§ 275.23A — Redistricting following federal decennial census

Iowa § 275.23A

• Jurisdiction: Iowa
• Title VII: EDUCATION, HISTORY, AND CULTURE
• Ch. 275: REORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Text

1. School districts which have directors who represent director districts as provided in
section 275.12, subsection 2, paragraphs “b”, “c”, “d”, and “e”, shall be divided into director
districts according to the following standards:
a. All director district boundaries shall follow the boundaries of areas for which official
population figures are available from the most recent federal decennial census and, wherever
possible, shall follow precinct boundaries.
b. To the extent possible in order to comply with paragraph “a”, all director districts shall
be as nearly equal as practicable to the ideal population for the districts as determined by
dividing the number of districts to be established into the population of the school district.
c. All districts shall be composed of contiguous territory as compact as practicable
unless the school district is composed of marginally adjacent territory. A school district
which is composed of marginally adjacent territory shall have director districts composed of
contiguous territory to the extent practicable.
d. Consideration shall not be given to the addresses of incumbent officeholders, political
affiliations of registered voters, previous election results, or demographic information other
thanpopulationheadcounts,exceptasrequiredbytheConstitutionandthelawsoftheUnited
States.
e. A city shall not be divided into two or more director districts unless the population of
11 REORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS, §275.23A
that portion of the city that is within the school district is greater than the ideal size of a
director district. Cities shall be divided into the smallest number of director districts possible.
2. Following each federal decennial census the school board shall determine whether
the existing director district boundaries meet the standards in subsection 1 according to
the most recent federal decennial census. In addition to the authority granted to voters to
change the number of directors or method of election as provided in sections 275.35, 275.36,
and 278.1, the board of directors of a school district may, following a federal decennial
census, by resolution and in accordance with this section, authorize a change in the method
of election as set forth in section 275.12, subsection 2, or a change to either five or seven
directors after the board conducts a hearing on the resolution. If the board proposes to
change the number of directors from seven to five directors, the resolution shall include a
plan for reducing the number of directors. If the board proposes to increase the number
of directors to seven directors, two directors shall be added according to the procedure
described in section 277.23, subsection 2. If necessary, the board of directors shall redraw
the director district boundaries. The director district boundaries shall be described in
the resolution adopted by the school board. The resolution shall be adopted no earlier
than November 15 of the second year immediately following the year in which the federal
decennial census is taken and no later than May 15 of the third year immediately following
the year in which the federal decennial census is taken. A copy of the plan shall be filed with
the area education agency administrator of the area education agency in which the school’s
electors reside. If the board does not provide for an election as provided in sections 275.35,
275.36, and 278.1 and adopts a resolution to change the number of directors or method of
election in accordance with this subsection, the district shall change the number of directors
or method of election as provided unless, within twenty-eight days following the action of
the board, the secretary of the board receives a petition containing the required number of
signatures, asking that an election be called to approve or disapprove the action of the board
in adopting the resolution. The petition must be signed by eligible electors equal in number
to not less than one hundred or thirty percent of the number of voters at the last preceding
regular school election, whichever is greater. The board shall either rescind its action or
direct the county commissioner of elections to submit the question to the registered voters
of the school district at an election held on a date specified in section 39.2, subsection 4,
paragraph “c”. If a majority of those voting on the question at the election favors disapproval
of the action of the board, the district shall not change the number of directors or method
of election. If a majority of those voting on the question does not favor disapproval of the
action, the board shall certify the results of the election to the department of management
and the district shall change the number of directors or method of election as provided in
this subsection. At the expiration of the twenty-eight-day period, if no petition is filed, the
board shall certify its action to the department of management and the district shall change
the number of directors or method of election as provided in this subsection.
3. The school board shall notify the state commissioner of elections and the county
commissioner of elections of each county in which a portion of the school district is located
when the boundaries of director districts are changed. The notices of changes submitted
to the state commissioner shall be postmarked no later than the deadline for adoption of
the resolution under subsection 2. The board shall provide the commissioners with maps
showing the new boundaries and shall also certify to the state commissioner the populations
of the new director districts as determined under the latest federal decennial census. If,
following a federal decennial census a school district elects not to redraw director districts
under this section, the school board shall so certify to the state commissioner of elections,
and the school board shall also certify to the state commissioner the populations of the
retained director districts as determined under the latest federal decennial census. If the
state commissioner determines that a district board has failed to make the required changes
by the dates specified by this section, the state commissioner of elections shall make or
cause to be made the necessary changes as soon as possible. The state commissioner shall
assess any expenses incurred to the school district. The state commissioner of elections may
request the services of personnel of and materials available to the legislative services agency
to assist the state commissioner in making any required boundary changes.
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4. If more than one incumbent director resides in a redrawn director district, the terms of
office of the affected directors expire at the organizational meeting of the board of directors
following the next regular school election following the adoption of the redrawn districts.
5. The boundary changes under this section take effect July 1 following their adoption for
the next regular school election.
6. Section 275.9 and sections 275.14 through 275.23 do not apply to changes in director
district boundaries made under this section.