Sec. 701.

(1) Two or more adjoining intermediate school districts may combine to form a single intermediate school district when the reorganization is approved by a majority of the school electors of each intermediate school district voting on the question in the regular school elections of the constituent districts.

(2) The question of combining intermediate school districts may be submitted by a resolution of the intermediate school boards meeting in joint session.

(3) The question shall be submitted if petitions signed by a number of school electors of each intermediate school district equal to not less than 5% of the number of pupil memberships on the latest pupil membership count day of the combined constituent districts of the intermediate school district are filed with the school district filing official. Within 30 days after receiving sufficient petitions, the school district filing official shall notify the secretary of the intermediate school district and the secretary shall apply for approval to the superintendent of public instruction. The school district filing official shall submit the question in accordance with section 661 at the next regular school election after the superintendent of public instruction approves the merger.

(4) The ballots for a ballot question under this section shall be in substantially the following form:

"Shall the following intermediate school districts be organized as a single intermediate school district?

(List names of intermediate school districts)

Yes ( )

No ( )".

(5) If the consolidation is approved by a majority of the school electors voting on the question in each of the participating intermediate school districts, the reorganization is effective in the combined intermediate school districts 30 days after the regular school election at which the question is submitted. The reorganized intermediate school district is a single intermediate school district subject to this part.

(6) The members of the intermediate school boards of the original intermediate school districts shall act as an interim board until a board of the combined intermediate school district is elected. The interim board has all the powers and duties of an intermediate school board under this part. The person chosen by the interim intermediate school board as intermediate superintendent shall serve only until a successor is chosen by the elected intermediate school board. The secretary of the intermediate school board having the largest number of pupils in membership in its combined constituent districts at the time of reorganization shall call a meeting of the members of the interim intermediate school board for the purpose of organization within 15 days after the effective date of the reorganization. The school district filing official shall provide for the election of a board of the reorganized intermediate school district under chapter XIV of the Michigan election law, MCL 168.301 to 168.316. At the first election, there shall be elected 3 members of a board for 6 years, 2 for 4 years, and 2 for 2 years. Their successors shall be elected biennially for terms of 6 years.

(7) The reorganized intermediate school district shall operate as a single intermediate school district from the effective date of the reorganization. Within 10 days after the reorganization, all accounts of the reorganized intermediate school districts shall be audited in the manner established by the interim intermediate school board. The contracts of the intermediate superintendents in force on the effective date of reorganization continue in effect until the time of their termination except as to position as intermediate superintendents.

(8) If, before reorganization of the intermediate school districts each of the combining intermediate school districts adopted special education programs by referendum as provided in part 30 and approved the same annual property tax rates for the education of students with a disability, the special education programs and the annual property tax rates shall continue in effect in the reorganized intermediate school district.

History: 1976, Act 451, Imd. Eff. Jan. 13, 1977 ;-- Am. 2003, Act 299, Eff. Jan. 1, 2005 ;-- Am. 2008, Act 1, Imd. Eff. Jan. 11, 2008 Popular Name: Act 451