Opinion ID: 1826878
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: USTSAppeal # 17982

Text: As of November, 1990, Usts had two children: Amy, age 16, a sophomore, and Maria, age 11, a sixth grader. Both children were attending school in Arlington. Usts like Arlington because it has a good music program but the new district also has a music program in which the two girls can participate. All of the extra-curricular activities the girls were involved in are also offered in the new district. Usts' residence is 12-1/2 miles from Arlington, 8 miles from Oldham and 8-1/2 miles from Ramona. Usts sell grain at Oldham, buy fertilizer and chemicals at Arlington, buy farm supplies at Madison and market some grain at Ramona. Although Usts previously attended church at Oldham, they changed to a church in Arlington in February 1990, after the school district reorganization election. Usts pay for bus service to Arlington but bus service from the new district is readily available by their residence. In fact, the older daughter drives to school. Local phone service is available between Usts' residence and the new Oldham-Ramona District. Finally, the new district is accredited academically in all respects as required by state law. The board denied Usts' petition for a boundary change on the following basis: [T]he Board of Education of the Oldham-Ramona School District hereby denies the petition from Steve and Anita Ust for minor boundary change. Reasons being it is the responsibility of the Board of Education to uphold the decision of the majority of the voters. There is no educational hardship. It is the responsibility of the Board of Education to educate the students of the district and to maintain the assets of the district, assets being the land, students, and state aid. There is no mileage hardship. Granting this petition would result in a loss of state aid, county revenue, and incentive money. The breaking of ties with the community came about after the election. There has been participation on the Oldham School Board years past. The board did place heavy reliance on economic considerations in denying Usts' petition. We have previously criticized a school board's excessive reliance on economic factors as a basis for denial of a boundary change petition. See, e.g., McLaughlin, supra. School districts do not have a vested right to retain their existing status or territory. As creatures of the legislature they are subject to periodic change, alteration, or abolishment. Nelson v. Deuel County Board of Education, 80 S.D. 559, 563, 128 N.W.2d 554, 556 (1964). Nevertheless, we have never held that a school district's economic interests are irrelevant in considering a boundary change petition. In fact, in reviewing a boundary change decision in Shumaker, supra, we took specific note of the State Superintendent's finding that the minor decrease in assessed valuation caused by the boundary change did not constitute a substantial threat to the continued viability of the school district. This suggests that a major decrease in assessed valuation could constitute a basis for denial of a petition and, therefore, that economic factors, in conjunction with the other relevant factors, are a valid consideration for a school board in ruling on a petition for a minor boundary change. Moreover, the economic factors were not the sole factors considered by the board. C.f., McLaughlin, supra. The board found no educational or mileage hardships to Usts in denying their petition and further found Usts' ties with the Oldham-Ramona District were only broken after the reorganization election. These findings are well supported by the facts previously outlined. Usts live closer to Oldham-Ramona than Arlington, bus service to Oldham-Ramona is readily available, all educational and extra-curricular programs of concern to Usts are available in Oldham-Ramona and Usts continue to maintain some business ties in the Oldham-Ramona District. In short, Usts' only real basis for seeking a boundary change is personal preference and the fact their children have been attending school in Arlington. We conclude that the board properly balanced the economic considerations in granting a boundary change against the educational and mileage considerations at issue and determined that the petition should be denied. Based on the above facts, we cannot characterize that decision as clearly erroneous, arbitrary, capricious or an abuse of discretion.