Board of Public Instruction ex rel. Special Tax School District Number One v. State

119 So. 2d 683, 1960 Fla. LEXIS 2384
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedMarch 16, 1960
StatusPublished

This text of 119 So. 2d 683 (Board of Public Instruction ex rel. Special Tax School District Number One v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Board of Public Instruction ex rel. Special Tax School District Number One v. State, 119 So. 2d 683, 1960 Fla. LEXIS 2384 (Fla. 1960).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

Pursuant to Chapter 236, Florida Statutes, F.S.A., Laws of Florida, the Board of Public Instruction of Lake County resolved to issue bonds in the sum of $5,-600,000 for the improvement of public schools. For the purpose of securing a current roll of qualified elector freeholders as authorized by Chapter 97, Florida Stat[685]*685utes, F.S.A., the Board of County Commissioners at request of the Board of Public Instruction adopted a resolution providing for a special re-registration of freeholder electors. Notices of said bond election and re-registration were ordered published at the time and in the manner provided by law. Answer was filed by the state attorney in behalf of the state, petition to intervene on the part of certain taxpayers was permitted, evidence was taken, arguments on the issues made were heard and at final hearing, after motion to dismiss on the part of the intervenors, the chancellor entered his final decree granting the motion to dismiss, denying the motion to validate the bonds on the ground that the procedural requirements of Chapter 236, Florida Statutes, F.S.A., and other prerequisites had not been performed as required by law. This appeal is from the final decree so entered.

The first question presented is whether or not the record made by petitioner in the court below evidences lawful compliance with the procedural requirements of Chapter 236, Florida Statutes, F.S.A.

The pertinent statute for initiating such bond issues is § 236.36, as follows:

“Whenever the residents of a school district of any county in this state shall desire the issuance of bonds by such school district for the purpose of acquiring, building, enlarging, furnishing, or otherwise improving buildings or school grounds, or for any other exclusive use of the public schools within such school district, they shall present to the county board, a petition signed by not less than twenty-five per cent of the duly qualified electors residing within the school district, setting forth in general terms the amount of the bonds desired to be issued, «the purpose thereof, and that the proceeds derived from the sale of such bonds shall be used for the purposes set forth in the petition, in counties of twenty-five thousand population or more, according to the latest federal census, the said petition may be dispensed with and the proposition of issuing bonds for the purposes as herein outlined may be initiated by the county board of the said county or by the trustees of said school district or by both bodies; and, provided further, that nothing contained in this section shall repeal any of the provisions of §§ 100.201-100.351.”

In fine, a bond issue as provided in the foregoing statute may be initiated (1) by petition signed by not less than 25 per cent of the duly qualified electors residing within the school district setting forth in general terms the amount of the bonds to be issued, the purpose thereof and that the proceeds of said bonds shall be used for the purposes set forth in the petition; (2) in counties of twenty-five thousand population or more, according to the latest federal census, said petition may be dispensed with and the proposition of issuing the bonds for the purposes set forth may be initiated by the Board of Public Instruction of said county, and (3) by the trustees of said school district or by both said bodies, provided further that nothing contained in this section shall repeal any of the provisions of §§ 100.201-100.351, as amended by Laws of 1955, Chapter 29615, Chapter 29764, Acts of 1955.

Section 236.38, Florida Statutes, provides for publication of the petition to initiate the bond issue and is as follows:

“It shall be the duty of the county board, when the resolution proposing a bond issue has been approved by the state superintendent or when such a proposal has been rejected by the state superintendent and a new petition signed by thirty-five per cent of the qualified electors of the district has been presented, and when the resolution authorizing an election has been adopted as set forth above, to cause such resolution to be published once each week for four successive weeks in some [686]*686newspaper published in the county. This resolution may also include a notice of election as prescribed in § 236.39.”

Section 236.37, Florida Statutes, F.S. A., defines the procedure to be taken by the county board of public instruction with reference to proposals for issuing bonds. When the county board has received such a proposal, on consideration of recommendations by the county superintendent, it shall then determine whether or not the projects for which the bonds were proposed are essential for the school program of the county. If in the opinion of the board any of the projects are not necessary or desirable, the county superintendent shall notify the trustees of the district in writing within ten days of the adverse action by the county board, giving reasons therefor; provided, that if the trustees of the district decide that the reasons given by the county board for rejecting the proposal, or any part of it, are not good and sufficient reasons, said trustees may then file with the county board in writing a request, giving their reasons for reconsideration of the proposal, whereupon, the county board shall at its next ensuing meeting proceed as set out in subsection (2) below. Subsection (2) is qualified by subsection (3), which has to do with submitting the question to the state superintendent and will be discussed later.

In response to the foregoing, the Board of Public Instruction of Lake County [the population of which exceeds 25,000] adopted (1) resolution proposing a bond issue for Special Tax School District Number One of Lake County, said District Number One being co-equal with the county; (2) resolution requesting the Board of County Commissioners of Lake County. Florida, to call and provide for the re-registration of the qualified electors who are freeholders residing in Lake County, Florida; (3) resolution ordering and providing for holding of an election in Special Tax School District Number One of Lake County Florida, on the question of issuing $5,600,000 bonds of said district; (4) notice of bond election in Special Tax School District Number One of Lake County, Florida, to be held on May 26, 1959.

As heretofore pointed out, the first question has to do with whether or not the procedure followed in issuing the bonds in question met the requirements of Chapter 236, Florida Statutes, F.S.A.

The chancellor pointed out that the law, § 236.36, Florida Statutes, F.S.A. provided three methods for initiating such bond issues: (1) By petition of a certain number of the freeholders of the district; (2) by the trustees of the district; (3) by the county board of public instruction. The chancellor further held that not one of these prescribed methods for initiating special tax school district bond issues was followed in this case, but charges initiation by the State Department of Education. We do not agree. The record here clearly establishes that the procedure followed was in compliance with the statute.

Appellee suggests in its brief that the appendix to appellant’s brief failed to contain any portion of the testimony of L. J. Jenkins, County Superintendent, (2) that copy of the transcribed notes of the court reporter of certain testimony is not contained in the record served on appellees, consequently appellees have not had advantage of the record, (3) other testimony it is contended was not contained in the appendix to the record.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Brown v. Board of Education
347 U.S. 483 (Supreme Court, 1954)
Board of Public Instruction v. State
75 So. 2d 832 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1954)
State v. Board of Public Instruction
113 So. 2d 368 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1959)
Holmer v. State Ex Rel. Stewart
28 So. 2d 586 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1947)
State v. Town of Sweetwater
112 So. 2d 852 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1959)
Dean v. State
77 So. 107 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1917)
State v. Special Tax School District No. 1
86 So. 2d 419 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1956)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
119 So. 2d 683, 1960 Fla. LEXIS 2384, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/board-of-public-instruction-ex-rel-special-tax-school-district-number-one-fla-1960.