Florida Senate - 2009 SENATOR AMENDMENT Bill No. HB 7087, 2nd Eng. Barcode 683724 LEGISLATIVE ACTION Senate . House . . . . . ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Senator Diaz de la Portilla moved the following: 1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 2 3 Between lines 1825 and 1826 4 insert: 5 Section 24. Section 1010.2155, Florida Statutes, is created 6 to read: 7 1010.2155 Expenditures for classroom instruction.— 8 (1) Effective July 1, 2009, school districts shall spend a 9 minimum of 70 percent of the district general fund on 10 expenditures in the classroom. 11 (2) Expenditures in the classroom shall consist of 12 expenditures for instruction and expenditures for instructional 13 support services. 14 (a) Expenditures for instruction shall include: 15 1. Salaries and benefits for instructional personnel 16 defined in s. 1012.01(2); 17 2. Substitute teachers; 18 3. Textbooks; 19 4. Library books; 20 5. Instruction-related materials and supplies; 21 6. Instruction-related audio-visual materials; 22 7. Instruction-related computer hardware and software; and 23 8. Compensation for persons on temporary appointment in 24 positions defined in s. 1012.01(2) who do not receive employee 25 benefits. 26 (b) Expenditures for instructional support services shall 27 include: 28 1. Salaries and benefits for instructional personnel 29 defined in s. 1012.01(2); 30 2. Pupil personnel services, including guidance counselors, 31 career specialists, and school psychologists; 32 3. Instructional media services, including school libraries 33 and media centers; 34 4. Aid to teachers in developing curriculum and 35 instruction; 36 5. Instructional staff training and professional 37 development services; 38 6. Reimbursement for instructional staff travel to 39 professional development activities outside the district; and 40 7. Compensation for persons on temporary appointment in 41 positions defined in s. 1012.01(2) who do not receive employee 42 benefits. 43 (3) School food services, student transportation, charter 44 schools, and debt service shall not be considered in calculating 45 the percentage of expenditures in the classroom. 46 (4) The Department of Education shall develop a uniform 47 calculation for determining classroom expenditure percentages 48 and shall develop a common format for district reporting. School 49 districts shall publish classroom expenditure information 50 annually in the financial report required in s. 1010.215 and 51 shall post the information on the home page of the school 52 district’s Internet site. Annual expenditure reports shall be 53 published no later than January 1 for the prior school year. 54 Effective May 1, 2012, school districts shall publish in each 55 school report card the most recent 3 years of the district-wide 56 percentage of general funds expended in the classroom. 57 (5) The Department of Education shall analyze the 58 expenditures of any school district that fails to meet required 59 classroom expenditure levels and receives a district grade of 60 “C” or lower and provide technical assistance in budget 61 preparation and analysis to the district. The department may 62 provide technical assistance regarding expenditures in the 63 classroom to any district, upon request. The Commissioner of 64 Education shall make written recommendations to the 65 superintendent of schools and school board regarding expenditure 66 redirections that may result in higher student achievement. 67 Effective July 1, 2011, the superintendent of schools of any 68 district that fails to meet the minimum classroom expenditures 69 and district grade shall appear before the State Board of 70 Education to explain the financial and academic performance 71 status of the district. Such appearance shall occur no later 72 than 60 days after the release of the district expenditure 73 report. 74 (6) The State Board of Education may adopt rules pursuant 75 to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer the provisions of 76 this section. 77 78 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================ 79 And the title is amended as follows: 80 Delete line 96 81 and insert: 82 the future abolishment of the task force; creating s. 83 1010.2155, F.S.; requiring that school districts spend 84 a minimum percentage of the district general fund on 85 expenditures in the classroom; requiring that the 86 Department of Education develop a uniform calculation 87 and a common format for district reporting; requiring 88 that school districts publish information regarding 89 classroom expenditures; requiring that the department 90 analyze the expenditures of school districts that fail 91 to meet required classroom expenditure levels; 92 authorizing the department to provide technical 93 assistance upon request by a school district; 94 requiring that the Commissioner of Education make 95 written recommendations to the superintendent of 96 schools and the school board; authorizing the State 97 Board of Education to adopt rules; providing