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CS/HB 355

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to the Florida Teachers Lead Program
3Stipend; amending s. 1012.71, F.S.; extending the stipend
4to teachers of prekindergarten students, charter school
5teachers, and job-share classroom teachers; revising
6provisions relating to the calculation, deposit, and
7disbursement of stipend funds; revising definition of the
8term "classroom teacher" to conform; providing an
9effective date.
10
11Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13     Section 1.  Section 1012.71, Florida Statutes, is amended
14to read:
15     1012.71  The Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend.--
16     (1)  Funding for the Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend
17shall be as determined by the Legislature in the General
18Appropriations Act. Funds appropriated for the Florida Teachers
19Lead Program Stipend are provided to purchase classroom
20materials and supplies used in the instruction of students who
21are funded through the Florida Education Finance Program,
22including charter school students, in prekindergarten
23kindergarten through grade 12 of the public school system. From
24the funds appropriated, the Commissioner of Education shall
25calculate an amount for each school district by prorating the
26total of each school district's share of the total K-12
27unweighted FTE student enrollment in prekindergarten through
28grade 12 that is funded through the Florida Education Finance
29Program.
30     (2)  From the funds allocated to each district, the
31district school board shall calculate an identical amount for
32each classroom teacher which is his or her proportionate share
33of the amount allocated to the district for the total number of
34classroom teachers in the district. A job-share classroom
35teacher shall receive his or her prorated share of a regular
36full-time classroom teacher's proportionate share of the
37stipend. The district school board shall provide the funds no
38later than September 30 of each year directly to each classroom
39teacher or charter school for its classroom teachers as a
40stipend to purchase, on behalf of the school district or charter
41school, classroom materials and supplies to be used in the
42instruction of students assigned to the teacher. Each classroom
43teacher shall have sole discretion regarding which classroom
44materials and supplies best meet the needs of the students, when
45they are needed, and where they are acquired. The funds expended
46by individual classroom teachers shall not be subject to state
47or local competitive bidding requirements. Disbursement of
48Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend funds directly to each
49classroom teacher or charter school shall complete the school
50district's expenditure of these funds, and disbursement of such
51funds by the charter school to each charter school classroom
52teacher shall complete the charter school's expenditure of these
53funds.
54     (3)  Each classroom teacher shall sign a statement
55acknowledging receipt of the funds, agreeing to keep receipts to
56show the expenditure of the funds used to purchase classroom
57materials and supplies for use in the instruction of the
58students assigned to them, and agreeing to return any unused
59funds by the end of the regular school year. The statement to be
60signed and dated by each classroom teacher for receipt of the
61Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend shall include the wording:
62"I,   (Name of teacher)  , am employed by the _____ County
63District School Board or by the          Charter School as a
64regular full-time or job-share classroom teacher. I acknowledge
65that Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend funds are
66appropriated by the Legislature for the sole purpose of
67purchasing classroom materials and supplies to be used in the
68instruction of students assigned to me. In accepting custody of
69these funds, I agree to keep receipts for all expenditures. I
70understand that if I do not keep receipts showing these funds
71were spent to purchase classroom materials and supplies for use
72with my students, it will be my personal responsibility to pay
73any federal taxes due on these funds. I also agree to return any
74unused funds to the district school board at the end of the
75regular school year for deposit into the School Advisory Council
76account of the school at which I was employed at the time of the
77receipt of the funds or for deposit into the Florida Teachers
78Lead Program account of the district in which the charter school
79is sponsored, as applicable."
80     (4)  Florida Teachers Lead Program Stipend funds shall be
81provided to each classroom teacher in addition to any other
82funds appropriated for public school operations.
83     (5)  Any unused funds which are returned to the district
84school board shall be deposited into the School Advisory Council
85account of the school at which the classroom teacher returning
86the funds was employed at the time of the receipt of the funds
87or into the Florida Teachers Lead Program account of the
88district in which the charter school is sponsored, as
89applicable.
90     (6)  For purposes of this section, the term "classroom
91teacher" includes certified teachers, and also includes charter
92school teachers, employed on or before September 1 of each year
93whose regular full-time or job-share job responsibility is the
94classroom instruction of students who are funded through the
95Florida Education Finance Program, including charter school
96students, in prekindergarten kindergarten through grade 12, and
97full-time media specialists and guidance counselors who serve
98such students. A job-share classroom teacher is a teacher who
99shares a full-time position with two or more other classroom
100teachers in kindergarten through grade 12. Only school district
101and charter school personnel employed in these positions are
102eligible for the classroom materials and supply stipend from
103funds appropriated to implement the provisions of this section.
104     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.