Iowa Code § 275.23A — IA Code / Title VII / Chapter 275 / Section 275.23A
Redistricting following federal decennial census.
Status: in_force

(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:

(1) (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.

(1) (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.

(1) (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.

(1) (d) Consideration shall not be given to the addresses of incumbent officeholders, political affiliations of registered voters, previous election results, or demographic information other than population head counts, except as required by the Constitution and the laws of the United States.

(1) (e) A city shall not be divided into two or more director districts unless the population of 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.

(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.

83 Acts, ch 77, §3, 4; 89 Acts, ch 296, §24; 90 Acts, ch 1233, §9; 92 Acts, ch 1246, §45; 94 Acts, ch 1179, §17, 18; 95 Acts, ch 189, §18; 2002 Acts, ch 1024, §1, 3; 2002 Acts, ch 1140, §16, 46; 2003 Acts, ch 35, §44, 49; 2008 Acts, ch 1115, §39, 71; 2010 Acts, ch 1033, §36; 2013 Acts, ch 88, §14; 2014 Acts, ch 1026, §74