2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 20. Education › Chapter 6. School Districts › Part 4. School District Reorganization › 20-6-423. District consolidation

20-6-423. District consolidation.
(1) Any two or more contiguous elementary school districts may consolidate to organize an elementary district. Any two or more contiguous high school districts may be consolidated to organize a high school district. Any two or more contiguous K-12 school districts may be consolidated to organize a K-12 school district. The consolidation must be conducted as provided in this section.
(2) (a) A consolidation proposition may be introduced, individually, in each of the districts by either of the two following methods:
(i) the trustees may pass a resolution requesting the county superintendent of the county where the district is located to order an election to consider a consolidation proposition involving their district; or
(ii) not less than 20% of the electors of an individual district who are qualified to vote under the provisions of 20-20-301 may petition the county superintendent of the county where the district is located requesting an election to consider a consolidation proposition involving their district.
(b) The resolution or petition must state whether the consolidation is to be made with or without the joint assumption of the bonded indebtedness of each district by all districts included in the consolidation. The resolution or petition from each district must agree on whether or not there will be joint assumption of bonded indebtedness. Without agreement, the consolidation proposition may not be considered further.
(3) When a county superintendent has received a resolution or a valid petition from each of the districts included in the consolidation proposition, the county superintendent shall, within 10 days after the receipt of the last resolution or petition and as provided by 20-20-201, order the trustees of each district included in the consolidation proposition to call a consolidation election to be held no later than December 31 preceding the school year in which the consolidation is to become effective. If the districts involved in the consolidation proposition are located in more than one county, the county superintendents in both counties shall jointly order the district to call a consolidation election.
(4) Each district, individually, shall call and conduct an election in the manner prescribed in this title for school elections and subject to additional requirements of subsections (5) and (6). Any elector qualified to vote under the provisions of 20-20-301 may vote.
(5) (a) If the districts to be consolidated are to jointly assume the bonded indebtedness of each district involved in the consolidation, the ballots must read, after stating the consolidation proposition, "FOR consolidation with assumption of bonded indebtedness" and "AGAINST consolidation with assumption of bonded indebtedness".
(b) When the trustees in each district conducting an election canvass the vote under the provisions of 20-20-415, they shall determine the number of votes "FOR" and "AGAINST" the proposition.
(c) The proposition is approved in the district if a majority of those voting approve the proposition.
(6) If the districts to be consolidated are not to jointly assume the bonded indebtedness of each district involved in the consolidation, the ballots must read, after stating the consolidation proposition, "FOR consolidation without assumption of bonded indebtedness" and "AGAINST consolidation without assumption of bonded indebtedness". The consolidation proposition is approved by a district if a majority of those voting in a district approve the proposition. Otherwise it is disapproved.
(7) (a) After the county superintendent of each county where a district involved in the consolidation proposition is located has received the election certification provided for in 20-20-416 from the trustees of each district included in a consolidation proposition, the appropriate county superintendent shall determine if the consolidation proposition has been approved in each district. If each district has approved the consolidation proposition, each county superintendent shall, within 10 days after the receipt of the last election certificate, order the consolidation of the districts effective July 1 of the ensuing school fiscal year. The order must:
(i) for consolidation with the joint assumption of bonded indebtedness, specify that there will be joint assumption of bonded indebtedness between the owners of all taxable real and personal property in each district forming the consolidated district;
(ii) specify the number of the consolidated district; and
(iii) establish an interim board of trustees for the consolidated district as provided in 20-6-424. The trustees shall serve until their successors are elected at the next succeeding regular school election and qualified.
(b) Each county superintendent shall send a copy of the order to the board of county commissioners of each county where a district involved in the consolidation proposition is located and to the trustees of each district incorporated in the consolidation order.
(8) If any district included in the consolidation proposition disapproves the consolidation proposition, the consolidation of all districts fails and the appropriate county superintendent shall notify each district of the disapproval of the consolidation proposition.
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 510, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 510, L. 2005.