Idaho § 6-2209 - Remedies in suit against district - Continuing jurisdiction

§ 6-2209. Remedies in suit against district - Continuing jurisdiction

(1) If the district court finds that the local school district offers educational or other services not federally mandated and not constitutionally required, or offers some of the services that are constitutionally required in a manner that consumes more of the local school district’s resources than necessary to provide the constitutionally required services that it does offer, it shall issue an order choosing from among the following remedies and retaining jurisdiction as required by this chapter. Any order accepting or modifying a consent agreement under subsection (2) of this section, accepting or modifying a plan under subsection (3) of this section, or directing school district action under subsection (4) of this section, shall be a final order for purposes of rehearing and appeal, but the filing of an appeal shall not itself stay the effect of the order, and the district court shall have continuing jurisdiction over compliance with the order or stay of the order unless stayed from continuing jurisdiction by the supreme court. The supreme court may stay the order or stay the district court’s continuing jurisdiction over compliance with the order on such grounds as it finds appropriate.

(2) The parties shall be given a reasonable time not to exceed thirty-five (35) calendar days to attempt to enter into a consent agreement for meeting the local school district’s obligations to provide constitutionally required educational services. If the parties cannot agree on a consent agreement within thirty-five (35) calendar days, the district court shall issue an order under subsection (3) or (4) of this section. If the parties submit a consent agreement, the district court shall independently review the consent agreement and may modify the consent agreement as it finds necessary in light of the local school district’s obligations to provide constitutionally required educational services. Following review, the district court shall enter an order accepting, modifying or rejecting the consent agreement and retaining jurisdiction over the case. If the district court rejects the consent agreement, it shall issue an order under subsection (3) or (4) of this section. An order accepting or modifying the consent agreement may require the local school district to impose maintenance and operations levies, supplemental maintenance and operations levies and emergency fund levies in the maximum amount allowed by law without an election and to impose an educational necessity levy as authorized in this chapter and defined in section 6-2214 , Idaho Code.

(3) The local school district shall be given a reasonable time not to exceed thirty-five (35) calendar days to submit a plan for meeting its obligations to provide constitutionally required educational services. If the local school district does not submit a plan within thirty-five (35) calendar days, the district court shall issue an order under subsection (2) or (4) of this section. If the local school district submits a plan, the district court shall independently review the plan and any of the parties’ comments to the plan and may modify the plan as it finds necessary in light of the local school district’s obligations to provide constitutionally required educational services. Following review, the district court shall enter an order accepting, modifying or rejecting the plan and retaining jurisdiction over the case. If the district court rejects the plan, it shall issue an order under subsection (2) or (4) of this section.

(4) The district court may issue any of the following orders:

(a) If the local school district offers educational or other services not federally mandated and not constitutionally required, the district court may enjoin the local school district from offering some or all of those services not federally mandated and not constitutionally required.

(b) If the local school district offers some of the services that are constitutionally required in a manner that consumes more of the local school district’s resources than necessary to provide the constitutionally required services that it does offer, the district court may enjoin the local school district from offering some or all of the constitutionally required services in a manner that consumes more of the local district’s resources than necessary.

(c) If the local school district does not impose a maintenance and operations levy, a supplemental maintenance and operations levy, and an emergency fund levy in the maximum amounts allowed by law without an election, or if the sum of the local school district’s maintenance and operations levy, supplemental maintenance and operations levy, and emergency fund levy does not equal or exceed the maximum maintenance and operations levy and emergency fund levy that may be imposed by law plus the simple average supplemental maintenance and operations levy of all the school districts in the state, pursuant to section 6-2210 , Idaho Code, the district court may order the local school district to impose maintenance and operations levies, supplemental maintenance and operations levies, and emergency fund levies in the maximum amount allowed by law without an election and to impose an educational necessity levy as authorized by this chapter.

(d) If the district court finds that any other order or mandate would assist the local school district in providing constitutionally required educational services, the district court may issue any order that it determines would assist the local school district in providing constitutionally required educational services.

[6-2209, added 1996, ch. 258, sec. 1, p. 848.]