Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1000
       
       
        
       By Senator Baxley
       
       
       
       
       
       12-01006-21                                           20211000__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to part-time public school enrollment;
    3         creating s. 1002.44, F.S.; authorizing certain
    4         students to take up to three courses per school year
    5         at any public school, subject to space, availability,
    6         and course prerequisites; providing construction;
    7         providing for funding; amending s. 1011.61, F.S.;
    8         revising the definition of the term “part-time
    9         student”; amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; requiring program
   10         membership surveys of each school made by each
   11         district by aggregating the full-time equivalent
   12         student membership of each program by school and by
   13         district to include part-time students; providing an
   14         effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Section 1002.44, Florida Statutes, is created to
   19  read:
   20         1002.44 Part-time public school enrollment.—
   21         (1) Any student who meets the regular attendance
   22  requirement of s. 1003.21 by attending a school or program
   23  specified in s. 1003.01(13)(b)-(e) may take up to three courses
   24  each school year at any public school in this state, subject to
   25  space, availability, and any course prerequisites. This
   26  subsection does not change the regular school attendance
   27  requirements of such schools or programs.
   28         (2) Part-time public school enrollment as described in
   29  subsection (1) does not count toward the attendance requirements
   30  of programs specified in s. 1003.01(13)(b)-(e).
   31         (3) Part-time students enrolled under this section must be
   32  reported for and generate funding pursuant to s. 1011.62.
   33         Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
   34  1011.61, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   35         1011.61 Definitions.—Notwithstanding the provisions of s.
   36  1000.21, the following terms are defined as follows for the
   37  purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program:
   38         (1) A “full-time equivalent student” in each program of the
   39  district is defined in terms of full-time students and part-time
   40  students as follows:
   41         (b) A “part-time student” is a student on the active
   42  membership roll of a school program or combination of school
   43  programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c) who is less than a full-time
   44  student, including students attending a school program or
   45  combination of school programs pursuant to s. 1002.44. A student
   46  who receives instruction in a school that operates for less than
   47  the minimum term shall generate full-time equivalent student
   48  membership proportional to the amount of instructional hours
   49  provided by the school divided by the minimum term requirement
   50  as provided in s. 1011.60(2).
   51  
   52  The department shall determine and implement an equitable method
   53  of equivalent funding for schools operating under emergency
   54  conditions, which schools have been approved by the department
   55  to operate for less than the minimum term as provided in s.
   56  1011.60(2).
   57         Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
   58  1011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   59         1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual
   60  allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
   61  district for operation of schools is not determined in the
   62  annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
   63  the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
   64  follows:
   65         (1) COMPUTATION OF THE BASIC AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR
   66  OPERATION.—The following procedure shall be followed in
   67  determining the annual allocation to each district for
   68  operation:
   69         (a) Determination of full-time equivalent membership.
   70  During each of several school weeks, including scheduled
   71  intersessions of a year-round school program during the fiscal
   72  year, a program membership survey of each school shall be made
   73  by each district by aggregating the full-time equivalent student
   74  membership, including part-time students, of each program by
   75  school and by district. The department shall establish the
   76  number and interval of membership calculations, except that for
   77  basic and special programs such calculations shall not exceed
   78  nine for any fiscal year. The district’s full-time equivalent
   79  membership shall be computed and currently maintained in
   80  accordance with regulations of the commissioner.
   81         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.