J. C. BARROW, APPELLANT,
v.
C. H. MOFFETT, B. F. WILLIAMS AND T. V. CONWAY, CONSTITUTING THE BOARD OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION FOR THE COUNTY OF HIGHLANDS, AND STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEES

Fla. | 1928-02-01
Whitfield, P. J., and Terrell and Buford, J. J., concur., Ellis, C. J., and Strum and Brown, J. J., concur in the opinion and judgment.
95 Fla. 111 Florida Supreme Court (1928) Caution
Also reported at: 116 So. 71
Cited by 50 cases

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Synopsis

The Florida Supreme Court reversed a lower court decree validating bonds issued by the Highlands County Board of Public Instruction to pay outstanding floating indebtedness for public schools. The court held that while the Constitution permits school boards to raise funds for current maintenance and support of schools, it does not authorize the issuance of bonds to pay past indebtedness.


Holding

The court held that the Board cannot issue bonds to pay outstanding indebtedness. While the Constitution permits the use of school tax funds for current maintenance and support of schools, it does not authorize the issuance of bonds to pay for past indebtedness. The Constitution contemplates payment of expenses when due, not the refinancing of historical obligations.


Key Quotes

“Sections 8 and 9 of Article XII expressly and specifically provide that the funds collected as taxes under Section 8 shall be used 'for the support of the public free schools' in the county (Sec. 8) and 'solely for the maintenance and support of public free schools' (Sec. 9).”

Establishes the constitutional limitation on use of school tax funds

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Facts & Procedural History

The Highlands County Board of Public Instruction sought to issue bonds under Chapter 12844, Acts of 1927, to pay outstanding floating indebtedness inc…

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Opinion of the Court
Per Curiam.

Per Curiam.

This appeal is from a decree validating bonds to be issued by the Board of Public Instruction of Plighlands County under Chapter 12844, Acts of 1927, to raise funds to pay the outstanding floating indebtedness incurred in the support or maintenance of the public free schools in the county, such bonds to be paid from “a part of the tax provided for by ‘Section twelve (12)’ of the Constitution of the State of Florida.”

“Section 8. Each county shall be required to assess and collect annually for the support of the public free schools therein, a tax of not less than three (3) mills, or more than ten (10) mills on the dollar on all taxable property in the same. ’ ’ Sec. 8, Art. XII, Constitution, as amended.

“Section 9. The county school fund shall consist, in addition to the tax provided for in Section Eight of this Arti cle, of the proportion of the interest of the State school fund and of the one mill State tax apportioned to the county; the net proceeds of all fines collected under the penal laws of the State within the county; all capitation taxes collected within the county; and shall be disbursed by the county board of public instruction solely for the maintenance and support of public free schools.” Sec. 9, Art. XII, Constitution, as amended; also see amendment of 1925, p. 543, General Laws, 1925.

Even if the quoted statutory provision can be held to have reference to Section 8, of Article XII of the Constitution as amended in 1918, the statute cannot be sustained since Sections 8 and 9 of Article XII expressly and specifically provide that the funds collected as taxes under Section 8 shall be used “for the support of the public free schools” in the county (Sec. 8) and “solely for the maintenance and support of public free schools” (See. 9).

In Warren v. Board of Public Instruction for Hillsborough County, 86 Fla. 254, 97 South. Rep. 384, Chapter 9664, Acts of 1923, was sustained; but that statute authorized the issue of interest bearing time warrants payable out of the county school fund of the countj^, to raise funds to enlarge the county high school building for current and future use, which was held to be permissible as “maintenance and support of public free schools” in the county.

The Act here considered purports to authorize bonds to be issued to pay “an outstanding indebtedness incurred in the support or maintenance of the public free schools of said county, evidenced by warrant, notes, open accounts, or otherwise incurred for services and/or labor performed, materials and/or supplies furnished and for money loaned to and received by the Board of Public Instruction,” the bonds to be paid from “a part of the tax provided for by Section twelve (12) of the Constitution.” The Constitu tion contemplates the payment when due of expenses for maintenance and support of schools, and does not contemplate the issue of bonds to pay for past indebtedness. In the Warren case the statute authorized interest bearing time warrants to raise money for present and future needs in “the maintenance and support” of free schools in the county, not the payment of outstanding indebtedness. See Johnson v. Board, 81 Fla. 503, 88 So. 308.

Reversed.

Whitfield, P. J., and Terrell and Buford, J. J., concur. Ellis, C. J., and Strum and Brown, J. J., concur in the opinion and judgment.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By (16 total)

  • State v. The Bd. of Pub. Instruction, 126 Fla. 142 (Fla. 1936)
    …r governmental entity as was contemplated by Chapter 15772, Acts of 1931. To support its challenge as being in conflict with Section Eight and other sections of Article Twelve of the Constitution, appellant relies on Barrow v. Moffett, 95 Fla. 111, 116 So. 71; Board of Public Instruction of LaFayette County v. Union School Furnishing Co., 100 Fla. 326, 129 So. 824; Leonard v. Franklin, 84 Fla. 402, 93 So. 688; and State v. Board of Public Instruction of Indian River County, 98 Fla. 1152, 125 So. 357. Th…
  • Savage v. Bd. of Pub. Instruction, 133 So. 341 (Fla. 1931)
    …s becoming indebted for theircurrent expenses within the amount of the current tax levy. What was heretofore held by this Court in such cases as Board of Public Instruction v. Union School Furnishing Co.,129 So. 824, 100 Fla. ___; Barrow v. Moffet, 116 So. 71, 95 Fla. 111; Davis v. Dixon, 123 So. 636, 98 Fla. 87; State v. Green,116 So. 66, 95 Fla. 117; Hathaway v. Munro, 119 So. 149, 97 Fla. 28; Amos v. Mathews, 126 So. 308, 99 Fla. 1; Advisory Opinion to Governor 114 So. 850, 94 Fla. 967, does not milit…
  • The Bd. of Pub. Instruction v. Kennedy, 109 Fla. 153 (Fla. 1933)
    …v. State, 76 Fla. 244, 79 So. Rep. 707; Johnson v. Board of Public Instruction, 81 Fla. 503, 88 So. Rep. 308; Leonard v. Franklin, 84 Fla. 402, 93 So. Rep. 688; Warren v. Board of Public Instruction, 86 Fla. 254, 97 So. Rep. 384; Barrow v. Moffett, 95 Fla. 111, 116 So. Rep. 71; State v. Board of Pub. Inst. Indian River County, 98 Fla. 1152, 125 So. Rep. 357; Coppedge v. State, 99 Fla. 358, 127 So. Rep. 319; Board of Pub. Inst. Lafayette County, v. Union School Furnishing Co., 100 Fla. 326, 129 So. Rep. 82…

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