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

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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

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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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