§ 714. Initial members of union school district board; tallying of at-large votes; oath of office and assumption of duties
(a) Tallying of at-large votes for initial members of board. If the voters have elected some or all of the initial members of the union school district board under either model involving at-large voting as set forth in subdivision 711(d)(2) (proposed unified union school district; modified at-large), (d)(3) (proposed unified union school district; at-large), (e)(2) (proposed union elementary or union high school district; modified at-large), or (e)(3) (proposed union elementary or union high school district; at-large) of this chapter, then the total votes cast for each of the at-large candidates shall be calculated as follows:
(1) Within seven days after the vote, the clerk of each school district voting on the proposal to form a union school district shall transmit electronically to the Secretary of Education the total number of votes cast in that school district for each at-large candidate.
(2) The Secretary shall calculate the total votes cast for each candidate and transmit those calculations to the clerks for verification. Ballots cast by the voters of any “advisable” district that does not approve the proposal to form a new union school district shall not be included in the calculation.
(3) When each clerk has verified the calculations, the Secretary shall prepare and execute a certification of the votes cast for each candidate.
(b) Notification. If the voters approve formation of a new union school district, then within 30–45 days after the vote or 15 days after a vote to reconsider the original vote to form the district, whichever is later, the notification of the election of initial board members shall be sent to the Secretary of State as follows:
(1) The clerk of each forming district shall transmit the names of board members elected in a manner that is proportional to town population as set forth in subdivision 711(d)(1) (proposed unified union district; proportional to town population) or (e)(1) (proposed union elementary or union high school district; proportional to town population) of this chapter.
(2) The Secretary of Education shall transmit the names of board members elected under either model involving at-large voting.
(c) Oath of office; assumption of duties; election of chair and clerk. The superintendent of the supervisory union serving the new union school district shall cause the initial board members to be sworn in. Although the swearing-in may occur prior to the organizational meeting required by section 715 of this chapter, it shall not occur before the Secretary of State files the certified copy of the recorded certification with each clerk pursuant to subsection 713(e) of this chapter. The initial board members shall assume office upon being sworn in and shall meet to elect one of their number to serve as the board chair and one other of its number to serve as the board clerk, and to transact any other business within its jurisdiction; provided, however, such meeting shall not occur prior to the organizational meeting required by section 715 of this chapter. (Added 2021, No. 176 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. June 7, 2022.)