CRC - 2017                                           CS for P 71
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Education; and Commissioner Donalds
       
       345-00251-17                                            201771c1
    1                         A proposal to amend                       
    2         Section 4 of Article IX of the State Constitution to
    3         specify that the Legislature is authorized to enact
    4         general laws providing alternative processes to
    5         authorize the establishment of public schools in the
    6         state.
    7          
    8  Be It Proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission of
    9  Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 4 of Article IX of the State Constitution is
   12  amended to read:
   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. Nothing herein may be construed to
   28  limit the legislature from creating alternative processes to
   29  authorize the establishment of public schools within the state
   30  by general law.