TITLE XV
EDUCATION

CHAPTER 195
COOPERATIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Section 195:4

    195:4 Powers. –
I. During the period from the date of the vote of the organization of any cooperative school district organized prior to July 1, 1963, to the date of operating responsibility such cooperative school district shall have all the authority and privileges of a regular school district for bonding purposes, for the construction of school facilities and for all other necessary functions to obtain proper facilities for the provision of a complete program of education. When necessary the school board of the cooperative school district is authorized to prepare a budget and call a special meeting of the voters of the district for the purpose of adopting the budget and to determine the financial appropriations. Such meeting shall have the same authority as an annual meeting for these purposes.
II.
Election of Officers. Every such school district may, as provided in RSA 195:19, adopt a bylaw to specify the number, composition, method of selection, and terms of office of its cooperative school board; provided that its cooperative school board shall consist of an odd number of members, not more than 15 for terms not exceeding 3 years.
III.
Checklists. At the meetings held in the preexisting districts for the purpose of accepting the articles of agreement, or any existing arrangements, and at the organization meeting of the cooperative school district the checklist for each preexisting district shall be used. The school board of any preexisting district which does not have a checklist shall make, post, and correct a list of the voters in the district for use at such meetings as supervisors are required to do in regard to the list of voters in their towns. Thereafter the cooperative school board shall make, post, and correct a list of the voters of the cooperative school district acting as supervisors are required to do, except that such list shall indicate with respect to each voter the preexisting district in which the voter is domiciled. Any 2 members of the cooperative school board shall constitute a quorum at sessions for the correction of the checklist. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions whenever each of the preexisting school districts is coextensive with the town in which it is located the cooperative school district may, at an annual cooperative school district meeting, under an article in the warrant for such meeting, vote that the supervisors of each town, acting as the supervisors of the cooperative school district, shall make, post and correct in each preexisting district a checklist of the voters in each preexisting district and shall certify the making, posting, and correction of the checklist acting as supervisors of the cooperative school district. At each annual meeting for the election of officers of the cooperative district the checklists prepared by the supervisors in each preexisting district in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph shall be used and the town supervisors from each preexisting district shall attend such annual meeting. The voters of the cooperative district shall be those whose names appear on the checklists as provided by this paragraph. The supervisors shall be paid such compensation as the district may provide.
IV. For purposes of state-wide supervision a cooperative school district shall be a school district.
V. The members of the cooperative school board shall serve with or without remuneration as the district shall determine, but they shall be paid their necessary expenses while upon official business.

Source. 1951, 213:1, par. 4. 1953, 225:3. RSA 195:4. 1961, 44:1; 206:2, 3. 1963, 258:2. 1971, 252:2. 1979, 321:3. 1996, 158:3; 222:14. 2003, 289:18, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.