SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS

House Bill 4745 

Sponsor:  Rep. Tim Melton 

House Bill 4746

Sponsor:  Rep. Richard LeBlanc

Committee:  Education

Complete to 5-5-10

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILLS 4745 - 4746 AS INTRODUCED 3-31-09

The bills would require that beginning January 1, 2010, all school districts--both local school districts and intermediate school districts--hold their regular elections for the office of school board member on the November regular election date, in both even and odd years. 

House Bill 4745 is tie-barred to House Bill 4746 so that House Bill 4745 could not go into effect unless House Bill 4746 also is enacted into law.  A more detailed description of each bill follows.

House Bill 4746 amends the Michigan Election Law (MCL 168.302, 168.644, & 168.642c) to require that school elections be held in November.  The bill then specifies that a school board member's elected term of office would begin on the January 1 immediately following the November election.  Currently a school board member takes office on that date if elected in November or on July 1 if elected in May.

The bill further specifies that the term of an official who was elected before the effective date of the change would continue until a successor was elected and qualified at the next regular election.

 

House Bill 4745 amends the Revised School Code (MCL 380.4, 380.5 & 380.614) to update the code's references to the Michigan Election Law that govern school elections, so they include Section 642c, the new section that would be added if House Bill 4746 is enacted into law.

Finally, the bill revises the definition of "public school academy" by updating the references in the code.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Current school board elections cost between $25,000 and $50,000 for a stand-alone election and $5,000 to $10,000 when added on to an existing millage election.  Restricting board elections to November would create savings to school districts by eliminating those costs and eliminating the need for elections in years when the districts do not have a millage election.  When a school board election is added to a November election, the other relevant local units would incur the minimal costs of adding school board elections to the local ballot.  Local school districts may still incur costs for millage elections, which are usually held in May. 

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Mary Ann Cleary

                                                                                                                           Bethany Wicksall

                                                                                                                           Ben Gielczyk

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.