Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 6A-6.0951 - The Hope Scholarship Program

(1) Eligibility of nonprofit scholarship-funding organizations. A nonprofit scholarship-funding organization (SFO) that is approved pursuant to Section 1002.395, F.S., may provide a scholarship for students subjected to a qualifying incident to attend an eligible private school pursuant to Section 1002.40(4), F.S.

(2) Parent notification requirements.

(a) Pursuant to the requirements of Section 1002.40(4), F.S., a school district must timely notify a parent of the Hope Scholarship program and provide the parent a completed Hope Scholarship Notification Form (Form IEPC-HS1), available on the Department's website, www.floridaschoolchoice.org. Form IEPC-HS1 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17267) is hereby incorporated by reference, effective December 2024.

(b) A school district must include the reported incident type, location and time/date of reported incident on Form IEPC-HS1.

(c) Regardless of whether substantiated or not, the types of incidents that qualify a kindergarten through grade 12 public school student for a Hope Scholarship are aggravated battery, harassment, hazing, bullying, kidnapping, simple battery, robbery, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual harassment, sexual offenses-other, threat or intimidation and fighting, as defined in Rule 6A-1.0017, F.A.C., School Environmental Safety Incident (SESIR).

(3) Hope Scholarship application procedure. To receive a scholarship to attend a private school under Section 1002.394 or Section 1002.395, F.S., a parent must apply to an eligible and participating SFO according to the SFO's application procedures. A completed Form IEPC-HS1 may be included with the application and submitted to the SFO to which the application is made.

(4) Public school Hope Scholarship option. Pursuant to Section 1002.40(4), F.S., a student meeting the Hope Scholarship eligibility requirements may choose to attend another public school in the student's school district or in another school district. Public school options are subject to the receiving school's capacity.

(5) School District Reporting Requirements. Each school district must report during the survey periods and using the elements set forth in Rule 6A-1.0014, F.A.C., Comprehensive Management Information System, the following information: For each substantiated and unsubstantiated incident listed in Section 1002.40(3), F.S., the number of Hope Scholarship Notification Forms provided to parents.

(6) Nothing in this rule shall limit the Department's authority to request any other information related to the scholarship program.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 6A-6.0951

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1002.40(5) FS. Law Implemented 1002.395, 1002.40, 1008.385 F.S.

Adopted by Florida Register Volume 44, Number 153, August 7, 2018 effective 8/21/2018, Amended by Florida Register Volume 46, Number 151, August 4, 2020 effective 8/18/2020, Amended by Florida Register Volume 47, Number 218, November 9, 2021 effective 11/23/2021, Amended by Florida Register Volume 49, Number 025, February 7, 2023 effective 2/21/2023, Amended by Florida Register Volume 50, Number 239, December 10, 2024 effective 12/24/2024.

New 8-21-18, Amended 8-18-20, 11-23-21, 2-21-23.