Bill Text: FL S1468 | 2017 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Education
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-04 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 7069 (Ch. 2017-116), SB 2502 (Ch. 2017-71) [S1468 Detail]
Download: Florida-2017-S1468-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Education
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-04 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 7069 (Ch. 2017-116), SB 2502 (Ch. 2017-71) [S1468 Detail]
Download: Florida-2017-S1468-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2017 CS for SB 1468 By the Committee on Education; and Senator Galvano 581-03348-17 20171468c1 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to education; amending s. 11.45, F.S.; 3 requiring the Auditor General to conduct annual audits 4 of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind; 5 amending s. 1001.10, F.S.; authorizing the 6 Commissioner of Education to coordinate with specified 7 entities to assess needs for resources and assistance 8 in an emergency situation; creating s. 1003.481, F.S.; 9 creating the Early Childhood Music Education Incentive 10 Pilot Program within the Department of Education for a 11 specified period; providing for school district 12 eligibility; providing comprehensive music education 13 program requirements; providing for school district 14 selection, funding, and program payments; requiring 15 selected school districts to annually provide a 16 specified certification to the Commissioner of 17 Education; requiring a selected school district to 18 return funds under certain circumstances; requiring 19 the University of Florida’s College of Education to 20 perform an evaluation; authorizing the State Board of 21 Education to adopt rules; providing for expiration of 22 the pilot program; amending s. 1004.345, F.S.; 23 extending the timeframe by which the Florida 24 Polytechnic University must meet specified criteria 25 established by the Board of Governors of the State 26 University System; providing an effective date. 27 28 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 29 30 Section 1. Upon the expiration and reversion of the 31 amendment to section 11.45, Florida Statutes, pursuant to 32 section 36 of chapter 2016-62, Laws of Florida, paragraph (d) of 33 subsection (2) of section 11.45, Florida Statutes, is amended to 34 read: 35 11.45 Definitions; duties; authorities; reports; rules.— 36 (2) DUTIES.—The Auditor General shall: 37 (d) Annually conduct financial audits of the accounts and 38 records of all district school boards in counties with 39 populations of fewer than 150,000, according to the most recent 40 federal decennial statewide census, and the Florida School for 41 the Deaf and the Blind. 42 43 The Auditor General shall perform his or her duties 44 independently but under the general policies established by the 45 Legislative Auditing Committee. This subsection does not limit 46 the Auditor General’s discretionary authority to conduct other 47 audits or engagements of governmental entities as authorized in 48 subsection (3). 49 Section 2. Subsection (8) is added to section 1001.10, 50 Florida Statutes, to read: 51 1001.10 Commissioner of Education; general powers and 52 duties.— 53 (8) In the event of an emergency, the commissioner may 54 coordinate through the most appropriate means of communication 55 with local school districts, Florida College System 56 institutions, and satellite offices of the Division of Blind 57 Services and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to assess 58 the need for resources and assistance to enable each school, 59 institution, or satellite office the ability to reopen as soon 60 as possible after considering the health, safety, and welfare of 61 students and clients. 62 Section 3. Section 1003.481, Florida Statutes, is created 63 to read: 64 1003.481 Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot 65 Program.— 66 (1) Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, the Early 67 Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program is created 68 within the Department of Education for a period of 3 school 69 years. The purpose of the pilot program is to assist selected 70 school districts in implementing comprehensive music education 71 programs for students in kindergarten through grade 2. 72 (2) In order for a school district to be eligible for 73 participation in the pilot program, the superintendent must 74 certify to the Commissioner of Education, in a format prescribed 75 by the department, that each elementary school within the 76 district has established a comprehensive music education program 77 that: 78 (a) Includes all students at the school enrolled in 79 kindergarten through grade 2. 80 (b) Is staffed by certified music educators. 81 (c) Provides music instruction for at least 30 consecutive 82 minutes 2 days a week. 83 (d) Complies with class size requirements under s. 1003.03. 84 (e) Complies with the department’s standards for early 85 childhood music education programs for students in kindergarten 86 through grade 2. 87 (3)(a) The commissioner shall select school districts for 88 participation in the pilot program, subject to legislative 89 appropriation, based on the school district’s proximity to the 90 University of Florida and needs-based criteria established by 91 the State Board of Education. Selected school districts shall 92 annually receive $150 per full-time equivalent student in 93 kindergarten through grade 2 who is enrolled in a comprehensive 94 music education program. 95 (b) To maintain eligibility for participation in the pilot 96 program, a selected school district must annually certify to the 97 commissioner, in a format prescribed by the department, that 98 each elementary school within the district provides a 99 comprehensive music education program that meets the 100 requirements of subsection (2). If a selected school district 101 fails to provide the annual certification for a fiscal year, the 102 school district must return all funds received through the pilot 103 program for that fiscal year. 104 (4) The University of Florida’s College of Education shall 105 evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program by measuring 106 student academic performance and the success of the program. The 107 evaluation must include, but is not limited to, a quantitative 108 analysis of student achievement and a qualitative evaluation of 109 students enrolled in the comprehensive music education programs. 110 (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to 111 administer this section. 112 (6) This section expires June 30, 2020. 113 Section 4. Upon the expiration and reversion of the 114 amendment to section 1004.345, Florida Statutes, pursuant to 115 section 36 of chapter 2016-62, Laws of Florida, subsection (1) 116 of section 1004.345, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 117 1004.345 The Florida Polytechnic University.— 118 (1) By December 31, 20172016, the Florida Polytechnic 119 University shall meet the following criteria as established by 120 the Board of Governors: 121 (a) Achieve accreditation from the Commission on Colleges 122 of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; 123 (b) Initiate the development of the new programs in the 124 fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; 125 (c) Seek discipline-specific accreditation for programs; 126 (d) Attain a minimum FTE of 1,244, with a minimum 50 127 percent of that FTE in the fields of science, technology, 128 engineering, and mathematics and 20 percent in programs related 129 to those fields; 130 (e) Complete facilities and infrastructure, including the 131 Science and Technology Building, Phase I of the Wellness Center, 132 and a residence hall or halls containing no fewer than 190 beds; 133 and 134 (f) Have the ability to provide, either directly or where 135 feasible through a shared services model, administration of 136 financial aid, admissions, student support, information 137 technology, and finance and accounting with an internal audit 138 function. 139 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.