The Florida Senate

235.185  School district facilities work program; definitions; preparation, adoption, and amendment; long-term work programs.--

(1)  DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section, the term:

(a)  "Adopted district facilities work program" means the 5-year work program adopted by the district school board as provided in subsection (3).

(b)  "Tentative district facilities work program" means the 5-year listing of capital outlay projects required:

1.  To properly maintain the educational plant and ancillary facilities of the district.

2.  To provide an adequate number of satisfactory student stations for the projected student enrollment of the district in K-12 programs in accordance with the goal in s. 235.062.

(2)  PREPARATION OF TENTATIVE DISTRICT FACILITIES WORK PROGRAM.--

(a)  Annually, prior to the adoption of the district school budget, each school board shall prepare a tentative district facilities work program that includes:

1.  A schedule of major repair and renovation projects necessary to maintain the educational plant and ancillary facilities of the district.

2.  A schedule of capital outlay projects necessary to ensure the availability of satisfactory student stations for the projected student enrollment in K-12 programs. This schedule shall consider:

a.  The locations, capacities, and planned utilization rates of current educational facilities of the district.

b.  The proposed locations of planned facilities.

c.  Plans for the use and location of relocatable facilities, leased facilities, and charter school facilities.

d.  Plans for multitrack scheduling, grade level organization, block scheduling, or other alternatives that reduce the need for permanent student stations.

e.  Information concerning average class size and utilization rate by grade level within the district that will result if the tentative district facilities work program is fully implemented. The average shall not include exceptional student education classes or prekindergarten classes.

f.  The number and percentage of district students planned to be educated in relocatable facilities during each year of the tentative district facilities work program.

g.  Plans for the closure of any school, including plans for disposition of the facility or usage of facility space, and anticipated revenues.

3.  The projected cost for each project identified in the tentative district facilities work program. For proposed projects for new student stations, a schedule shall be prepared comparing the planned cost and square footage for each new student station, by elementary, middle, and high school levels, to the low, average, and high cost of facilities constructed throughout the state during the most recent fiscal year for which data is available from the Department of Education.

4.  A schedule of estimated capital outlay revenues from each currently approved source which is estimated to be available for expenditure on the projects included in the tentative district facilities work program.

5.  A schedule indicating which projects included in the tentative district facilities work program will be funded from current revenues projected in subparagraph 4.

6.  A schedule of options for the generation of additional revenues by the district for expenditure on projects identified in the tentative district facilities work program which are not funded under subparagraph 5. Additional anticipated revenues may include effort index grants, SIT Program awards, and Classrooms First funds.

(b)  To the extent available, the tentative district facilities work program shall be based on information produced by the demographic, revenue, and education estimating conferences pursuant to s. 216.136.

(c)  Provision shall be made for public comment concerning the tentative district facilities work program.

(3)  ADOPTED DISTRICT FACILITIES WORK PROGRAM.--Annually, the district school board shall consider and adopt the tentative district facilities work program completed pursuant to subsection (2). Upon giving proper public notice and opportunity for public comment, the district school board may amend the program to revise the priority of projects, to add or delete projects, to reflect the impact of change orders, or to reflect the approval of new revenue sources which may become available. The adopted district facilities work program shall:

(a)  Be a complete, balanced capital outlay financial plan for the district.

(b)  Set forth the proposed commitments and planned expenditures of the district to address the educational facilities needs of its students and to adequately provide for the maintenance of the educational plant and ancillary facilities.

(4)  EXECUTION OF ADOPTED DISTRICT FACILITIES WORK PROGRAM.--The first year of the adopted district facilities work program shall constitute the capital outlay budget required in s. 235.18. The adopted district facilities work program shall include the information required in subparagraphs (2)(a)1., 2., and 3., based upon projects actually funded in the program.

(5)  10-YEAR AND 20-YEAR WORK PROGRAMS.--In addition to the adopted district facilities work program covering the 5-year work program, the district school board shall adopt annually a 10-year and a 20-year work program which include the information set forth in subsection (2), but based upon enrollment projections and facility needs for the 10-year and 20-year periods. It is recognized that the projections in the 10-year and 20-year timeframes are tentative and should be used only for general planning purposes.

History.--s. 4, ch. 97-384; s. 7, ch. 98-176.