H.F. 560 Section 1. Section 275.5, Code 2017, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 275.5 Proposals for merger or consolidation. 3 1. A proposal for merger, consolidation, or boundary change 4 of local school districts shall first be submitted to the area 5 education agency board following the procedure prescribed in 6 this chapter . 7 2. Following receipt of a petition pursuant to section 8 275.12 , the area education agency board shall review its plans 9 and determine whether the petition complies with the plans 10 which had been adopted by the board. 11 a. If the petition does not comply with the plans which that 12 had been adopted by the board, the board shall conduct further 13 surveys pursuant to section 275.4 prior to the date set for 14 the hearing upon the petition. If further surveys have been 15 conducted by the board, the board shall present the results of 16 the further surveys at the hearing upon the petition. 17 b. If the petition does not comply with the plans that 18 had been adopted by the board, or by the board of an affected 19 school district, the area education agency board shall give 20 weight to the petition, but shall not be bound by it. 21 EXPLANATION 22 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 23 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 24 This bill requires an area education agency (AEA) board that 25 is reviewing a petition submitted under Code section 275.12, 26 signed by eligible electors, for a school district merger, 27 consolidation, or boundary change that does not comply with 28 plans adopted by an AEA board or school board, to give weight 29 to the petition. However, the AEA board is not bound by the 30 petition. 31 -1- LSB 2371HV (4) 87 kh/nh 1/ 1