AMENDMENT 659 RATIFIED
Election of City Boards of Education.
The Legislature by local law may provide in any municipality with a city board of education for the conducting of an authorizing referendum election regarding changing the city board of education to an elected city board of education. The Legislature by local law may authorize the governing body of any municipality with a city board of education, upon a recorded majority vote of the governing body, to call and conduct an authorizing referendum election regarding changing the city board of education of that municipality to an elected city board of education.
If a majority of the qualified electors voting in an authorizing referendum election called in either of the preceding manners vote in favor of an elected city board of education, the Legislature, from time to time, by local law may provide for the election of a city board of education in that municipality. Such local law or laws may include, but are not limited to, providing for termination of the terms of office of members of the existing city board of education; the composition of the city board of education; initial and succeeding terms of office, including staggered terms; election districts and at-large membership; qualifications; powers, duties, and responsibilities; vacancies; and compensation.
Any general law, municipal classification law, or local law providing for or authorizing an elected city board of education in any municipality enacted within the last 1,095 days prior to the ratification date of this amendment is validated and confirmed. Any local referendum conducted pursuant to such general law, municipal classification law, or local law, or any combination of such laws, in which a majority of the qualified electors of the municipality voting voted in favor of an elected city board of education, is also validated and confirmed and that local referendum is considered as an authorizing referendum election for purposes of this amendment.
Notwithstanding Acts 97-679 and 97-616 of the 1997 Regular Session, initial elections for the members of the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education shall occur at the regularly scheduled municipal elections in the year 2001. Public hearings shall be held by the legislative delegation and amendments may be prepared and enacted by the Legislature which are deemed necessary and appropriate by the local delegation for any local legislation, including Acts 97-679 and 97-616 of the 1997 Regular Session, which are validated and confirmed by this amendment.
The results of any authorizing referendum election called pursuant to this amendment shall be reported to the State Board of Education which shall maintain a continuing record of those results for public inspection.
It is the intent of the Legislature that this amendment supersede any other provision of this constitution which may be construed as being in conflict with this amendment.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this proposed amendment shall not apply to any municipality with a population exceeding 125,000 according to the most recent federal census.
