Florida Senate - 2009 SJR 2394
By Senator Gaetz
4-00317A-09 20092394__
1 Senate Joint Resolution
2 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 1
3 of Article IX of the State Constitution to increase
4 the number of students who may be assigned to a public
5 school teacher and to require that the existing class
6 size limits apply to the average number of students
7 per teacher at a public school.
8
9 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11 That the following amendment to Section 1 of Article IX of
12 the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to
13 the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
14 general election or at an earlier special election specifically
15 authorized by law for that purpose:
16 ARTICLE IX
17 EDUCATION
18 SECTION 1. Public education.—
19 (a) The education of children is a fundamental value of the
20 people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount
21 duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education
22 of all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision
23 shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and
24 high quality system of free public schools that allows students
25 to obtain a high quality education and for the establishment,
26 maintenance, and operation of institutions of higher learning
27 and other public education programs that the needs of the people
28 may require.
29 (b) To assure that children attending public schools obtain
30 a high quality education, the legislature shall make adequate
31 provision to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2010 school
32 year, there are a sufficient number of classroom teachers to
33 maintain small class sizes. classrooms so that:
34 (1) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
35 teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms For
36 prekindergarten through grade 3, the number of students assigned
37 to a teacher may not exceed 23 students; and the average number
38 of students assigned to a teacher may does not exceed 18
39 students at a school.;
40 (2) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
41 teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms For grades 4
42 through 8, the number of students assigned to a teacher may not
43 exceed 27; and the average number of students assigned to a
44 teacher may does not exceed 22 students at a school.; and
45 (3) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
46 teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms For grades 9
47 through 12, the number of students assigned to a teacher may not
48 exceed 30; and the average number of students assigned to a
49 teacher may does not exceed 25 students at a school.
50
51 The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to
52 extracurricular or virtual classes. Payment of the costs
53 associated with reducing class size to meet these requirements
54 is the responsibility of the state and not of local school
55 schools districts. Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the
56 legislature shall provide sufficient funds to reduce the average
57 number of students in each classroom by at least two students
58 per year until the maximum number of students per classroom does
59 not exceed the requirements of this subsection.
60 (c)(b) Every four-year old child in Florida shall be
61 provided by the State a high quality pre-kindergarten learning
62 opportunity in the form of an early childhood development and
63 education program, which shall be voluntary, high quality, free,
64 and delivered according to professionally accepted standards. An
65 early childhood development and education program means an
66 organized program designed to address and enhance each child's
67 ability to make age appropriate progress in an appropriate range
68 of settings in the development of language and cognitive
69 capabilities and emotional, social, regulatory, and moral
70 capacities through education in basic skills and such other
71 skills as the Legislature may determine to be appropriate.
72 (c) The early childhood education and development programs
73 provided by reason of subparagraph (b) shall be implemented no
74 later than the beginning of the 2005 school year through funds
75 generated in addition to those used for existing education,
76 health, and development programs. Existing education, health,
77 and development programs are those funded by the State as of
78 January 1, 2002 that provided for child or adult education,
79 health care, or development.
80 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
81 placed on the ballot:
82 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
83 ARTICLE IX, SECTION 1
84 SCHOOL AVERAGE CLASS SIZE.—This amendment to the State
85 Constitution increases the number of students who may be
86 assigned to a public school teacher. However, the average number
87 of students per teacher may not exceed the current class size
88 limits.
89 For prekindergarten through grade 3, a teacher may not have
90 more than 23 students. However, the average number of students
91 per teacher for this grade grouping at a school may not exceed
92 18 students.
93 For grade 4 through 8, a teacher may not have more than 27
94 students. However, the average number of students per teacher
95 for this grade grouping at a school may not exceed 22 students.
96 For grade 9 through grade 12, a teacher may not be assigned
97 more than 30 students. However, the average number of students
98 per teacher at a school may not exceed 25 students.