Florida voters will have the opportunity in November’s general election to decide the fate of 13 constitutional amendments, including Amendment 7, which includes first responder and military member survivor benefits, along with public colleges and universities.

A “yes” vote on Amendment 7, also known as the First Responder and Higher Education Amendment, will recognize and protect the role that Tallahassee Community College and the 27 other Florida College System institutions have in the state’s workforce training, economic development and academic needs.

Passage of Amendment 7 will establish the Florida College System within Florida’s Constitution, on equal footing with K-12 and the State University System. It will also affirm that each college shall be governed by a local District Board of Trustees, and provides for statewide oversight by the State Board of Education. I believe that these components will ensure the ability of Tallahassee Community College and the FCS to meet the academic and workforce needs of our communities.

Amendment 7’s emphasis on preserving local authority is key to the success of the colleges. District Boards of Trustees ensure that colleges remain responsive to the academic and workforce needs of their communities and are important to the continued relevance of the system.

Amendment 7 also calls for providing college tuition and other benefits to the survivors of first responders and military members killed on duty, as well as requiring a nine-member vote of the Board of Trustees and a 12-member vote of the Board of Governors for university to increase fees (not including tuition).

The Florida College System’s 28 colleges serve nearly 800,000 students annually. From recruiting and retaining high quality faculty to creating programs to educate and employ Florida’s students, passage of Amendment 7 will ensure the role of local boards in overseeing each college. This helps guarantee that each college can continue to meet its local community’s needs.

The Florida College System is the only component of public education not included in Florida’s Constitution. Passage of Amendment 7 will officially recognize its role as an important part of the continuum of education in this state.

I am asking you to vote “yes” for Amendment 7 on Nov. 6.  Please make the governing framework for TCC and the 27 other institutions comprising the FCS a part of the Florida Constitution.

Jim Murdaugh is president of Tallahassee Community College and the vice chair of the Florida College System Council of Presidents for 2018-19.

This piece was originally published in the Tallahassee Democrat on Oct. 20, 2018.