Bill 839

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               839
Ratification Number:       350
Act Number                 632
Introducing Body:          Senate
Subject:                   Williamsburg County School District
                           abolished--board of trustees
                           established

(A632, R350, S839)

AN ACT TO ABOLISH THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AND DEVOLVE ITS POWERS AND DUTIES UPON A BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY; TO PROVIDE FOR BOARD MEMBERSHIP, TERMS AND FOR THEIR ELECTION; TO PROVIDE FOR THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES; TO PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL TAXES; TO ABOLISH THE OFFICE OF COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION OF WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY AND TO DEVOLVE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE UPON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES; TO DEVOLVE ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES THE DUTIES OF PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THE WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY TECHNICAL EDUCATIONAL COLLEGE; AND TO REPEAL ACT 332 OF 1957 AND ACT 503 OF 1971, RELATING TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY, ACT 1052 OF 1972, RELATING TO ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS OF THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY, AND ACT 298 OF 1979, RELATING TO THE MANNER IN WHICH THE WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY TECHNICAL EDUCATIONAL COLLEGE SHALL BE FUNDED.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Williamsburg County School District abolished--board of trustees established

Section 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, effective January 1, 1981, the county board of education of the school district of Williamsburg County and all local boards are abolished and the district shall be governed by a board of trustees (board) composed of nine members, selected by nonpartisan election, one elected from each of the districts from which members of the Williamsburg County Council are presently elected and two elected at large. Election initially shall be in the general election of 1980 and the initial terms of the members shall be determined as follows: the three members receiving the highest number of votes shall serve for terms of four years each and the remaining four members shall serve for terms of two years each. The two members elected at large shall each serve for a term of four years. Thereafter, the staggered terms shall be maintained and members shall be elected for four-year terms. The terms of all members shall commence on the first day of January following their election, the present board members continuing in office through December 31, 1980. Vacancies shall be filled by special election for the unexpired portion of the term only.

Powers and duties

Section 2. The board is vested with all duties and authority now or hereafter granted district boards of trustees and boards of education under the general law of the State. All references in any other provision of law to the county board of education of Williamsburg County or in any bond issuance shall mean board of trustees of the school district of Williamsburg County. In addition to the powers granted under the general law, the board shall be empowered to:

(1) Receive all assets and assume all liabilities of former school districts of the county;

(2) Employ and fix the salary of a district superintendent;

(3) Prepare and approve the annual budget for the operation of the district and determine the tax mill age necessary to budgetary purposes, such mill age not to exceed the millage producing the minimum required local funding obligations of the school district under the provisions of Act 163 of 1977 (Education Finance Act).

(4) Determine funding requirements which can be met through the procedures set out in Chapter 73 of Title 59 of the 1976 Code, and advise the electorate.

(5) Determine the capital outlay needs of the district and issue bonds there for within the bonded debt limit of the district.

Per diem of board members

Section 3. No member of the board of trustees shall receive a salary but shall receive a per diem of twenty-five dollars per meeting and mileage and subsistence as provided by law for members of boards, committees and commissions.

Election commissioners to conduct election

Section 4. The county commissioners of election shall conduct and supervise all elections for members of the board. The commissioners shall prepare the necessary ballots, appoint managers for voting precincts, and do all things necessary to carry out such elections, including the counting of ballots and declaring the results thereof.

Office of county superintendent of education abolished

Section 5. Effective June 30, 1981, the office of County Superintendent of Education of Williamsburg County is abolished or upon the resignation of such person serving as superintendent prior to the expiration of his term, whichever time is sooner, and the powers and duties of the superintendent shall be devolved upon the board. Board to administer programs

Section 6. In the event of changes in the general state laws with reference to schools, the board shall be deemed the proper body for administering within Williamsburg County such programs as may be provided by the State.

Williamsburg County Technical Educational College deemed public school

Section 7. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Williamsburg County Technical Educational College shall be deemed to be a public school for purposes of the annual tax levy for school purposes in the county. The board when preparing the annual school budget as provided by law shall additionally provide for the mill age to be levied for the benefit of the college, such mill age not to be limited by the terms of item (3) of Section 2. The county auditor shall then levy and the county treasurer shall then collect such mill age in the same manner as they levy and collect other school taxes. The provisions of this section shall be effective for the property tax levy for the year 1980 and thereafter.

Repeal

Section 8. Act 332 of 1957, Act 503 of 1971, Act 1052 of 1972

and Act 298 of 1979 are repealed.

Time effective

Section 9. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor.