33-313. TRUSTEE ZONES. (1) Each elementary school district shall be divided into three (3) trustee zones and each other school district shall be divided into no fewer than five (5) nor more than nine (9) trustee zones according to the provisions of section 33-501, Idaho Code. A school district that has had a change in its district boundaries because of consolidation on and after January 1, 2008, shall divide trustee zones so that each former district in the new district shall not be split into different trustee zones, unless the provisions of subsection (2) of this section cannot be satisfied.

(2) Any proposal to define the boundaries of the several trustee zones in each such school district shall include the determination, where appropriate, of the number of trustee zones in such district, and the date of expiration of the term of office for each trustee. The boundaries of the several trustee zones in each such school district shall be defined and drawn so that, as reasonably as may be, each such zone shall have approximately the same population.

(3) Whenever the area of any district has been enlarged by the annexation of all or any part of another district, or by the correction of errors in the legal description of school district boundaries, any such additional territory shall be included in the trustee zone or zones contiguous to such additional territory until such time as the trustee zones may be redefined and changed. Trustee zones may be redefined and changed not more than once every five (5) years in the manner hereinafter provided.

(4) A proposal to redefine and change trustee zones of any district may be initiated by its board of trustees and shall be initiated by its board of trustees at the first meeting following the report of the decennial census, and submitted to the state board of education, or by petition signed by not less than fifty (50) school electors residing in the district, and presented to the board of trustees of the district. Within one hundred twenty (120) days following the decennial census or the receipt of a petition to redefine and change the trustee zones of a district the board of trustees shall prepare a proposal for a change which will equalize the population in each zone in the district and shall submit the proposal to the state board of education. Any proposal shall include a legal description of each trustee zone as the same would appear as proposed, a map of the district showing how each trustee zone would then appear, and the approximate population each would then have, should the proposal to change any trustee zones become effective.

(5) Within sixty (60) days after it has received the said proposal the state board of education may approve or disapprove the proposal to redefine and change trustee zones and shall give notice thereof in writing to the board of trustees of the district wherein the change is proposed. Should the state board of education disapprove a proposal, the board of trustees shall, within forty-five (45) days, submit a revised proposal to the state board of education. Should the state board of education approve the proposal, it shall notify the school district, the trustee zones shall be changed in accordance with the proposal and a copy of the legal description of each trustee zone and map of the district showing how each trustee zone will appear shall be filed by the school district with the county clerk.

(6) At the next regular meeting of the board of trustees following the approval of the proposal the board shall appoint from its membership a trustee for each new zone to serve as trustee until that incumbent trustee’s term expires. If the current board membership includes two (2) incumbent trustees from the same new trustee zone, the board will select the incumbent trustee with the most seniority as a trustee to serve the remainder of his term. If both incumbent trustees have equal seniority, the board will choose one (1) of the trustees by the drawing of lots. If there is a trustee vacancy in any of the new zones, the board of trustees shall appoint from the patrons resident in that new trustee zone, a person from that zone to serve as trustee until the next annual meeting. At the annual election a trustee shall be elected to serve during the term specified in the election for the zone. The elected trustee shall assume office at the annual meeting of the school district next following the election.

History:

[33-313, added 1963, ch. 13, sec. 43, p. 27; am. 1967, ch. 403, sec. 1, p. 1214; am. 1969, ch. 412, sec. 1, p. 1143; am. 1973, ch. 125, sec. 1, p. 236; am. 1979, ch. 271, sec. 1, p. 705; am. 1984, ch. 94, sec. 1, p. 218; am. 1989, ch. 121, sec. 1, p. 267; am. 1990, ch. 31, sec. 1, p. 46; am. 1994, ch. 182, sec. 1, p. 599; am. 2001, ch. 163, sec. 1, p. 572; am. 2008, ch. 351, sec. 1, p. 968; am. 2009, ch. 341, sec. 27, p. 1011; am. 2014, ch. 162, sec. 2, p. 455.]