This is the preview version of the Wisconsin State Legislature site.
Please see http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov for the production version.
2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
January 18, 2022 - Introduced by Representatives Summerfield, James,
Kuglitsch, Moses and Knodl, cosponsored by Senators Bernier and
Stroebel. Referred to Committee on Education.
AB854,1,5 1An Act to amend 117.05 (4) (c) 1., 117.12 (2), 117.12 (3), 117.12 (4) and 117.12
2(5) (b) of the statutes; relating to: the authority of school boards to approve or
3deny owner-initiated petitions to detach and attach small territories of school
4districts and modifying a waiting period that applies to filing multiple
5petitions.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill eliminates the authority of the school board of a school district to
approve or deny an owner-initiated petition to detach territory from the school
district and attach the territory to an adjoining school district (reorganization).
Under the bill, only the school board of the adjoining school district has the authority
to approve or deny the proposed reorganization.
Under current law, this type of owner-initiated petition process is available if
1) the assessed value of the territory proposed to be transferred divided by the
assessment ratio of the taxation district is less than 7 percent of the equalized
valuation of the school district from which the territory would be detached; and 2)
less than 7 percent of the enrollment of the school district from which the territory
would be detached resides in that territory (small territory). A petition can be filed
by a majority of the electors residing in the small territory or the owners of 50 percent
or more of the small territory.
Under current law, the petitioners must file a written petition with the clerk of
the school district in which the small territory is located requesting the

reorganization, and the clerk must send a certified copy of the petition to the school
board of the adjoining school district. Under the bill, the petitioners must file the
petition with the clerk of the adjoining school district, who must send a certified copy
to the school board of the school district in which the small territory is located.
Currently, in the first February beginning after receipt of a petition, the school
boards of both affected school districts may grant or deny the reorganization by
adopting resolutions ordering the reorganization, and, if both school boards order the
reorganization, the reorganization takes effect on July 1. Under current law, if a
school board adopts such a resolution, the school board must send a certified copy of
the resolution to the other school board. Under the bill, only the school board of the
adjoining school district has the authority to grant or deny the reorganization.
Under current law, the petitioners may appeal a denial of their petition to an
appeal panel appointed by the state superintendent of public instruction or, if certain
conditions are met, to the School District Boundary Appeal Board, and notice of the
appeal is sent to the school boards of both affected school districts. The bill does not
change the appeal process.
Finally, the bill modifies a waiting period that prohibits the filing of multiple
petitions involving the same territory within a certain period of time. Under current
law, in addition to the process for an owner-initiated petition for reorganization of
small territory described above, there is also a similar process for an owner-initiated
petition for reorganization of large territory, which is defined as any territory that
does not meet the definition of small territory. Current law provides that, if an
owner-initiated petition is filed using either process, another owner-initiated
petition may not be filed before the second July 1 following the filing of the first
petition if the subsequent petition involves any of the same territory.
The bill modifies the waiting period so that it no longer applies to
owner-initiated petitions related to small territory. In other words, under the bill,
the waiting period applies only if more than one owner-initiated petition related to
large territory that involves any of the same territory is filed within the statutory
time frame.
For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB854,1 1Section 1. 117.05 (4) (c) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB854,3,22 117.05 (4) (c) 1. Except as provided under subd. 2., no petition for the
3detachment of territory from one school district and its attachment to an adjoining
4school district may be filed under s. 117.11 (2) or 117.12 (2) before the 2nd July 1

1following the filing of a petition under s. 117.11 (2) or 117.12 (2) for any
2reorganization that includes any of the same territory.
AB854,2 3Section 2. 117.12 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB854,3,184 117.12 (2) Petition. A majority of the electors residing in the territory
5described under sub. (1) or owners of 50 percent or more of that territory may file a
6written petition with the clerk of the school district in to which the territory is located
7proposed to be attached requesting the detachment attachment of the territory from
8to that school district and its attachment to an adjoining the detachment from the
9school district in which the territory is located. The petition shall include a
10description of the territory sufficiently accurate to determine its location in the
11school district in which it is located, as certified by the clerk of each city, town, or
12village within which all or part of the territory is located, and the number of pupils
13residing in that territory who, on the most recent of the preceding 3rd Friday of
14September or 2nd Friday of January, were enrolled in the school district from which
15the territory is proposed to be detached, as certified by the clerk of that school district.
16Upon receipt of the petition, the school district clerk shall send a certified copy of the
17petition to the school board of the school district to from which the territory is
18proposed to be attached detached and to the secretary of the board.
AB854,3 19Section 3. 117.12 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB854,4,1420 117.12 (3) School board action. In the first February beginning after receipt
21of a petition under sub. (2), the school boards board of the affected school districts
22school district to which the territory is proposed to be attached may order adopt a
23resolution ordering
the territory detached from the school district in which it the
24territory
is located and attached to the adjoining school district by the adoption, by
25each of those school boards, of a resolution ordering the reorganization
. Before

1adopting a resolution under this subsection that grants or denies the reorganization,
2each the school board shall give the electors and owners who signed the petition
3under sub. (2) an opportunity to meet with the school board to present their reasons
4for the proposed reorganization. Failure of a the school board to adopt a resolution
5before March 1 either ordering or denying the reorganization constitutes a denial of
6the reorganization by the school board. The school district clerk of each the school
7board adopting a resolution under this subsection that orders or denies a
8reorganization
shall, within 5 days after the adoption of the a resolution under this
9subsection that orders or denies a reorganization
, send a certified copy of the
10resolution to the school board of the other affected school district in which the
11territory in located
and file a certified copy of the resolution as provided under s.
12117.17 (2). If the school board of each affected the school district to which the
13territory is proposed to be attached
adopts a resolution ordering the detachment and
14attachment, the reorganization shall take effect on the following July 1.
AB854,4 15Section 4. 117.12 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB854,5,516 117.12 (4) Appeal to panel. If the detachment and attachment of territory is
17denied by either the school board under sub. (3), a majority of the electors residing
18in the territory or the owners of 50 percent or more of the territory may appeal the
19denial to an appeal panel by filing notice of appeal with the secretary of the board
20before the March 15 following the denial. The secretary of the board shall send a copy
21of the notice of appeal to the school board of each affected school district. Except as
22provided under sub. (5), the appeal panel shall issue an order either affirming the
23school board's denial of the proposed reorganization or ordering all or any part of the
24territory described in the petition under sub. (2) detached from the school district in
25which it the territory is located and attached to the adjoining school district. The

1appeal panel shall issue the order shall be issued before the June 15 following the
2filing of the notice of appeal. The order shall be in writing, shall include a statement
3of reasons for the order, and shall be filed as provided under s. 117.17 (2). If the
4appeal panel orders territory detached from one school district and attached to an
5adjoining school district, the reorganization shall take effect on the following July 1.
AB854,5 6Section 5. 117.12 (5) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB854,5,247 117.12 (5) (b) The secretary of the board shall notify the school board of each
8affected school district and each owner or elector who signed the notice of appeal
9under sub. (4) that the appeal or appeals will be reviewed by the board under this
10subsection rather than by an appeal panel under sub. (4). The board shall issue an
11order either affirming the a school boards' board's denial of all or any of the proposed
12reorganizations under par. (a) or the proposed reorganization under par. (am) or
13ordering all or any part of the territory described in all or any of the petitions under
14sub. (2) or included in the appeal filed under par. (am) detached from the school
15district in which it is located and attached to an adjoining school district. In addition
16to the criteria under s. 117.15, in making its decision, the board also shall consider
17the effect that the proposed detachments under par. (a), taken as a whole, will have
18on the school district from which the territory is proposed to be detached, or the
19cumulative effect on that school district of the proposed detachment under par. (am).
20The board's board shall issue the order shall be issued before the June 15 following
21the filing of the notice of appeal. The order shall be in writing, shall include a
22statement of reasons for the order, and shall be filed as provided under s. 117.17 (2).
23If the board orders territory detached from one school district and attached to an
24adjoining school district, the reorganization shall take effect on the following July 1.
AB854,5,2525 (End)
Loading...
Loading...