Amendment
Bill No. CS/CS/HJR 919

Amendment No. 680143

CHAMBER ACTION
Senate		House
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1	Representative Kiar offered the following:
2
3	Amendment (with schedule and ballot amendments)
4	Remove lines 15-81 and insert:
5	ARTICLE IX
6	EDUCATION
7	SECTION 1.  Public education.--
8	(a)  The education of children is a fundamental value of
9	the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a
10	paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the
11	education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate
12	provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe,
13	secure, and high quality system of free public schools that
14	allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the
15	establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of
16	higher learning and other public education programs that the
17	needs of the people may require. To assure that children
18	attending public schools obtain a high quality education, the
19	legislature shall make adequate provision to ensure that, by the
20	beginning of the 2010-2011 2010 school year and for each school
21	year thereafter, there are a sufficient number of classrooms so
22	that:
23	(1)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to
24	each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
25	prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;
26	(2)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to
27	each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
28	grades 4 through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and
29	(3)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to
30	each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
31	grades 9 through 12 does not exceed 25 students.
32	(b)  Upon confirmation that schools have met the class size
33	requirements of subsection (a) through the October student
34	membership survey each year, schools may exceed these
35	requirements in the event of unexpected student enrollment
36	growth with the following restrictions:
37	(1)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to
38	each teacher in an individual classroom for prekindergarten
39	through grade 3 does not exceed 21 students;
40	(2)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to
41	each teacher in an individual classroom for grades 4 through 8
42	does not exceed 27 students; and
43	(3)  The maximum number of students who are assigned to
44	each teacher in an individual classroom for grades 9 through 12
45	does not exceed 30 students.
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47	The class size requirements of subsections (a) and (b) this
48	subsection do not apply to extracurricular or virtual classes.
49	Payment of the costs associated with reducing class size to meet
50	these requirements is the responsibility of the state and not of
51	local school schools districts. Beginning with the 2003-2004
52	fiscal year, The legislature shall provide sufficient funds to
53	maintain reduce the average number of students required by
54	subsections (a) and (b) in each classroom by at least two
55	students per year until the maximum number of students per
56	classroom does not exceed the requirements of this subsection.
57	(c)(b)  Every four-year old child in Florida shall be
58	provided by the State a high quality prekindergarten pre-
59	kindergarten learning opportunity in the form of an early
60	childhood development and education program which shall be
61	voluntary, high quality, free, and delivered according to
62	professionally accepted standards. An early childhood
63	development and education program means an organized program
64	designed to address and enhance each child's ability to make age
65	appropriate progress in an appropriate range of settings in the
66	development of language and cognitive capabilities and
67	emotional, social, regulatory, and moral capacities through
68	education in basic skills and such other skills as the
69	Legislature may determine to be appropriate.
70	(d)(c)  The early childhood education and development
71	programs provided by reason of subsection (c) subparagraph (b)
72	shall be implemented no later than the beginning of the 2005
73	school year through funds generated in addition to those used
74	for existing education, health, and development programs.
75	Existing education, health, and development programs are those
76	funded by the State as of January 1, 2002, that provided for
77	child or adult education, health care, or development.
78
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80	S C H E D U L E  A M E N D M E N T
81	Remove lines 82-89 and insert:
82	ARTICLE XII
83	SCHEDULE
84	SECTION 31.  Class size requirements for public
85	schools.--The amendment to Section 1 of Article IX, which
86	provides flexibility for schools to meet class size requirements
87	for public schools due to unexpected student growth after the
88	October student membership survey, and this section shall take
89	effect upon approval by the electors and shall operate
90	retroactively to the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.
91
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93	B A L L O T  A M E N D M E N T
94	Remove lines 92-115 and insert:
95	CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
96	ARTICLE IX, SECTION 1
97	ARTICLE XII, SECTION 31
98	REVISION OF THE CLASS SIZE REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLIC
99	SCHOOLS.--Proposes amendment of the State Constitution to
100	provide flexibility for schools to meet class size requirements
101	for public schools due to unexpected student growth after the
102	October student membership survey. For public school classrooms
103	for prekindergarten through grade 3, for grades 4 through 8, and
104	for grades 9 through 12, upon confirmation that a school has met
105	class size requirements through the October student membership
106	survey, provides a limit on the maximum number of students who
107	may be assigned to each teacher in an individual classroom.
108	Provides that class size requirements do not apply to virtual
109	classes. Modifies requirements for funding to require that the
110	Legislature provide sufficient funds to maintain class size
111	requirements. Clarifies that class size requirements apply by
112	the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year and for each school
113	year thereafter. Schedules these revisions to take effect upon
114	approval by the electors of this state and to operate
115	retroactively to the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.