Florida Senate - 2022                                    SJR 244
       
       
        
       By Senator Gruters
       
       
       
       
       
       23-00343A-22                                           2022244__
    1                       Senate Joint Resolution                     
    2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 4
    3         of Article IX and the creation of a new section in
    4         Article XII of the State Constitution to require
    5         members of a district school board to be elected in a
    6         partisan election.
    7          
    8  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         That the following amendment to Section 4 of Article IX and
   11  the creation of a new section in Article XII of the State
   12  Constitution are agreed to and shall be submitted to the
   13  electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
   14  general election or at an earlier special election specifically
   15  authorized by law for that purpose:
   16                             ARTICLE IX                            
   17                              EDUCATION                            
   18         SECTION 4. School districts; school boards.—
   19         (a) Each county shall constitute a school district;
   20  provided, two or more contiguous counties, upon vote of the
   21  electors of each county pursuant to law, may be combined into
   22  one school district. In each school district there shall be a
   23  school board composed of five or more members chosen by vote of
   24  the electors in a partisan nonpartisan election for
   25  appropriately staggered terms of four years, as provided by law.
   26         (b) The school board shall operate, control and supervise
   27  all free public schools within the school district and determine
   28  the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed
   29  herein. Two or more school districts may operate and finance
   30  joint educational programs.
   31                             ARTICLE XII                           
   32                              SCHEDULE                             
   33         Partisan election of members of district school boards.
   34  This section and the amendment to Section 4 of Article IX
   35  requiring members of a district school board to be elected in a
   36  partisan election rather than a nonpartisan election shall take
   37  effect upon approval by the electors, except that members of
   38  district school boards may not be elected on a partisan basis
   39  until the general election held in November 2024; however,
   40  partisan primary elections may occur before the 2024 general
   41  election for purposes of nominating political party candidates
   42  to that office for placement on the 2024 general election
   43  ballot.
   44         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
   45  placed on the ballot:
   46                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT                     
   47                        ARTICLE IX, SECTION 4                      
   48                             ARTICLE XII                           
   49         PARTISAN ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARDS.
   50  Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to require
   51  members of a district school board to be elected in a partisan
   52  election rather than a nonpartisan election and to specify that
   53  the amendment only applies to elections held on or after the
   54  general election held in November 2024; however, partisan
   55  primary elections may occur before the 2024 general election for
   56  purposes of nominating political party candidates to that office
   57  for placement on the 2024 general election ballot.