The Florida Senate

239.225  Vocational Improvement Program.--

(1)  There is established the Vocational Improvement Program to be administered by the Department of Education pursuant to this section and rules of the State Board for Career Education. Such rules must provide for the submission of applications and distribution of funds pursuant to this section. The priorities for allocation of funds for the program are the development of vocational programs for disadvantaged persons; recruitment, preservice and inservice activities for vocational counselors and teachers; the development of information systems that are compatible between school districts and community colleges; job placement services for vocational completers; the development of exploratory vocational courses; activities that provide faculty articulation for the purpose of integrating vocational and academic instruction; and activities that ensure greater community involvement in career education.

(2)  School boards and community college boards of trustees are eligible to apply for vocational improvement funds; however, priority shall be given to applications in which all community resources, such as private industry and labor organizations, civic groups, and chambers of commerce, are involved in planning, instruction, student services, and employment of program completers.

(3)

(a)  There shall be established within the Vocational Improvement Program the Vocational Equipment Challenge Grant Program. Through such program, any school district or community college that collects 50 percent of the cost of equipment from private fund sources and contributes 25 percent of the cost from local fund sources may request a state matching grant for the remaining 25 percent of the cost of equipment. The Legislature shall designate funds to be transferred to the Grants and Donations Trust Fund for the purposes of this subsection. Interest income accruing to the program from funds of the program in the trust fund not allocated shall increase the total funds available for the grants.

(b)  Prior to July 1, 1995, moneys appropriated to the trust fund for the purposes of this subsection shall be set aside in equal portions for school districts and community colleges that conduct ¹certificate career education or ²degree career education instruction. Any center that exceeds its allocation shall be eligible to receive additional grants for matching purposes from moneys remaining in the fund after July 1, 1995. If moneys remaining in the fund after July 1, 1995, are insufficient to provide grants for all matching requests, each institution shall be eligible to receive its proportionate share of the moneys based on the dollar value of its combined private and local contributions for equipment purposes. In implementing this subsection, the Department of Education may establish a minimum and maximum allocation from the trust fund after set-aside funds have been allocated.

(c)  The ³State Board for Career Education may adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of this subsection.

(4)  Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, any balance in the trust fund at the end of any fiscal year that has been allocated to the program shall remain therein and be available for carrying out the purposes of this section. Each year, the commissioner shall submit, as part of the legislative budget request, a list of applications eligible for funding pursuant to this section and the cost of each such application.

History.--s. 17, ch. 92-136; s. 4, ch. 94-232; s. 30, ch. 95-376.

¹Note.--The term "certificate career education" was substituted for the term "postsecondary adult vocational" by the editors pursuant to the directive of the Legislature in s. 16, ch. 94-232.

²Note.--The term "degree career education" was substituted for the term "postsecondary vocational" by the editors pursuant to the directive of the Legislature in s. 16, ch. 94-232.

³Note.--The State Board for Vocational Education was renamed as the State Board for Career Education by s. 16, ch. 94-232.