Florida Senate - 2016 SB 1166
By Senator Gaetz
1-01356A-16 20161166__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education funding; amending s.
3 1011.62, F.S.; revising the calculation for certain
4 supplemental funds for exceptional student education
5 programs; requiring the funds to be prorated under
6 certain circumstances; providing an effective date.
7
8 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10 Section 1. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section
11 1011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
12 1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual
13 allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
14 district for operation of schools is not determined in the
15 annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
16 the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
17 follows:
18 (1) COMPUTATION OF THE BASIC AMOUNT TO BE INCLUDED FOR
19 OPERATION.—The following procedure shall be followed in
20 determining the annual allocation to each district for
21 operation:
22 (e) Funding model for exceptional student education
23 programs.—
24 1.a. The funding model uses basic, at-risk, support levels
25 IV and V for exceptional students and career Florida Education
26 Finance Program cost factors, and a guaranteed allocation for
27 exceptional student education programs. Exceptional education
28 cost factors are determined by using a matrix of services to
29 document the services that each exceptional student will
30 receive. The nature and intensity of the services indicated on
31 the matrix shall be consistent with the services described in
32 each exceptional student’s individual educational plan. The
33 Department of Education shall review and revise the descriptions
34 of the services and supports included in the matrix of services
35 for exceptional students and shall implement those revisions
36 before the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year.
37 b. In order to generate funds using one of the two weighted
38 cost factors, a matrix of services must be completed at the time
39 of the student’s initial placement into an exceptional student
40 education program and at least once every 3 years by personnel
41 who have received approved training. Nothing listed in the
42 matrix shall be construed as limiting the services a school
43 district must provide in order to ensure that exceptional
44 students are provided a free, appropriate public education.
45 c. Students identified as exceptional, in accordance with
46 chapter 6A-6, Florida Administrative Code, who do not have a
47 matrix of services as specified in sub-subparagraph b. shall
48 generate funds on the basis of full-time-equivalent student
49 membership in the Florida Education Finance Program at the same
50 funding level per student as provided for basic students.
51 Additional funds for these exceptional students will be provided
52 through the guaranteed allocation designated in subparagraph 2.
53 2. For students identified as exceptional who do not have a
54 matrix of services and students who are gifted in grades K
55 through 8, there is created a guaranteed allocation to provide
56 these students with a free appropriate public education, in
57 accordance with s. 1001.42(4)(l) and rules of the State Board of
58 Education, which shall be allocated initially annually to each
59 school district in the amount provided in the General
60 Appropriations Act. These funds shall be supplemental in
61 addition to the funds appropriated for the basic funding level
62 on the basis of FTE student membership in the Florida Education
63 Finance Program, and the amount allocated for each school
64 district shall not be recalculated once during the year, based
65 on actual student membership from the October FTE survey. Upon
66 recalculation, if the generated allocation is greater than the
67 amount provided in the General Appropriations Act, the total
68 shall be prorated to the level of the appropriation based on
69 each district’s share of the total recalculated amount. These
70 funds shall be used to provide special education and related
71 services for exceptional students and students who are gifted in
72 grades K through 8. Beginning with the 2007-2008 fiscal year, A
73 district’s expenditure of funds from the guaranteed allocation
74 for students in grades 9 through 12 who are gifted may not be
75 greater than the amount expended during the 2006-2007 fiscal
76 year for gifted students in grades 9 through 12.
77 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.