The Florida Senate

235.19  Site planning and selection.--

(1)  Before acquiring property for sites, each board shall determine the location of proposed educational centers or campuses for the board. In making this determination, the board shall consider existing and anticipated site needs and the most economical and practicable locations of sites. The board shall coordinate with the long-range or comprehensive plans of local, regional, and state governmental agencies to assure the compatibility of such plans with site planning. Boards are encouraged to locate schools proximate to urban residential areas to the extent possible, and shall seek to collocate schools with other public facilities, such as parks, libraries, and community centers, to the extent possible.

(2)  Each new site selected must be adequate in size to meet the educational needs of the students to be served on that site by the original educational facility or future expansions of the facility through renovation or the addition of relocatables. The Commissioner of Education shall prescribe by rule recommended sizes for new sites according to categories of students to be housed and other appropriate factors determined by the commissioner. Less-than-recommended site sizes are allowed if the board, by a two-thirds majority, recommends such a site and finds that it can provide an appropriate and equitable educational program on the site.

(3)  Sites recommended for purchase, or purchased, in accordance with chapter 230 or chapter 240 must meet standards prescribed therein and such supplementary standards as the commissioner prescribes to promote the educational interests of the students. Each site must be well drained and suitable for outdoor educational purposes as appropriate for the educational program. As provided in s. 333.03, the site must not be located within any path of flight approach of any airport. Insofar as is practicable, the site must not adjoin a right-of-way of any railroad or through highway and must not be adjacent to any factory or other property from which noise, odors, or other disturbances, or at which conditions, would be likely to interfere with the educational program.

(4)  It shall be the responsibility of the board to provide adequate notice to appropriate municipal, county, regional, and state governmental agencies for requested traffic control and safety devices so they can be installed and operating prior to the first day of classes or to satisfy itself that every reasonable effort has been made in sufficient time to secure the installation and operation of such necessary devices prior to the first day of classes. It shall also be the responsibility of the board to review annually traffic control and safety device needs and to request all necessary changes indicated by such review.

(5)  Each board may request county and municipal governments to construct and maintain sidewalks and bicycle trails within a 2-mile radius of each educational facility within the jurisdiction of the local government. When a board discovers or is aware of an existing hazard on or near a public sidewalk, street, or highway within a 2-mile radius of a school site and the hazard endangers the life or threatens the health or safety of students who walk, ride bicycles, or are transported regularly between their homes and the school in which they are enrolled, the board shall, within 24 hours after discovering or becoming aware of the hazard, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, report such hazard to the governmental entity within the jurisdiction of which the hazard is located. Within 5 days after receiving notification by the board, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, the governmental entity shall investigate the hazardous condition and either correct it or provide such precautions as are practicable to safeguard students until the hazard can be permanently corrected. However, if the governmental entity that has jurisdiction determines upon investigation that it is impracticable to correct the hazard, or if the entity determines that the reported condition does not endanger the life or threaten the health or safety of students, the entity shall, within 5 days after notification by the board, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, inform the board in writing of its reasons for not correcting the condition. The governmental entity, to the extent allowed by law, shall indemnify the board from any liability with respect to accidents or injuries, if any, arising out of the hazardous condition.

History.--s. 919, ch. 19355, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 892(301); s. 68, ch. 29764, 1955; ss. 15, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 69-300; s. 4, ch. 73-338; s. 10, ch. 77-458; s. 102, ch. 79-400; s. 2, ch. 80-279; s. 9, ch. 80-414; ss. 19, 50, 52, ch. 81-223; s. 1, ch. 84-349; ss. 26, 27, ch. 85-116; ss. 1, 4, ch. 86-1; s. 11, ch. 93-164; s. 4, ch. 94-292; ss. 12, 35, ch. 95-269; ss. 2, 11, ch. 95-341; s. 143, ch. 97-190; s. 29, ch. 97-384; s. 8, ch. 98-176.