011.
142     (5)  The Florida Virtual School is the fiscal agent of the
143Governor's School for Science and Technology and shall annually
144prepare and submit a legislative budget request for the
145Governor's School for Science and Technology in accordance with
146chapter 216.
147     (6)  Funding for room, board, and transportation of
148students of the Governor's School for Science and Technology
149shall be as authorized in the General Appropriations Act. Other
150funding for the Governor's School for Science and Technology
151shall be provided from:
152     (a)  Appropriations from the Legislature or a state agency;
153     (b)  Contributions or endowments from private entities; and
154     (c)  Moneys generated through the Florida Education Finance
155Program or a categorical fund by virtue of a student's
156enrollment in a public school. Moneys so generated must be
157provided for each student who is enrolled in the Governor's
158School for Science and Technology in the same manner and amount
159that such moneys would be provided to a district school board if
160the same student were enrolled in a standard public school.
161     Section 2.  Subsection (5) is added to section 1000.04,
162Florida Statutes, to read:
163     1000.04  Components for the delivery of public education
164within the Florida K-20 education system.--Florida's K-20
165education system provides for the delivery of public education
166through publicly supported and controlled K-12 schools,
167community colleges, state universities and other postsecondary
168educational institutions, other educational institutions, and
169other educational services as provided or authorized by the
170Constitution and laws of the state.
171     (5)  THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.--The
172Governor's School for Science and Technology is a component of
173the delivery of public education within Florida's K-20 education
174system.
175     Section 3.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of section
1761002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
177     1002.20  K-12 student and parent rights.--Parents of public
178school students must receive accurate and timely information
179regarding their child's academic progress and must be informed
180of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
181students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
182rights including, but not limited to, the following:
183     (6)  EDUCATIONAL CHOICE.--
184     (a)  Public school choices.--Parents of public school
185students may seek whatever public school choice options that are
186applicable to their students and are available to students in
187their school districts. These options may include controlled
188open enrollment, lab schools, charter schools, charter technical
189career centers, magnet schools, alternative schools, special
190programs, advanced placement, dual enrollment, International
191Baccalaureate, International General Certificate of Secondary
192Education (pre-AICE), Advanced International Certificate of
193Education, early admissions, credit by examination or
194demonstration of competency, the New World School of the Arts,
195the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, the Governor's
196School for Science and Technology, and the Florida Virtual
197School. These options may also include the public school choice
198options of the Opportunity Scholarship Program and the McKay
199Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program.
200     Section 4.  Paragraph (i) of subsection (1) of section
2011003.02, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
202     1003.02  District school board operation and control of
203public K-12 education within the school district.--As provided
204in part II of chapter 1001, district school boards are
205constitutionally and statutorily charged with the operation and
206control of public K-12 education within their school district.
207The district school boards must establish, organize, and operate
208their public K-12 schools and educational programs, employees,
209and facilities. Their responsibilities include staff
210development, public K-12 school student education including
211education for exceptional students and students in juvenile
212justice programs, special programs, adult education programs,
213and career education programs. Additionally, district school
214boards must:
215     (1)  Provide for the proper accounting for all students of
216school age, for the attendance and control of students at
217school, and for proper attention to health, safety, and other
218matters relating to the welfare of students in the following
219fields:
220     (i)  Parental notification of acceleration mechanisms.--At
221the beginning of each school year, notify parents of students in
222or entering high school of the opportunity and benefits of
223advanced placement, International Baccalaureate, Advanced
224International Certificate of Education, dual enrollment, the
225Governor's School for Science and Technology, and Florida
226Virtual School courses.
227     Section 5.  The sum of $1 million is appropriated from the
228General Revenue Fund to the Florida Virtual School for the
229purpose of paying salaries and other administrative expenses
230necessary to develop a plan, secure facilities, develop the
231sequence of courses for each grade level, and undertake other
232activities necessary to commence operation of the Governor's
233School for Science and Technology in the 2009-2010 academic
234year.
235     Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.


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