Wisconsin Code § 117.35

School district boundary disputes
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(1)
SCHOOL BOARD ACTION. (a) If there is a boundary dispute, the
school boards of the interested school districts may resolve the
dispute by the adoption, by each of the school boards, of a resolution resolving the dispute. Before adopting such a resolution, the
school boards jointly shall notify the electors residing in and
owners of real property located in the disputed territory by certified mail. The notice shall include a description of the territory,
as certified by the clerk of each city, town or village within which
all or any part of the territory is located, shall indicate that the
school boards are considering resolving the boundary dispute and
shall specify the time and place of the school board meeting at
which the boundary dispute will be discussed.
(b) Each of the resolutions adopted under par. (a) shall include a legal description of the territory in dispute and a legal description of that portion of the disputed territory that is to be included in each interested school district. The school district clerk
of each school board that adopts a resolution under this subsection shall, within 5 days after adopting the resolution, send a certified copy of the resolution to the school board of each of the
other interested school districts, file a certified copy of the resolution as provided in s. 117.17 (2) and notify the electors residing
in and owners of real property located in the disputed territory. If
the school board of each of the interested school districts adopts a
resolution under this subsection, the resolution of the dispute
shall take effect on the first July 1 after the March 1 following the
adoption of the resolutions.
(2) REQUEST FOR RESOLUTION. (a) If there is a boundary dispute, the school board of any interested school district may submit a written request to the board for the resolution of the boundary dispute. The request shall state the particulars of the boundary dispute, including a legal description of the territory involved
and the names of all interested school districts. The school board
making the request shall send a copy of the request by 1st class
mail to each interested school district at the time that the request
is submitted to the board.
(b) Upon receipt of a request under par. (a), the board shall determine or request the school boards of the interested school districts to provide all of the following:
1. A description of the territory in dispute, as certified by the
clerk of each city, town or village within which all or any part of
the territory is located.
2. The number of pupils residing in the disputed territory
who, on the most recent of the preceding 3rd Friday of September
or 2nd Friday of January, were enrolled in each interested school
district.
(3) ORDER. (a) Unless the school boards of the interested
school districts have resolved the boundary dispute under sub.
(1), within 60 days after receipt of a request under sub. (2) (a) the
board shall issue an order resolving the boundary dispute. The
board shall send a certified copy of the order to the school board
of each interested school district and shall file a certified copy of
the resolution as provided in s. 117.17 (2). The order shall take
effect on the following July 1 unless the board stays the effective
date of the order until the 2nd following July 1.
(b) In making a decision under par. (a), the board shall consider and give the greatest weight to decisions made previously by
the board or any predecessor body. The board shall also consider
the criteria specified in s. 117.15 and other evidence, including
applicable property tax records.
(c) If the order under par. (a) takes effect on the following
July 1, the board may specify in the order that pupils residing in
the disputed territory may continue to attend school in the school
district that they are attending before the order takes effect until
the July 1 following the effective date of the order. The board
shall base its decision on the estimated fiscal and other effects of
the decision on the interested school districts.
(4) LIMITATION ON COURT ACTION. If there is a boundary
dispute, the school board of any interested school district may not
commence court action regarding that dispute until an order issued under sub. (3) is filed with the secretary of the board under
s. 117.17 (2).

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