GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 649

Short Title:  Iredell School Merger.	(Local)

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Sponsors: Representative Mitchell.

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Referred to:  Local and Regional Government II.

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March 30, 1995

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR A MERGER OF THE IREDELL-STATESVILLE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT WITH THE MOORESVILLE GRADED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. The existing Iredell-Statesville School Administrative Unit (the "county unit" ) and the existing Mooresville Graded School District (the "city unit" ) are merged effective July 1, 1995.  The resulting merged administrative unit shall be known as the Iredell County Schools.
Sec. 2.  From July 1, 1995, through July 1, 1996, the governing board of the Iredell County Schools is the Interim Board of Education, which shall consist of all members of the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education and the Board of Education of the Mooresville Graded School District.  Any vacancies on that board shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members to serve until July 1, 1996.
Sec. 3.  (a)	Effective July 1, 1996, the Board of Education of the Iredell County Schools consists of nine members elected from each of nine districts.  The boundaries of the initial districts shall be established by the Iredell County Board of Commissioners no later than November 1, 1995.  Population of each district shall be equal as far as practicable. After each census, the Board of Education may revise the district boundaries as provided by G.S. 115C-37(i).
	(b) The qualified voters of each district shall elect a resident of that district to serve on the board.  The election shall be nonpartisan, with the results determined by the plurality method under G.S. 163-292.  The election shall be held at the date of the county primary election in each even-numbered year.
(c) Elections shall be for four-year terms, except in 1996, the Iredell County Board of Elections shall by lot before the opening of filing determine whether the even-numbered seats are to serve an initial two-year or four-year term, and the odd-numbered seats shall serve the opposite length initial term.
Sec. 4.  Beginning in 1996, members of the Board of Education of the Iredell County Schools begin their terms on the first day of July.
Sec. 5.  The Board of Education shall have an organizational meeting each July, at which it shall elect one of its members as chairman for a one-year term and until his successor is elected and qualified.  The chairman shall preside at meetings of the Board of Education.  In the event of the absence of the chairman, the Board of Education may appoint one of its members as temporary chairman.
Sec. 6.  All vacancies in the membership of the Board of Education caused by death, resignation, or other causes shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members of the Board to serve the remainder of the unexpired term, except if the vacancy occurs in the first year of the term, the appointee shall serve until the next election at which time a person shall be elected to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.
Sec. 7.  Members shall receive a stipend, subsistence, and mileage allowance from current expense funds as provided by this section.  The stipend shall be two hundred dollars ($200.00) per month for members and two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per month for the chairman, in order to reimburse members for their expenses.  Additionally, members shall be reimbursed for actual expenses for out-of-county travel.
Sec. 8.  As of 12:01 a.m. on the effective date of merger, the Iredell County Schools shall assume the title to all property of the existing city unit and county unit.  All claims and demands that the existing city unit and county unit may have at the time of merger shall be transferred to the Iredell County Schools, and the Iredell County Schools has the same authority to enforce those claims and demands as the existing city and county boards of education would have had, had they continued to exist.  Any obligations and liabilities, including existing personnel contracts, of the existing city unit and county unit shall become the obligations and liabilities of the Iredell County Schools and those obligations and liabilities may be enforced against the Iredell County Schools to the same extent they might be enforced against the existing city and county boards of education had they continued to exist.
Sec. 9.  This act is effective upon ratification.