Opinion ID: 1937878
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether Any Child of Petitioners is an Affected Pupil.

Text: Petitioners' substantive claim concerns the meaning of affected pupil in section 282.11. They urge that, even though their children's school attendance site is not altered by the sharing agreement, the children are affected in other ways. They suggest that the children will be adversely affected as a result of rearrangement of school resources, curricula, and activities, as well as longer bus rides to transport all children in the two districts to the appropriate schools. Notwithstanding the fact that the sharing agreement may affect petitioners' children in ways other than a disruption of their established school attendance site, we do not believe this circumstance gives petitioners the right to challenge the sharing plan under section 282.11. That statute provides in pertinent part: Within the thirty-day period prior to the signing of the agreement, the parent or guardian of an affected pupil may appeal the sending of that pupil to the school district specified in the agreement, to the state board of education. A parent or guardian may appeal on the basis that sending the pupil to school in the district specified in the agreement will not meet the educational program needs of the pupil, or the school in the school district to which the pupil will be sent is not appropriate because consideration was not given to geographical factors. (Emphasis added.) In seeking a proper application of this statute to the facts of the present case, we must give effect not only to the language describing those persons who may appeal but also the language which describes the action which may be challenged. Within the latter context, appeals under section 282.11 must involve a challenge to the sending of [the affected pupils] to the school district specified in the agreement. The sending of a child to a particular school district is not the product of a sharing agreement unless the agreement specifies a change of attendance situs. If, as in the present case, the child would attend school at the same situs in the absence of the sharing agreement, the child is not affected thereby for purposes of invoking an appeal under section 282.11. Because, based on our disposition of the case, the petitioners have not prevailed either in whole or in part, we need not consider their claim for costs and attorney fees under Iowa Code sections 625.29(2) and (3) (1987). We have considered all arguments presented and conclude that the judgment of the district court should be affirmed. AFFIRMED.