A Florida judge last week threw off the November ballot a proposed constitutional amendment that included a provision to make it easier to set up charter schools in the state.
Circuit Judge John Cooper ruled that the amendment placed on the ballot by the state’s Constitution Revision Commission did not tell voters what it really did. Cooper pointed out that the amendment did not even include the words “charter schools” in its wording.
The amendment combined several ideas, including instituting term limits for school board members. It also would have allowed charters to set up round the state without approval by local school boards.
Supporters of the amendment acknowledged that the purpose of the charter schools provision was to undo a previous court ruling that struck down a law that created a statewide charter school commission.
The amendment was challenged by the League of Women Voters of Florida in July.
