Court Opinion

ID: 9731795
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 15:58:18.899358+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:21.260698
License: Public Domain

WOLLMAN, Chief Justice
(dissenting):
As we held in Moran v. Rapid City Area School Dist., 281 N.W.2d 595, 598 (S.D. *3431979), the trial de novo provided by SDCL 13-46 “differs from a true trial de novo in that the court may not substitute its judgment for that of the school board, and the court need not justify the school board’s decision by a preponderance of the evidence received.” When viewed in the light of the limited scope of the judicial review enunciated in the Moran case, the evidence in the instant case clearly supports the Board’s decision not to renew appellee’s contract.
The District’s principal, whose responsibility it was for making teaching assignments and for making recommendations to the Board concerning course offerings, had recommended to the Board that the course in German be eliminated in view of the lack of student interest in that subject. It was his opinion that the District could not adequately maintain the existing seventh-grade English course had appellee been rehired and Mrs. Anderson dismissed. It is clear from the record that the principal considered other alternatives before making the recommendation that appellee’s position be terminated. It was for the Board to determine whether to accept this recommendation and to decide whether to eliminate the course in German and to make the adjustments in the teaching staff made necessary as a result of that decision.
I fear that the majority opinion will be interpreted as countenancing a scope of judicial review of decisions of school boards far broader than that set forth in Moran, supra; Huffman v. Bd. of Ed. of Mobridge Ind. Sch. Dist., etc., 265 N.W.2d 262 (S.D. 1978); Collins v. Wakonda Ind. School Dist. No. 1, 252 N.W.2d 646 (S.D. 1977); and Mortweet v. Ethan Bd. of Ed., Davison Cty., 90 S.D. 368, 241 N.W.2d 580 (1976). It is one thing to say that appellee was eminently qualified to teach math courses. It is quite another thing to hold that the seventh-grade English course could have been assigned to other qualified teachers, for that was a decision peculiarly within the Board’s discretion, based as it was upon the recommendation made by one to whom the Board had entrusted the day-to-day administrative details of teacher assignments and curriculum recommendations. It was for the Board to determine what staff assignments would be required to maintain the existing program with respect to English courses.
Because I believe that there was ample competent, credible evidence to support the Board’s decision, I would reverse the decision of the trial court.
I am authorized to state that Justice FOSHEIM joins in this dissent.