Fla. Stat. § 1011.61 — Florida Code / Title XLVIII / Chapter 1011 / Part II / Section 1011.61
1011.61 Definitions.
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 1000.21, the following terms are defined as follows for the purposes of the Florida Education Finance Program:

(1) A “full-time equivalent student” in each program of the district is defined in terms of full-time students and part-time students as follows: (a) A “full-time student” is one student on the membership roll of one school program or a combination of school programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c) for the school year or the equivalent for: 1. Instruction in a standard school, comprising not less than 900 net hours for a student in or at the grade level of 4 through 12, or not less than 720 net hours for a student in or at the grade level of kindergarten through grade 3 or in an authorized prekindergarten exceptional program; or 2. Instruction comprising the appropriate number of net hours set forth in subparagraph 1. for students who, within the past year, have moved with their parents for the purpose of engaging in the farm labor or fish industries, if a plan furnishing such an extended school day or week, or a combination thereof, has been approved by the commissioner. Such plan may be approved to accommodate the needs of migrant students only or may serve all students in schools having a high percentage of migrant students. The plan described in this subparagraph is optional for any school district and is not mandated by the state. (b) A “part-time student” is a student on the active membership roll of a school program or combination of school programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c) who is less than a full-time student. A student who receives instruction in a school that operates for less than the minimum term shall generate full-time equivalent student membership proportional to the amount of instructional hours provided by the school divided by the minimum term requirement as provided in s. 1011.60(2). (c)1. A “full-time equivalent student” is: a. A full-time student in any one of the programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c); or b. A combination of full-time or part-time students in any one of the programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c) which is the equivalent of one full-time student based on the following calculations: (I) A full-time student in a combination of programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c) shall be a fraction of a full-time equivalent membership in each special program equal to the number of net hours per school year for which he or she is a member, divided by the appropriate number of hours set forth in subparagraph (a)1. The difference between that fraction or sum of fractions and the maximum value as set forth in 1 subsection (4) for each full-time student is presumed to be the balance of the student’s time not spent in a special program and shall be recorded as time in the appropriate basic program. (II) A prekindergarten student with a disability shall meet the requirements specified for kindergarten students. (III) A full-time equivalent student for students in kindergarten through grade 12 in a full-time virtual instruction program under s. 1002.45 or a virtual charter school under s. 1002.33 shall consist of six full-credit completions or the prescribed level of content that counts toward promotion to the next grade in programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c). Credit completions may be a combination of full-credit courses or half-credit courses. (IV) A full-time equivalent student for students in kindergarten through grade 12 in a part-time virtual instruction program under s. 1002.45 shall consist of six full-credit completions in programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c)1. and 3. Credit completions may be a combination of full-credit courses or half-credit courses. (V) A Florida Virtual School full-time equivalent student shall consist of six full-credit completions or the prescribed level of content that counts toward promotion to the next grade in the programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c)1. and 3. for students participating in kindergarten through grade 12 part-time virtual instruction and the programs listed in s. 1011.62(1)(c) for students participating in kindergarten through grade 12 full-time virtual instruction. Credit completions may be a combination of full-credit courses or half-credit courses. (VI) Each successfully completed full-credit course earned through an online course delivered by a district other than the one in which the student resides shall be calculated as 1 / 6 FTE. (VII) A full-time equivalent student for courses requiring passage of a statewide, standardized end-of-course assessment under s. 1003.4282 to earn a standard high school diploma shall be defined and reported based on the number of instructional hours as provided in this subsection. (VIII) For students enrolled in a school district as a full-time student, the district may report 1 / 6 FTE for each student who passes a statewide, standardized end-of-course assessment without being enrolled in the corresponding course. 2. A student in membership in a program scheduled for more or less than 180 school days or the equivalent on an hourly basis as specified by rules of the State Board of Education is a fraction of a full-time equivalent membership equal to the number of instructional hours in membership divided by the appropriate number of hours set forth in subparagraph (a)1.; however, for the purposes of this subparagraph, membership in programs scheduled for more than 180 days is limited to students enrolled in: a. Juvenile justice education programs. b. The Florida Virtual School. c. Virtual instruction programs and virtual charter schools for the purpose of course completion and credit recovery pursuant to ss. 1002.45 and 1003.498. Course completion applies only to a student who is reported during the second or third membership surveys and who does not complete a virtual education course by the end of the regular school year. The course must be completed no later than the deadline for amending the final student enrollment survey for that year. Credit recovery applies only to a student who has unsuccessfully completed a traditional or virtual education course during the regular school year and must retake the course in order to be eligible to graduate with the student’s class. The full-time equivalent student enrollment calculated under this subsection is subject to the requirements in subsection (3). The department shall determine and implement an equitable method of equivalent funding for schools operating under emergency conditions, which schools have been approved by the department to operate for less than the minimum term as provided in s. 1011.60(2).

(2) For the purpose of calculating the Florida Education Finance Program funds, a student is in membership until he or she withdraws or until the close of the 11th consecutive school day of his or her absence, whichever comes first.

(3) The maximum value for funding a student in kindergarten through grade 12 or in a prekindergarten program for exceptional children as provided in s. 1003.21(1)(e) shall be the sum of the calculations in paragraphs (a)-(c) as calculated by the department. (a) The sum of the student’s full-time equivalent student membership value for the school year or the equivalent derived from paragraphs (1)(a) and (b), subparagraph (1)(c)1., and sub-subparagraphs (1)(c)2.b. and c. If the sum is greater than 1.0, the full-time equivalent student membership value for each program or course shall be reduced by an equal proportion so that the student’s total full-time equivalent student membership value is equal to 1.0. (b) If the result in paragraph (a) is less than 1.0 full-time equivalent student and the student has full-time equivalent student enrollment pursuant to sub-sub-subparagraph (1)(c)1.b.(VIII), calculate an amount that is the lesser of the value in sub-sub-subparagraph (1)(c)1.b.(VIII) or the value of 1.0 less the value in paragraph (a). (c) The full-time equivalent student enrollment value in sub-subparagraph (1)(c)2.a.

(4) The “Florida Education Finance Program” includes all programs and costs as provided in ss. 1003.03, 1011.62, 1011.68, and 1011.685.

(5) “Basic programs” include, but are not limited to, language arts, mathematics, art, music, physical education, science, and social studies.

History: s. 654, ch. 2002-387; s. 20, ch. 2003-391; s. 6, ch. 2008-147; s. 2, ch. 2008-174; s. 28, ch. 2009-59; s. 34, ch. 2011-63; s. 9, ch. 2011-137; s. 15, ch. 2012-133; s. 27, ch. 2012-191; s. 10, ch. 2012-192; s. 38, ch. 2013-27; s. 60, ch. 2013-35; s. 18, ch. 2013-45; s. 187, ch. 2014-17; s. 5, ch. 2016-137; s. 27, ch. 2016-237; s. 10, ch. 2021-27; s. 40, ch. 2023-245; s. 16, ch. 2025-203.