FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Jeanine Blomberg
Commissioner of Education
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Chairman
Members
DONNA G. CALLAWAY
DR. AKSHAY DESAI
ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
PHOEBE RAULERSON
KATHLEEN SHANAHAN
LINDA K. TAYLOR
March 19, 2007
M E M O R A N D U M # 07-11
TO:
District School Superintendents
FROM:
Jeanine Blomberg, Commissioner of Education
SUBJECT:
Class Size Reduction Requirement and School District Eligibility to
Provide Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education School-Year Program for
2007-08
More than 111,000 young children are currently being prepared for successful entry into
kindergarten through quality Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) education programs offered by
private and public providers across the state. To meet the 2007-08 expectations of these children
and their parents, schools that are in compliance with their class size reduction obligation have
the option to decide whether to continue to provide these services through the VPK program.
In 2006-07, Class Size Reduction is calculated at the school level. Accordingly, schools which
failed to meet the Class Size Reduction cap or reduce by two in any grade group are ineligible to
offer the School-Year VPK program in 2007-08. After appeals, 24 districts have at least one
traditional or charter school that is ineligible, in addition to three of the University Laboratory
Schools (see Attachment A).
The State Board of Education certified this compliance during its meeting on February 20, 2007.
School districts are now free to make the final determination of whether they will offer the 2007-
08 school-year VPK program while balancing their obligation to meet class size reduction. (All
districts are required to offer the Summer VPK Program.)
325 W. GAINES STREET • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0505 • www.fldoe.org
District School Superintendents
March 19, 2007
Page Two
If you have questions, please feel free to contact Shan Goff, Director, Office of Early Learning,
at (850) 245-
0445
, SunCom 205-
0445
, or via email at shan.goff@fldoe.org or Linda Champion,
Deputy Commissioner, Finance and Operations, at (850) 245-0406, SunCom 205-0406, or
linda.champion@fldoe.org.
JB/sg/mh
Attachment: (Attachment A – Schools Ineligible to Offer VPK in 2007-08 Based On Inability to
Meet Class Size Reduction Requirements in 2006-07)
cc:
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District Finance Officers
Assistant Superintendents for Curriculum and Instruction
District
Prekindergarten
Contacts
Executive Directors, Early Learning Coalitions
