38.10 Appointment of district board members.
(1) District board members shall be appointed by an appointment committee constituted as follows:
(a) If the petition for creation of a district was filed by the governing bodies of school districts or municipalities, the school board presidents of school districts having territory within the district shall constitute the appointment committee.
(b) If the petition for creation of a district was filed by the governing bodies of counties or any combination of school districts, counties and municipalities, the county board chairpersons of counties having territory within the district shall constitute the appointment committee.
(c) If the board created a district, the heads of the governing bodies designated by the board shall constitute the appointment committee. The designation shall be made in accordance with par. (a) or (b) depending upon which governmental units comprise the district.
(d) Notwithstanding pars. (a) to (c), the county executive of Milwaukee County and the chairpersons of the Milwaukee, Ozaukee, and Washington County boards of supervisors shall constitute the appointment committee for the district board governing the Milwaukee area technical college.
(1m) An appointment committee member may designate another officer of his or her governmental unit to represent the member at appointment committee meetings.
(2)
(a)
1. On or before the first Monday in March, or within 30 days of the date on which a vacancy on the district board occurs, the district board secretary shall notify each member of the appointment committee, each governing body having a member on the appointment committee and the board of the vacancy or of terms of office which will expire during the year.
2. The chairperson of the appointment committee shall fix a date, to be no later than 60 days after receipt of notification of the vacancy or term expiration, or 60 days after a spring election if a vacancy occurs within 120 days preceding a spring election, and a time and place for a public hearing and meeting of the appointment committee to approve a representation plan required under par. (c) 1. and to appoint district board members, and shall send written notice of the public hearing and meeting to each district board member, each governing body having a member on the appointment committee, each member of the appointment committee and the board.
(b) The appointment committee member from the appropriate governmental unit specified under sub. (1) (a), (b) or (c) having the largest population in the district shall act as chairperson of the appointment committee. The county executive of Milwaukee County shall act as the chairperson of the appointment committee for the district board governing the Milwaukee area technical college.
(c)
1. At the meeting and prior to the appointment of district board members, the appointment committee shall formulate a plan of representation for the membership of the district board. The plan shall give equal consideration to the general population distribution within the district and the distribution of women and minorities within the district. The plan of representation for the membership of the district board that governs a district encompassing a 1st class city shall also give equal consideration to the distribution of minorities within the 1st class city. The plan shall form the basis upon which membership of the district board is determined.
2. The board shall review district board appointments to determine whether they comply with the provisions of the plan of representation required under subd. 1. and the requirements of s. 38.08 (1) (a).
(d)
1. Upon receiving notice of the vacancy or term expiration under par. (a) 1. and at least 14 days before publication of the notice required under subd. 3., the appointment committee shall publish a notice announcing the intent to appoint district board members, including the criteria for selection, and soliciting the submission of names and qualifications of candidates.
2. In order to be eligible for consideration for appointment to the district board, a candidate shall submit his or her name and qualifications to the appointment committee within 14 days of the date of publication of the notice under subd. 1.
3. Notwithstanding s. 19.84 (3), the appointment committee shall publish a notice of any meeting or public hearing at which the appointment committee will consider the filling of any vacancy on the district board or any other matter pertaining to the appointment of district board members at least 14 days before the meeting or public hearing. The subject matter of the meeting or public hearing as specified in the notice shall contain the names of individuals being considered for appointment. Prior to the meeting at which an appointment is made, the appointment committee shall hold a public hearing at which the names and qualifications of individuals being considered for appointment to the district board shall be discussed. No person may be appointed to a district board by an appointment committee unless his or her name appeared in at least one notice of a public hearing or meeting of the committee and he or she provided references to the committee, was interviewed by the committee and attended the public hearing at which his or her appointment to the district board was discussed.
4. All notices under this paragraph are class 1 notices under ch. 985, except that they shall be 8-point type or larger.
(e) Within 5 days of the appointment of district board members, the chairperson of the appointment committee shall send written notice of the appointments and lengths of terms to the board, to the members appointed to the district board and to the district board secretary.
(f) Selection of district board members and approval of a representation plan required under par. (c) 1. by the appointment committee shall be by majority vote of a quorum under par. (g). If the appointment committee cannot reach agreement on the representation plan and district board membership within 30 days after their first meeting, the board shall formulate the plan of representation and appoint the district board members in accordance with the plan.
(fm) If the board determines under par. (c) 2. that district board appointments do not comply with the plan of representation required under par. (c) 1. or do not comply with s. 38.08 (1) (a), the board shall notify the appointment committee that the district board appointments are in noncompliance. Within 45 days after receipt of the board's determination that the district board appointments are in noncompliance, the appointment committee shall make district board appointments that comply with the provisions of the plan of representation required under par. (c) 1. and with s. 38.08 (1) (a). The board shall review any appointments made under this paragraph. If the board determines that the appointments made under this paragraph do not comply with a plan of representation required under par. (c) 1. or do not comply with s. 38.08 (1) (a), the board shall formulate a plan of representation that conforms with par. (c) 1. and the board shall appoint the district board members in accordance with the plan of representation and with s. 38.08 (1) (a).
(g)
1. County board chairpersons from counties having a combined population exceeding 50 percent of the population of the district constitute a quorum to do business for appointment committees composed of county board chairpersons under sub. (1) (b). School board presidents from school districts having a combined population exceeding 50 percent of the population of the district constitute a quorum to do business for appointment committees composed of school board presidents under sub. (1) (a). In no case may fewer than 2 people constitute a quorum.
2. Three members shall constitute a quorum for the appointment committee for the district board governing the Milwaukee area technical college.
History: 1971 c. 154; 1977 c. 29; 1981 c. 269; 1983 a. 192; 1987 a. 94; 1989 a. 31; 2011 a. 286.
The county board chair acts for the county on special groups that appoint members of district boards of vocational, technical and adult education (technical colleges), even if there is a county administrator or executive. 60 Atty. Gen. 257.