(1) This section shall be known and may be referred to as “The School District Local Option Single-Member Representation Law of 1984.”

(2) District school board members shall be elected to office in accordance with the provisions of ss. 1001.36 and 1001.361, or as otherwise provided by law, unless a proposition calling for single-member representation within the residence areas of the district is submitted to and approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting on such proposition in the manner provided in subsection (3).

(a) If the district school board is composed of five members, such proposition shall provide that the five members shall reside one in each of five residence areas, the areas together covering the entire district and as nearly equal in population as practicable, pursuant to s. 1001.36, each of whom shall be elected only by the qualified electors who reside in the same residence area as the member.

(b) If the district school board is composed of seven members, at the option of the school board, such proposition shall provide that:

1. Five of the seven members shall reside one in each of five residence areas, the areas together covering the entire district and as nearly equal in population as practicable, pursuant to s. 1001.36, each of whom shall be elected only by the qualified electors who reside in the same residence area as the member, and two of the seven members shall be elected at large; or

2. All seven members shall reside one in each of seven residence areas, the areas together covering the entire district and as nearly equal in population as practicable, pursuant to s. 1001.36, each of whom shall be elected only by the qualified electors who reside in the same residence area as the member.

(c) All members shall be elected for 4-year terms, but such terms shall be staggered so that, alternately, one more or one less than half of the members elected from residence areas and, if applicable, one of the members elected at large from the entire district are elected every 2 years. Any member may be elected to an initial term of less than 4 years if necessary to achieve or maintain such system of staggered terms.

(3) A proposition calling for single-member representation within the residence areas of the district shall be submitted to the electors of the district at any primary, general, or otherwise-called special election, in either manner following:

(a) The district school board may adopt a formal resolution directing an election to be held to place the proposition on the ballot.

(b) The electors of the school district may petition to have the proposition placed on the ballot by presenting to the school board petitions signed by not less than 10 percent of the duly qualified electors residing within the school district. The number of signatures required shall be determined by the supervisor of elections according to the number of registered electors in the district as of the date the petitioning electors register as a political committee as provided in subsection (4).

(4) The electors petitioning to have the proposition placed on the ballot shall register as a political committee pursuant to s. 106.03, and a specific person shall be designated therein as chair of the committee to act for the committee.

(5)(a) Each petition form circulated for single-member representation within the residence areas of a district where the school board is composed of five members shall include the wording: “As a registered elector of the school district of   County, Florida, I am petitioning for a referendum election to determine whether the five school board members of said district shall be elected from single-member residence areas by electors residing in each of those areas only.”

(b) Each petition form circulated for single-member representation within the residence areas of a district where the district school board is composed of seven members, none of whom are to be elected at large, shall include the wording: “As a registered elector of the school district of   County, Florida, I am petitioning for a referendum election to determine whether the seven members of said district shall be elected from single-member residence areas by electors residing in each of those areas only.”

(c) Each petition form circulated for single-member representation within the residence areas of a district where the school board is composed of seven members, two of whom are to be elected at large, shall include the wording: “As a registered elector of the school district of   County, Florida, I am petitioning for a referendum election to determine whether five of the seven district school board members of said district shall be elected from single-member residence areas by electors residing in each of those areas only, with the two remaining members being elected at large.”

The petition shall also include space for the signature and address of the elector. Each signature obtained shall be dated when made and is valid for a period of 4 years following that date.

(6) Upon the filing of the petitions with the district school board by the chair of the committee, the district school board shall submit the petitions to the supervisor of elections for verification of the signatures. Within a period of not more than 30 days, the supervisor of elections shall determine whether the petitions contain the required number of valid signatures. The supervisor of elections shall be paid by the committee seeking verification the sum of 10 cents for each name checked.

(7) If it is determined that the petitions have the required signatures, the supervisor of elections shall certify the petitions to the district school board, which shall adopt a resolution requesting that an election date be set to conform to the earliest primary, general, or otherwise-called special election that occurs not less than 30 days after certification of the petitions. If it is determined that the petitions do not contain the required signatures, the supervisor of elections shall so notify the district school board, which shall file the petitions without taking further action, and the matter shall be at an end. No additional names may be added to the petitions, and the petitions may not be used in any other proceeding.

(8) No special election may be called for the sole purpose of presenting the proposition to the vote of the electors.

(9) Any district adopting any of the propositions set forth in this section may thereafter return to the procedures otherwise provided by law by following the same procedure outlined in subsection (3).

(10) No district school board member elected prior to or at the election that approves any revision as permitted herein shall be affected in his or her term of office. The resolution adopted by the district school board under paragraph (3)(a) or subsection (7) which presents the proposed revision to the electorate for approval shall specify an orderly method and procedure for implementing the revision contemplated in the resolution.

History.—s. 45, ch. 2002-387.