117.30 Attachment upon failure to operate school.

(1)

(a) Except as provided under pars. (b) to (d), if a school district for 2 or more successive years has failed to operate sufficient classes at each grade level to provide all pupils who reside in the school district an opportunity to attend class at the appropriate grade level, the board shall attach the territory of the school district to one or more school districts that do so. Within 60 days of the date on which a school district becomes subject to this section, the state superintendent shall so notify the school district clerk and the clerk of each municipality in which part of the school district lies. Prior to August 30 of the year in which the school district becomes subject to this section, the board shall issue an order of school district reorganization attaching the school district to one or more operating school districts. Orders issued under this section take effect upon being filed as provided in s. 117.17 (2). The school board of each district to which any territory is attached under this section shall levy and collect a special tax against the property in the territory so attached for such amount as is payable for tuition and transportation, at the time of the attachment, by the school district in which the attached territory was located prior thereto, in the proportion that the equalized valuation of the attached territory bears to the total equalized valuation of the school district in which such territory was located prior to such attachment.

(b) Before the end of the first school year beginning after the effective date of a reorganization under s. 117.105, the school board of the school district created by the reorganization may request the department to extend the 2-year time period under par. (a) by one year. The department may grant the extension, and may renew the extension for additional one-year periods, if the department determines that the school board has adequate plans and is making adequate progress toward operating sufficient classes at each grade level to provide all pupils who reside in the school district an opportunity to attend class at the appropriate grade level.

(c) If a school district created under s. 117.105 fails to operate sufficient classes at each grade level to provide all pupils who reside in the school district an opportunity to attend class at the appropriate grade level before the end of the first school year beginning after the effective date of the reorganization under s. 117.105, plus the period of any extension granted under par. (b), the board's order under par. (a) shall reattach the territory of the school district to each of the school districts from which the territory was detached by the reorganization under s. 117.105, unless the school district from which the territory was detached is no longer an operating school district.

(d) Paragraph (a) does not apply if the school district fails to operate one or more grades but provides for their operation by another school district pursuant to a whole grade sharing agreement under s. 118.50.

(3) If an order issued under this section is voided, the nonoperating school district shall arrange for the attendance of its pupils at the schools of one or more other school districts on a nonresident tuition basis, and shall provide transportation to and from such schools by the methods provided in s. 121.55 for all of its pupils who reside 2 miles or more from the school they attend. Until a valid order has been issued, the nonoperating school district may use such funds on hand as have been raised or appropriated for operation and maintenance or levy taxes to pay for such tuition and transportation. If an order is voided, the board shall issue new orders of school district reorganization within the succeeding year.

History: 1979 c. 303; 1983 a. 27; 1989 a. 114 s. 13; Stats. 1989 s. 117.30; 1995 a. 27 s. 9145 (1); 1997 a. 27, 286; 1999 a. 32; 2015 a. 55.