CRC - 2017                                                P 6008
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Style and Drafting
       
       350-00439-17                                          20176008__
    1  
    2                             REVISION 8                            
    3  
    4         A proposal to amend Section 4 of Article IX of the
    5         State Constitution to authorize high-performing school
    6         districts to become innovation school districts exempt
    7         from certain provisions of law applicable to school
    8         districts and requiring the legislature to implement
    9         by July 1, 2019.
   10          
   11  Be It Proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission of
   12  Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 4 of Article IX of the State Constitution is
   15  amended to read:
   16                             ARTICLE IX                            
   17                              EDUCATION                            
   18         SECTION 4. School districts; school boards; innovation
   19  school districts.—
   20         (a) Each county shall constitute a school district;
   21  provided, two or more contiguous counties, upon vote of the
   22  electors of each county pursuant to law, may be combined into
   23  one school district. In each school district there shall be a
   24  school board composed of five or more members chosen by vote of
   25  the electors in a nonpartisan election for appropriately
   26  staggered terms of four years, as provided by law.
   27         (b) The school board shall operate, control and supervise
   28  all free public schools within the school district and determine
   29  the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed
   30  herein. Two or more school districts may operate and finance
   31  joint educational programs.
   32         (c) The legislature shall provide by law the process by
   33  which a high-performing school district can qualify for the
   34  designation of innovation school district. The district school
   35  board may, by majority vote of the board, seek the innovation
   36  school district designation. The school board shall continue to
   37  operate, control, and supervise all free public schools
   38  established by them and the school board shall remain the
   39  governing board of the innovation school district with the
   40  district school superintendent as the chief executive officer.
   41         (1) In order to promote diverse and innovative educational
   42  opportunities for all of Florida’s students, school districts
   43  granted innovation district status shall be eligible for
   44  flexibility from provisions of Florida law in the same manner as
   45  other public schools designated by Florida law. The district
   46  school board shall indicate the provisions of Florida law for
   47  which it seeks to obtain flexibility.
   48         (2) The legislature shall enact legislation implementing
   49  this subsection effective no later than July 1, 2019.
   50  
   51         BE IT FURTHER PROPOSED that the following statement be
   52  placed on the ballot:
   53  
   54                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT                     
   55                        ARTICLE IX, SECTION 4                      
   56         INNOVATION SCHOOL DISTRICTS.—Requires legislature to create
   57  process to designate high-performing school districts as
   58  innovation school districts; school boards may seek designation;
   59  permits flexibility from certain laws.