Florida Senate - 2017 CS for SB 1468
By the Committee on Education; and Senator Galvano
581-03348-17 20171468c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s. 11.45, F.S.;
3 requiring the Auditor General to conduct annual audits
4 of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind;
5 amending s. 1001.10, F.S.; authorizing the
6 Commissioner of Education to coordinate with specified
7 entities to assess needs for resources and assistance
8 in an emergency situation; creating s. 1003.481, F.S.;
9 creating the Early Childhood Music Education Incentive
10 Pilot Program within the Department of Education for a
11 specified period; providing for school district
12 eligibility; providing comprehensive music education
13 program requirements; providing for school district
14 selection, funding, and program payments; requiring
15 selected school districts to annually provide a
16 specified certification to the Commissioner of
17 Education; requiring a selected school district to
18 return funds under certain circumstances; requiring
19 the University of Florida’s College of Education to
20 perform an evaluation; authorizing the State Board of
21 Education to adopt rules; providing for expiration of
22 the pilot program; amending s. 1004.345, F.S.;
23 extending the timeframe by which the Florida
24 Polytechnic University must meet specified criteria
25 established by the Board of Governors of the State
26 University System; providing an effective date.
27
28 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
29
30 Section 1. Upon the expiration and reversion of the
31 amendment to section 11.45, Florida Statutes, pursuant to
32 section 36 of chapter 2016-62, Laws of Florida, paragraph (d) of
33 subsection (2) of section 11.45, Florida Statutes, is amended to
34 read:
35 11.45 Definitions; duties; authorities; reports; rules.—
36 (2) DUTIES.—The Auditor General shall:
37 (d) Annually conduct financial audits of the accounts and
38 records of all district school boards in counties with
39 populations of fewer than 150,000, according to the most recent
40 federal decennial statewide census, and the Florida School for
41 the Deaf and the Blind.
42
43 The Auditor General shall perform his or her duties
44 independently but under the general policies established by the
45 Legislative Auditing Committee. This subsection does not limit
46 the Auditor General’s discretionary authority to conduct other
47 audits or engagements of governmental entities as authorized in
48 subsection (3).
49 Section 2. Subsection (8) is added to section 1001.10,
50 Florida Statutes, to read:
51 1001.10 Commissioner of Education; general powers and
52 duties.—
53 (8) In the event of an emergency, the commissioner may
54 coordinate through the most appropriate means of communication
55 with local school districts, Florida College System
56 institutions, and satellite offices of the Division of Blind
57 Services and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to assess
58 the need for resources and assistance to enable each school,
59 institution, or satellite office the ability to reopen as soon
60 as possible after considering the health, safety, and welfare of
61 students and clients.
62 Section 3. Section 1003.481, Florida Statutes, is created
63 to read:
64 1003.481 Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot
65 Program.—
66 (1) Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, the Early
67 Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program is created
68 within the Department of Education for a period of 3 school
69 years. The purpose of the pilot program is to assist selected
70 school districts in implementing comprehensive music education
71 programs for students in kindergarten through grade 2.
72 (2) In order for a school district to be eligible for
73 participation in the pilot program, the superintendent must
74 certify to the Commissioner of Education, in a format prescribed
75 by the department, that each elementary school within the
76 district has established a comprehensive music education program
77 that:
78 (a) Includes all students at the school enrolled in
79 kindergarten through grade 2.
80 (b) Is staffed by certified music educators.
81 (c) Provides music instruction for at least 30 consecutive
82 minutes 2 days a week.
83 (d) Complies with class size requirements under s. 1003.03.
84 (e) Complies with the department’s standards for early
85 childhood music education programs for students in kindergarten
86 through grade 2.
87 (3)(a) The commissioner shall select school districts for
88 participation in the pilot program, subject to legislative
89 appropriation, based on the school district’s proximity to the
90 University of Florida and needs-based criteria established by
91 the State Board of Education. Selected school districts shall
92 annually receive $150 per full-time equivalent student in
93 kindergarten through grade 2 who is enrolled in a comprehensive
94 music education program.
95 (b) To maintain eligibility for participation in the pilot
96 program, a selected school district must annually certify to the
97 commissioner, in a format prescribed by the department, that
98 each elementary school within the district provides a
99 comprehensive music education program that meets the
100 requirements of subsection (2). If a selected school district
101 fails to provide the annual certification for a fiscal year, the
102 school district must return all funds received through the pilot
103 program for that fiscal year.
104 (4) The University of Florida’s College of Education shall
105 evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program by measuring
106 student academic performance and the success of the program. The
107 evaluation must include, but is not limited to, a quantitative
108 analysis of student achievement and a qualitative evaluation of
109 students enrolled in the comprehensive music education programs.
110 (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
111 administer this section.
112 (6) This section expires June 30, 2020.
113 Section 4. Upon the expiration and reversion of the
114 amendment to section 1004.345, Florida Statutes, pursuant to
115 section 36 of chapter 2016-62, Laws of Florida, subsection (1)
116 of section 1004.345, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
117 1004.345 The Florida Polytechnic University.—
118 (1) By December 31, 2017 2016, the Florida Polytechnic
119 University shall meet the following criteria as established by
120 the Board of Governors:
121 (a) Achieve accreditation from the Commission on Colleges
122 of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;
123 (b) Initiate the development of the new programs in the
124 fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;
125 (c) Seek discipline-specific accreditation for programs;
126 (d) Attain a minimum FTE of 1,244, with a minimum 50
127 percent of that FTE in the fields of science, technology,
128 engineering, and mathematics and 20 percent in programs related
129 to those fields;
130 (e) Complete facilities and infrastructure, including the
131 Science and Technology Building, Phase I of the Wellness Center,
132 and a residence hall or halls containing no fewer than 190 beds;
133 and
134 (f) Have the ability to provide, either directly or where
135 feasible through a shared services model, administration of
136 financial aid, admissions, student support, information
137 technology, and finance and accounting with an internal audit
138 function.
139 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.