Opinion ID: 2610484
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Board's Discretion

Text: In Pritchett v. County Board of School Trustees, supra, the Supreme Court of Illinois said the sufficiency of notice, or lack of it, is purely a matter of legislative determination; however, it may be a subject for judicial review as regard to whether the county board has sufficiently apprised itself of the situation at hand before carrying out its legislative directive. This statement, we believe, affords the answer to our decision in the case before us. The matter of requiring or not requiring notice is purely a matter of legislative determination. But it is indeed a subject for judicial review as regard to whether the county board has sufficiently apprised itself of the situation at hand before carrying out its legislative directive. Thus it was, in the District No. 9, Fremont County, case that Justice Parker, at 351 P.2d 111, said a district boundary board must have before it sufficient information upon which it may properly find that it is to the best interests of the people in both the annexed and annexing areas. He also pointed out that information from which the welfare and interests of all of the people concerned may be determined is a prerequisite to action of any administrative board. The decision in that case was predicated squarely upon a lack of sufficient information from which it could reasonably be determined that a change should be made. This brings us then, in the case at bar, to a review of the record in order to determine whether the boundary board of Big Horn County had sufficient information upon which to base its decision for a change. However, before reviewing the specific information upon which the board appears to have acted, we think it will be helpful to examine briefly the extent of the board's discretion. We have repeatedly said the courts are warranted in setting aside action of an administrative agency only where its action is arbitrary or fraudulent or where there is an illegal exercise of discretion; and the burden of proving arbitrary, illegal or fraudulent action is on the complainant. Thompson v. Conwell, Wyo., 363 P.2d 927, 928; Rayburne v. Queen, 78 Wyo. 359, 326 P.2d 1108, 1111; Mahoney v. L.L. Sheep Company, 79 Wyo. 293, 333 P.2d 712, 716; Whitesides v. Council of City of Cheyenne, 78 Wyo. 80, 319 P.2d 520, 526; Chicago, B. & Q.R. Co. v. Byron School Dist. No. 1, supra, at 260 P. 539. Otherwise stated, if the board's discretion is properly exercised, its decision is final and not subject to interference by the courts. 47 Am.Jur., Schools, § 19, p. 311. See also Annotation 135 A.L.R. 1096, 1102.