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       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.