R7C-Urge State And School Board To Reduce Class Sizes In Miami Beach Schools -Gg MIAMIBEACH
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Commissioners
FROM: MichaelGrieco,Commissioner
DATE: March 11,2015
SUBJECT: Lobby State Legislature and Miami-Dade County School Board regarding
compliance with the State's Class Size Amendment
TITLE: RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, URGING THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND MIAMI-DADE
couNTY scHool BoARD (SCHOOL BOARD) TO REDUCE CLASS SIZES tN MtAMt
BEACH FEEDER PATTERN SCHOOLS TO CONFORM TO ARTICLE lx, SECTION (1)(a)
OF THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION; AND LOBBY THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO
EXPAND THE LIST OF "CORE CURRICULUM' COURSES RATHER THAN CONTINUE
TO ELIMINATE CORE CURRICULUM COURSES, LIKE ADVANCED PLACEMENT
CLASSES, FROM THE CLASS SIZE AMENDMENT REQUIREMENTS OF THE FLORIDA
CONSTITUTION BY CALLING SUCH COURSES ,EXTRACURRICULAR,'; AND CALL
UPON THE SCHOOL BOARD TO VOLUNTARILY SUBJECT ITSELF TO THE CLASS
SIZE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL CLASSES, WHETHER THEY ARE CONSIDERED
CORE CURRICULUM OR EXTRACURRICULAR
ln 2002, voters approved an amendment to the Florida Constitution, at Article lX, Section
(1Xa), which establishes a limit on the number of students that can be placed in a
classroom. The Constitutional "Class Size Amendment" provides the following sized
classrooms:
. 18 students in prekindergarten through grade 3. 22 students in grades 4 through 8. 25 students in grades 9 through 12
The State Legislature also amended several chapters of the Florida Statutes, to implement
the Class Size Amendment. One of the revised statutes defined that the Class Size
Amendment would only apply to "Core Curriculum" courses and not to extracurricular
courses. As a result, class sizes got larger again at the start of the 2010-2011 school year,
after the state re-defined what a core class was. About two-thirds of the 849 "core" classes
offered in Florida elementary, middle and high schools were downgraded to "extra-
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Date175
curricular" status, which has no limit on class size. Classes like calculus, anatomy,
Advanced Placement, and Spanish were affected.
The State of Florida should take the education of our children seriously, and the State
Legislature should comply with the Constitution, and provide the mandates smaller class
rooms. Additionally, Miami-Dade County make the needs of our children a priority and
provide the smaller class room sizes regardless of how the State defines "core curriculum"
or "extracurricular."
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Danila Bonini at extension 6457.
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RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CIry OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, URGING THE STATE
LEGISLATURE AND MlAMI-DADE COUNTY SCHOOL
BOARD (SCHOOL BOARD) TO REDUCE CLASS STZESIN MIAMI BEACH FEEDER PATTERN SCHOOLS TO
CONFORM TO ARTICLE lX, SECTION (1)(a) OF THE
FLORIDA CONSTITUTION; AND LOBBY THE STATE
LEGISLATURE TO EXPAND THE LIST OF ..CORE
CURRICULUM" COURSES RATHER THAN CONTINUE
TO ELIMINATE CORE CURRICULUM COURSES, LIKE
ADVANCED PLACEMENT CLASSES, FROM THE CLASS
SIZE AMENDMENT REQUIREMENTS OF THE FLORIDA
CONSTITUTION BY CALLING SUCH COURSES
"EXTRACURRIGULAR"; AND CALL UPON THE
SCHOOL BOARD TO VOLUNTARILY SUBJECT ITSELFTO THE CLASS SIZE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL
CLASSES, WHETHER THEY ARE CONSIDERED CORE
CURRICULUM OR EXTRACURRICULAR.
WHEREAS, Florida voters concerned with the public school system
and the education of our minor children determined that our public schools
should have smaller student population, pe r class, to ensure that our
children are provided the attention needed to ensure discipline and
greater education; and
WHEREAS, in 2002 the voters enacted the "Class Size" amendment
to the Florida Constitution, found at Article lX, Section (1)(a), which
amendment provides:
The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the
State of Florida. lt is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to make
adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its
borders. Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform,
efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools
that allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the
establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of higher
learning and other public education programs that the needs of the
people may require. To assure that children attending public schools
obtain a high quality education, the legislature shall make adequate
provision to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2010 school year,
there are a sufficient number of classrooms so that:
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(1) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for
prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;
(2) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 4
through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and
(3) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each
teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades g
through 12 does not exceed 25 students.
The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply to
extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated with reducing
class size to meet these requirements is the responsibility of the state
and not of local schools districts. Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal
year, the legislature shall provide sufficient funds to reduce the
average number of students in each classroom by at least two
students per year until the maximum number of students per
classroom does not exceed the requirements of this subsection.
WHEREAS, in 2003, the Florida Legislature enacted revisions to the Public
Education Regulations found at Chapter 1003 and 1011, Florida Statutes, which chapters
implement the provisions of the class-size amendment and defines the progress that
school board districts must make in reducing class size; and
WHEREAS, specifically, section 1003.03, Florida Statutes was revised, and
section 1011.685, Florida Statutes, was created to establish the class size operating
categorical fund; and other sections of law were amended to fully implement the
constitutional requirement; and
WHEREAS, Section 1003.01, Florida Statutes provides that the class size
amendment to apply solely to "Core Curriculum" Courses and not to elective courses; and
WHEREAS, over the years the Legislature has redefined Core Curriculum to
continually reduce the number of Core Courses; and
WHEREAS, the legislature defines "extracurricular courses" as all courses that are
not defined as "core-curricula courses," which may include, but are not limited to, physical
education, fine arts, performing fine arts, career education, and courses that may result in
college credit
WHEREAS, as of the 2010-2011 school year, the maximum number of students in
each core curricula class are: 18 students in prekindergarten through grade 3; 22
students in grades 4 through 8; and 25 students in grades 9 through 12; and
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WHEREAS, class sizes got larger again at the start of the 2010-2011 school year,
after the state re-defined what a core class was, thus, about twothirds of the 849 "core"
classes offered in Florida elementary, middle and high schools were downgraded to
"extra-curricular" status, which has no limit on class size. Classes like calculus, anatomy
and Spanish were affected; and
WHEREAS, Advanced Placement courses are no longer considered core
curriculum courses and are now considered extracurricular courses for the purpose of the
Class Size Amendment
WHEREAS, the State Legislature should listen to the voters and adhere to the
Florida Constitution, Article lX, Section (1)(a), by ensuring that all class sizes are reduced
to the size contemplated by the Voters, and not continue to circumvent the Florida
Constitution by using such terminology as "core curriculum" and extracurricular courses to
avoid implementing the class size amendment.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE ]T DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND THE
CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, to urge the
State Legislature and Miami-Dade County School Board (School Board)
to reduce class sizes in Miami Beach feeder pattern schools to conformto Article lX, Section (1)(a) of the Florida Constitution; to lobby the
State Legislature to expand the list of "core curriculum" courses rather
than continue to eliminate core curriculum courses, like advanced
placement classes, from the class size amendment requirements of the
Florida Constitution by defining such courses as "extracurricular"; and
to call upon the School Board to voluntarily subject itself to the class
size requirements for all classes, whether they are considered core
curriculum or extracurricular.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this
ATTEST:
day of 2015.
Philip Levine, Mayor
Rafael E. Granado, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR EXECUTION
l-at- f,
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