Senate Bill sb2070

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2070

    By Senator Wise





    5-1673-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education finance; amending

  3         s. 1013.64, F.S.; providing for a series of

  4         allocations to schools that increase their FTE

  5         capacity by using an alternative or

  6         nontraditional calendar; prescribing

  7         responsibilities of district school boards and

  8         the Commissioner of Education with respect to

  9         the program; providing guidelines for

10         allocating funds; providing limitations and

11         prohibiting the increase of FTE capacity by

12         certain means; amending s. 1003.03, F.S.,

13         relating to maximum class size, to conform

14         terminology; providing a conditional effective

15         date.

16  

17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

18  

19         Section 1.  Subsection (8) is added to section 1013.64,

20  Florida Statutes, to read:

21         1013.64  Funds for comprehensive educational plant

22  needs; construction cost maximums for school district capital

23  projects.--Allocations from the Public Education Capital

24  Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund to the various boards for

25  capital outlay projects shall be determined as follows:

26         (8)(a)  The Department of Education shall deposit into

27  the Increased Utilization Account of the Public Education

28  Capital Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund annually up to 15

29  percent of the total funds appropriated under paragraph

30  (3)(a). These funds shall be allocated by the commissioner to

31  any public school district according to the following formula:

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2070
    5-1673-07




 1  Any eligible school that increases its FTE facility capacity

 2  by at least 20 percent as a result of using an alternative,

 3  nontraditional calendar shall receive up to a maximum of $250

 4  per total FTE generated within the school.

 5         (b)  To be eligible, the district school board must

 6  submit a resolution prior to August 1 of each fiscal year,

 7  beginning August 1, 2008, of its intent to participate in the

 8  Increased Utilization Account and listing each of the schools

 9  eligible during the prior fiscal year, with the first year

10  being the 2007-2008 fiscal year. The information listed for

11  each school must include the maximum FTE capacity for the year

12  as contained in the Florida Inventory of School Houses in the

13  Office of Educational Facilities and the increase attributable

14  to the alternative, nontraditional calendar. To be eligible,

15  each individual school FTE must exceed the maximum facility

16  capacity during the fiscal year by at least 20 percent.

17         (c)  Each school district qualifying for funding under

18  this subsection may be paid up to $200 per total FTE per

19  eligible school site for a maximum of 5 years for each

20  eligible school if funds are available. If funds are

21  insufficient during any fiscal year, the commissioner shall

22  determine the prorated amount.

23         (d)  Funds received by a school district from the

24  Increased Utilization Account are exempt from repayment of any

25  project outstanding pursuant to subsection (2).

26         (e)  All funds accruing to a district school board

27  under this subsection shall be allocated to the schools

28  generating the increased capacity and shall be expended on

29  needed projects as shown by one or more surveys under the

30  rules of the state board.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2070
    5-1673-07




 1         (f)  A school may not attain increased capacity for the

 2  purposes of this subsection by overcrowding of the school or

 3  double sessions. In addition, students may not be assigned to

 4  instructional spaces contrary to the state requirements for

 5  educational facilities rules.

 6         Section 2.  Paragraph (j) of subsection (3) of section

 7  1003.03, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

 8         1003.03  Maximum class size.--

 9         (3)  IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS.--District school boards

10  must consider, but are not limited to, implementing the

11  following items in order to meet the constitutional class size

12  maximums described in subsection (1) and the

13  two-student-per-year reduction required in subsection (2):

14         (j)  Use alternative or year-round schools and other

15  nontraditional calendars that do not adversely impact annual

16  assessment of student achievement.

17         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007, if

18  Senate Bill _____ or similar legislation creating the

19  Increased Utilization Account in the Public Education Capital

20  Outlay and Debt Service Trust Fund is adopted in the same

21  session, or an extension thereof, and becomes law.

22  

23            *****************************************

24                          SENATE SUMMARY

25    Provides for the Commissioner of Education to distribute
      moneys to school districts for projects at schools that
26    have increased their FTE capacity by using alternative or
      nontraditional calendars. Prohibits increasing FTE
27    capacity by overcrowding schools or using double
      sessions.
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30  

31  

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