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ARTICLE
XII. EDUCATION.
Section
1. The Legislature shall provide for a uniform system of public free schools,
and shall provide for the liberal maintenance of the same. Section
2. There shall
be a Superintendent of Public Instruction, whose duties shall be prescribed
by law, and whose term of office shall be four years and until the election
and qualification of his successor. Section
3. The Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer and
State Superintendent of Public Instruction shall constitute a body corporate,
to be known as the State Board of Education of Florida, of which the Governor
shall be President, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction Secretary.
This Board shall have power to remove any subordinate school officer for cause,
upon notice to the incumbent; and shall have the management and investment of
all State School Funds under such regulations as may be prescribed by law, and
such supervision of schools of higher grades as the law shall provide. Section 4. The State School Fund, the interest of which shall be exclusively applied to the support and maintenance of public free schools, shall be derived from the following sources: The proceeds of all lands that have been or may hereafter be granted to the State by the United States for public school purposes. Donations to the State when the purpose is not specified. Appropriations by the State. The proceeds of escheated property or forfeitures. Twenty-five
per cent. of the sales of public lands which are now or may hereafter be owned
by the State. Section
5. The principal of the State School Fund shall remain sacred and inviolate.
Section
6. A special
tax of one mill on the dollar of all taxable property in the State, in addition
to the other means provided, shall be levied Section
7. Provision
shall be made by law for the distribution of the interest on the State School
Fund and the special tax among the several counties of the State in proportion
to the number of children residing therein between the ages of six and twenty-one
years. Section
8. Each county
shall be required to assess and collect annually for the support of public free
schools therein, a tax of not less than three mills nor more than five mills
on the dollar of all taxable property in the same. Section
9. The County
School Fund shall consist, in addition to the tax provided for in Section 8
of this Article, of the proportion of the interest of the State School Fund
and of the one mill State tax apportioned to the county; the net proceeds of
all fines collected under the penal laws of the State within the county; all
capitation taxes collected within the county; and shall be disbursed by the
County Board of Public Instruction solely for the maintenance and support of
public free schools. Section
10. The Legislature may provide for the division of any county or counties
into convenient school districts; and for the election biennially of three school
trustees, who shall hold their office for two years, and who shall have the
supervision of all the schools within the district; and for the levying and
collection of a district school tax, for the exclusive use of public free schools
within the district, whenever a majority of the qualified electors thereof that
pay a tax on real, or personal property shall vote in favor of such levy; Provided,
That any tax authorized by this section shall not exceed three mills on
the dollar in any one year on the taxable property of the district. Section
11. Any incorporated
town or city may constitute a School District. Section
12. White and
colored children shall not be taught in the same school, but impartial provision
shall be made for both. Section
13. No law shall
be enacted authorizing the diversion or the lending of any County or District
School Funds, or the appropriation of any part of the permanent or available
school fund to any other than school purposes; nor shall the same, or any part
thereof, be appropriated to or used for the support of any sectarian school.
Section
14. The Legislature
at its first session shall provide for the establishment, maintenance and management
of such Normal Schools, not to exceed two, as the interests of public education
may demand. Section
15. The compensation
of all county school officers shall be paid from the school fund of their respective
counties, and all other county officers receiving stated salaries shall be paid
from the general funds of their respective counties.
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