Senate bill calls for 3-hour day for pre-K students
The prekindergarten proposal is now ready for a vote by the full chamber.
By Associated Press
Published April 22, 2004
TALLAHASSEE - Children would spend three hours a day in the state's prekindergarten program under a bill that progressed through the Senate on Wednesday, despite some lawmakers' concerns that that is not enough time for children to learn effectively.
Gov. Jeb Bush, Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings and the Department of Education originally wanted a plan calling for 720 hours a year, or four hours a day. But both the House and Senate are backing 540-hour, 180-day plans for programs run by public and private providers.
"There's some research that shows that (three) hours will be sufficient. . . . That could be doable," Jennings said.
An amendment to the Senate bill (SB 3036) to raise the allowable figure to 720 hours a year failed on the floor. Sen. Lisa Carlton, R-Sarasota, the bill's sponsor, said measuring the performance of prekindergarten programs and holding them accountable is more critical than how many hours pupils spend in class.
The Senate and House plans also both support a 300-hour intensive summer pre-K offering, but still have some differences on students per teacher. The Senate wants a 10-1 ratio; the House supports an 18-1 plan.
Voters approved a ballot initiative in 2002 requiring the state to develop a free "high quality" prekindergarten program for 4-year-olds starting in 2005.
Under the Senate proposal, now set for a vote by the full chamber, directors of the schools would be required to be trained to manage children with disabilities.
