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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the Florida Scholars Academy; 2
amending s. 20.316, F.S.; conforming provisions to 3
changes made by the act; creating s. 985.619, F.S.; 4
creating the Florida Scholars Academy within the 5
Department of Juvenile Justice; providing the mission 6
of the academy; providing for admission of students; 7
requiring the department to contract for certain 8
services; providing for appointment of a 9
superintendent; providing for appointment of a board 10
of trustees; providing the powers and duties of the 11
board; providing for funding of the academy; requiring 12
an annual audit; amending s. 1000.04, F.S.; providing 13
that the academy is a component of the delivery of 14
public education within Florida's Early Learning -20 15
education system; amending s. 1013.53, F.S.; revising 16
provisions concerning cooperative development of 17
educational facilities in juvenile justice programs; 18
providing an appropriation; providing an effective 19
date. 20
21
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 22
23
Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 24
20.316, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 25
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20.316 Department of Juvenile Justice. —There is created a 26
Department of Juvenile Justic e. 27
(1) SECRETARY OF JUVENILE JUSTICE. — 28
(c) The Secretary of Juvenile Justice shall: 29
1. Ensure that juvenile justice continuum programs and 30
services are implemented according to legislative intent; state 31
and federal laws, rules, and regulations; state wide program 32
standards; and performance objectives by reviewing and 33
monitoring regional and circuit program operations and providing 34
technical assistance to those programs. 35
2. Identify the need for and recommend the funding and 36
implementation of an appro priate mix of programs and services 37
within the juvenile justice continuum, including prevention, 38
diversion, nonresidential and residential commitment programs, 39
training schools, and conditional release programs and services, 40
with an overlay of educational, career and technical education 41
vocational, alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services 42
where appropriate. 43
3. Oversee the establishment of the Florida Scholars 44
Academy pursuant to s. 985.619. 45
4.3. Provide for program research, development, and 46
planning. 47
5.4. Develop staffing and workload standards and 48
coordinate staff development and training. 49
6.5. Develop budget and resource allocation methodologies 50
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and strategies. 51
7.6. Establish program policies and rules and ensure that 52
those policies and r ules encourage cooperation, collaboration, 53
and information sharing with community partners in the juvenile 54
justice system to the extent authorized by law. 55
8.7. Develop funding sources external to state government. 56
9.8. Obtain, approve, monitor, and coordinate research and 57
program development grants. 58
10.9. Enter into contracts. 59
11.10. Monitor all state-funded programs, grants, 60
appropriations, or activities that are designed to prevent 61
juvenile crime, delinquency, ga ng membership, or status offense 62
behaviors and all state -funded programs, grants, appropriations, 63
or activities that are designed to prevent a child from becoming 64
a "child in need of services," as defined in chapter 984, in 65
order to effect the goals and po licies of the State 66
Comprehensive Plan regarding children and regarding governmental 67
efficiency, and in order to determine: 68
a. The number of youth served by such state -funded 69
programs, grants, appropriations, or activities; 70
b. The number of youth who c omplete such state-funded 71
programs, grants, appropriations, or activities; 72
c. The number and percentage of youth who are referred for 73
delinquency while participating in such state -funded programs, 74
grants, appropriations, or activities; 75
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d. The number and percentage of youth who are referred for 76
delinquency within 6 months after completing such state -funded 77
programs, grants, appropriations, or activities. 78
Section 2. Section 985.619, Florida Statutes, is created 79
to read: 80
985.619 Florida Scholars Acad emy.— 81
(1)(a) The department shall establish the Florida Scholars 82
Academy within the department to deliver educational 83
opportunities for students serving in residential commitment 84
programs under this chapter. 85
(b) Each residential program site establish ed, authorized, 86
or designated by the department shall be considered a campus of 87
the Florida Scholars Academy. 88
(c) Students sentenced to adult facilities under chapter 89
944 are not eligible to enroll in the Florida Scholars Academy. 90
(2) The mission of t he academy is to provide a free and 91
appropriate high-quality education for eligible students within 92
the juvenile justice system and to prepare students for gainful 93
employment as productive citizens upon their reentry into the 94
community. Educational pathway s will include a K-12 education, a 95
high school equivalency diploma, a career and technical 96
education credential pursuant to s. 1003.4282(10), and 97
enrollment in a degree program at a state college or university, 98
with an emphasis on attaining an industry -recognized credential 99
of value from the Master Credentials List under s. 100
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445.004(4)(h). 101
(3)(a) The department shall enter into a contractual 102
agreement with an education service provider with a proven track 103
record of success to operate, provide, or suppleme nt full-time 104
instruction and instructional support services for students to 105
earn a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma, 106
enroll in a degree program at a state college or university, and 107
earn industry-recognized credentials of value from t he Master 108
Credentials List. The contracted education service provider 109
shall be responsible for the administration of all educational 110
services to students enrolled in the academy. 111
(b) The secretary shall appoint the superintendent of the 112
Florida Scholars Academy. The superintendent shall be 113
responsible for the management and day -to-day operation of the 114
Florida Scholars Academy. 115
(4)(a) The Florida Scholars Academy shall be governed by a 116
board of trustees. Board members shall serve a term of 4 years. 117
The board shall be composed of five members: 118
1. The secretary of the department or his or her designee. 119
2. Four members appointed by the Governor. 120
(b) The board of trustees shall have the following powers 121
and duties: 122
1. To meet at least 4 times each yea r, upon the call of 123
the chair, or at the request of a majority of the membership. 124
2. To be responsible for the development of an education 125
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delivery system by the Florida Scholars Academy's development 126
that is cost-effective, high-quality, educationally s ound, and 127
sustainable. 128
3. To identify appropriate performance measures and 129
standards based on student achievement that reflect the Florida 130
Scholars Academy's statutory mission and priorities, and to 131
implement an accountability system approved by the Stat e Board 132
of Education for the Florida Scholars Academy by the 2024 -2025 133
school year that includes an assessment of the academy's 134
effectiveness and efficiency in providing quality services that 135
encourage high student achievement, seamless articulation, and 136
maximum access to career opportunities. For the 2024 -2025 school 137
year, the results of the accountability system shall serve as an 138
informative baseline for the academy to work toward improved 139
performance in future years. 140
4. To administer and maintain the e ducational programs of 141
the Florida Scholars Academy in accordance with law and with the 142
rules established by the department, in consultation with the 143
State Board of Education. 144
5. To determine, with the approval of the secretary or his 145
or her designee, the compensation, including salaries and fringe 146
benefits, and other conditions of employment for academy 147
personnel, in alignment with the Florida Scholars Academy's 148
provider contracts. 149
6. To review the hiring of all Florida Scholars Academy 150
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administrative and instructional personnel, who shall be subject 151
to rejection for cause by the secretary or his or her designee 152
and shall be subject to policies established by the board of 153
trustees. 154
7. To provide for the content and custody of student 155
records pursuant to s. 1002.22. 156
8. To maintain the financial records and accounts of the 157
Florida Scholars Academy, which shall be maintained under rules 158
adopted by the State Board of Education for the uniform system 159
of financial records and accounts for the schools of th e state. 160
9. To select a chair. Initially, the secretary or his or 161
her designee shall serve as chair. 162
(c) Members of the board of trustees shall serve without 163
compensation but may be reimbursed for per diem and travel 164
expenses pursuant to s. 112.061. 165
(d) The board of trustees shall be a body corporate with 166
all the powers of a body corporate and such authority as is 167
needed for the proper operation and improvement of the Florida 168
Scholars Academy. The board of trustees may adopt rules, 169
policies, and procedures, consistent with law and the rules of 170
the State Board of Education relating to governance, personnel, 171
budget and finance, administration, programs, curriculum and 172
instruction, travel and purchasing, technology, students, 173
contracts and grants, and pr operty as necessary for the optimal 174
and efficient operation of the Florida Scholars Academy. 175
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(5) FUNDING.- 176
(a)1. Funding for the operational and instructional 177
services for all students enrolled in the Florida Scholars 178
Academy shall be provided through the General Appropriations 179
Act. 180
2. The Florida Scholars Academy shall receive all federal 181
funds for which it is eligible. 182
(b) The secretary shall prepare and submit a legislative 183
budget request on behalf of the Florida Scholars Academy as part 184
of the department's legislative budget request. The request of 185
funds may be for operation and fixed capital outlay, in 186
accordance with chapter 216. 187
(c) The fiscal year for the Florida Scholars Academy shall 188
be the fiscal year of the state, as defined in s. 216. 011(1)(o). 189
(6) The credit of the state may not be pledged on behalf 190
of the Florida Scholars Academy. 191
(7) ANNUAL AUDIT.— 192
(a) The Florida Scholars Academy shall have an annual 193
financial audit of its accounts and records conducted by an 194
independent auditor who is a certified public accountant 195
licensed under chapter 473. The independent auditor shall 196
conduct the audit in accordance with rules adopted by the 197
Auditor General pursuant to s. 11.45 and, upon completion of the 198
audit, shall prepare an audit repor t in accordance with such 199
rules. 200
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(b) The independent auditor shall submit the audit report 201
to the board of trustees and the Auditor General no later than 9 202
months after the end of the preceding fiscal year. 203
(c) The board of trustees shall respond to re commendations 204
included in the audit report or received directly from the 205
Auditor General with evidence of corrective action within 45 206
days after receipt of the recommendations. 207
(8) The department may establish rules to implement this 208
section. 209
Section 3. Subsection (6) is added to section 1000.04, 210
Florida Statutes, to read: 211
1000.04 Components for the delivery of public education 212
within the Florida Early Learning -20 education system. —Florida's 213
Early Learning-20 education system provides for the deliver y of 214
early learning and public education through publicly supported 215
and controlled K-12 schools, Florida College System 216
institutions, state universities and other postsecondary 217
educational institutions, other educational institutions, and 218
other educational services as provided or authorized by the 219
Constitution and laws of the state. 220
(6) THE FLORIDA SCHOLARS ACADEMY. —The Florida Scholars 221
Academy is a component of the delivery of public education 222
within Florida's Early Learning -20 education system. 223
Section 4. Section 1013.53, Florida Statutes, is amended 224
to read: 225
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1013.53 Cooperative development of educational facilities 226
in juvenile justice programs. — 227
(1) The Department of Juvenile Justice shall provide early 228
notice to school districts regarding the s iting of new juvenile 229
justice detention facilities. School districts shall include the 230
projected number of students in the districts' annual estimates. 231
School districts must be consulted regarding the types of 232
students expected to be assigned to detention commitment 233
facilities for education planning and budgeting purposes. 234
(2) The Department of Juvenile Justice shall notify, in 235
writing, the Department of Education when a request for 236
proposals is issued for the construction or operation of a 237
commitment or detention facility anywhere in the state. The 238
Department of Juvenile Justice shall notify, in writing, the 239
appropriate school district when a request for proposals is 240
issued for the construction or operation of a commitment or 241
detention facility when a cou nty or site is specifically 242
identified. 243
(3) The Department of Juvenile Justice shall also notify 244
the district school superintendent within 30 days after: 245
(a) The award of a contract for the construction or 246
operation of a commitment or detention facility within that 247
school district. 248
(b) Obtaining a permit to begin construction of a new 249
detention or commitment facility within that school district. 250
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Section 5. There is hereby appropriated for the 2023 -2024 251
fiscal year from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of 252
Juvenile Justice the recurring sum of $12,000,000 for the 253
purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act. 254
Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 255