| 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. |
| 5 |
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| 6 | Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 7 |
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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. |