District Effort Recognition Program.

(1) RECOGNITION FUNDS.—From funds appropriated by the Legislature, district effort recognition capital outlay grants shall be made to eligible school districts in accordance with the provisions of this section and the General Appropriations Act. The funds appropriated in this section are not subject to the provisions of s. 216.301.

(2) ELIGIBILITY.—Annually, the Department of Education shall determine each district’s compliance with the provisions of s. 1003.03 and determine the district’s eligibility to receive a district effort recognition grant for local school facilities projects pursuant to this section. Districts shall be eligible for a district effort recognition grant based upon participation in any of the following:

(a) The district levies a half-cent school capital outlay surtax authorized in s. 212.055(6).

(b) The district participates in the levy of the local government infrastructure sales surtax authorized in s. 212.055(2).

(c) The district levies voted millage for capital outlay purposes as authorized in s. 9, Art. VII of the State Constitution.

(3) DISTRICT EFFORT RECOGNITION PROGRAM.—The department shall annually calculate a district effort amount for each district by September 1 after each fiscal year. The total amount of revenue for the prior year from each revenue levied as described in subsection (2) shall be divided by the number of months for which revenue was received and multiplied by the number of authorized months remaining in each voter referendum. The amount so determined for each revenue levied shall be totaled. The Department of Revenue shall report the amount of voter-approved revenue described in paragraphs (2)(a) and (b). The district shall report the amount of revenue described in paragraph (2)(b) identified for district fixed capital outlay in the prior fiscal year. To determine the amount of revenue levied pursuant to paragraph (2)(c), the district shall annually report to the Department of Education the outstanding debt service by bond series and date of maturity. The total of annual debt service to maturity remaining as of July 1 of each year shall be added to the other revenues levied pursuant to paragraphs (2)(a) and (b) in determining the total district effort amount. Only the amount of voter-approved revenue described in paragraph (2)(b) which has been identified for district fixed capital outlay from the prior fiscal year shall be used in the calculation.

(4) ALLOCATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.—The department shall allocate the annual amount of funds provided among all eligible districts based upon the district’s proportion of the funds as determined in subsection (3). Funds shall be distributed once a district has encumbered the funds.

(5) USE OF FUNDS.—School districts that do not meet the constitutional class size maximums described in s. 1003.03(1) must use the funds for capital outlay to reduce class size. School districts that meet the constitutional class size maximum may use the funds for any lawful capital outlay purpose.