Bill Text: FL S0738 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Class Size Limits In Public Schools/Repeal [WPSC]

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-04-30 - Died in Committee on Education Pre-K - 12 [S0738 Detail]

Download: Florida-2010-S0738-Introduced.html

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Florida Senate - 2010                                    SJR 738 
 
By Senator Bennett 
21-00769-10                                            2010738__ 
1                       Senate Joint Resolution 
2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 1 
3         of Article IX of the State Constitution, to repeal the 
4         class size limits. 
5 
6  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
7 
8         That the following amendment to Section 1 of Article IX of 
9  the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to 
10  the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next 
11  general election or at an earlier special election specifically 
12  authorized by law for that purpose: 
13                             ARTICLE IX 
14                              EDUCATION 
15         SECTION 1. Public education.— 
16         (a) The education of children is a fundamental value of the 
17  people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount 
18  duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education 
19  of all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision 
20  shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and 
21  high quality system of free public schools which that allows 
22  students to obtain a high quality education and for the 
23  establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of 
24  higher learning and other public education programs that the 
25  needs of the people may require. To assure that children 
26  attending public schools obtain a high quality education, the 
27  legislature shall make adequate provision to ensure that, by the 
28  beginning of the 2010 school year, there are a sufficient number 
29  of classrooms so that: 
30         (1) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each 
31  teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for 
32  prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students; 
33         (2) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each 
34  teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 4 
35  through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and 
36         (3) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each 
37  teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 9 
38  through 12 does not exceed 25 students. 
39 
40  The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to 
41  extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated with 
42  reducing class size to meet these requirements is the 
43  responsibility of the state and not of local schools districts. 
44  Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the legislature shall 
45  provide sufficient funds to reduce the average number of 
46  students in each classroom by at least two students per year 
47  until the maximum number of students per classroom does not 
48  exceed the requirements of this subsection. 
49         (b) Every four-year old child in Florida shall be provided 
50  by the State a high quality pre-kindergarten learning 
51  opportunity in the form of an early childhood development and 
52  education program which shall be voluntary, high quality, free, 
53  and delivered according to professionally accepted standards. An 
54  early childhood development and education program means an 
55  organized program designed to address and enhance each child’s 
56  ability to make age appropriate progress in an appropriate range 
57  of settings in the development of language and cognitive 
58  capabilities and emotional, social, regulatory and moral 
59  capacities through education in basic skills, and such other 
60  skills as the Legislature may determine to be appropriate. 
61         (c) The early childhood education and development programs 
62  provided by reason of subparagraph (b) shall be implemented no 
63  later than the beginning of the 2005 school year through funds 
64  generated in addition to those used for existing education, 
65  health, and development programs. Existing education, health, 
66  and development programs are those funded by the State as of 
67  January 1, 2002 that provided for child or adult education, 
68  health care, or development. 
69         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be 
70  placed on the ballot: 
71                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 
72                        ARTICLE IX, SECTION 1 
73         REPEAL OF CLASS SIZE LIMITS.—The State Constitution 
74  currently limits the number of students who may be assigned to a 
75  teacher in a public school classroom. The State Constitution 
76  does not expressly permit those limits to be exceeded for any 
77  reason. This proposed amendment to the State Constitution 
78  repeals the class size limits.