| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the Florida Education Finance |
| 3 | Program; requiring that the Department of Education |
| 4 | enter into a contract with an entity located outside |
| 5 | the state to conduct a study and review of the Florida |
| 6 | Education Finance Program and recommend any |
| 7 | improvements that may be necessary; requiring that the |
| 8 | department submit a report to the Governor and the |
| 9 | Legislature by a specified date; providing an |
| 10 | appropriation and for carryforward of any unexpended |
| 11 | balance of funds; providing an effective date. |
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| 13 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Section 1. (1) The Department of Education shall enter |
| 16 | into a contract with an entity located outside the state to |
| 17 | conduct a study that includes the review of the Florida |
| 18 | Education Finance Program. The entity shall review the current |
| 19 | funding distribution formula and recommend any improvements that |
| 20 | may be necessary to ensure equity among the school districts. |
| 21 | The entity shall consider each school district's varying |
| 22 | characteristics, such as poverty and overall student |
| 23 | populations. |
| 24 | (2) The department shall submit a report containing the |
| 25 | results of the study to the Governor, the President of the |
| 26 | Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by |
| 27 | January 1, 2013. |
| 28 | Section 2. For the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the sum of |
| 29 | $100,000 in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the General |
| 30 | Revenue Fund to the Department of Education for the purpose of |
| 31 | implementing section 1 of this act. Any unexpended funds from |
| 32 | this appropriation shall be reappropriated for the 2013-2014 |
| 33 | fiscal year. |
| 34 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012. |