| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to public school funding; providing for |
| 3 | school district flexibility in the 2009-2010 fiscal year |
| 4 | to expend specific funds for operating expenses; requiring |
| 5 | district school board adoption of a resolution and |
| 6 | approval of an amendment to the school district's |
| 7 | operating budget; requiring the district school board to |
| 8 | report to the Department of Education the amount of |
| 9 | transferred funds and the operating expense for which the |
| 10 | funds were expended; requiring reporting to the Governor |
| 11 | and Legislature; providing for school district flexibility |
| 12 | in the 2009-2010 fiscal year to expend a portion of |
| 13 | nonvoted capital improvement millage for operating |
| 14 | expenses; requiring transfer of proceeds by budget |
| 15 | amendment approved by the district school board; providing |
| 16 | for equalization of funds; providing for repeal; requiring |
| 17 | legislative review of the transfer of funds; providing |
| 18 | that the transfer of funds may be reauthorized by the |
| 19 | Legislature; providing an effective date. |
| 20 |
|
| 21 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 22 |
|
| 23 | Section 1. School district flexibility.-- |
| 24 | (1)(a) Each district school board is given flexibility to |
| 25 | expend in its operating budget as nonrecurring funds the |
| 26 | following funds allocated to the school district through |
| 27 | specific appropriations in the 2009-2010 General Appropriations |
| 28 | Act. |
| 29 | 1. Funds for safe schools. |
| 30 | 2. Funds for supplemental academic instruction. |
| 31 | 3. Funds for supplemental reading instruction. |
| 32 | 4. Department of Juvenile Justice supplemental funds. |
| 33 | 5. Funds for student transportation. |
| 34 | 6. Funds for instructional materials. |
| 35 | 7. Funds for the Teachers Lead Program. |
| 36 | 8. Funds for class size reduction. |
| 37 | 9. Funds for the Florida School Recognition Program. |
| 38 | (b) To expend funds for operating expenses under this |
| 39 | subsection, a district school board shall find and declare in a |
| 40 | resolution adopted at a regular meeting of the school board that |
| 41 | the funds are urgently needed to maintain school board operating |
| 42 | expenses and shall approve an amendment to the school district's |
| 43 | 2009-2010 operating budget transferring the identified amount of |
| 44 | funds to the appropriate account for expenditure. |
| 45 | (c) Each district school board shall report to the |
| 46 | Department of Education the amount of funds it transferred under |
| 47 | paragraph (a) and the specific operating expense for which these |
| 48 | funds were expended. The department shall provide instructions |
| 49 | to each district school board and specify the format to be used |
| 50 | in submitting this required information. The department shall |
| 51 | submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the |
| 52 | Speaker of the House of Representatives a report showing the |
| 53 | actions taken by each school board and a statewide summary of |
| 54 | all actions taken by school districts. |
| 55 | (2)(a) Each district school board is given flexibility to |
| 56 | expend in its operating budget as nonrecurring funds up to 0.5 |
| 57 | mill of its nonvoted capital improvement millage levied pursuant |
| 58 | to s. 1011.71(2), Florida Statutes, for the 2009-2010 fiscal |
| 59 | year, which amount shall not exceed $328 per full-time |
| 60 | equivalent student. This authorized use of proceeds from this |
| 61 | millage levy is in addition to the authorized uses set forth in |
| 62 | s. 1011.71, Florida Statutes, and is for the 2009-2010 fiscal |
| 63 | year only. Any proceeds from this millage levy used for school |
| 64 | district operating expenses shall be transferred by budget |
| 65 | amendment approved by the school board at a regular meeting of |
| 66 | the school board. |
| 67 | (b) If the proceeds from 0.5 mill produce less than $328 |
| 68 | per full-time equivalent student in any school district, the |
| 69 | additional amount required to equal $328 per full-time |
| 70 | equivalent student shall be provided from state funds. |
| 71 | (c) If a district school board has not levied sufficient |
| 72 | millage under s. 1011.71(2), Florida Statutes, for the 2009-2010 |
| 73 | fiscal year to produce $328 per full-time equivalent student and |
| 74 | the school board has other similar funds available, the school |
| 75 | board may use such funds in lieu of proceeds from millage. |
| 76 | (3) This section is repealed June 30, 2010. |
| 77 | Section 2. The transfer of funds authorized in section 1 |
| 78 | of this act shall be reviewed by the Legislature and may be |
| 79 | reauthorized for subsequent fiscal years. |
| 80 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |