Opinion ID: 1680628
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Other Provisions of Article IX

Text: Reinforcing our determination that the state's use of public funds to support an alternative system of education is in violation of article IX, section 1(a) is the limitation of the use of monies from the State School Fund set forth in article IX, section 6. That provision states that income and interest from the State School Fund may be appropriated only to the support and maintenance of free public schools. Art. IX, § 6, Fla. Const. It is well established that [e]very provision of [the constitution] was inserted with a definite purpose and all sections and provisions of it must be construed together, that is, in pari materia, in order to determine its meaning, effect, restraints, and prohibitions. Thomas v. State ex rel. Cobb, 58 So.2d 173, 174 (Fla.1952); see also Caribbean Conservation Corp., 838 So.2d at 501 ([I]n construing multiple constitutional provisions addressing a similar subject, the provisions `must be read in pari materia to ensure a consistent and logical meaning that gives effect to each provision.') (quoting Advisory Opinion to the Governor-1996 Amendment 5 (Everglades), 706 So.2d 278, 281 (Fla.1997)). Reading sections 1(a) and 6 of article IX in pari materia evinces the clear intent that public funds be used to support the public school system, not to support a duplicative, competitive private system. Further, in reading article IX as a whole, we note the clear difference between the language of section 1(a) and that of section 1(b), which was adopted in 2002 and provides in full: Every four-year old child in Florida shall be provided by the State a high quality pre-kindergarten learning opportunity in the form of an early childhood development and education program which shall be voluntary, high quality, free, and delivered according to professionally accepted standards. An early childhood development and education program means an organized program designed to address and enhance each child's ability to make age appropriate progress in an appropriate range of settings in the development of language and cognitive capabilities and emotional, social, regulatory and moral capacities through education in basic skills and such other skills as the Legislature may determine to be appropriate. (Emphasis supplied.) Although this provision requires that the pre-kindergarten learning opportunity must be free and delivered according to professionally accepted standards, noticeably absent is a requirement that the state provide this opportunity by a particular means. Thus, in contrast to the Legislature's obligation under section 1(a) to make adequate provision for kindergarten through grade twelve education through a system of free public schools, the Legislature is free under section 1(b) to provide for pre-kindergarten education in any manner it desires, consistent with other applicable constitutional provisions. We reject the argument that the OSP falls within the state's responsibility under article IX, section 1(a) to make [a]dequate provision ... for ... other public education programs that the needs of the people may require. As this Court explained in Board of Public Instruction, the reference to other public education programs added in 1968 obviously applies to the existing systems of junior colleges, adult education, etc., which are not strictly within the general conception of free public schools or institutions of higher learning. 231 So.2d at 2. The OSP is limited to kindergarten through grade twelve education.