Senate Bill sb0450c2
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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 450
    By the Committees on Education Pre-K - 12 Appropriations;
    Education Pre-K - 12; and Senators Rich, Bullard, Gaetz and
    Wilson
    602-2272-07
  1                      A bill to be entitled
  2         An act relating to the Florida Teachers Lead
  3         Program Stipend; amending s. 1012.71, F.S.;
  4         extending the stipend to teachers of
  5         prekindergarten students in public schools and
  6         public charter schools who are funded through
  7         the Florida Education Finance Program;
  8         providing an effective date.
  9  
10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11  
12         Section 1.  Section 1012.71, Florida Statutes, is
13  amended to read:
14         1012.71  The Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend.--
15         (1)  Funding for the Florida Teachers Lead Program
16  Stipend shall be as determined by the Legislature in the
17  General Appropriations Act. Funds appropriated for the Florida
18  Teachers Lead Program Stipend are provided to purchase
19  classroom materials and supplies used in the instruction of
20  students in prekindergarten kindergarten through grade 12 of
21  the public school system who are funded from the Florida
22  Education Finance Program, including public charter schools.
23  From the funds appropriated, the Commissioner of Education
24  shall calculate an amount for each school district by
25  prorating the total of each school district's share of the
26  total K-12 unweighted FTE student enrollment.
27         (2)  From the funds allocated to each district, the
28  district school board shall calculate an identical amount for
29  each classroom teacher which is his or her proportionate share
30  of the amount allocated to the district for the total number
31  of teachers in the district, including teachers in public
                                  1
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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 450
    602-2272-07
 1  charter schools. The district school board and each charter
 2  school board shall provide the funds no later than September
 3  30 of each year directly to each teacher as a stipend to
 4  purchase, on behalf of the school district or charter school,
 5  classroom materials and supplies to be used in the instruction
 6  of students assigned to the teacher. Each teacher shall have
 7  sole discretion regarding which classroom materials and
 8  supplies best meet the needs of the students, when they are
 9  needed, and where they are acquired. The funds expended by
10  individual teachers shall not be subject to state or local
11  competitive bidding requirements. Disbursement of Florida
12  Teachers Lead Program Stipend funds directly to each teacher
13  and to each charter school shall complete the school
14  district's expenditure of these funds.
15         (3)  Each teacher shall sign a statement acknowledging
16  receipt of the funds, agreeing to keep receipts to show the
17  expenditure of the funds used to purchase classroom materials
18  and supplies for use in the instruction of the students
19  assigned to them, and agreeing to return any unused funds by
20  the end of the regular school year. The statement to be signed
21  and dated by each teacher for receipt of the Florida Teachers
22  Lead Program Stipend shall include the wording: "I, ...(Name
23  of teacher)..., am employed by the .... County District School
24  Board or by the (______ Charter School) as a full-time
25  classroom teacher. I acknowledge that Florida Teachers Lead
26  Program Stipend funds are appropriated by the Legislature for
27  the sole purpose of purchasing classroom materials and
28  supplies to be used in the instruction of students assigned to
29  me. In accepting custody of these funds, I agree to keep
30  receipts for all expenditures. I understand that if I do not
31  keep receipts showing these funds were spent to purchase
                                  2
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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 450
    602-2272-07
 1  classroom materials and supplies for use with my students, it
 2  will be my personal responsibility to pay any federal taxes
 3  due on these funds. I also agree to return any unused funds to
 4  the district school board at the end of the regular school
 5  year for deposit into the School Advisory Council account of
 6  the school at which I was employed at the time of the receipt
 7  of the funds or for deposit into the district's teacher lead
 8  program account of the district in which the charter school is
 9  sponsored, as applicable."
10         (4)  Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend funds shall
11  be provided to each teacher in addition to any other funds
12  appropriated for public school operations.
13         (5)  Any unused funds that which are returned to the
14  district school board shall be deposited into the School
15  Advisory Council account of the school at which the teacher
16  returning the funds was employed at the time of the receipt of
17  the funds or for deposit into the district's teacher lead
18  program account of the district in which the charter school is
19  sponsored, as applicable.
20         (6)  For purposes of this section, the term "classroom
21  teacher" includes certified teachers employed by a public
22  school district or a public charter school on or before
23  September 1 of each year whose full-time job responsibility is
24  the classroom instruction of students in prekindergarten
25  kindergarten through grade 12, including and full-time media
26  specialists and guidance counselors who serve students in
27  prekindergarten kindergarten through grade 12 who are funded
28  through the Florida Education Finance Program. Only school
29  district and public charter school personnel employed in these
30  positions are eligible for the classroom materials and supply
31  
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    Florida Senate - 2007                     CS for CS for SB 450
    602-2272-07
 1  stipend from funds appropriated to implement the provisions of
 2  this section.
 3         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
 4  
 5          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 6                     CS for Senate Bill 0450
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 8  The Committee Substitute:
 9  The CS adds a new provision which would make certified, full
    time charter school teachers of prekindergarten through grade
10  12 students who are funded through the Florida Education
    Finance Program eligible for the Florida Teachers Lead Program
11  Stipend for purchase of classroom materials and supplies to be
    used for instruction.
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