FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 

S

  

TATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

 

F. PHILIP HANDY,

Chairman

T. WILLARD FAIR,

Vice Chairman

 

Members

DONNA G. CALLAWAY

JULIA L. JOHNSON

ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ

PHOEBE RAULERSON

LINDA K. TAYLOR

 

John L. Winn

Commissioner of Education

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

M E M O R A N D U M

 

 

DATE:

August 2, 2005

 

TO:

  

District Finance Officers

 

FROM:

Linda Champion

 

SUBJECT:

2005-06 Florida Education Finance Program Reading Allocation

 

The 2005-06 General Appropriation Act, Senate Bill 2600, contains a specific allocation for a K-

12 comprehensive, district-wide system of research-based reading instruction. It is part of the

Florida Education Finance Program allocation in line item 73. Each district, as of July 1, 2005,

submitted a plan to the Just Read, Florida! Office, which, upon approval, released the district’s

portion of this $89 million reading allocation.

 

District level distribution of the reading allocation is based on the K-12 Comprehensive Plan for

Reading. Since charter schools are public schools, they have the option to be included in the

district’s plan. As is true for any school in the district, charter schools will not receive a set

amount of money based on their student enrollment, but will be subject to the district

prioritization of need which includes all public schools in the district.

 

The district must provide evidence that the charter school was informed about participation in the

K-12 Comprehensive Plan for Reading, and if the charter school chooses not to participate, the

district must retain and make available documentation that the charter schools were informed of

their options and elected not to participate.

 

If a charter school declines the option to participate, the funds that might have been directed to

the school remain in the district to be prioritized as described above to eligible participating

schools.

LINDA CHAMPION

ASSISTANT DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, FINANCE AND OPERATIONS

 

325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 1214 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0406 • www.fldoe.org

Suncom 205-0406 • FAX (850) 245-9099

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District Finance Officers

Page 2

August 2, 2005

 

For charter schools that elect to participate, the district will be responsible for monitoring those

charter schools’ implementation of the K-12 Comprehensive Plan for Reading, and participating

charter schools must agree with the district’s monitoring in order to receive funding through the

district plan. Reading initiatives in charter schools do not need to be identical to those in the

traditional district public schools, but must be aligned with the Just Read, Florida! K-12

Comprehensive Plan for Reading Guidance document. For instance, it is acceptable if the

district elects one core program for its elementary schools and the elementary charter school

chooses to use another state-adopted core program.

 

The 2005-06 Charter School Estimate Worksheet, available on our website at

http://www.firn.edu/doe/fefp/chartinst.htm, directs charter schools to contact the school district

regarding the disbursement of the current year reading allocation.

 

Questions regarding the reading allocation may be directed to Glenda Todd in the Office of

Funding and Financial Reporting at Glenda.Todd@fldoe.org or (850) 245-0405.

 

cc: District Charter School Contacts

Charter School Administrators