Show public elementary and secondary schools are free but permits the Legislature to allow fees to be charged in the secondary schools Prohibition of Direct Support — The present constitution prohibits state and local governments from making any appropriation to aid in the support of schools controlled even in part by a religious organization The meaning of this provision is not completely clear It a school controlled by a may prevent governments from paying religious organization for a service of benefit to the state The revision states that state and local governments may not make any appropriation for the direct support of a school or educational institution controlled by a religious organization This clarifies and probably expands the power of state and local governments to offer certain kinds of indirect support required class mentioned in the constitution Otherwise the Legislature the State Board of Education and local school boards decide what classes are required The revision eliminates this section 3 e f Article XIII Section 7: Section 7 currently places a 2 and 410 levy limit on the state property tax for general state purposes and allows the Legislature to make an additional levy for education The state property tax has not been imposed since the early 1970s Therefore the limit has not been used (The present property tax is a local tax) Section 7 also states that the Legislature may determine the method of allocating state funds to the school districts The revision eliminates this section mill Other Changes — The revision makes a number of other changes sections are either eliminated from the constitution or moved into other sections as follows: 4 Six a Article X Section 7: Section 7 guarantees the school trust funds against loss or diversion Similar language has been included in Article X Sections 5 and 7 of the revision b Article X Section 9: Section 9 states that neither the Legislature nor the State Board of Education may prescribe the textbooks to be used in the common schools Since 1909 the State Textbook Commission has been prescribing the textbooks to be used in the schools The revision eliminates this section to comply with actual practice c Article X Section 10: Section 10 establishes institutions for the deaf dumb and blind and requires that proceeds from lands to the state to support given by the United States Government those institutions be placed in a trust fund Although the revision eliminates this section these institutions will continue to exist by statute and the state’s Enabling Act d Section Article X Section requires that the metric system be taught in the public schools of the state This is the only Article VII Section 17: Section 17 states that the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall perform duties as provided by law The revision eliminates this section but the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is still mentioned in Article X Section 3 In addition there are changes that modernize language constitution Some sections have also been renumbered in the Effective Date If approved July by the voters the revision would become effective 1987 Fiscal Impact The proposed constitutional amendment provides that the public schools be free but allows the Legislature to authorize fees in Fees are already allowed in grades secondary schools (grades by statute The fiscal impact of the fees cannot be estimated since it will depend on future legislative action and state and local school board implementation Additionally school land administrative costs which are now funded with school land revenues may require clarification by the Legislature as to the future source of funds for these costs |