HJR 919

1	House Joint Resolution
2	A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 1 of
3	Article IX and the creation of Section 31 of Article XII
4	of the State Constitution to revise class size
5	requirements for public schools and to provide an
6	effective date.
7
8	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10	That the following amendment to Section 1 of Article IX and
11	the creation of Section 31 of Article XII of the State
12	Constitution are agreed to and shall be submitted to the
13	electors of this state for approval or rejection at the general
14	election to be held in November 2010:
15	ARTICLE IX
16	EDUCATION
17	SECTION 1.  Public education.--
18	(a)  The education of children is a fundamental value of
19	the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a
20	paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the
21	education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate
22	provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe,
23	secure, and high quality system of free public schools that
24	allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the
25	establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of
26	higher learning and other public education programs that the
27	needs of the people may require. To assure that children
28	attending public schools obtain a high quality education, the
29	legislature shall make adequate provision to ensure that, by the
30	beginning of the 2010-2011 2010 school year and for each school
31	year thereafter, there are a sufficient number of classrooms so
32	that:
33	(1)  The average maximum number of students at the school
34	level who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public
35	school classrooms for prekindergarten through grade 3 does not
36	exceed 18 students and the maximum number of students assigned
37	to each teacher in an individual classroom does not exceed 21
38	students;
39	(2)  The average maximum number of students at the school
40	level who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public
41	school classrooms for grades 4 through 8 does not exceed 22
42	students and the maximum number of students assigned to each
43	teacher in an individual classroom does not exceed 27 students;
44	and
45	(3)  The average maximum number of students at the school
46	level who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public
47	school classrooms for grades 9 through 12 does not exceed 25
48	students.
49
50	The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to
51	extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated with
52	reducing class size to meet these requirements is the
53	responsibility of the state and not of local school schools
54	districts. Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the
55	legislature shall provide sufficient funds to reduce the average
56	number of students in each classroom by at least two students
57	per year until the maximum number of students per classroom does
58	not exceed the requirements of this subsection.
59	(b)  Every four-year old child in Florida shall be provided
60	by the State a high quality prekindergarten pre-kindergarten
61	learning opportunity in the form of an early childhood
62	development and education program which shall be voluntary, high
63	quality, free, and delivered according to professionally
64	accepted standards. An early childhood development and education
65	program means an organized program designed to address and
66	enhance each child's ability to make age appropriate progress in
67	an appropriate range of settings in the development of language
68	and cognitive capabilities and emotional, social, regulatory,
69	and moral capacities through education in basic skills and such
70	other skills as the Legislature may determine to be appropriate.
71	(c)  The early childhood education and development programs
72	provided by reason of subsection subparagraph (b) shall be
73	implemented no later than the beginning of the 2005 school year
74	through funds generated in addition to those used for existing
75	education, health, and development programs. Existing education,
76	health, and development programs are those funded by the State
77	as of January 1, 2002, that provided for child or adult
78	education, health care, or development.
79	ARTICLE XII
80	SCHEDULE
81	SECTION 31.  Class size requirements for public
82	schools.--The amendment to Section 1 of Article IX, which
83	requires that the class size requirements for public schools
84	shall be based on the average number of students at the school
85	level who are assigned to a teacher in specified grades, and
86	this section, if submitted to the electors of this state for
87	approval or rejection at the next general election, shall take
88	effect upon approval by the electors and shall operate
89	retroactively to the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.
90	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
91	placed on the ballot:
92	CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
93	ARTICLE IX, SECTION 1
94	ARTICLE XII, SECTION 31
95	REVISION OF THE CLASS SIZE REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLIC
96	SCHOOLS.--Proposes amendment of the State Constitution to
97	require that the class size requirements for public schools
98	shall remain at the current limits but be based on the average
99	number of students at the school level, rather than on the
100	maximum number of students, who are assigned to each teacher who
101	is teaching in public school classrooms in specified grades. For
102	public school classrooms for prekindergarten through grade 3 and
103	for grades 4 through 8, but not for grades 9 through 12, limits
104	the maximum number of students who may be assigned to each
105	teacher in an individual classroom. Deletes requirements for
106	funding annual reductions in class size to achieve the maximum
107	class size limits. Clarifies that these class size requirements
108	apply by the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year and for each
109	school year thereafter. Schedules these revisions to take effect
110	upon approval by the electors of this state and to operate
111	retroactively to the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.

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