Michigan Constitution - Article VIII - §
2
§ 2 Free public elementary and secondary schools;
discrimination.
The legislature shall maintain and support a system of free
public elementary and secondary schools as defined by
law. Every school district shall provide for the education
of its pupils without discrimination as to religion, creed,
race, color or national origin.
Massachusetts Constitution
Part II - The Frame of Government
Chapter V, Section 2 - The Encouragement of
Literature, etc.
Wisdom, and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused
generally among the body of the people, being necessary
for the preservation of their rights and liberties;
and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and
advantages of education in the various parts of the
country, and among the different orders of the people, it
shall be the duty of legislatures and magistrates, in all
future periods of this commonwealth, to cherish the
interests of literature and the sciences, and all seminaries
of them; especially the university at Cambridge, public
schools and grammar schools in the towns; to encourage
private societies and public institutions, rewards and
immunities, for the promotion of agriculture, arts,
sciences, commerce, trades, manufactures, and a natural
history of the country; to countenance and inculcate the
principles of humanity and general benevolence, public and
private charity, industry and frugality, honesty and
punctuality in their dealings; sincerity, good humor, and
all social affections, and generous sentiments among the
people.
(a) The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida. It is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders. Adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education and for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of institutions of higher learning and other public education programs that the needs of the people may require. To assure that children attending public schools obtain a high quality education, the legislature shall make adequate provision to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2010 school year, there are a sufficient number of classrooms so that:
(1) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for prekindergarten through grade 3 does not exceed 18 students;
(2) The maximum number of students who are assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school classrooms for grades 4 through 8 does not exceed 22 students; and
(3) The maximum number of students who are
assigned to each teacher who is teaching in public school
classrooms for grades 9 through 12 does not exceed 25
students.
The class size requirements of this subsection do not apply
to extracurricular classes. Payment of the costs associated
with reducing class size to meet these requirements is the
responsibility of the state and not of local schools
districts. Beginning with the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the
legislature shall provide sufficient funds to reduce the
average number of students in each classroom by at least two
students per year until the maximum number of students per
classroom does not exceed the requirements of this
subsection.
(b) 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.
(c) The early childhood education and development programs provided by reason of subparagraph (b) shall be implemented no later than the beginning of the 2005 school year through funds generated in addition to those used for existing education, health, and development programs. Existing education, health, and development programs are those funded by the State as of January 1, 2002 that provided for child or adult education, health care, or development.
History.--Am. proposed by Constitution Revision Commission, Revision No. 6, 1998, filed with the Secretary of State May 5, 1998; adopted 1998; Ams. by Initiative Petitions filed with the Secretary of State July 30, 2002, and August 1, 2002; adopted 2002.