Georgia Amendment 44, Thomasville and Thomas County School District Merger Measure (1954)

Georgia Amendment 44
Election date November 2, 1954
Topic County and municipal governance and Public education funding
Status Defeated
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Georgia Amendment 44 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Georgia on November 2, 1954. It was defeated. While the ballot measure was approved statewide, local approval was also required. It was rejected at the local level, and as a result, the amendment was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported authorizing the General Assembly to merge the Thomasville City and Thomas County school systems, establish an elected school board, appoint superintendents, increase the school tax rate to 20 mills, and require voter approval before implementation.

A "no" vote opposed authorizing the General Assembly to merge the Thomasville City and Thomas County school systems, establish an elected school board, appoint superintendents, increase the school tax rate to 20 mills, and require voter approval before implementation.

Election results

Georgia Amendment 44
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		60,370	69.51%
No		26,476	30.49%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Amendment 44 was as follows:

“

FOR Amendment to the Constitution so as to authorize the General Assembly to pass legislation merging the existing Independent School System of the City of Thomasville and the existing School District of Thomas County lying outside the corporate limits of said city providing for an elective school board providing for the termination of the term of office of the present County School Superintendent and the appointment of one of more school Superintendent by said board to increase the maximum tax rate for operation and maintenance of schools to twenty (2) mills and to provide for an election before such provisions of the amendment to the Constitution become effective. AGAINST Amendment to the Constitution so as to authorize the General Assembly to pass legislation merging the existing Independent School System of the City of Thomasville and the existing School District of Thomas County lying outside the corporate limits of said city providing for an elective school board providing for the termination of the term of office of the present County School Superintendent and the appointment of one of more school Superintendent by said board to increase the maximum tax rate for operation and maintenance of schools to twenty (2) mills and to provide for an election before such provisions of the amendment to the Constitution become effective.

”

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Georgia Constitution

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Georgia State Legislature to place an amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 120 votes in the Georgia House of Representatives and 38 votes in the Georgia State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

See also

1954 Measures

• 1954 Measures
• Public education funding on the ballot
• Public education governance on the ballot
• County and municipal governance on the ballot
• 1954 legislative sessions

Georgia

• Georgia ballot measures
• Georgia ballot measure laws

News and analysis

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• Ballot measure readability
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