CRC - 2017                                                  P 45
       
       
        
       By Commissioner Donalds
       
       donaldse-00074-17                                       201745__
    1                         A proposal to amend                       
    2         Section 1 of Article IX of the State Constitution to
    3         specify that no provision of the State Constitution
    4         may be construed to limit the Legislature from making
    5         provision for other educational services that are
    6         beneficial to the children and families of this state.
    7          
    8  Be It Proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission of
    9  Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1 of Article IX of the State Constitution is
   12  amended to read:
   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 allowing the
   22  opportunity for each student that allows students to obtain a
   23  high quality education. Provision shall be made and for the
   24  establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of
   25  higher learning and other public education programs that the
   26  needs of the people may require. Nothing herein may be construed
   27  to limit the legislature from making provision for other
   28  educational services that benefit the children and families of
   29  this state that are in addition to the system of free public
   30  schools. To assure that children attending public schools obtain
   31  a high quality education, the legislature shall make adequate
   32  provision to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2010 school
   33  year, there are a sufficient number of classrooms so that:
   34         (1) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
   35  teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
   36  prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;
   37         (2) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
   38  teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 4
   39  through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and
   40         (3) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
   41  teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 9
   42  through 12 does not exceed 25 students.
   43  
   44  The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to
   45  extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated with
   46  reducing class size to meet these requirements is the
   47  responsibility of the state and not of local schools districts.
   48  Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the legislature shall
   49  provide sufficient funds to reduce the average number of
   50  students in each classroom by at least two students per year
   51  until the maximum number of students per classroom does not
   52  exceed the requirements of this subsection.
   53         (b) Every four-year old child in Florida shall be provided
   54  by the State a high quality pre-kindergarten learning
   55  opportunity in the form of an early childhood development and
   56  education program which shall be voluntary, high quality, free,
   57  and delivered according to professionally accepted standards. An
   58  early childhood development and education program means an
   59  organized program designed to address and enhance each child’s
   60  ability to make age appropriate progress in an appropriate range
   61  of settings in the development of language and cognitive
   62  capabilities and emotional, social, regulatory and moral
   63  capacities through education in basic skills and such other
   64  skills as the Legislature may determine to be appropriate.
   65         (c) The early childhood education and development programs
   66  provided by reason of subparagraph (b) shall be implemented no
   67  later than the beginning of the 2005 school year through funds
   68  generated in addition to those used for existing education,
   69  health, and development programs. Existing education, health,
   70  and development programs are those funded by the State as of
   71  January 1, 2002 that provided for child or adult education,
   72  health care, or development.