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Florida's
Class Size Reduction
Amendment History
In 2002, citizens
approved an amendment to
the Florida Constitution
that set limits on the
number of students in
core classes (such as
Math, English, Science,
etc.) in the state's
public schools.
Beginning with the
2010-2011 school year,
the maximum number of
students in each core
class would be:
- 18
students
in
prekindergarten
through
grade 3;
- 22
students
in
grades 4
through
8; and
- 25
students
in
grades 9
through
12.
In 2003, the Florida
Legislature enacted
Senate Bill 30-A
that implemented the
amendment by requiring
the number of students
in each classroom be
reduced by at least two
students per year
beginning in the 2003-04
school year, until the
maximum number of
students per classroom
did not exceed the
requirements in law. The
amendment would be
calculated as follows:
-
2003-2004,
2004-2005
and
2005-2006
at the
district
level
-
2006-2007
and
2008-2009
at the
school
level
- The 2009 Legislature extended the calculation at the school level for an additional year to include 2009-2010.
-
2010-2011
at the
classroom
level
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Florida's Class Size
Amendment - 2010
Legislative Session
In 2010, the Florida
Legislature approved a
constitutional amendment
to be placed on the
ballot that will ask
voters to change the
state constitution's
current maximum class
sizes to "school-wide
average class sizes." If
the amendment is
approved by voters,
maximum class size would
be calculated based on
the school-wide average
of the number of
students in core classes
assigned to each teacher
beginning with the
2010-2011 school year
and be:
- 18
students
in
prekindergarten
through
grade 3;
- 22
students
in
grades 4
through
8; and
- 25
students
in
grades 9
through
12.
In addition, the
proposed change to the
constitution would set
the maximum number of
students assigned to
each teacher, while not
exceeding the
school-wide average, to
be:
- 21
students
in
prekindergarten
through
grade 3;
- 27
students
in
grades 4
through
8; and
- 30
students
in
grades 9
through
12.
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Duval County Strategies for meeting Class Size
- .25 millage levy with Super Majority
(September)
- Co-Teaching
- Virtual Education
- Maximize Dual Enrollment course
opportunities
- Efficient Scheduling Strategies
- Associate Teachers
In order to meet Class Size, schools have had to:
- Drastically
reduce support staff
personnel (office
assistants/paras) –
these positions are
extremely important to
the daily operation of
the school.
- Some Secondary
Schools have had to
eliminate lower attended
electives and
accelerated classes and
increased the size of
P.E. classes.
- On the November ballot there
will be an amendment asking voters to
change the Florida Constitution’s
current maximum class size to
school-wide average class sizes.
The Florida
Constitution currently limits the maximum number of
students assigned to each teacher in public school
classrooms in the following grade groupings: for
prekindergarten through grade 3, 18 students; for grades
4 through 8, 22 students; and for grades 9 through 12,
25 students. Under this amendment, the current limits on
the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher
in public school classrooms would become limits on the
average number of students assigned per class to each
teacher, by specified grade grouping, in each public
school. This amendment also adopts new limits on the
maximum number of students assigned to each teacher in
an individual classroom as follows: for prekindergarten
through grade 3, 21 students; for grades 4 through 8, 27
students; and for grades 9 through 12, 30 students. This
amendment specifies that class size limits do not apply
to virtual classes, requires the Legislature to provide
sufficient funds to maintain the average number of
students required by this amendment, and schedules these
revisions to take effect upon approval by the electors
of this state and to operate retroactively to the
beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.
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