SECTION 1. Chapter 14 of the Private Acts of 1963, as amended by Chapter 127 of the Private Acts of 1979, Chapter 85 of the Private Acts of 1989, and all other acts amendatory thereto, are hereby repealed.
SECTION 2. Putnam County shall be divided into six (6) school districts each of which shall be composed of two (2) adjoining county commissioner districts, as established by resolution of the county legislative body of Putnam County from time to time. One (1) member of the Putnam County Board of Education shall be elected by the qualified voters in each school district. Board members shall be elected to staggered four (4) year terms so that every two (2) years the terms of one-half (1/2) the members of the board shall expire, with all of the oddnumbered districts expiring at the same time, and all of the even-numbered districts expiring at the same time. Persons elected in the regular August elections shall take office on September 1 after the election and shall serve until their successors are duly elected and qualified.
SECTION 3. The county legislative body of Putnam County shall by resolution adopt a plan to accomplish the transition from the present seven (7) member school board to the new six (6) member school board described in Section 2 above.
SECTION 4. Members of the Putnam County Board of Education shall be paid one hundred dollars ($100.00) per meeting, and the chairman shall be paid one hundred ten dollars ($110.00) per meeting. Such compensation shall be paid in monthly payments from the county school funds. The compensation of a member or the chairman shall not exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00) per year.
SECTION 5. The Putnam County Board of Education shall have the same powers, duties, privileges and qualifications as local boards of education established pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, except as otherwise provided herein.
SECTION 6. Nothing in this act shall be construed as having the effect of altering the salary of any incumbent prior to the end of the term for which such official was elected. Nothing in this act shall be construed as having the effect of removing any incumbent from office or abridging the term of any official prior to the end of the term for which such official was elected.
SECTION 7. If any provision of this act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application and to that end the provisions of this act are declared to be severable.
SECTION 8. This act shall have no effect unless it is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Putnam County Board of Commissioners. Its approval or nonapproval shall be proclaimed by the presiding officer of the Putnam County Board of Commissioners and certified to the Secretary of State.
SECTION 9. For the purpose of approving or rejecting the provisions of this act, it shall be effective upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, it shall become effective upon being approved as provided in Section 8.
Passed: May 17, 1993.