FILE:  AA

SCHOOL DISTRICT LEGAL STATUS

School Boards, created by the Constitution of the State of Louisiana, have been empowered by state law to create school districts composed of the parish as a whole or any part thereof.  New school districts may only be created in accordance with statutory provisions.

No public election shall be required in the creation of any school district.  Every school district so created shall be a political subdivision of the state and may issue bonds and vote special taxes up to the full amounts permitted by the Constitution of Louisiana, regardless of whether such school district may lie within the boundaries of a consolidated school district or a school district comprising all of the territory of a parish, and regardless of whether such school district may contain within its boundaries one or more other school districts.

The school district is under exclusive control and management of the Monroe City School Board, a body duly authorized for the general administration and supervision of the schools within its jurisdictional boundaries and shall operate the school system in accordance with all applicable constitutional and statutory provisions.  Responsibility for interpreting these provisions shall lie with the School Board, except where formal interpretation of such provisions has been made by the courts or other constituted authority.

Ref:    U.S. Constitution, Amend. X

U.S. Constitution, Amend. XIV, Sec.1

Constitution of Louisiana, Art. VIII, Sec. 9

La. Rev. Stat. Ann.  §§17:51, 17:1371, 17:1371.1, 17:1371.2, 17:1372, 17:1373, 17:1377, 17:1378

Wisconsin v. Yoder, 92 S.Ct. 1526 (1972)

Milliken v. Bradley, 94 S.Ct. 3112 (1974)

Dayton Board of Education v. Brinkman, 97 S.Ct. 2755 (1977)

Hawthorne v. Jackson Parish School Board, 5 La. App. 508 (1927)

Monroe City School Board