Bill Text: FL H1329 | 2011 | Regular Session | Comm Sub


Bill Title: McKay Scholarships/Students with Disabilities

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 13-1)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-05-02 - Ordered enrolled -HJ 1004 [H1329 Detail]

Download: Florida-2011-H1329-Comm_Sub.html
CS/HB 1329

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to the John M. McKay Scholarships for
3Students with Disabilities Program; amending s. 1002.39,
4F.S.; making scholarships available to students with
5disabilities who have a 504 accommodation plan issued
6under s. 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act; allowing a
7parent to request and receive a scholarship for a student
8to enroll in and attend a private school if the student
9has a 504 accommodation plan; providing that students with
10certain temporary 504 accommodation plans are ineligible
11for a scholarship; requiring that the school district
12notify a parent of available options within 10 days after
13a 504 accommodation plan is issued; providing that a
14parent may choose to enroll the student in a public school
15in an adjacent district under certain conditions;
16providing for scholarship amounts; providing an effective
17date.
18
19Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20
21     Section 1.  Subsection (1), paragraph (a) of subsection
22(2), subsection (3), paragraphs (a) and (e) of subsection (5),
23and paragraph (a) of subsection (10) of section 1002.39, Florida
24Statutes, are amended to read:
25     1002.39  The John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with
26Disabilities Program.-There is established a program that is
27separate and distinct from the Opportunity Scholarship Program
28and is named the John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with
29Disabilities Program.
30     (1)  THE JOHN M. MCKAY SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS WITH
31DISABILITIES PROGRAM.-The John M. McKay Scholarships for
32Students with Disabilities Program is established to provide the
33option to attend a public school other than the one to which
34assigned, or to provide a scholarship to a private school of
35choice, for students with disabilities for whom:
36     (a)  An individual educational plan has been written in
37accordance with rules of the State Board of Education; or
38     (b)  A 504 accommodation plan has been issued under s. 504
39of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
40
41Students with disabilities include K-12 students who are
42documented as having an intellectual disability; a speech
43impairment; a language impairment; a hearing impairment,
44including deafness; a visual impairment, including blindness; a
45dual sensory impairment; an orthopedic impairment; an other
46health impairment; an emotional or behavioral disability; a
47specific learning disability, including, but not limited to,
48dyslexia, dyscalculia, or developmental aphasia; a traumatic
49brain injury; a developmental delay; or autism spectrum
50disorder.
51     (2)  JOHN M. MCKAY SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY.-The parent of a
52student with a disability may request and receive from the state
53a John M. McKay Scholarship for the child to enroll in and
54attend a private school in accordance with this section if:
55     (a)  The student has:
56     1.  Received specialized instructional services under the
57Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program pursuant to s.
581002.66 during the previous school year and the student has a
59current individual educational plan developed by the local
60school board in accordance with rules of the State Board of
61Education for the John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with
62Disabilities Program or a 504 accommodation plan has been issued
63under s. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
64     2.  Spent the prior school year in attendance at a Florida
65public school or the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.
66For purposes of this subparagraph, prior school year in
67attendance means that the student was enrolled and reported by:
68     a.  A school district for funding during the preceding
69October and February Florida Education Finance Program surveys
70in kindergarten through grade 12, which includes time spent in a
71Department of Juvenile Justice commitment program if funded
72under the Florida Education Finance Program;
73     b.  The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind during
74the preceding October and February student membership surveys in
75kindergarten through grade 12; or
76     c.  A school district for funding during the preceding
77October and February Florida Education Finance Program surveys,
78was at least 4 years of age when so enrolled and reported, and
79was eligible for services under s. 1003.21(1)(e); or
80     3.  Been enrolled and reported by a school district for
81funding, during the October and February Florida Education
82Finance Program surveys, in any of the 5 years prior to the
832010-2011 fiscal year; has a current individualized educational
84plan developed by the district school board in accordance with
85rules of the State Board of Education for the John M. McKay
86Scholarship Program no later than June 30, 2011; and receives a
87first-time John M. McKay scholarship for the 2011-2012 school
88year. Upon request of the parent, the local school district
89shall complete a matrix of services as required in subparagraph
90(5)(b)1. for a student requesting a current individualized
91educational plan in accordance with the provisions of this
92subparagraph.
93
94However, a dependent child of a member of the United States
95Armed Forces who transfers to a school in this state from out of
96state or from a foreign country due to a parent's permanent
97change of station orders is exempt from this paragraph but must
98meet all other eligibility requirements to participate in the
99program.
100     (3)  JOHN M. MCKAY SCHOLARSHIP PROHIBITIONS.-A student is
101not eligible for a John M. McKay Scholarship while he or she is:
102     (a)  While he or she is enrolled in a school operating for
103the purpose of providing educational services to youth in
104Department of Juvenile Justice commitment programs;
105     (b)  While he or she is receiving a Florida tax credit
106scholarship under s. 1002.395;
107     (c)  While he or she is receiving an educational
108scholarship pursuant to this chapter;
109     (d)  While he or she is participating in a home education
110program as defined in s. 1002.01(1);
111     (e)  While he or she is participating in a private tutoring
112program pursuant to s. 1002.43;
113     (f)  While he or she is participating in a virtual school,
114correspondence school, or distance learning program that
115receives state funding pursuant to the student's participation
116unless the participation is limited to no more than two courses
117per school year;
118     (g)  While he or she is enrolled in the Florida School for
119the Deaf and the Blind; or
120     (h)  While he or she is not having regular and direct
121contact with his or her private school teachers at the school's
122physical location; or
123     (i)  If he or she has been issued a temporary 504
124accommodation plan under s. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1251973 which is valid for 6 months or less.
126     (5)  SCHOOL DISTRICT OBLIGATIONS; PARENTAL OPTIONS.-
127     (a)1.  By April 1 of each year and within 10 days after an
128individual education plan meeting or a 504 accommodation plan is
129issued under s. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a school
130district shall notify the parent of the student of all options
131available pursuant to this section, inform the parent of the
132availability of the department's telephone hotline and Internet
133website for additional information on John M. McKay
134Scholarships, and offer that student's parent an opportunity to
135enroll the student in another public school in within the
136district.
137     2.  The parent is not required to accept the offer of
138enrolling in another public school in lieu of requesting a John
139M. McKay Scholarship to a private school. However, if the parent
140chooses the public school option, the student may continue
141attending a public school chosen by the parent until the student
142graduates from high school.
143     3.  If the parent chooses a public school consistent with
144the district school board's choice plan under s. 1002.31, the
145school district shall provide transportation to the public
146school selected by the parent. The parent is responsible to
147provide transportation to a public school chosen that is not
148consistent with the district school board's choice plan under s.
1491002.31.
150     (e)  The parent of a student may choose, as an alternative,
151to enroll the student in and transport the student to a public
152school in an adjacent school district which has available space
153and has a program with the services agreed to in the student's
154individual education plan or 504 accommodation plan already in
155place, and that school district shall accept the student and
156report the student for purposes of the district's funding
157pursuant to the Florida Education Finance Program.
158     (10)  JOHN M. MCKAY SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING AND PAYMENT.-
159     (a)1.  The maximum scholarship granted for an eligible
160student with disabilities shall be equivalent to the base
161student allocation in the Florida Education Finance Program
162multiplied by the appropriate cost factor for the educational
163program that would have been provided for the student in the
164district school to which he or she was assigned, multiplied by
165the district cost differential.
166     2.  In addition, a share of the guaranteed allocation for
167exceptional students shall be determined and added to the amount
168in subparagraph 1. The calculation shall be based on the
169methodology and the data used to calculate the guaranteed
170allocation for exceptional students for each district in chapter
1712000-166, Laws of Florida. Except as provided in subparagraphs
1723. and 4., the calculation shall be based on the student's
173grade, matrix level of services, and the difference between the
1742000-2001 basic program and the appropriate level of services
175cost factor, multiplied by the 2000-2001 base student allocation
176and the 2000-2001 district cost differential for the sending
177district. The calculated amount shall include the per-student
178share of supplemental academic instruction funds, instructional
179materials funds, technology funds, and other categorical funds
180as provided in the General Appropriations Act.
181     3.  The scholarship amount for a student who is eligible
182under sub-subparagraph (2)(a)2.b. shall be calculated as
183provided in subparagraphs 1. and 2. However, the calculation
184shall be based on the school district in which the parent
185resides at the time of the scholarship request.
186     4.  Until the school district completes the matrix required
187by paragraph (5)(b), the calculation shall be based on the
188matrix that assigns the student to support level I of service as
189it existed prior to the 2000-2001 school year. When the school
190district completes the matrix, the amount of the payment shall
191be adjusted as needed.
192     5.  The scholarship amount for a student eligible under s.
193504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 shall be based on the
194program cost factor the student currently generates through the
195Florida Education Finance Program.
196     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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