Florida Senate - 2023                                    SB 1236
       
       
        
       By Senator Wright
       
       
       
       
       
       8-01594-23                                            20231236__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to class size; amending s. 1003.03,
    3         F.S.; revising a specified reduction calculation for
    4         certain school district funding for school districts
    5         that fail to meet certain class size requirements;
    6         amending s. 1003.05, F.S.; providing that certain
    7         dependent children of active duty military personnel
    8         must be enrolled in certain programs; authorizing
    9         certain students of military personnel to enroll in
   10         any school within the school district under certain
   11         circumstances; providing an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section
   16  1003.03, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   17         1003.03 Maximum class size.—
   18         (4) ACCOUNTABILITY.—
   19         (a) If the department determines that the number of
   20  students assigned to any individual class exceeds the class size
   21  maximum, as required in subsection (1), based upon the October
   22  student membership survey, the department shall:
   23         1. Identify, for each grade group, the number of classes in
   24  which the number of students exceeds the maximum and the total
   25  number of students which exceeds the maximum for all classes.
   26         2. Determine the number of FTE students which exceeds the
   27  maximum for each grade group.
   28         3. Beginning in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and thereafter,
   29  multiply the total number of FTE students which exceeds the
   30  maximum for each grade group by an amount equal to 50 percent of
   31  the district’s FTE dollar amount of the class size categorical
   32  allocation for that year and calculate the total for all three
   33  grade groups.
   34         4.Multiply the total number of FTE students which exceeds
   35  the maximum for all classes by an amount equal to 50 percent of
   36  the base student allocation adjusted by the district cost
   37  differential for each of the 2010-2011 through 2013-2014 fiscal
   38  years and by an amount equal to the base student allocation
   39  adjusted by the district cost differential in the 2014-2015
   40  fiscal year and thereafter.
   41         4.5. Reduce the district’s class size categorical
   42  allocation by an amount equal to the product sum of the
   43  calculation calculations in subparagraph 3. subparagraphs 3. and
   44  4.
   45         Section 2. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 1003.05,
   46  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   47         1003.05 Assistance to transitioning students from military
   48  families.—
   49         (3)(a) Dependent children of active duty military personnel
   50  who otherwise meet the eligibility criteria for special academic
   51  programs offered through public schools:
   52         1. Shall be given first preference for admission to such
   53  programs even if the program is being offered through a public
   54  school other than the school to which the student would
   55  generally be assigned.
   56         2.Must be enrolled in such program if the student’s parent
   57  is transferred to this state during the school year.
   58         (b) If such a program is offered through a public school
   59  other than the school to which the student would generally be
   60  assigned, the parent or guardian of the student must assume
   61  responsibility for transporting the student to that school. For
   62  purposes of this subsection, special academic programs include
   63  magnet schools, advanced studies programs, advanced placement,
   64  dual enrollment, Advanced International Certificate of
   65  Education, and International Baccalaureate.
   66         (4) A student whose parent is transferred or is pending
   67  transfer to a military installation within this the state while
   68  on active military duty pursuant to an official military order
   69  shall be considered a resident of the school district for
   70  purposes of enrollment when the order is submitted to the school
   71  district and shall be provided preferential treatment in the
   72  controlled open enrollment process of the school district
   73  pursuant to s. 1002.31. A student whose parent is transferred
   74  within this state after the controlled open enrollment window
   75  may enroll in any school within the school district.
   76         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.