Florida Senate - 2018                                     SB 216
       
       
        
       By Senator Book
       
       
       
       
       
       32-00110-18                                            2018216__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to schools of hope; amending s.
    3         1001.292, F.S.; revising enrollment requirements for a
    4         hope operator to receive a loan under the Schools of
    5         Hope Revolving Loan Program; amending s. 1002.333,
    6         F.S.; redefining the term “school of hope”; requiring
    7         hope operators to employ school administrators and
    8         instructional and noninstructional personnel who meet
    9         specified certification requirements; providing an
   10         effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 1001.292,
   15  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   16         1001.292 Schools of Hope Revolving Loan Program.—
   17         (3) The department may contract with a third-party
   18  administrator to administer the program. If the department
   19  contracts with a third-party administrator, funds shall be
   20  granted to the third-party administrator to create a revolving
   21  loan fund to finance for the purpose of financing projects that
   22  meet the requirements of subsection (4). The third-party
   23  administrator shall report to the department annually. The
   24  department shall continue to administer the program until a
   25  third-party administrator is selected.
   26         (4) Hope operators that have been designated by the State
   27  Board of Education and have executed a performance-based
   28  agreement pursuant to s. 1002.333 shall be provided a loan of up
   29  to the amount provided in subsection (2) for projects that are
   30  located in the attendance area of a persistently low-performing
   31  school or within a 5-mile radius of such school and primarily
   32  serve students who comprise at least 75 percent of its total
   33  enrollment from the persistently low-performing school. A hope
   34  operator is not eligible for funding if it operates in
   35  facilities provided by the school district for a nominal fee, or
   36  at no charge, or if it is directly or indirectly operated by the
   37  school district.
   38         Section 2. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) and paragraph
   39  (d) of subsection (6) of section 1002.333, Florida Statutes, are
   40  amended to read:
   41         1002.333 Persistently low-performing schools.—
   42         (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   43         (c) “School of hope” means:
   44         1. A charter school operated by a hope operator which
   45  serves students from one or more persistently low-performing
   46  schools and who comprise at least 75 percent of its total
   47  enrollment; is located in the attendance zone of a persistently
   48  low-performing school or within a 5-mile radius of such school,
   49  whichever is greater; and is a Title I eligible school; or
   50         2. A school operated by a hope operator pursuant to s.
   51  1008.33(4)(b)3.
   52         (6) STATUTORY AUTHORITY.—
   53         (d) A hope operator must may employ school administrators
   54  and instructional and noninstructional personnel who do not meet
   55  the requirements of s. 1012.55 or s. 1012.56 if the school
   56  administrators and instructional personnel are not ineligible
   57  for such employment under s. 1012.315.
   58         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.