Florida Senate - 2010                                     SB 474
       
       
       
       By Senator Sobel
       
       
       
       
       31-00512-10                                            2010474__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the allocation and expenditure of
    3         state lottery revenues; amending s. 24.121, F.S.;
    4         requiring a portion of Powerball net revenues to be
    5         allocated to voluntary prekindergarten education
    6         programs; providing for the use of funds; providing an
    7         effective date.
    8  
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 24.121, Florida
   12  Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         24.121 Allocation of revenues and expenditure of funds for
   14  public education.—
   15         (5)(a) Public educational programs and purposes funded by
   16  the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund may include, but are not
   17  limited to, endowment, scholarship, matching funds, direct
   18  grants, research and economic development related to education,
   19  salary enhancement, contracts with independent institutions to
   20  conduct programs consistent with the state master plan for
   21  postsecondary education, or any other educational program or
   22  purpose deemed desirable by the Legislature. Prior to the
   23  expenditure of these funds, each school district shall establish
   24  policies and procedures that define enhancement and the types of
   25  expenditures consistent with that definition.
   26         (b) Except as provided in paragraphs (c), (d), and (e), and
   27  (f), the Legislature shall equitably apportion moneys in the
   28  trust fund among public schools, community colleges, and
   29  universities.
   30         (c) A portion of such net revenues, as determined annually
   31  by the Legislature, shall be distributed to each school district
   32  and shall be made available to each public school in the
   33  district for enhancing school performance through development
   34  and implementation of a school improvement plan pursuant to s.
   35  1001.42(18). A portion of these moneys, as determined annually
   36  in the General Appropriations Act, must be allocated to each
   37  school in an equal amount for each student enrolled. These
   38  moneys may be expended only on programs or projects selected by
   39  the school advisory council or by a parent advisory committee
   40  created pursuant to this paragraph. If a school does not have a
   41  school advisory council, the district advisory council must
   42  appoint a parent advisory committee composed of parents of
   43  students enrolled in that school, which is representative of the
   44  ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school, to
   45  advise the school’s principal on the programs or projects to be
   46  funded. Neither school district staff nor principals may
   47  override the recommendations of the school advisory council or
   48  the parent advisory committee. These moneys may not be used for
   49  capital improvements or for any project or program that has a
   50  duration of more than 1 year; however, a school advisory council
   51  or parent advisory committee may independently determine that a
   52  program or project formerly funded under this paragraph should
   53  receive funds in a subsequent year.
   54         (d) No funds shall be released for any purpose from the
   55  Educational Enhancement Trust Fund to any school district in
   56  which one or more schools do not have an approved school
   57  improvement plan pursuant to s. 1001.42(18) or do not comply
   58  with school advisory council membership composition requirements
   59  pursuant to s. 1001.452(1). The Commissioner of Education shall
   60  withhold disbursements from the trust fund to any school
   61  district that fails to adopt the performance-based salary
   62  schedule required by s. 1012.22(1).
   63         (e) All components of the Florida Bright Futures
   64  Scholarship Program shall be funded annually from the
   65  Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. Funds shall be allocated to
   66  this program prior to application of the formula for equitable
   67  distribution to public schools, community colleges, and state
   68  universities. If shortages require reductions in estimated
   69  distributions from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, funds
   70  for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program shall be
   71  reduced only after reductions in all other distributions are
   72  made.
   73         (f) A portion of Powerball net revenues, as determined
   74  annually by the Legislature, shall be distributed to enhance
   75  voluntary prekindergarten education programs. Such funds shall
   76  be allocated to each voluntary prekindergarten education program
   77  in an equal amount for each student enrolled. Such funds must be
   78  used for direct classroom expenditures and may not be used for
   79  administrative costs.
   80         (g)(f) Each school district shall, on a quarterly basis,
   81  make available to the public and distribute, in an easy to
   82  understand format, the expenditures of lottery funds allocated
   83  to the school district.
   84         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2010.