Florida Senate - 2009 SB 92
By Senator Wilson
33-00069-09 200992__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to school attendance; amending s.
3 1003.21, F.S.; requiring that a student who is
4 withdrawing from school be assigned a counselor or
5 other school personnel to provide educational
6 information until the student is 18 years old;
7 amending s. 1003.428, F.S.; requiring 9th graders and
8 students who are withdrawing from school to receive
9 instruction about the effects of withdrawing from high
10 school and certain available options; providing an
11 effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section
16 1003.21, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
17 1003.21 School attendance.—
18 (1)
19 (c) A student who has not graduated and who attains the age
20 of 16 years during the school year is not subject to compulsory
21 school attendance after beyond the date upon which he or she
22 attains that age if the student files a formal declaration of
23 intent to terminate school enrollment with the district school
24 board. Such Public school students who have attained the age of
25 16 years and who have not graduated are subject to compulsory
26 school attendance until the formal declaration of intent is
27 filed with the district school board. The declaration must
28 acknowledge that terminating school enrollment is likely to
29 reduce the student's earning potential and must be signed by the
30 student and the student's parent. The school district must
31 notify the student's parent of receipt of the student's
32 declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment. The
33 student's guidance counselor or other school personnel must
34 conduct an exit interview with the student to determine the
35 reasons for the student's decision to terminate school
36 enrollment and actions that could be taken to keep the student
37 in school. The student must be informed of opportunities to
38 continue his or her education in a different environment,
39 including, but not limited to, adult education and GED test
40 preparation. Additionally, the student must complete a survey in
41 a format prescribed by the Department of Education to provide
42 data on student reasons for terminating enrollment and actions
43 taken by schools to keep students enrolled. The school must also
44 assign a counselor or other school personnel to the student who
45 shall serve as a resource for educational information until the
46 student attains the age of 18.
47 Section 2. Present subsections (9) through (11) of section
48 1003.428, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (10)
49 through (12), respectively, and a new subsection (9) is added to
50 that section, to read:
51 1003.428 General requirements for high school graduation;
52 revised.—
53 (9) Each student who is in the second semester of the 9th
54 grade and any student who is withdrawing from school without
55 graduating or transferring to another school must be given
56 instruction that includes a detailed discussion of:
57 (a) The value of a high school education, both financially
58 and culturally;
59 (b) The alternative assessments, such as the SAT and the
60 ACT, the scores of which could help the student obtain a high
61 school diploma; and
62 (c) The options for secondary and postsecondary education
63 which are available, including secondary career and professional
64 academy opportunities, workforce training, and enrolling in a
65 community college or university, and the prerequisites to each,
66 with or without a diploma.
67 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.