Source: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=123A.48&year=2006
Timestamp: 2014-03-12 15:38:50
Document Index: 760009355

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 3', 'art 6', 'art 1', 'art 7', 'art 2', 'art 5', 'art 2', 'art 6', 'art 13', 'art 8', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 12', 'art 9', 'art 6', 'art 5', 'art 11', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 6']

123A.48, 2006 Minnesota Statutes
Print 2006 StatutesChapter 123ASection 48
123A.46123A.4852006 Minnesota StatutesThis is a historical version of this statute section.
Subdivision 1. Proceeding to consolidate. Common or independent districts or parts thereof, or any combination of the foregoing may consolidate into a single independent district by proceedings taken in accordance with this section. The proposed new district must contain at least 18 sections of land.
Subd. 2. Resolution. (a) Upon a resolution of a board in the area proposed for consolidation or upon receipt of a petition therefor executed by 25 percent of the voters resident in the area proposed for consolidation or by 50 such voters, whichever is less, the county auditor of the county which contains the greatest land area of the proposed new district shall prepare a plat. The resolution or petition must show the approximate area proposed for consolidation.
A group of districts that operates a cooperative secondary facility funded under section 123A.443 may also propose a temporary board structure as specified in section 123A.443, subdivision 9
Subd. 3. Designated county auditor duties. The county auditor of the county containing the greatest land area of the area proposed to be consolidated shall perform the duties provided by this section.
Subd. 4. Orderly reduction plan. As part of the resolution required by subdivision 2, the board must prepare a plan for the orderly reduction of the membership of the board to six or seven members and a plan for the establishment or dissolution of election districts. The plan may shorten any or all terms of incumbent board members to achieve the orderly reduction. The plan must be submitted to the secretary of state for review and comment.
Subd. 5. Supporting statement. The county auditor shall prepare a supporting statement to accompany the plat. The statement must contain:
Subd. 6. County auditor to submit plat. The county auditor shall submit the plat and supporting statement to the commissioner and a true copy of each to the auditor of each county containing any land area of the proposed new district.
Subd. 7. County auditor to notify county board; restriction on county board action.
Subd. 8. Commissioner duties. The commissioner shall, upon receipt of a plat, examine it and approve, modify or reject it. The commissioner shall also approve or reject any proposal contained in the resolution or petition regarding the disposition of the bonded debt of the component districts. If the plat shows the boundaries of proposed separate election districts and if the commissioner modifies the plat, the commissioner shall also modify the boundaries of the proposed separate election districts. The commissioner shall conduct a public meeting at the nearest county seat in the area upon reasonable notice to the affected districts and county boards if requested within 20 days after submission of the plat. The public meeting may be requested by the board of any affected district, a county board of commissioners, or the petition of 20 resident voters living within the area proposed for consolidation. The commissioner shall endorse on the plat action regarding any proposal for the disposition of the bonded debt of component districts and the reasons for these actions and after a minimum of 20 days, but no more than 60 days of the date of the receipt of the plat, the commissioner shall return it to the county auditor who submitted it. The commissioner shall furnish a copy of that plat, and the supporting statement and its endorsement to the auditor of each county containing any land area of the proposed new district. If land area of a particular county was included in the plat, as submitted by the county auditor, and all of such land area is excluded in the plat as modified and approved, the commissioner shall also furnish a copy of the modified plat, supporting statement, and any endorsement to the auditor of such county.
Subd. 9. Notice to district board. Upon receipt of an approved plat, the county auditor shall notify the board of any district, all or part of whose land is included in the proposed new district.
Subd. 10. District board adoption of proposed plat. The board of any independent district maintaining a secondary school, the board of any common district maintaining a secondary school, all or part of whose land is included in the proposed new district, must, within 45 days of the approval of the plat by the commissioner, either adopt or reject the plan as proposed in the approved plat. If the board of any such district entitled to act on the petition rejects the proposal, the proceedings are terminated and dismissed. If any board fails to act on the plat within the time allowed, the proceedings are terminated. If any school board is unable to obtain a majority of its members' votes to accept or reject the plat and plan, a petition of residents of the district unable to obtain a majority of votes equal to 20 percent of the votes cast in the last school district general election in that district may be submitted to the county auditor requesting a public vote to accept or reject the plat and plan. The vote shall be scheduled on the next available election date. The county auditor shall notify the commissioner of the scheduled vote, conduct the election in that district and certify the results of the election to the commissioner. Other affected school boards that approve the plat and plan may choose to hold an election. If elections are conducted in each affected school district, results shall be separate and a majority vote to approve the plat and plan must be reached in each of the affected districts. If the plat and plan are rejected by the voters, a new plat and plan cannot be submitted, except by school board resolution in a district where the plat and plan were rejected, until January 1 of the year following the next school district general election.
Subd. 11. Multiple districts; approval. If the approved plat contains land area in more than one independent district maintaining a secondary school, or common district maintaining a secondary school, and if each board entitled to act on the plat approves the plat, each board shall publish notice of its action at least once in its official newspaper. If all of the boards entitled to act on the plat call, by resolution, for an election on the question, or if five percent of the eligible voters of any such district petition the clerk of the district, within 30 days after the publication of the notice, for an election on the question, the consolidation shall not become effective until approved by a majority vote in the district at an election held in the manner provided in subdivisions 13, 14, and 15.
Subd. 12. Approval by residents. If an approved plat contains land area in any district not entitled to act on approval or rejection of the plat by action of its board, the plat may be approved by the residents of the land area within 60 days of approval of plat by the commissioner in the following manner:
Subd. 13. Notice of election. Upon an election becoming callable under provisions of subdivision 11 or 12, the board shall give ten days' posted notice of election in the area in which the election is to be held and also if a newspaper is published in the area, one weeks' published notice shall be given. The notice must specify the time, place and purpose of the election.
Subd. 14. Election. The board shall determine the date of the election, the number of boundaries of voting precincts, and the location of the polling places where voting shall be conducted, and the hours the polls will be open. The board shall also provide official ballots which must be used exclusively and shall be in the following form:
Subd. 15. Effective date. If a majority of the votes cast on the question at the election approve the consolidation, and if the necessary approving resolutions of boards entitled to act on the plat have been adopted, the board must, within ten days of the election, notify the county auditor who shall, within ten days of the notice or of the expiration of the period during which an election can be called, issue an order setting a date for the effective date of the change. The effective date must be July 1 of the year determined by the board in the original resolution adopted under subdivision 2. The auditor shall mail or deliver a copy of such order to each auditor holding a copy of the plat and to the clerk of each district affected by the order and to the commissioner. The board must similarly notify the county auditor if the election fails. The proceedings are then terminated and the county auditor shall so notify the commissioner and the auditors and the clerk of each district affected.
Subd. 16. Identification number. Upon receipt of the order creating a new district, the commissioner shall, by order, assign an identification number to the new district and shall mail a copy of the order to the county auditor and to each auditor who holds a copy of the plat. If all of the territory in one and only one independent district maintaining a secondary school is included in the new independent district created pursuant to consolidation, and if the commissioner finds that it is more practical and reasonable and in the interest of efficiency and economy of operation to so do, the commissioner may assign to the new district the same number as previously held by the included independent district.
Subd. 17. Distribution of district assets and liabilities. If no district is divided by virtue of the proceedings, all of the assets, real and personal, of the districts involved and all legally valid and enforceable claims and contract obligations of the districts pass to the new district, except as provided in section 123A.75. If a district is divided by virtue of the proceedings, upon receipt of the order of the commissioner, the auditor of the county containing the greatest land area of the new district shall present a copy of the plat and supporting statement and orders issued in the proceedings to the commissioner, together with such information as is available to that auditor concerning the assets and liabilities not secured by bonds of each district, any part of which is included in the newly created district. Thereafter within 30 days the commissioner shall issue an order providing for a division of the assets and liabilities of the districts involved and apportioning and dividing these assets and liabilities according to such terms as the commissioner may deem just and equitable. In making this division of assets and liabilities, the commissioner may consider the amount of bonded debt to be assumed by property in each area under the provisions of this section. If the order of consolidation transfers any real estate interest to the new district or to another district, the order apportioning assets and liabilities may impose a dollar claim on the district receiving the real estate in favor of any other district involved in an amount not exceeding the reasonable value of the real estate interest involved, which claim shall be paid in the manner provided by law for the enforcement of judgments.
Subd. 18. Bonded debt. (a) As of the effective date of the consolidation, the bonded debt of all component districts must be paid according to the plan for consolidation proposed in the approved plat and according to this subdivision.
Subd. 19. Bonds; election. The board of the newly created district, when constituted as provided in Minnesota Statutes 1990, section 122.23, subdivision 17, may provide for an election of that district on the issuance of bonds. It may issue and sell bonds authorized at the election, or bonds authorized at an election previously held in any preexisting district wholly included within the newly created district, or bonds for a purpose for which an election is not required by law. The actions may be taken at any time after the date of the county auditor's order issued under Minnesota Statutes 1990, section 122.23, subdivision 17, and before or after the date upon which the consolidation becomes effective for other purposes, and taxes for the payment of the bonds shall be levied upon all taxable property in the newly created district. No bonds shall be delivered to purchasers until 30 days after the date of the county auditor's order. If within this period a notice of appeal from the county auditor's order to the district court is filed in accordance with section 123A.49, no bonds shall be delivered by the newly created district to purchasers unless:
Subd. 20. Board election; duties. (a) The county auditor shall determine a date, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days from the date that the order setting the effective date of the consolidation according to subdivision 15 was issued, to hold a special election in the district for the purpose of electing a board of six members for terms of four years and until a successor is elected and qualifies according to provisions of law governing the election of board members in independent districts. Notwithstanding the foregoing, three members of the first board must be elected to terms that expire on the first Monday in January following the first regularly scheduled school district general election that occurs more than six months after the election of the first board and three members must be elected to terms that expire on the first Monday in January following the second school district general election that occurs more than six months after the election of the first board. If the first board consists of seven members, then four members may be elected at either the first or second regularly scheduled school district general election following the election of the first board. If the resolution or petition for consolidation pursuant to subdivision 2 proposed the establishment of separate election districts, these members shall be elected from separate election districts according to the provisions of that resolution or petition and of chapter 205A.
Subd. 21. Nonlicensed employees. (a) As of the effective date of a consolidation of two or more districts or parts of them, each nonlicensed employee employed by an affected district must be assigned to the newly created district.
Subd. 22. Attachment of land to consolidating districts. In case of the consolidation of two or more districts or parts of districts into a larger district, any portions or parts of divided districts which have less than four sections of land shall be attached to one or more adjoining districts by the board of county commissioners upon due notice and hearing.
Subd. 23. Retirement incentives. (a) For consolidations effective July 1, 1994, and thereafter, a board of a district may offer early retirement incentives to licensed and nonlicensed staff. The early retirement incentives that the board may offer are:
History: Ex1959 c 71 art 3 s 7; 1963 c 549 s 1; 1965 c 525 s 1; 1967 c 495 s 1; 1969 c 364 s 3-6; 1974 c 406 s 13; 1975 c 162 s 11,41; 1976 c 271 s 35; 1978 c 674 s 60; 1978 c 764 s 19-25; 1980 c 609 art 6 s 11,12; 1983 c 247 s 56; 1983 c 314 art 1 s 22; art 7 s 9,10; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 266 art 2 s 4-6; 1988 c 569 s 1; 1988 c 719 art 5 s 84; 1989 c 209 art 2 s 7; 1989 c 329 art 6 s 4; art 13 s 20; 1990 c 562 art 8 s 16-19; 1991 c 130 s 6; 1991 c 265 art 6 s 8,9; 1992 c 409 s 1; 1992 c 499 art 6 s 6,7; art 12 s 2-4; 1993 c 224 art 9 s 18,19; 1994 c 647 art 6 s 3-7; 1995 c 8 s 1; 1996 c 394 s 1,2; 1998 c 397 art 5 s 17-33,104; art 11 s 3; 1998 c 398 art 5 s 55; art 6 s 14,15; 1999 c 241 art 6 s 2; 2000 c 254 s 7; 2003 c 130 s 12