Legislative Program for 2007

Florida Education Finance Program
The F.E.F.P. incorporates the necessary components to be one of the most equitable systems in the nation. All components should be fully funded enabling the formula to function as designed with maximum flexibility being provided to the school districts. All state mandates should be fully funded.
• The Legislature is requested to continue the policy of equalization of the value of the .25 mill and the .51 mill.
• Oppose any proposed shift or alteration of the formula or categorical program that does not provide equity considerations for small districts.
• The ESE Guaranteed Allocation must include a growth factor that accurately accounts for population growth and cost increases for mandated services.
• The Supplemental Academic Instruction (SAI) categorical should reflect growth and inflation.
• The Legislature is requested to maintain base allocation per district within the Safe School and Supplemental Reading Instruction categorical programs.
• Continue to fund the District Cost Differential Transition Supplement.

Fully Fund the Sparsity Formula
The Sparsity formula outlined in F.S. 1011.62 has been historically under-funded having a serious impact on the ability of small districts to recruit and retain employees. Sparsity is currently funded at $35,000,000.
• The Legislature should fully fund the Sparsity Formula.
• The Legislature should consider allowing flexibility to the districts that are zeroed out of the Sparsity formula by increasing property values to levy local discretionary millage to fund the amount that the district is impacted by the wealth adjustment.

Fully Fund the Transportation Formula (F.S. 1011.68)
Small School Districts transport a high % of their student population over longer distances and rely heavily on school transportation funding.
• The Legislature should fully fund the transportation formula and provide additional funding to implement any new requirements that increase the cost of student transportation.

Special Facility Construction Account Program and Capital Outlay
The ability to generate the local funding necessary to support school construction is undermined by the limited fiscal capacity of small counties.
• The Legislature is requested to support the facility funding recommendations for the Special Facility Construction Account Program.
• The Legislature should create a long-term revenue source that is based on updated costs related to growth, replacement of aging facilities and on-going maintenance.
• The Legislature should continue the current flexibility that school districts have in developing, adopting, and implementing impact fees for school related infrastructure purposes.

Class Size Implementation
• The Legislature should continue to fully fund all costs associated with the Class Size Initiative.

Funding for Regional Education Consortia
• The Regional Educational Consortia program authorized in FS 1001.451 has provided outstanding service to small and rural districts. The Legislature should continue to fully funding each participating school district and continue providing funding for special programs proposed by the established Regional Educational Consortia.

Recruitment and Retention
• Recruiting and retained qualified personnel has become increasing competitive and difficult for rural school districts. The Legislature should consider proposals, such as special scholarship programs and student loan forgiveness programs, to assist these districts with recruitment and retention of personnel.
• Affordable Housing has become a significant barrier in many school districts attempting to recruit teachers. The Legislature is requested to continue to promote innovative efforts aimed at increasing affordable housing opportunities.

Provide Flexibility and Stability In Administrative and Accountability Regulations
Flexibility, within a framework of accountability and uniformity, should be provided to ensure districts meet standards set by the State.
• Use of 2 mill funding - FS 1011.71(5) should be eliminated or amended by creating subsection (e) which would state: 1011.71(5)(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, school districts with a full time equivalent student population of no more than 24,000 may use revenue generated by the millage levy authorized by subsection (2) for purposes delineated in subsection (2).
• Charter schools, private virtual schools, corporate income tax credit scholarships and other innovative programs, such as the McKay scholarships that receive public funds, should be held to standards of accountability for student performance and financial management of public funds.
• The requirement for districts to negotiate performance pay for employees should be amended to remove the 5% mandate in order to allow each district to best meet their own initiatives for improved student performance.
• Measures to reduce or cap Insurance Rates should be considered.
• The Legislature should consider changes to the Jessica Lundsford Act that would ease logistics, reduce costs, foster district information exchange, and clarify that the target of screening requirements are sexual predators or offenders.

Universal Pre-K
• The Legislature should consider developing a funding model to address levels of staffing , time for instruction, and transportation costs.
• The Legislature should revise the existing limit that allows only 30 or fewer Early Learning Coalitions providing for additional Coalitions of not less than three counties where less than 2,000 children in the School Readiness Program can be served. This will enable a more local focus on the particular needs of rural communities.
• The Legislature should consider revising the 300 hour requirement for the Summer Program to allow districts more flexibility in providing for programming and staffing.
• The Legislature should fully fund a High Quality Universal Pre-Kindergarten program.

Workforce Education
• Any changes to the funding model for Workforce Education should be implemented in a way that would protect current funding levels of existing providers.
• The determination of workforce development program models should remain at the local level allowing local communities to decide the best local delivery system or systems.


Legislators Representing Small School Districts


Senate Districts - 19 of 40 Senate Districts include all or a part of a Small School District
Senate District 1 – Tony Hill Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns
Senate District 2 – Durell Peaden - Holmes, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington
Senate District 3 – Nancy Argenziano - Baker, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor
Senate District 4 – Don Gaetz - Santa Rosa and Walton
Senate District 5 – Stephen Wise - Nassau and St. Johns
Senate District 6 – Al Lawson - Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, and Wakulla
Senate District 7 – Evelyn Lynn - Putnam
Senate District 8 – Jim King - Flagler and Nassau
Senate District 11 – Mike Fasano - Citrus and Hernando
Senate District 14 – Steve Oelrich - Bradford, Columbia, Gilchrist, Levy, Putnam and Union
Senate District 15 – Paula Dockery - Sumter
Senate District 17 – J.D. Alexander - DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, and Okeechobee
Senate District 20 – Carey Baker- Sumter
Senate District 21 – Mike Bennett - Charlotte and DeSoto
Senate District 23 – Lisa Carlton - Charlotte
Senate District 26 – Mike Haridopolis Indian River
Senate District 27 – Dave Aronberg - Charlotte, Glades and Hendry
Senate District 28 – Ken Pruitt - Indian River, Martin, and Okeechobee
Senate District 39 – Larcenia Bullard - Hendry and Monroe

House Districts - 32 of 120 House Districts include all or a portion of a Small School District
House District 1 – Greg Evers - Santa Rosa
House District 3 – Holly Benson - Santa Rosa
House District 4 – Ray Sansom - Santa Rosa
House District 5 – Don Brown - Holmes, Jackson, Walton, and Washington
House District 6 – Jimmy Patronis - Franklin and Gulf
House District 7 – Marti Coley- Calhoun, Gadsden, Jackson, Liberty, Wakulla and Walton
House District 8 – Curtis Richardson - Gadsden
House District 9 – Loranne Ausley - Jefferson
House District 10 – Will Kendrick - Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Levy, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla
House District 11 – Debbie Boyd - Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, and Suwannee
House District 12 – Aaron Bean - Baker, Bradford, Nassau and Union
House District 18– Don Davis - St. Johns
House District 19 – Dick Kravitz - St. Johns
House District 20 – Bill Proctor- Flagler and St. Johns
House District 21 – Joe Pickens - Bradford and Putnam
House District 22 – Larry Cretul - Levy
House District 26 – Pat Patterson - Flagler
House District 29 – Ralph Poppell - Indian River
House District 42 – Hugh Gibson - Sumter
House District 43 – Charles Dean - Citrus, Hernando and Levy
House District 44 – Robert Schenck - Hernando and Sumter
House District 66 – Baxter Troutman - Hardee and Highlands
House District 71 – Michael Grant - Charlotte
House District 72 – Paige Kreegel- Charlotte and DeSoto
House District 74 – Gary Aubuchon - Charlotte
House District 77 – Denise Grimsley- Glades, Hendry and Highlands
House District 78 – Richard Machek - Martin and Okeechobee
House District 79 – Frank Attkisson - Okeechobee
House District 80 – Stan Mayfield - Indian River
House District 81 – Gayle Harrell - Martin
House District 82 – William D. Snyder - Martin
House District 120 – Ron Saunders - Monroe