Florida Senate - 2011                                    SB 1214
       
       
       
       By Senator Altman
       
       
       
       
       24-01428-11                                           20111214__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to school-aged dependents of military
    3         personnel; amending s. 1003.05, F.S.; requiring that a
    4         school board provide an option to school-aged
    5         dependents of military personnel to choose certain
    6         schools if the student is reassigned as a result of
    7         school rezoning; providing an effective date.
    8  
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 1003.05, Florida
   12  Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         1003.05 Assistance to transitioning students from military
   14  families.—
   15         (1) The Legislature finds that school-aged dependents of
   16  military personnel, otherwise known as military students, are
   17  faced with numerous transitions during their formative years and
   18  that moves during the high school years provide special
   19  challenges to learning and future achievement.
   20         (a) Recognizing the challenges faced by military students
   21  and the importance of military families to our community and
   22  economy, the Department of Education shall assist the transition
   23  of these students by improving the timely transfer of records,
   24  developing systems to ease student transition during the first 2
   25  weeks of enrollment, promoting practices which foster access to
   26  extracurricular programs, establishing procedures to lessen the
   27  adverse impact of moves from the end of the junior year as well
   28  as before and during the senior year, encouraging or continuing
   29  partnerships between the military base and the school system,
   30  providing services for transitioning students when applying to
   31  and finding funding for postsecondary study, and providing other
   32  assistance as identified by department, school, and military
   33  personnel.
   34         (b) If a local school board adjusts school zones within its
   35  boundaries, military students shall be given the option of
   36  remaining at the school they are currently attending or may
   37  attend the school assigned as a result of the rezoning.
   38         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.