275.41 Alternative method for director elections — temporary appointments.

1. As an alternative to the method specified in section 275.25 for electing directors in a newly formed community school district, the procedure specified in this section may be used and if used, the petition filed under section 275.12 shall state the number of directors on the initial board. If two districts are named in the petition, either five or seven directors shall serve on the initial board. If three or more districts are named in the petition, either seven or nine directors shall serve on the initial board. The petition shall specify the number of directors to be retained from each district, and those numbers shall be proportionate to the populations of the districts. If the exclusion of territory from a reorganization affects the proportionate balance of directors among the affected districts specified in the petition, or if the proposal specified in the petition does not comply with the requirement for proportionate representation, the area education board shall modify the proposal. However, all districts affected shall retain at least one member.

2. Prior to the organizational meeting of the newly formed district, the boards of the former districts shall designate directors to be retained as members to serve on the initial board, and if the total number of directors determined under subsection 1 is an even number, that number of directors shall function and may within five days of the organizational meeting appoint one additional director by unanimous vote with all directors voting. Otherwise, the board shall function until a special election can be held to elect an additional director. The procedure for calling the special election shall be the procedure specified in section 275.25. If there is an insufficient number of board members eligible to be retained from a former school district, the board of the former school district may appoint members to fill the vacancies. A vacancy occurs if there is an insufficient number of former board members who reside in the newly formed district or if there is an insufficient number who are willing to serve on the board of the newly formed district.

3. Prior to the effective date of the reorganization, the initial board shall approve a plan that commences at the first regular school election held after the effective date of the merger and is completed at the second regular school election held after the effective date of the merger, to replace the initial board with the regular board. If the petition specifies a number of directors on the regular board to be different from the number of directors on the initial board, the plan shall provide that the number specified in the petition for the regular board is in place by the time the regular board is formed. The plan shall provide that as nearly as possible one-half of the members of the board shall be elected biennially, and if a special election was held to elect a member to create an odd number of members on the board, the term of that member shall end at the organizational meeting following the second regular school election held after the effective date.

4. The board of the newly formed district shall organize within forty-five days after the approval of the merger upon the call of the area education agency administrator. The new board shall have control of the employment of all personnel for the newly formed district for the ensuing school year. Following the organization of the new board the board shall have authority to establish policy, organize curriculum, enter into contracts and complete such planning and take such action as is essential for the efficient management of the newly formed community school district.

5. The board of the newly formed district shall appoint an acting superintendent and an acting board secretary. The appointment of the acting superintendent shall not be subject to the continuing contract provision of sections 279.20, 279.23, and 279.24.

6. Section 49.8, subsection 5, shall not permit a director to remain on the board of a school district after the effective date of a boundary change which places the director’s residence outside the boundaries of the district. Vacancies so caused on any board shall be filled in the manner provided in sections 279.6 and 279.7.

[C62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §275.25; C79, 81, §275.41]

83 Acts, ch 53, §5; 85 Acts, ch 221, §9; 93 Acts, ch 160, §12, 13; 2005 Acts, ch 3, §58; 2008 Acts, ch 1115, §17, 21; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §248; 2016 Acts, ch 1121, §8

Referred to in §275.1