§72.1.  City of Baker interim school board

A.(1)  If a majority of the qualified electors of the East Baton Rouge Parish Consolidated School District No. 1, comprised of the parish of East Baton Rouge, voting on the question of the incurrence of debt and the issuance of bonds payable from ad valorem taxes to be levied and collected in the manner provided by law and/or the levy of a sales and use tax by or for the benefit of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, all or any portion thereof which may be funded into bonds for the purpose of addressing the condition of the physical facilities of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system, shall fail to approve the issuance of such bonds and the imposition of any such tax on or before July 18, 1998, the municipal governing authority of the city of Baker may appoint, on or after July 19, 1998, but prior to the date of the congressional primary election in 1998, an interim school board composed of five members.  The city of Baker interim school board shall exercise only those powers and discharge only those responsibilities provided for in this Section and no others.

(2)  In the event such an interim school board is appointed, it shall commence to function on the date of the appointment of the members of the interim board.

(3)  The city of Baker interim school board may exercise the following powers and discharge the following responsibilities and no others:

(a)  Elect its officers and prescribe their duties.

(b)  Conduct a study to determine whether a city of Baker municipal school system is educationally and financially feasible given the tax base of the city of Baker, the educational needs of the elementary and secondary school aged children residing in the city of Baker, and the educational services offered by other school systems.

(c)  Conduct surveys and/or focus group sessions to determine whether the residents of the city of Baker desire to have established a city of Baker municipal school system.

(d)  Prepare a proposed operational plan and a fiscal management recommendation for submission to any subsequent city of Baker School Board.

B.(1)  If a majority of the qualified electors of the East Baton Rouge Parish Consolidated School District No. 1, comprised of the parish of East Baton Rouge, voting in any election held not later than July 18, 1998, on the question of the incurrence of debt and the issuance of bonds payable from ad valorem taxes to be levied and collected in the manner provided by law and/or the levy of a sales and use tax by or for the benefit of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, all or any portion thereof which may be funded into bonds for the purpose of addressing the condition of the physical facilities of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system, shall approve the issuance of such bonds and the imposition of any such taxes, the municipal governing authority of the city of Baker, on or after July 1, 2001, but prior to the date of the congressional primary election in 2002, may appoint an interim school board composed of five members.  The city of Baker interim school board shall exercise only those powers and discharge only those responsibilities provided for in this Section and no others.

(2)  In the event such an interim school board is appointed, it shall commence to function on the date of the appointment of the members of the interim board.

(3)  The city of Baker interim school board may exercise the following powers and discharge the following responsibilities and no others:

(a)  Elect its officers and prescribe their duties.

(b)  Conduct a study to determine whether a city of Baker municipal school system is educationally and financially feasible given the tax base of the city of Baker, the educational needs of the elementary and secondary school aged children residing in the city of Baker, and the educational services offered by other school systems.

(c)  Conduct surveys and/or focus group sessions to determine whether the residents of the city of Baker desire to have established a city of Baker municipal school system.

(d)  Prepare a proposed operational plan and a fiscal management recommendation for submission to any subsequent city of Baker School Board.

C.  Notwithstanding the date on which a city of Baker interim school board may be appointed, and in the event that such an interim school board is appointed, each of its members shall be electors who shall actually reside within the geographic boundaries of the city of Baker.  Additionally, each member of any interim board shall meet the requirements of R.S. 17:52(D).

D.  Notwithstanding the date on which a city of Baker interim school board may be appointed, and in the event that such an interim school board is appointed, all of its members shall serve from the date of their appointment until the date on which the elected members of the city of Baker School Board shall take office or, in the event that an election shall not be held for the election of the members of a city of Baker School Board, the interim school board shall expire upon the date the municipal governing authority of the city of Baker shall determine that an election shall not be called for the election of the members of the city of Baker School Board.  A vacancy on the interim school board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

E.  Any city of Baker interim school board shall constitute a political subdivision of the state of Louisiana.

F.  Any city of Baker interim school board shall adopt rules and regulations consistent with law to effectuate this Section.

G.  The provisions of R.S. 42:11 et seq. relative to open meetings and the provisions of Chapter 1 of Title 44 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 relative to public records shall be applicable to any city of Baker interim school board and its members.

Acts 1997, No. 1434, §1, eff. July 15, 1997.