Senate Bill sb0450e1
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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.
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10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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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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1 charter schools. A job-share classroom teacher may receive a
2 prorated share of the amount provided to a full-time classroom
3 teacher. The district school board and each charter school
4 board shall provide the funds no later than September 30 of
5 each year directly to each teacher as a stipend to purchase,
6 on behalf of the school district or charter school, classroom
7 materials and supplies to be used in the instruction of
8 students assigned to the teacher. Each teacher shall have sole
9 discretion regarding which classroom materials and supplies
10 best meet the needs of the students, when they are needed, and
11 where they are acquired. The funds expended by individual
12 teachers shall not be subject to state or local competitive
13 bidding requirements. Disbursement of Florida Teachers Lead
14 Program Stipend funds directly to each teacher and to each
15 charter school shall complete the school district's
16 expenditure of these funds.
17 (3) Each teacher shall sign a statement acknowledging
18 receipt of the funds, agreeing to keep receipts to show the
19 expenditure of the funds used to purchase classroom materials
20 and supplies for use in the instruction of the students
21 assigned to them, and agreeing to return any unused funds by
22 the end of the regular school year. The statement to be signed
23 and dated by each teacher for receipt of the Florida Teachers
24 Lead Program Stipend shall include the wording: "I, ...(Name
25 of teacher)..., am employed by the .... County District School
26 Board or by the (______ Charter School) as a full-time
27 classroom teacher. I acknowledge that Florida Teachers Lead
28 Program Stipend funds are appropriated by the Legislature for
29 the sole purpose of purchasing classroom materials and
30 supplies to be used in the instruction of students assigned to
31 me. In accepting custody of these funds, I agree to keep
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1 receipts for all expenditures. I understand that if I do not
2 keep receipts showing these funds were spent to purchase
3 classroom materials and supplies for use with my students, it
4 will be my personal responsibility to pay any federal taxes
5 due on these funds. I also agree to return any unused funds to
6 the district school board at the end of the regular school
7 year for deposit into the School Advisory Council account of
8 the school at which I was employed at the time of the receipt
9 of the funds or for deposit into the district's teacher lead
10 program account of the district in which the charter school is
11 sponsored, as applicable."
12 (4) Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend funds shall
13 be provided to each teacher in addition to any other funds
14 appropriated for public school operations.
15 (5) Any unused funds that which are returned to the
16 district school board shall be deposited into the School
17 Advisory Council account of the school at which the teacher
18 returning the funds was employed at the time of the receipt of
19 the funds or for deposit into the district's teacher lead
20 program account of the district in which the charter school is
21 sponsored, as applicable.
22 (6) For purposes of this section, the term "classroom
23 teacher" includes certified teachers employed by a public
24 school district or a public charter school on or before
25 September 1 of each year whose full-time or job-share job
26 responsibility is the classroom instruction of students in
27 prekindergarten kindergarten through grade 12, including and
28 full-time media specialists and guidance counselors who serve
29 students in prekindergarten kindergarten through grade 12 who
30 are funded through the Florida Education Finance Program. A
31 job-share classroom teacher is defined as two teachers whose
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1 combined full-time equivalent employment for the same teaching
2 assignment equals one full-time classroom teacher. Only school
3 district and public charter school personnel employed in these
4 positions are eligible for the classroom materials and supply
5 stipend from funds appropriated to implement the provisions of
6 this section.
7 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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