Florida Senate - 2006 CS for CS for CS for SJR 2170
By the Committees on Education Appropriations; Education; and
Judiciary
602-2301-06
1 Senate Joint Resolution
2 A joint resolution proposing the creation of
3 Section 8 of Article IX of the State
4 Constitution relating to education.
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6 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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8 That the following creation of Section 8 of Article IX
9 of the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted
10 to the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the
11 next general election or at an earlier special election
12 specifically authorized by law for that purpose:
13 ARTICLE IX
14 EDUCATION
15 SECTION 8. Equal opportunity to obtain a high quality
16 education.--Every child deserves an equal opportunity to
17 obtain a high quality education, regardless of his or her
18 family's income, religion, or race.
19 (a) Funding for a high quality public K-12 education
20 through classroom instruction is fundamental. To make
21 adequate provision for a high quality public K-12 education,
22 the Legislature shall ensure that funding provided for public
23 schools shall primarily be used for classroom instruction
24 rather than administration. Classroom instruction and
25 administration shall be defined by law.
26 (b) Students in prekindergarten through college who
27 have disabilities, or are economically disadvantaged, or meet
28 other legislatively specified criteria, may participate, as
29 provided by law, in education programs that include nonpublic
30 schools. The legislature may enact and publicly fund
31 prekindergarten through college education programs, without
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2006 CS for CS for CS for SJR 2170
602-2301-06
1 regard to the religious nature of any participant or nonpublic
2 provider, notwithstanding any other provision of this Article
3 or the last sentence of Section 3 of Article I of this
4 constitution.
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6 Nothing in this section establishes a right to an education
7 program not provided by law.
8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
9 placed on the ballot:
10 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
11 ARTICLE IX, SECTION 8
12 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO OBTAIN A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION.--
13 Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to provide
14 that every child deserves an equal opportunity to obtain a
15 high quality education, regardless of his or her family's
16 income, religion, or race; to provide that funding for high
17 quality public K-12 education through classroom instruction is
18 fundamental; to provide that to make adequate provision for a
19 high quality public K-12 education, the Legislature shall
20 ensure that funding provided for public schools shall
21 primarily be used for classroom instruction rather than
22 administration; to provide that classroom instruction and
23 administration shall be defined by law; to provide that
24 students in prekindergarten through college who have
25 disabilities or are economically disadvantaged, or meet other
26 legislatively specified criteria, may participate, as provided
27 by law, in education programs that include nonpublic schools;
28 to provide that the Legislature may enact and publicly fund
29 prekindergarten through college education programs, without
30 regard to the religious nature of any participant or nonpublic
31 provider, notwithstanding any other provision of this Article
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2006 CS for CS for CS for SJR 2170
602-2301-06
1 or the last sentence of Section 3 of Article I of the State
2 Constitution; and to provide that this amendment to the State
3 Constitution does not establish a right to an education
4 program that is not provided by law.
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6 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
7 CS for CS for SB 2170
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9 This committee substitute:
10 Deletes the requirement that schools spend a minimum of 65
percent of funding on classroom instruction, and alternatively
11 requires the Legislature to ensure that public school funding
is primarily spent on classroom instruction;
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Revises eligibility for students to participate in education
13 programs that include nonpublic schools by allowing all
students in prekindergarten through college who have
14 disabilities or who meet other legislatively specified
criteria;
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Narrows the reference to Section 3 of Article I of the State
16 Constitution to the no-aid provision of that section; and,
17 Provides that nothing in the proposed constitutional language
establishes a right to an education program that is not
18 provided in law.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.