15-461. Transporting school districts; joining existing school districts; dissolution

526 words·~2 min read·/az/title-15/15-461

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

A. If a school district does not offer a full-time instructional program in any grade level to the pupils who reside in that school district, transports all of the pupils who reside in that school district to an adjacent school district or school districts for instruction and transports more than three hundred fifty pupils annually to an adjacent school district or school districts, the county school superintendent shall dissolve the transporting school district and annex the geographic boundaries of the transporting school district to the adjacent school district that provides instruction to the majority of the pupils who reside in the transporting school district.

B. The county school superintendent shall make the record of boundaries conform to the annexation and shall notify the board of supervisors and the county assessor of the boundary change. The change is effective immediately on notification from the county school superintendent.

C. The terms of the governing board members of the previously existing transporting school district do not expire on the effective date of the dissolution of the school district and continue until January 1 following the next general election, during which time the members of the governing board of the previously existing transporting school district shall serve as additional members of the governing board of the adjacent school district.

D. The adjacent school district shall revise its annual budget to reflect the annexation of the transporting school district.

E. The adjacent school district is liable for all indebtedness and liabilities, bonded or otherwise, outstanding against the dissolved transporting school district, and all property, balances and deficits of the dissolved transporting school district become the property, balances and deficits of the adjacent school district.

F. On approval of a majority of the full membership of the governing board of a school district that does not offer a full-time instructional program in any grade level to the pupils who reside in that school district, transports all of the pupils who reside in that school district to another school district or school districts for instruction and transports fewer than ten pupils annually to another school district or school districts, the county school superintendent shall call an election to submit the question of the dissolution of the transporting school district to the qualified electors of the transporting school district.

The resolution adopted by the governing board shall state the reasons for the proposed dissolution, set forth a plan for equitable adjustment, division and disposition of the assets and liabilities of the school district and provide a plan for the assumption of the outstanding indebtedness of the school district. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the election shall be conducted as nearly as practicable in the manner prescribed in this article. The ballots shall contain the words "dissolution of transporting school district, yes" and "dissolution of transporting school district, no", and the voter shall signify the voter's desired choice.

If a majority of the qualified electors voting on the question in the transporting school district approve the dissolution of the school district, the school district is dissolved and the area within the boundaries of the former transporting school district shall revert to unorganized territory.