| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to K-12 students; amending s. 322.091, |
| 3 | F.S.; revising eligibility requirements for driving |
| 4 | privileges; amending ss. 1002.20, 1003.21, and 1003.51, |
| 5 | F.S.; revising the age for compulsory school attendance; |
| 6 | amending s. 1008.25, F.S.; requiring school district |
| 7 | comprehensive programs for student progression to include |
| 8 | the use of mentors and to encourage a career education |
| 9 | curriculum for certain students; providing an effective |
| 10 | date. |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 322.091, Florida |
| 15 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 16 | 322.091 Attendance requirements.-- |
| 17 | (1) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR DRIVING PRIVILEGES.--A |
| 18 | minor is not eligible for driving privileges unless that minor: |
| 19 | (a) Is enrolled in a public school, nonpublic school, or |
| 20 | home education program and satisfies relevant attendance |
| 21 | requirements; |
| 22 | (b) Has received a high school diploma, a high school |
| 23 | equivalency diploma, a special diploma, or a certificate of high |
| 24 | school completion; |
| 25 | (c) Is enrolled in a study course in preparation for the |
| 26 | Test of General Educational Development and satisfies relevant |
| 27 | attendance requirements; |
| 28 | (d) Is enrolled in other educational activities approved |
| 29 | by the district school board and satisfies relevant attendance |
| 30 | requirements; |
| 31 | (e) Has been issued a certificate of exemption according |
| 32 | to s. 1003.21(3); or |
| 33 | (f) Has received a hardship waiver under this section. |
| 34 |
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| 35 | The department may not issue or renew a driver's license or |
| 36 | learner's driver's license to, or shall suspend the driver's |
| 37 | license or learner's driver's license of, any minor who does not |
| 38 | produce proof of regular school attendance pursuant to chapter |
| 39 | 1003 or concerning whom the department receives notification of |
| 40 | noncompliance with the requirements of this section. |
| 41 | Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (2) of |
| 42 | section 1002.20, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 43 | 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.--Parents of public |
| 44 | school students must receive accurate and timely information |
| 45 | regarding their child's academic progress and must be informed |
| 46 | of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12 |
| 47 | students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory |
| 48 | rights including, but not limited to, the following: |
| 49 | (2) ATTENDANCE.-- |
| 50 | (a) Compulsory school attendance.--The compulsory school |
| 51 | attendance laws apply to all children between the ages of 6 and |
| 52 | 18 16 years, as provided in s. 1003.21(1) and (2)(a), and, in |
| 53 | accordance with the provisions of s. 1003.21(1) and (2)(a): |
| 54 | 1. A student who attains the age of 18 16 years during the |
| 55 | school year has the right to file a formal declaration of intent |
| 56 | to terminate school enrollment if the declaration is signed by |
| 57 | the parent. The parent has the right to be notified by the |
| 58 | school district of the district's receipt of the student's |
| 59 | declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment. |
| 60 | 2. Students who become or have become married or who are |
| 61 | pregnant and parenting have the right to attend school and |
| 62 | receive the same or equivalent educational instruction as other |
| 63 | students. |
| 64 | (b) Regular school attendance.--Parents of students who |
| 65 | have attained the age of 6 years by February 1 of any school |
| 66 | year but who have not attained the age of 18 16 years must |
| 67 | comply with the compulsory school attendance laws. Parents have |
| 68 | the option to comply with the school attendance laws by |
| 69 | attendance of the student in a public school; a parochial, |
| 70 | religious, or denominational school; a private school; a home |
| 71 | education program; or a private tutoring program, in accordance |
| 72 | with the provisions of s. 1003.01(13). |
| 73 | Section 3. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (1) of |
| 74 | section 1003.21, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 75 | 1003.21 School attendance.-- |
| 76 | (1)(a)1. All children who have attained the age of 6 years |
| 77 | or who will have attained the age of 6 years by February 1 of |
| 78 | any school year or who are older than 6 years of age but who |
| 79 | have not attained the age of 18 16 years, except as otherwise |
| 80 | provided, are required to attend school regularly during the |
| 81 | entire school term. |
| 82 | 2. Children who will have attained the age of 5 years on |
| 83 | or before September 1 of the school year are eligible for |
| 84 | admission to public kindergartens during that school year under |
| 85 | rules adopted by the district school board. |
| 86 | (c) A student who attains the age of 18 16 years during |
| 87 | the school year is not subject to compulsory school attendance |
| 88 | beyond the date upon which he or she attains that age if the |
| 89 | student files a formal declaration of intent to terminate school |
| 90 | enrollment with the district school board. Public school |
| 91 | students who have attained the age of 18 16 years and who have |
| 92 | not graduated are subject to compulsory school attendance until |
| 93 | the formal declaration of intent is filed with the district |
| 94 | school board. The declaration must acknowledge that terminating |
| 95 | school enrollment is likely to reduce the student's earning |
| 96 | potential and must be signed by the student and the student's |
| 97 | parent. The school district must notify the student's parent of |
| 98 | receipt of the student's declaration of intent to terminate |
| 99 | school enrollment. The student's guidance counselor or other |
| 100 | school personnel must conduct an exit interview with the student |
| 101 | to determine the reasons for the student's decision to terminate |
| 102 | school enrollment and actions that could be taken to keep the |
| 103 | student in school. The student must be informed of opportunities |
| 104 | to continue his or her education in a different environment, |
| 105 | including, but not limited to, adult education and GED test |
| 106 | preparation. Additionally, the student must complete a survey in |
| 107 | a format prescribed by the Department of Education to provide |
| 108 | data on student reasons for terminating enrollment and actions |
| 109 | taken by schools to keep students enrolled. |
| 110 | Section 4. Subsection (4) of section 1003.51, Florida |
| 111 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 112 | 1003.51 Other public educational services.-- |
| 113 | (4) The Department of Education shall ensure that district |
| 114 | school boards notify students in juvenile justice residential or |
| 115 | nonresidential facilities who attain the age of 18 16 years of |
| 116 | the provisions of law regarding compulsory school attendance and |
| 117 | make available the option of enrolling in a program to attain a |
| 118 | Florida high school diploma by taking the general educational |
| 119 | development test prior to release from the facility. District |
| 120 | school boards or community colleges, or both, shall waive GED |
| 121 | testing fees for youth in Department of Juvenile Justice |
| 122 | residential programs and shall, upon request, designate schools |
| 123 | operating for the purpose of providing educational services to |
| 124 | youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs as GED testing |
| 125 | centers, subject to GED testing center requirements. The |
| 126 | administrative fees for the general education development test |
| 127 | required by the Department of Education are the responsibility |
| 128 | of district school boards and may be required of providers by |
| 129 | contractual agreement. |
| 130 | Section 5. Paragraphs (d) and (e) are added to subsection |
| 131 | (2) of section 1008.25, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 132 | 1008.25 Public school student progression; remedial |
| 133 | instruction; reporting requirements.-- |
| 134 | (2) COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM.--Each district school board |
| 135 | shall establish a comprehensive program for student progression |
| 136 | which must include: |
| 137 | (d) Pairing a student who has poor attendance or who needs |
| 138 | remediation in reading, writing, science, or mathematics with a |
| 139 | mentor in a program such as the YMCA, the YWCA, the College |
| 140 | Reach-Out Program, or the Take Stock in Children Program. |
| 141 | (e) Encouraging a student who has poor attendance or who |
| 142 | needs remediation in reading, writing, science, or mathematics |
| 143 | to consider a career education curriculum that meets the |
| 144 | instructional needs of the student. |
| 145 | Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |