Florida Senate - 2017                                    SB 1414
       
       
        
       By Senator Bradley
       
       
       
       
       
       5-00440B-17                                           20171414__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to school funding transparency;
    3         creating s. 1002.25, F.S.; providing legislative
    4         findings; requiring the Department of Financial
    5         Services to create a website detailing the amount of
    6         state, local, and federal funding that school
    7         districts spend per child; requiring the Department of
    8         Education to provide specified information to the
    9         Department of Financial Services; providing an
   10         appropriation; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Section 1002.25, Florida Statutes, is created to
   15  read:
   16         1002.25 School funding transparency and parent rights.—
   17         (1) The Legislature finds that every parent in this state
   18  has the right to know how much money a school district spends to
   19  educate his or her child and that providing school funding
   20  information in a clear and transparent manner helps a parent
   21  advocate for the most effective use of these resources.
   22         (2) The Department of Financial Services shall create a
   23  website that provides parents with the estimated amount of
   24  state, local, and federal funding that a school district spends
   25  to educate their child. This estimate must be based on at least
   26  the following information, which shall be provided by a parent:
   27         (a) The school district in which his or her child attends
   28  school.
   29         (b) His or her child’s grade level.
   30         (c) Whether his or her child qualifies for free or reduced
   31  price meals under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch
   32  Act.
   33         (d) Whether his or her child is:
   34         1. Identified as an exceptional student as defined in s.
   35  1003.01(3)(a), including whether his or her child is a gifted
   36  student or a student with a disability, and his or her matrix
   37  funding level, consistent with the requirements of s.
   38  1011.62(1)(c), if applicable and if known; or
   39         2. Identified as limited English proficient, as defined in
   40  s. 1003.56(2).
   41         (3) The Department of Education shall provide the
   42  Department of Financial Services with the necessary data to
   43  populate the website, including data definitions and data
   44  exchange technical requirements, the average amount spent per
   45  student for capital outlay, the distinctions between the funding
   46  sources, and the tables and formulas for calculating student
   47  funding based upon the parameters identified in subsection (2).
   48         Section 2. For the 2017-2018 fiscal year, the sum of
   49  $500,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund is
   50  appropriated to the Department of Financial Services for the
   51  development of the school funding transparency website.
   52         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.