1. Board of directors. The board of directors of an area education agency shall consist of not less than five nor more than nine members, each a resident of and elected in the manner provided in this section from a director district that is approximately equal in population to the other director districts in the area education agency. Each director shall serve a three-year term which commences at the organization meeting.
2. Election of directors. The board of directors of the area education agency shall be elected at director district conventions attended by members of the boards of directors of the local school districts located within the director district. The member of the area education agency board to be elected at the director district convention may be a member of a local school district board of directors and shall be an elector and a resident of the director district, other than school district employees.
The director district conventions shall be called and the locations of the conventions shall be determined by the area education agency administrator. Annually the director district conventions shall be held within two weeks following the regular school election. Notice of the time, date and place of a director district convention shall be published by the area education agency administrator at least forty-five days prior to the day of the district conventions in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the director district. The cost of publication shall be paid by the area education agency.
The board of each separate school district which is located entirely or partially inside an area education agency director district shall cast a vote for director of the area education agency board based upon the ratio that the population of the school district, or portion of the school district, in the director district bears to the total population in the director district. The population of each school district or portion shall be determined by the department of education.
Vacancies, as defined in section 277.29, in the membership of the area education agency board shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term at a special director district convention called and conducted in the manner provided in this subsection for regular director district conventions.
A candidate for election to the area education agency board shall file a statement of candidacy with the area education agency secretary at least ten days prior to the date of the director district convention, on forms prescribed by the department of education. The statement of candidacy shall include the candidate's name, address and school district. The list of candidates shall be sent by the secretary of the area education agency by ordinary mail to the presidents of the boards of directors of all school districts within the director district immediately following the last day for filing the statement of candidacy. However, if no candidate files with the area education agency secretary by the deadline, an eligible elector who is present at the director district convention may be nominated at the convention by a delegate from a board of directors of a school district located within the director district. Delegates to director district conventions shall not be bound by a school board or any school board member to pledge their votes to any candidate prior to the date of the convention.
3. Organization. The board of directors of each area education agency shall meet and organize at the first regular meeting in October of each year at a suitable place designated by the president. Directors whose terms commence at the organization meeting shall qualify by taking the oath of office required by section 277.28 at or before the organization meeting.
The provisions of section 260C.12 relating to organization, officers, appointment of secretary and treasurer, and meetings of the merged area board apply to the area education agency board.
4. Quorum. A majority of the members of the board of directors of the area education agency shall constitute a quorum.
5. Change in directors. The board of an area education agency may change the number of directors on the board and shall make corresponding changes in the boundaries of director districts. Changes shall be completed not later than July 1 of a fiscal year for the director district conventions to be held the following September.
6. Boundary line changes. To the extent possible the board shall provide that changes in the boundary lines of director districts of area education agencies shall not lengthen or diminish the term of office of a director of an area education agency board. Initial terms of office shall be set by the board so that as nearly as possible the terms of one-third of the members expire annually.
7. Census changes. The board of the area education agency shall redraw boundary lines of director districts in the area education agency after each census to compensate for changes in population if changes in population have taken place.
Where feasible, boundary lines of director districts shall coincide with the boundary lines of school districts and the boundary lines of election precincts established pursuant to sections 49.3 to 49.6.
[C97, § 2833; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 4119, 4121; C46, § 273.1, 273.3; C50, 54, 58, 62, § 273.4, 273.5, 273.9, 273.10; C66, 71, 73, § 273.4, 273.5, 273.9, 273.10, 280A.23(2); C75, 77, § 273.8, 280A.23(2); C79, 81, § 273.8, 280A.28, 280A.29; 82 Acts, ch 1088, § 1, ch 1136, § 4-6]
84 Acts, ch 1219, § 13, 14; 85 Acts, ch 138, §4
Referred to in § 256B.9, 273.2, 273.3
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© 1999 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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