Opinion ID: 1826878
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: whether the board's decisions were clearly erroneous, arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of discretion?

Text: This Court's standard for reviewing circuit court decisions in appeals concerning minor boundary changes was most recently defined in Kellogg v. Hoven School Dist. No. 53-2, 479 N.W.2d 147, 150 (S.D. 1991): Under the applicable rules of appellate procedure, we must affirm the circuit court unless its determinations are clearly erroneous. Therefore, the question is not whether substantial evidence in the record supports Board, but whether substantial evidence in the record supports the circuit court.  Kellogg, 479 N.W.2d at 150 (emphasis original) (citations omitted). However, we have recently clarified the applicability of the Kellogg standard as follows: We now clarify that [ Kellogg ] is the appropriate standard of review when there is essentially no record for the circuit court to review.       [T]he scope of review [in the instant case] is limited to determining the legality of the school board's decision. Moran v. Rapid City Area Sch. Dist., 281 N.W.2d 595 (S.D.1979). `[T]he trial de novo required by SDCL 13-46-6 permits an independent inquiry into the facts, but only for the purpose of passing on the legality of board's decision.' The circuit court must determine (1) whether the board possessed the administrative power to make the decision (which is not in issue here), and (2) whether the board acted unreasonably or arbitrarily, or whether the board manifestly abused its discretion.       In determining whether the school board's decision was arbitrary, capricious or an abuse of discretion, the circuit court must ascertain whether there is substantial evidence to support the school board's decision.  Moran, 281 N.W.2d at 599. (emphasis added). Substantial evidence means such relevant and competent evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion. Id. We must determine whether Board was clearly erroneous by examining the evidence supporting its decision. Maasjo, 489 N.W.2d at 620-21 (citations omitted) (emphasis original). Here, as in Kellogg, the board made no findings of fact or conclusions of law in disposing of petitioners' petitions. The only written record of the board's deliberations is a few sentences from the minutes of the August 14, 1990 board meeting when petitioners' petitions were denied. However, in contrast with Kellogg, an evidentiary hearing was conducted before the board and petitioners were given an opportunity to present their evidence. Extensive hearings on these petitions were also conducted by the State Superintendent. The hearings were tape recorded and later transcribed, witnesses were sworn and evidentiary objections were made. The Superintendent entered findings of fact and conclusions of law. The evidence taken by the State Superintendent was submitted by stipulation to the circuit court during its de novo hearing for purposes of supplementing the record. Moreover, as in Maasjo, the circuit court made clear that it was only taking evidence concerning the legality of the board's decision and that it did not intend to substitute itself for the board. Given the extensive record available for the circuit court's review and the lack of additional de novo testimony before the circuit court, we find that Maasjo outlines the pertinent standard for this Court's review in the instant cases. Having defined the applicable standard of review, we turn our analysis to the board's decision on each petitioner's petition. Substantive factors we have previously looked to in evaluating decisions concerning minor boundary changes include: (1) whether the petitioners are more closely aligned to the economic, social and religious life of the community into which they are being transferred; (2) whether there is bus service to the residence; (3) whether the district line which places their property in the current district was drawn in an arbitrary fashion; (4) whether petitioner's child has special needs best met in the district petitioners are attempting to join; and (5) whether the petitioners live closer to the school district they are joining as opposed to the district they are leaving. See McLaughlin, supra; Shumaker, supra . These factors apply to petitioners' individual cases as follows: