This bill mandates that voters in all municipalities served by a school district must participate in a vote regarding the closure of schools. Specifically, it introduces a new section, RSA 194:19-b, which stipulates that no elementary or high school can be discontinued or relocated without a majority vote from the voters in the municipalities served by the school or district. The process requires a public meeting to be held by the school board upon receiving a written petition from at least 20 legal voters, with proper notice published in a local newspaper at least seven days prior to the meeting. Voting will occur by ballot, and the results will determine whether the school will be closed or continue operations.

Additionally, the bill repeals RSA 194:35, which previously addressed the discontinuance of high schools, and introduces a new section, RSA 195:10-a, that mandates all cooperative school districts to adhere to the voting requirements established in RSA 194:19-b. It also prohibits any cooperative school district articles of agreement from circumventing these requirements. Upon the bill's passage, existing cooperative school district agreements that do not comply with RSA 194:19-b will need to be amended. The act is set to take effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 194:35