Senate Bill sb2686

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2686

    By Senator Wise





    5-1374A-07                                         See HB 1203

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to charter schools capital

  3         outlay funding; amending s. 1013.62, F.S.;

  4         providing eligibility for funding to a charter

  5         school operated by the operator of one or more

  6         charter schools that meet certain requirements;

  7         providing additional uses for charter school

  8         capital outlay funds; amending s. 199.133,

  9         F.S.; providing for the distribution of an

10         amount of nonrecurring taxes to the Charter

11         Schools Capital Outlay Trust Fund; providing an

12         effective date.

13  

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

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16         Section 1.  Subsections (1) and (2) of section 1013.62,

17  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

18         1013.62  Charter schools capital outlay funding.--

19         (1)  In each year in which funds are appropriated for

20  charter school capital outlay purposes, the Commissioner of

21  Education shall allocate the funds among eligible charter

22  schools. To be eligible for a funding allocation, a charter

23  school must:

24         (a)1.  Have been in operation for 3 or more years;

25         2.  Be an expanded feeder chain of a charter school

26  within the same school district that is currently receiving

27  charter school capital outlay funds; or

28         3.  Have been accredited by the Commission on Schools

29  of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; or.

30         4.  Be a charter school operated by an existing charter

31  school operator of one or more charter schools that are

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2686
    5-1374A-07                                         See HB 1203




 1  currently receiving charter school capital outlay funds, 50

 2  percent or more of which charter schools received a school

 3  grade designation of "A" or "B" pursuant to s. 1008.34 during

 4  the previous school year.

 5         (b)  Have financial stability for future operation as a

 6  charter school.

 7         (c)  Have satisfactory student achievement based on

 8  state accountability standards applicable to the charter

 9  school.

10         (d)  Have received final approval from its sponsor

11  pursuant to s. 1002.33 for operation during that fiscal year.

12         (e)  Serve students in facilities that are not provided

13  by the charter school's sponsor.

14  

15  The first priority for charter school capital outlay funding

16  shall be to allocate to the charter schools that received

17  funding in the 2005-2006 fiscal year an allocation of the same

18  amount per capital outlay full-time equivalent student up to

19  the lesser of the actual number of capital outlay full-time

20  equivalent students in the current year or the capital outlay

21  full-time equivalent students in the 2005-2006 fiscal year.

22  After calculating the first priority, the second priority

23  shall be to allocate excess funds remaining in the

24  appropriation in an amount equal to the per capital outlay

25  full-time equivalent student amount in the first priority

26  calculation to eligible charter schools not included in the

27  first priority calculation and to schools in the first

28  priority calculation with growth in excess of the 2005-2006

29  capital outlay full-time equivalent students. After

30  calculating the first and second priorities, excess funds

31  remaining in the appropriation shall be allocated to all

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2686
    5-1374A-07                                         See HB 1203




 1  eligible charter schools. A charter school's allocation shall

 2  not exceed one-fifteenth of the cost per student station

 3  specified in s. 1013.64(6)(b). Prior to the release of capital

 4  outlay funds to a school district on behalf of the charter

 5  school, the Department of Education shall ensure that the

 6  district school board and the charter school governing board

 7  enter into a written agreement that includes provisions for

 8  the reversion of any unencumbered funds and all equipment and

 9  property purchased with public education funds to the

10  ownership of the district school board, as provided for in

11  subsection (3), in the event that the school terminates

12  operations. Any funds recovered by the state shall be

13  deposited in the General Revenue Fund. A charter school is not

14  eligible for a funding allocation if it was created by the

15  conversion of a public school and operates in facilities

16  provided by the charter school's sponsor for a nominal fee or

17  at no charge or if it is directly or indirectly operated by

18  the school district. Unless otherwise provided in the General

19  Appropriations Act, the funding allocation for each eligible

20  charter school shall be determined by multiplying the school's

21  projected student enrollment by one-fifteenth of the

22  cost-per-student station specified in s. 1013.64(6)(b) for an

23  elementary, middle, or high school, as appropriate. If the

24  funds appropriated are not sufficient, the commissioner shall

25  prorate the available funds among eligible charter schools.

26  However, no charter school or charter lab school shall receive

27  state charter school capital outlay funds in excess of the

28  one-fifteenth cost per student station formula if the charter

29  school's combination of state charter school capital outlay

30  funds, capital outlay funds calculated through the reduction

31  in the administrative fee provided in s. 1002.33(20), and

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2686
    5-1374A-07                                         See HB 1203




 1  capital outlay funds allowed in s. 1002.32(9)(e) and (h)

 2  exceeds the one-fifteenth cost per student station formula.

 3  Funds shall be distributed on the basis of the capital outlay

 4  full-time equivalent membership by grade level, which shall be

 5  calculated by averaging the results of the second and third

 6  enrollment surveys. The Department of Education shall

 7  distribute capital outlay funds monthly, beginning in the

 8  first quarter of the fiscal year, based on one-twelfth of the

 9  amount the department reasonably expects the charter school to

10  receive during that fiscal year. The commissioner shall adjust

11  subsequent distributions as necessary to reflect each charter

12  school's actual student enrollment as reflected in the second

13  and third enrollment surveys. The commissioner shall establish

14  the intervals and procedures for determining the projected and

15  actual student enrollment of eligible charter schools.

16         (2)  A charter school's governing body may use charter

17  school capital outlay funds for the following purposes:

18         (a)  Purchase of real property.

19         (b)  Construction of school facilities.

20         (c)  Purchase, lease-purchase, or lease of permanent or

21  relocatable school facilities.

22         (d)  Purchase of vehicles to transport students to and

23  from the charter school.

24         (e)  Renovation, repair, and maintenance of school

25  facilities that the charter school owns or is purchasing

26  through a lease-purchase or long-term lease of 5 years or

27  longer.

28         (f)  Furnishing and equipping the charter school.

29  

30  Conversion charter schools may use capital outlay funds

31  received through the reduction in the administrative fee

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    Florida Senate - 2007                                  SB 2686
    5-1374A-07                                         See HB 1203




 1  provided in s. 1002.33(20) for construction, renovation,

 2  repair, and maintenance of school facilities that are owned by

 3  the sponsor.

 4         Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 199.133, Florida

 5  Statutes, is amended to read:

 6         199.133  Levy of nonrecurring tax.--

 7         (1)  A one-time nonrecurring tax of 2 mills is hereby

 8  imposed on each dollar of the just valuation of all notes,

 9  bonds, and other obligations for payment of money which are

10  secured by mortgage, deed of trust, or other lien upon real

11  property situated in this state. This tax shall be assessed

12  and collected as provided by this chapter. Of the amount

13  collected, an amount equal to 0.75 mills shall be distributed

14  to the Charter Schools Capital Outlay Trust Fund created under

15  s. 1013.625.

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

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