Florida § 24.121 - Allocation of revenues and expenditure of funds for public education.

§ 24.121. Allocation of revenues and expenditure of funds for public education.

(1) Variable percentages of the gross revenue from the sale of online and instant lottery tickets shall be returned to the public in the form of prizes paid by the department or retailers as authorized by this act. The variable percentages of gross revenue from the sale of online and instant lottery tickets returned to the public in the form of prizes shall be established by the department in a manner designed to maximize the amount of funds deposited under subsection (2). (2) Each fiscal year, variable percentages of the gross revenue from the sale of online and instant lottery tickets as determined by the department consistent with subsection (1), and other earned revenue, excluding application processing fees, shall be deposited in the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, which is hereby created in the State Treasury to be administered by the Department of Education. The Department of the Lottery shall transfer moneys to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund at least once each quarter. Funds in the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund shall be used to the benefit of public education in accordance with the provisions of this act. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, lottery revenues transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund shall be reserved as needed and used to meet the requirements of the documents authorizing the bonds issued by the state pursuant to s. 1013.68, s. 1013.70, or s. 1013.737 or distributed to school districts for the Classrooms First Program as provided in s. 1013.68. Such lottery revenues are hereby pledged to the payment of debt service on bonds issued by the state pursuant to s. 1013.68, s. 1013.70, or s. 1013.737. Debt service payable on bonds issued by the state pursuant to s. 1013.68, s. 1013.70, or s. 1013.737 shall be payable from, and is secured by a first lien on, the first lottery revenues transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund in each fiscal year. Amounts distributable to school districts that request the issuance of bonds pursuant to s. 1013.68(3) are hereby pledged to such bonds pursuant to s. 11(d), Art. VII of the State Constitution. (3) The funds remaining in the Operating Trust Fund after transfers to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund shall be used for the payment of administrative expenses of the department. These expenses shall include all costs incurred in the operation and administration of the lottery and all costs resulting from any contracts entered into for the purchase or lease of goods or services required by the lottery, including, but not limited to: (a) The compensation paid to retailers; (b) The costs of supplies, materials, tickets, independent audit services, independent studies, data transmission, advertising, promotion, incentives, public relations, communications, security, bonding for retailers, printing, distribution of tickets, and reimbursing other governmental entities for services provided to the lottery; and (c) The costs of any other goods and services necessary for effectuating the purposes of this act. (4) The unencumbered balance that remains in the Operating Trust Fund at the end of each fiscal year shall be transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. (5)(a) Public educational programs and purposes funded by the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund may include, but are not limited to, endowment, scholarship, matching funds, direct grants, research and economic development related to education, salary enhancement, contracts with independent institutions to conduct programs consistent with the state master plan for postsecondary education, or any other educational program or purpose deemed desirable by the Legislature. Prior to the expenditure of these funds, each school district shall establish policies and procedures that define enhancement and the types of expenditures consistent with that definition. (b) Except as provided in paragraphs (c), (d), and (e), the Legislature shall equitably apportion moneys in the trust fund among public schools, community colleges, and universities. (c) A portion of such net revenues, as determined annually by the Legislature, shall be distributed to each school district and shall be made available to each public school in the district for enhancing school performance through development and implementation of a school improvement plan pursuant to s. 1001.42(18). A portion of these moneys, as determined annually in the General Appropriations Act, must be allocated to each school in an equal amount for each student enrolled. These moneys may be expended only on programs or projects selected by the school advisory council or by a parent advisory committee created pursuant to this paragraph. If a school does not have a school advisory council, the district advisory council must appoint a parent advisory committee composed of parents of students enrolled in that school, which is representative of the ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school, to advise the school’s principal on the programs or projects to be funded. Neither school district staff nor principals may override the recommendations of the school advisory council or the parent advisory committee. These moneys may not be used for capital improvements or for any project or program that has a duration of more than 1 year; however, a school advisory council or parent advisory committee may independently determine that a program or project formerly funded under this paragraph should receive funds in a subsequent year. (d) No funds shall be released for any purpose from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund to any school district in which one or more schools do not have an approved school improvement plan pursuant to s. 1001.42(18) or do not comply with school advisory council membership composition requirements pursuant to s. 1001.452(1). The Commissioner of Education shall withhold disbursements from the trust fund to any school district that fails to adopt the performance-based salary schedule required by s. 1012.22(1). (e) All components of the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program shall be funded annually from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. Funds shall be allocated to this program prior to application of the formula for equitable distribution to public schools, community colleges, and state universities. If shortages require reductions in estimated distributions from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, funds for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program shall be reduced only after reductions in all other distributions are made. (f) Each school district shall, on a quarterly basis, make available to the public and distribute, in an easy to understand format, the expenditures of lottery funds allocated to the school district.