6A-1.0451. Florida Education Finance Program Student Membership Surveys

(1) The Commissioner shall prescribe the methods for completing and reporting full-time equivalent (FTE ) student membership surveys and transported student membership surveys in each school district for the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) in the publication titled “Full-time Equivalent (FTE) General Instructions, 2023-24,” (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16358), which is hereby incorporated by reference in this rule. The instructions may be obtained from the Bureau of School Business Services, Office of Funding and Financial Reporting, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399.

(2) The Commissioner shall have the authority to establish for any school district or school an alternate date for an FTE student membership survey or transported student membership survey within eight (8) weeks of the regular statewide survey if evidence is submitted by the school district that indicates an abnormal fluctuation in student membership has occurred at the time of the statewide survey. The alternate date shall be established by the Commissioner prior to conducting the survey. In determining what constitutes an abnormal fluctuation, the Commissioner shall examine the historical trends in student membership and limit consideration to changes in which there is a variation in excess of twenty-five (25) percent in any school, or five (5) percent in the district between the membership count at the time of the statewide membership count and the alternate membership count due to factors such as major student boycotts; civil disturbances; in-migration or out-migration in agricultural, industrial, and federal installations or contractors; or providential causes beyond the control of the district school board.

(3) The Commissioner may approve an alternative to the instructions for completing the surveys, reporting the data to the department and maintaining student records for audit purposes for a given district based on an emergency, a pilot study, or increased effectiveness and efficiency in data collection or reporting.

(4) During the year, at least four (4) full-time equivalent student membership surveys shall be conducted under the administrative direction of and on a schedule provided by the Commissioner. Students in a program scheduled for fewer than one hundred eighty (180) school days, or the hourly equivalent as provided in Rule 6A-1.045111, F.A.C., in any FTE student membership survey shall be a fraction of an FTE student as provided in Section 1011.61(1), F.S. The four (4) survey periods, insofar as practicable, shall be scheduled to take the extended school year, staggered school year, and other variations of or from the regular one hundred eighty-day school year into consideration. In addition to the four (4) full-time equivalent student membership surveys (Surveys 1-4), Survey 5 collects end-of-year student academic data. School districts may submit amendments to student membership survey data in accordance with the following schedule: Survey Period 1 (July) may not be amended after September 30 following the survey; Survey Period 2 (October) may not be amended after December 15 following the survey; Survey Period 3 (February) may not be amended after April 15 following the survey; Survey Period 4 (June) may not be amended after August 15 following the survey, or until a membership survey audit as required by Rule 6A-1.0453, F.A.C., has been completed, whichever shall take place first. Survey Period 5 (Academic Year Cumulative) may not be amended after October 31 following the survey. Adjustments for errors in reported FTE identified after the FTE survey amendment deadline that result in a negative funding adjustment will be included in the subsequent calculation of the FEFP.

(5) For purposes of transportation, students with disabilities under Section 1011.68(5), F.S., shall be those students with disabilities for whom school bus transportation is impractical or unavailable for reasons related to the student’s individual needs and circumstances. Such needs and circumstances shall be documented on the student’s individual educational plan.

(6) For students in all special programs, a student’s FTE membership shall be reported in the respective special program cost factor prescribed in Section 1011.62(1)(c), F.S., when the student is eligible and is attending a class, course, or program that has met all of the criteria for the special program cost factor. In addition, when reporting program membership, each student shall be reported in the same special program category as reported in the FTE membership survey.

(7) ESE 135, Department of Juvenile Justice FTE School Funding Certification is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule. This form may be obtained from the Bureau of School Business Services, Office of Funding and Financial Reporting, Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1011.60(1), 1011.62(1), 1011.68 FS. Law Implemented 1011.62(1), 1011.68 FS. History–New 4-19-74, Amended 10-31-74, Repromulgated 12-5-74, Amended 6-1-75, 1-29-76, 4-12-78, 8-2-79, 2-4-81, 7-28-81, 4-27-82, 7-13-83, 7-10-85, Formerly 6A-1.451, Amended 3-12-86, 9-30-87, 10-31-88, 12-5-90, 10-26-94, 12-15-98, 3-24-08, 5-3-10, 4-22-14, 12-23-14, 6-23-16, 6-20-17, 9-19-17, 9-18-18, 12-22-19, 10-27-20, 11-23-21, 12-4-22, 2-20-24.