House File 349 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 349 BY MOMMSEN A BILL FOR An Act giving weight to school district reorganization 1 petitions filed with an area education agency and signed by 2 eligible electors. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2371YH (4) 87 kh/nh

H.F. 349 Section 1. Section 275.6, Code 2017, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 275.6 Progressive program. 3 1. It is the intent of this chapter that the area education 4 agency board shall carry on the program of reorganization 5 progressively and shall, insofar as is possible, authorize 6 submission of proposals to the electors as they are developed 7 and approved. 8 2. If a petition signed by eligible electors is filed with 9 an area education agency as authorized under this chapter, in 10 reviewing such a petition, if the petition does not comply with 11 the plans which had been adopted by the area education agency 12 board, or by the board of an affected school district, the area 13 education agency board shall give weight to the petition, but 14 shall not be bound by it. 15 EXPLANATION 16 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 17 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 18 This bill requires an area education agency (AEA) board that 19 is reviewing a petition, signed by eligible electors, for a 20 school district merger, consolidation, or boundary change that 21 does not comply with plans adopted by an AEA board or school 22 board, to give weight to the petition. However, the AEA board 23 is not bound by the petition. 24 -1- LSB 2371YH (4) 87 kh/nh 1/ 1