| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to public K-12 education; creating s. |
| 3 | 1003.06, F.S.; authorizing the parent of multiple birth |
| 4 | siblings to request certain classroom placement; providing |
| 5 | a definition; providing exceptions to implementation of |
| 6 | the requested placement; authorizing appeal of placement; |
| 7 | specifying conditions under which provisions do not apply; |
| 8 | providing an effective date. |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Section 1. Section 1003.06, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 13 | to read: |
| 14 | 1003.06 Classroom placement of multiple birth siblings.-- |
| 15 | (1) As used in this section, the term "multiple birth |
| 16 | siblings" means twins, triplets, quadruplets, or other siblings |
| 17 | resulting from a multiple birth. |
| 18 | (2)(a) The parent of multiple birth siblings who are |
| 19 | assigned to the same grade level and school may request in |
| 20 | writing that the school place the siblings in the same classroom |
| 21 | or in separate classrooms. The request must be made no later |
| 22 | than 5 days before the first day of each school year or 5 days |
| 23 | after the first day of attendance of students during the school |
| 24 | year if the students are enrolled in the school after the school |
| 25 | year commences. |
| 26 | (b) The school may recommend to the parent the appropriate |
| 27 | classroom placement for multiple birth siblings and may provide |
| 28 | professional educational advice to assist the parent with the |
| 29 | decision regarding appropriate classroom placement. |
| 30 | (3) Except as provided in subsection (4) or subsection |
| 31 | (5), a school shall provide the multiple birth siblings with the |
| 32 | classroom placement requested by the parent. |
| 33 | (4)(a) A school is not required to place multiple birth |
| 34 | siblings in the same classroom if factual evidence of |
| 35 | performance shows proof that the multiple birth siblings should |
| 36 | be separated. |
| 37 | (b) A school is not required to place multiple birth |
| 38 | siblings in separate classrooms if the request would require the |
| 39 | school district to add an additional class to the grade level of |
| 40 | the multiple birth siblings. |
| 41 | (5)(a) At the end of the first grading period following |
| 42 | the multiple birth siblings' enrollment in the school, if the |
| 43 | principal of the school, in consultation with the teacher of |
| 44 | each classroom in which the multiple birth siblings are placed, |
| 45 | determines that the requested classroom placement is disruptive |
| 46 | to the school, the principal may determine the appropriate |
| 47 | classroom placement for the siblings. |
| 48 | (b) A parent may appeal the principal's classroom |
| 49 | placement of multiple birth siblings in the manner provided by |
| 50 | school district policy. During an appeal, the multiple birth |
| 51 | siblings shall remain in the classroom chosen by the parent. |
| 52 | (6) This section does not affect: |
| 53 | (a) A right or obligation under s. 1003.57 or under the |
| 54 | Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. ss. 1400 |
| 55 | et seq., regarding the individual placement decisions of the |
| 56 | school district; or |
| 57 | (b) The right of a school district, principal, or teacher |
| 58 | to remove a student from a classroom pursuant to school district |
| 59 | student discipline policies. |
| 60 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |