A BILL

TO CHANGE THE METHOD OF ELECTING THE SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE SUMMERVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 BOARD OF TRUSTEES FROM AT-LARGE TO SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS; TO DESIGNATE A MAP NUMBER ON WHICH THESE SINGLE-MEMBER ELECTION DISTRICTS ARE DELINEATED; TO PROVIDE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION REGARDING THESE NEWLY DRAWN ELECTION DISTRICTS; AND TO ESTABLISH LIMITED FISCAL AUTONOMY FOR SUMMERVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 AND DORCHESTER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 4 BY PROVIDING FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH THE ANNUAL BUDGET AND TAX MILLAGE FOR SUMMERVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 AND DORCHESTER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 4 MUST BE DETERMINED.

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

SECTION 1. (A) Notwithstanding another provision of law or Section 1 of Act 445 of 2000, beginning with the school trustee elections in 2016, successors to the members of the governing body of the Summerville School District 2 Board of Trustees must be elected in the manner provided by law from one of the applicable single-member election districts of the seven defined single-member districts as delineated on the Summerville School District 2 map S-35-02-15 as maintained in the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office. A candidate for a numbered district seat must reside in the numbered single-member district for which the candidate filed for election. The member must be elected by the qualified electors of the specifically numbered district of Summerville School District 2, with the winner determined by a plurality vote.

(B) The demographic information shown on this map is as follows:

District Pop Dev. %Dev. NH_WHT %NH_WHT NH_BLK %NH_BLK

1 16,187 -851 -4.99% 11,465 70.83% 3,529 21.80%

2 17,612 574 3.37% 9,237 52.45% 6,088 34.57%

3 16,843 -195 -1.14% 12,904 76.61% 2,723 16.17%

4 16,811 -227 -1.33% 11,094 65.99% 4,360 25.94%

5 17,059 21 0.12% 12,521 73.40% 3,467 20.32%

6 17,422 384 2.25% 11,216 64.38% 4,065 23.33%

7 17,332 294 1.73% 12,661 73.05% 3,531 20.37%

Total 119,266 81,098 27,763

District VAP NHWVAP %NHWVAP NHBVAP %NHBVAP AllOth AllOthVAP

1 11,602 8,742 75.35% 2,139 18.44% 1,193 721

2 12,639 7,202 56.98% 3,888 30.76% 2,287 1,549

3 11,837 9,375 79.20% 1,748 14.77% 1,216 714

4 12,372 8,568 69.25% 2,926 23.65% 1,357 878

5 12,305 9,275 75.38% 2,372 19.28% 1,071 658

6 12,039 8,127 67.51% 2,581 21.44% 2,141 1,331

7 13,084 9,899 75.66% 2,440 18.65% 1,140 745

Total 85,878 61,188 18,094 10,405 6,596

SECTION 2. The Dorchester County Board of Voter Registration and Elections shall conduct and supervise the elections for school district trustees in the manner governed by the election laws of this State, mutatis mutandis.

SECTION 3. Notwithstanding another provision of law, the map referenced in this act only establishes the boundaries of the seven defined single-member election districts that compose Summerville School District 2. It does not alter the exterior boundaries of Summerville School District 2. The official map must not be changed except by an act of the General Assembly or by a court of competent jurisdiction.

SECTION 4. (A) Notwithstanding another provision of law, commencing with the Summerville School District 2 fiscal year that first begins after the election of school trustees as provided in Section 1, the Board of Trustees of Summerville School District 2 is vested with limited fiscal autonomy as provided in this section, and the district's annual budget must be determined in accordance with this act.

(B) On or before the last day of June of each year, the Summerville School District 2 Board of Trustees shall prepare its complete proposed budget for the ensuing school year and certify to the county auditor and treasurer in writing the amount of tax millage, computed to the nearest whole mill, necessary to defray the cost of the budget. As used in this act, "budget" means that amount of the total cost of operating the schools of the district and does not include bonded indebtedness. In regard to the millage levy for debt service, the board of trustees together with the county auditor and treasurer shall continue to levy the millage necessary for debt service up to the constitutional and statutory limits. Upon certification by the board to the county auditor and treasurer of the tax levy to be imposed, the auditor shall levy and the treasurer shall collect the millage so certified upon all taxable property in the district.

(C) The Summerville School District 2 Board of Trustees may increase the millage in the amounts provided in this section not to exceed four mills over that levied for the previous year. If the board in any fiscal year desires to raise the millage in an amount more than four mills beyond the prior year's millage, it only may do so by referendum.

(D) An independent auditor who reports directly to the board periodically shall conduct fiscal and management audits of the district at the district's expense, and a copy of the audit must be forwarded to the Dorchester County Legislative Delegation. The auditor serves at the pleasure of the board.

(E)(1) After property reassessment, the school millage must be adjusted to reflect the appropriate millage under the newly assessed property value. The new millage rate becomes the base rate. The board may not increase the new base rate after reassessment except pursuant to this section.

(2) The school district shall provide to each member of the Dorchester County Legislative Delegation the following information:

(a) total revenue received by the district in the preceding fiscal year;

(b) new unfunded mandates from the federal and state governments;

(d) total anticipated revenue available to the district for the upcoming fiscal year.

SECTION 5. (A) Notwithstanding another provision of law, commencing with the Dorchester County School District 4 fiscal year that first begins after the effective date of this act, the Board of Trustees of Dorchester County School District 4 is vested with limited fiscal autonomy as provided in this section, and the district's annual budget must be determined in accordance with this act.

(B) On or before the last day of June of each year, the Dorchester County School District 4 Board of Trustees shall prepare its complete proposed budget for the ensuing school year and certify to the county auditor and treasurer in writing the amount of tax millage, computed to the nearest whole mill, necessary to defray the cost of the budget. As used in this act, "budget" means that amount of the total cost of operating the schools of the district and does not include bonded indebtedness. In regard to the millage levy for debt service, the board of trustees together with the county auditor and treasurer shall continue to levy the millage necessary for debt service up to the constitutional and statutory limits. Upon certification by the board to the county auditor and treasurer of the tax levy to be imposed, the auditor shall levy and the treasurer shall collect the millage so certified upon all taxable property in the district.

(C) The Dorchester County School District 4 Board of Trustees may increase the millage in the amounts provided in this section not to exceed four mills over that levied for the previous year. If the board in any fiscal year desires to raise the millage in an amount more than four mills beyond the prior year's millage, it only may do so by referendum.

(2) The school district shall provide to each member of the Dorchester County Legislative Delegation the following information:

(a) total revenue received by the district in the preceding fiscal year;

(b) new unfunded mandates from the federal and state governments;

(d) total anticipated revenue available to the district for the upcoming fiscal year.

SECTION 6. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.