The Florida Senate

240.313  Community college districts; establishment and organization of boards of trustees.--

(1)  Each community college district authorized by law and the Department of Education is an independent, separate, legal entity created for the operation of a community college.

(2)  Community college district boards of trustees shall be comprised of five members when a community college district is confined to one school board district; seven members when a community college district is confined to one school board district and the board of trustees so elects; and not more than nine members when the district contains two or more school board districts, as provided by regulations of the state board. However, Florida Community College at Jacksonville shall have an odd number of trustees.

(3)  Trustees shall be appointed by the Governor, approved by four members of the State Board of Education, and confirmed by the Senate in regular session; however, no appointee shall take office until after his or her appointment has been approved by four members of the State Board of Education; further, the State Board of Education shall develop rules and procedures for review and approval of the appointees. Prior to the time the Governor appoints any member of any community college district board of trustees, the school board or boards in the community college district may submit to the Governor for his or her consideration the names of two or more persons for each office.

(4)  Members of the board of trustees shall receive no salary but may receive reimbursement for expenses as provided in s. 112.061, including mileage to and from official board meetings.

(5)  At its first regular meeting after July 1 of each year, each board of trustees shall organize by electing a chair, whose duty as such is to preside at all meetings of the board, to call special meetings thereof, and to attest to actions of the board, and a vice chair, whose duty as such is to act as chair during the absence or disability of the elected chair. It is the further duty of the chair of each board of trustees to notify the Governor, in writing, whenever a board member fails to attend three consecutive regular board meetings in any one fiscal year, which absences may be grounds for removal.

(6)  A community college president shall be the executive officer and corporate secretary of the board of trustees as well as the chief administrative officer of the community college, and all the components of the institution and all aspects of its operation are responsible to the board of trustees through the president.

(7)  The board of trustees shall have the power to take action without a recommendation from the president and shall have the power to require the president to deliver to the board all data and information required by the board in the performance of its duties.

History.--s. 2, ch. 19159, 1939; s. 48, ch. 23726, 1947; s. 1, ch. 29637, 1955; s. 5, ch. 57-252; s. 36, ch. 65-239; s. 7, ch. 68-5; ss. 15, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 69-300; ss. 58, 70, ch. 72-221; s. 5, ch. 72-352; s. 1, ch. 77-332; s. 47, ch. 79-222; s. 16, ch. 81-193; s. 152, ch. 81-259; s. 19, ch. 83-326; s. 1, ch. 85-331; s. 46, ch. 95-148; s. 27, ch. 97-246.

Note.--Former ss. 242.42, 230.47, 230.0102, 230.753.