Florida Senate - 2015                                     SB 688
       
       
        
       By Senator Montford
       
       
       
       
       
       3-00829-15                                             2015688__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the opening and closing of public
    3         schools; amending s. 1001.42, F.S.; revising a
    4         requirement for the uniform opening date of public
    5         schools; amending s. 1003.621, F.S.; providing that
    6         academically high-performing school districts must
    7         comply with provisions relating to the uniform opening
    8         date of public schools; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subsection (4) of section
   13  1001.42, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   14         1001.42 Powers and duties of district school board.—The
   15  district school board, acting as a board, shall exercise all
   16  powers and perform all duties listed below:
   17         (4) ESTABLISHMENT, ORGANIZATION, AND OPERATION OF SCHOOLS.
   18  Adopt and provide for the execution of plans for the
   19  establishment, organization, and operation of the schools of the
   20  district, including, but not limited to, the following:
   21         (f) Opening and closing of schools; fixing uniform date.
   22  Adopt policies for the opening and closing of schools and fix
   23  uniform dates; however, beginning with the 2015-2016 2007-2008
   24  school year, the opening date for schools in the district may
   25  not be earlier than 21 14 days before Labor Day each year.
   26         Section 2. Present paragraph (k) of subsection (2) of
   27  section 1003.621, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
   28  (l), and a new paragraph (k) is added to that subsection, to
   29  read:
   30         1003.621 Academically high-performing school districts.—It
   31  is the intent of the Legislature to recognize and reward school
   32  districts that demonstrate the ability to consistently maintain
   33  or improve their high-performing status. The purpose of this
   34  section is to provide high-performing school districts with
   35  flexibility in meeting the specific requirements in statute and
   36  rules of the State Board of Education.
   37         (2) COMPLIANCE WITH STATUTES AND RULES.—Each academically
   38  high-performing school district shall comply with all of the
   39  provisions in chapters 1000-1013, and rules of the State Board
   40  of Education which implement these provisions, pertaining to the
   41  following:
   42         (k) Section 1001.42(4)(f), relating to the uniform opening
   43  date for public schools.
   44         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.