1 | House Joint Resolution |
2 | A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 4 of |
3 | Article IX of the State Constitution to provide the option |
4 | to divide school districts. |
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6 | Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
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8 | That the following amendment to Section 4 of Article IX of |
9 | the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to |
10 | the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next |
11 | general election or at an earlier special election specifically |
12 | authorized by law for that purpose: |
13 | ARTICLE IX |
14 | EDUCATION |
15 | SECTION 4. School districts; school boards.-- |
16 | (a) Each county shall constitute a school district; |
17 | provided, two or more contiguous counties, upon vote of the |
18 | electors of each county pursuant to law, may be combined into |
19 | one school district. In each school district there shall be a |
20 | school board composed of five or more members chosen by vote of |
21 | the electors in a nonpartisan election for appropriately |
22 | staggered terms of four years, as provided by law. |
23 | (b) The school board shall operate, control and supervise |
24 | all free public schools within the school district and determine |
25 | the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed |
26 | herein. Two or more school districts may operate and finance |
27 | joint educational programs. |
28 | (c) Upon vote of the electors of the county pursuant to |
29 | general law, a school district may be divided into two or more |
30 | school districts, each having no fewer than 25,000 students. A |
31 | school district is not required to exercise its option to divide |
32 | the school district pursuant to this subsection. However, |
33 | general law authorizing division of a school district shall |
34 | provide for more than one method by which the question of |
35 | dividing the school district into two or more school districts |
36 | is placed on the ballot, including an initiative by the electors |
37 | of the county. School district taxes for the school districts |
38 | created pursuant to this subsection shall be imposed countywide |
39 | and distributed to the school districts in an equitable and |
40 | nondiscriminatory manner as provided by general law. The rate of |
41 | school district taxes shall be determined by a board consisting |
42 | of an equal number of school board members from each school |
43 | district in the county as provided by general law. |
44 | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be |
45 | placed on the ballot: |
46 | CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT |
47 | ARTICLE IX, SECTION 4 |
48 | AUTHORIZING THE DIVISION OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT INTO TWO OR |
49 | MORE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.--Proposing an amendment to the State |
50 | Constitution to provide that school districts may be divided |
51 | into two or more school districts, each having no fewer than |
52 | 25,000 students, upon approval by vote of the electors of the |
53 | county pursuant to general law; to provide that a school |
54 | district is not required to exercise its option to divide the |
55 | school district; to require that general law authorizing |
56 | division of a school district shall provide for more than one |
57 | method by which the question of dividing the school district |
58 | into two or more school districts may be placed on the ballot, |
59 | including an initiative by the electors of the county; to |
60 | provide that school district taxes shall be imposed countywide |
61 | and distributed to the school districts in an equitable and |
62 | nondiscriminatory manner as provided by general law; and to |
63 | provide that the rate of school district taxes shall be |
64 | determined by a board consisting of an equal number of school |
65 | board members from each school district in the county as |
66 | provided by general law. |