Collins v. Independent School District No. 745

416 N.W.2d 174, 1987 Minn. App. LEXIS 5092, 1987 WL 20750
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedDecember 8, 1987
DocketC5-87-1247
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 416 N.W.2d 174 (Collins v. Independent School District No. 745) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Collins v. Independent School District No. 745, 416 N.W.2d 174, 1987 Minn. App. LEXIS 5092, 1987 WL 20750 (Mich. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

OPINION

FORSBERG, Judge.

Relator Michael Collins and Robert West-gard are teachers. Both were placed on unrequested leave of absence by respondent Independent School District No. 745 (“school district”). Westgard requested a hearing; Collins did not. Westgard appealed his placement on leave; Collins did not. This court eventually directed the school district to reinstate Westgard. Collins now challenges by writ of certiorari the school district’s action in reinstating Westgard but failing to account for him. We reverse.

FACTS

In April, 1985, the school district proposed to place several teachers on unrequested leave of absence (“ULA”), including Collins and Westgard. Westgard requested a hearing pursuant to Minn.Stat. § 125.12, subds. 4 and 6b(j) (1984). Collins did not request a hearing.

At Westgard’s hearing, evidence was presented concerning the licensure, position, and seniority of each teacher proposed for ULA, including Collins. That evidence revealed that Collins was entitled to bump Westgard from Westgard’s physical education position, and that Westgard could in turn bump another teacher, moving into a social studies position. Both parties then debated the practicality of realigning the positions according to seniority of Collins, Westgard, and others. The hearing examiner concluded:

4. Westgard should be placed on unrequested leave of absence due to the uncertainty of the decision of the supreme court in the Strand case. * * * If the Strand case is affirmed, the School District would be obligated to offer Westgard a full time combination position * * *.
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6.That Collins is less senior than any other Physical Education teacher that will be retained for the 1986-87 school year and is not qualified to bump any other teacher * * *.

Pursuant to this recommendation, the school district placed Collins, Westgard, and others on ULA on May 28, 1986.

On September 5, 1986, the Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed this court’s decision in Strand to the extent that it effects this dispute, holding:

[w]here reassignment or realignment * * * is practical and reasonable, a *176 school district is required to reassign teaching duties in a manner designed to continue the employment of senior teachers * * *.

Strand v. Special School District No. 1, 392 N.W.2d 881, 886 (Minn.1986).

Prior to the supreme courts decision in Strand, this court granted certiorari to review Westgard’s placement on ULA. In a decision rendered after Strand, this court set out the following facts regarding its perception of the relative position of each teacher:

The seniority and licensure for the positions are as follows:
Phys. Ed. Health Ind. Arts Soc. Studies
Collins (FT) Westgard (FT) Havard (FT) Havard (HT)
Havard (HT) Blenkush (FT) Westgard (HT)
. Westgard (FT) Meyer (FT)

Their assignments for the 1986-87 school year were:

Collins Unrequested Leave of Absence
Havard .5 Phys. Ed., .5 Soc. Studies
Westgard .4 Health
Blenkush 1.0 Industrial Arts
Meyer 1.0 Social Studies

Westgard contends Havard, the most senior teacher, should have been moved to fill Blenkush’s full-time industrial arts position. Westgard could then move into Havard’s vacated positions; Blenkush, who is less senior than either Havard or Westgard, would then be placed on unrequested leave. Under this arrangement, Westgard’s .4 health position would be given to another teacher.

The district’s schedule under the most simple Strand realignment would be:

Havard 1.0 Industrial Arts
Westgard .5 Physical Education
.5 Social Studies
Blenkush Unrequested Leave of Absence
Other teacher .4 Health

Westgard v. Independent School District No. 745, 400 N.W.2d 341, 342 (Minn.Ct.App.1987), pet. for rev. denied (Minn. Apr. 17, 1987). Holding that “Strand requires the district to realign class schedule and reassign teaching duties to continue the employment of the most senior teachers,” this court directed the district “to reinstate Westgard to a fulltime teaching position * 4 4.” Id. at 346.

Following denial of review by the supreme court, the school district reinstated Westgard on April 30, 1987. Collins petitioned for and was granted certiorari by this court on June 25, 1987.

ISSUES

1. Is Collins’ challenge to the school district’s reinstatement of Westgard timely under Minn.Stat. § 606.01?

2. Did the school district unreasonably exclude Collins from realignment as directed in Westgard ?

ANALYSIS

A reviewing court may reverse school board actions only when those actions are fraudulent, arbitrary, unreasonable, not supported by substantial evidence on the record when viewed in its entirety, not within its jurisdiction, or are based upon an erroneous theory of the law. Foesch v. Independent School District No. *177 646, 300 Minn. 478, 485, 223 N.W.2d 371, 375 (1974).

I.

Certiorari is the correct method of challenging school district actions. Strand, 392 N.W.2d at 883.

No writ of certiorari shall be issued, to correct any proceeding, unless such writ shall be issued within 60 days after the party applying for such writ shall have received due notice of the proceeding sought to be reviewed thereby.

Minn.Stat. § 606.01 (1986).

In this case, a writ issued on June 25, 1987, seeking review of a proceeding held on April 30, 1987. Simply following these dates, the writ is timely since it issued before the 60-day deadline, which fell on June 29, 1987.

The school district argues that since Collins received notice of ULA more than 60 days prior to the issuance of this writ, his challenge is untimely, citing Roseville Education Association v. Independent School District No. 623, 391 N.W.2d 846 (Minn.1986). In Roseville

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416 N.W.2d 174, 1987 Minn. App. LEXIS 5092, 1987 WL 20750, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/collins-v-independent-school-district-no-745-minnctapp-1987.