P 93 First Engrossed 201793e1 1 A proposal to amend 2 Section 4 of Article IX of the State Constitution to 3 authorize high-performing school districts to become 4 innovation school districts exempt from certain 5 provisions of law applicable to school districts and 6 requiring the legislature to implement by July 1, 7 2019. 8 9 Be It Proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission of 10 Florida: 11 12 Section 4 of Article IX of the State Constitution is 13 amended to read: 14 ARTICLE IX 15 EDUCATION 16 SECTION 4. School districts; school boards; innovation 17 school districts.— 18 (a) Each county shall constitute a school district; 19 provided, two or more contiguous counties, upon vote of the 20 electors of each county pursuant to law, may be combined into 21 one school district. In each school district there shall be a 22 school board composed of five or more members chosen by vote of 23 the electors in a nonpartisan election for appropriately 24 staggered terms of four years, as provided by law. 25 (b) The school board shall operate, control and supervise 26 all free public schools within the school district and determine 27 the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed 28 herein. Two or more school districts may operate and finance 29 joint educational programs. 30 (c) The legislature shall provide by law the process by 31 which a high-performing school district can qualify for the 32 designation of innovation school district. The district school 33 board may, by majority vote of the board, seek the innovation 34 school district designation. The school board shall continue to 35 operate, control, and supervise all free public schools 36 established by the innovation school district and the school 37 board shall remain the governing board of the innovation school 38 district with the district school superintendent as the chief 39 executive officer. 40 In order to promote diverse and innovative educational 41 opportunities for all of Florida’s students, school districts 42 granted innovation district status shall be eligible for 43 flexibility from provisions of Florida law in the same manner as 44 other public schools designated by Florida law. The district 45 school board shall indicate what flexibility from provisions of 46 Florida law it seeks to obtain. 47 (d) The legislature shall enact legislation implementing 48 subsection (c) of this section, effective no later than July 1, 49 2019.