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Eligibility for DROP Extension |
The DROP changes resulting from the passage of Senate Bill 30A (bill status page from website of Florida Legislature) will affect the following personnel:
Florida School for the Deaf and Blind Instructional Personnel:
Effective June 1, 2003, the law will allow instructional personnel with the Florida School for the Deaf & Blind to extend DROP participation beyond 60 months, up to 96 months total. Any current or future DROP participant who is an instructional employee must receive authorization from the Board of Trustees of the School for the Deaf and Blind to extend DROP participation beyond his or her initial 60 months up to the maximum limit.
District School Board Instructional Personnel:
Effective June 1, 2003, Florida law allows certain K-12 instructional personnel with district school boards to participate in DROP for more than 60 months, up to 96 months total. Any current or future DROP participant who is eligible to participate beyond the initial 60-month period must receive authorization from his/her district school superintendent to extend DROP participation beyond his or her initial 60 months up to the maximum limit.
Eligible instructional personnel include:
Instructional personnel as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a)-(d), F.S:
(a) Classroom teachers;
(b) Student personnel services staff (guidance counselors, social workers and school psychologists);
(c) Librarians and media specialists; and
(d) Other instructional staff (primary specialists, learning resource specialists, instructional trainers, adjunct educators, and similar positions).
It is the employer's responsibility to determine those employees who are eligible to extend their DROP participation, based on the DROP provisions in section 8 of the bill (for a copy of Senate Bill 30A, in PDF Format, click here). Affected employers will receive information about the requirements and the form needed to allow their eligible participants to extend their DROP participation. This form, "Extension of Deferred Retirement Option Program for Specified K-12 Instructional Personnel," Form DP-EXT, is also available on the Forms Page of this website.
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