Senate Bill 1182
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1182
By Senators Latvala and Scott
19-1038-98
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to charter schools; creating s.
3 228.0561, F.S.; providing for the distribution
4 of funds from the Charter Schools Capital
5 Outlay Trust Fund; providing eligibility
6 requirements; providing duties of the
7 Commissioner of Education; authorizing the use
8 of funds for certain capital outlay purposes of
9 charter schools; requiring a legislative budget
10 request for appropriations from the Charter
11 Schools Capital Outlay Trust Fund; amending ss.
12 235.2155, 235.216, F.S., relating to the School
13 Infrastructure Thrift Program Act; deleting
14 authorization for awards related to the
15 operation of charter schools; providing a
16 contingent effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Section 228.0561, Florida Statutes, is
21 created to read:
22 228.0561 Charter Schools Capital Outlay Funding.--
23 (1) In each year in which funds are appropriated from
24 the Charter Schools Capital Outlay Trust Fund, the
25 Commissioner of Education shall allocate the funds among
26 eligible charter schools. To be eligible for a funding
27 allocation, a charter school must be approved pursuant to s.
28 228.056 for operation during that fiscal year and must serve
29 students in facilities that are not provided by the charter
30 school's sponsor. A charter school is not eligible for a
31 funding allocation if it was created by the conversion of a
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1182
19-1038-98
1 public school and operates in facilities provided by the
2 charter school's sponsor for a nominal fee or at no charge.
3 Unless otherwise provided in the General Appropriations Act,
4 the funding allocation for each eligible charter school shall
5 be determined by multiplying the school's projected student
6 enrollment by one-thirtieth of the cost-per-student station
7 specified in s. 235.435(6)(b) for an elementary, middle, or
8 high school, as appropriate. If the funds appropriated are
9 not sufficient, the commissioner shall prorate the available
10 funds among eligible charter schools. In the first quarter of
11 the fiscal year, funds shall be distributed on the basis of
12 projected enrollment as provided in this section. The
13 commissioner shall adjust subsequent distributions as
14 necessary to reflect each charter school's actual student
15 enrollment. The commissioner shall establish the intervals
16 and procedures for determining the projected and actual
17 student enrollment of eligible charter schools.
18 (2) A charter school's governing body may use funds
19 from the Charter Schools Capital Outlay Trust Fund for any
20 capital outlay purpose that is directly related to the
21 functioning of the charter school, including the:
22 (a) Purchase of real property.
23 (b) Construction, renovation, repair, and maintenance
24 of school facilities.
25 (c) Purchase, lease-purchase, or lease of permanent or
26 relocatable school facilities.
27 (d) Purchase of vehicles to transport students to and
28 from the charter school.
29 (3) The Commissioner of Education shall specify
30 procedures for submitting and approving requests for funding
31
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1182
19-1038-98
1 under this section and procedures for documenting
2 expenditures.
3 (4) The annual legislative budget request of the
4 Department of Education shall include a request for funding
5 from the Charter Schools Capital Outlay Trust Fund. The
6 request shall be based on the projected number of students to
7 be served in charter schools that meet the eligibility
8 requirements of this section.
9 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 235.2155, Florida
10 Statutes, as amended by chapter 97-384, Laws of Florida, is
11 amended to read:
12 235.2155 School Infrastructure Thrift Program Act.--
13 (3) The SIT Program is designed as:
14 (a) An incentive program to reward districts for:
15 1. savings realized through functional, frugal
16 construction.
17 2. Savings realized through the operation of charter
18 schools in non-school-district facilities.
19 (b) A recognition program to provide an annual SMART
20 school of the year recognition award to the district that
21 builds the highest quality functional, frugal school.
22 Section 3. Subsection (2) of section 235.216, Florida
23 Statutes, as amended by chapter 97-384, Laws of Florida, is
24 amended to read:
25 235.216 SIT Program award eligibility; maximum cost
26 per student station of educational facilities; frugality
27 incentives; recognition awards.--
28 (2) Beginning with the 1997-1998 fiscal year, a school
29 district may seek an award from the SIT Program, pursuant to
30 s. 235.2155, based on the district's:
31
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 1998 SB 1182
19-1038-98
1 (a) new construction of educational facilities if the
2 cost per student station is less than:
3 (a)1. $11,600 for an elementary school,
4 (b)2. $13,300 for a middle school, or
5 (c)3. $17,600 for a high school,
6
7 (1997) as adjusted annually by the Consumer Price Index. The
8 award shall be up to 50 percent of such savings, as
9 recommended by the SMART Schools Clearinghouse.
10 (b) Operation of charter schools in
11 non-school-district facilities. SIT Program awards pursuant to
12 this paragraph shall be as recommended by the SMART Schools
13 Clearinghouse. After the initial award, the recommendation
14 must be based on savings realized from proportionate district
15 increase in such charter school enrollment in excess of
16 original enrollment, and the award shall be up to 50 percent
17 of such savings.
18 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 1998,
19 but it shall not take effect unless Senate Bill or similar
20 legislation creating a Charter Schools Capital Outlay Trust
21 Fund is adopted in the same legislative session or an
22 extension thereof.
23
24 *****************************************
25 SENATE SUMMARY
26 Provides for the distribution of moneys from the Charter
Schools Capital Outlay Trust Fund to qualifying charter
27 schools, contingent upon the creation of that fund.
Prescribes duties of the Commissioner of Education with
28 respect to determining eligibility for and distribution
of the moneys. Prescribes uses to which the moneys may
29 be put. Deletes provisions relating to monetary
distributions for charter schools under the School
30 Infrastructure Thrift Program.
31
4