District Board Appointment Process

Related Sections of Chapter 38, Wis. Stats.

NOTE: unofficial text; see printed volume. Not certified under s.35.18(2), stats.

38.08 & 38.10 Wi. Stats. Relating to Wisconsin Technical College System Board Appointments

38.08 Composition and organization of district board.

38.08(1)(a)1A district board shall administer the district and shall be composed of 9 members who are residents of the district, including 2 employers, 2 employes, 3 additional members, a school district administrator, as defined under s. 115.001 (8), and one elected official who holds a state or local office, as defined in s. 5.02 , except for the office of party committeeman or party committeewoman. The board shall by rule define "employer" and "employe" for the purpose of this subdivision.

"38.08(1)(a)2" The employer and employe members of the district board shall be representative of the various businesses and industries in the district. The school district administrator shall be employed by the school board of a school district located in the district. Of the 3 additional members, no more than 2 may be employers, no more than 2 may be employes, no more than 3 may be school district administrators and no more than 3 may be elected officials. No 2 members of the district board may be officials of the same governmental unit nor may any district board member be a member of the school board that employs the school district administrator member.

38.08(1)(b)District board members shall take office on July 1 and shall serve staggered 3-year terms.

38.08(1g)The appointment committee for a district board that governs a district encompassing a 1st class city shall include 4 additional members designated by the board of school directors in charge of the public schools of the 1st class city. The additional members shall be appointed so as to reflect, to the extent possible, the distribution of women and minorities within the 1st class city.

38.08(2)Members of a district board shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. A vacancy shall be filled for any un-expired term of more than 90 days in the manner provided for the making of original appointments in s. 38.10 , except that if a vacancy occurs within 120 days preceding a spring election, the vacancy need not be filled until 60 days after the spring election, in the manner provided in s. 38.10.

38.08(2m)Any member of a district board serving as an elected official under sub. (1) (a) 1. shall cease to be a member upon vacating his or her office as an elected official.

38.08(3)The district board shall hold its annual organizational meeting on the 2nd Monday in July at which it shall elect from among its members a chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary and treasurer. If a vacancy occurs in any of the district board officer positions after the annual organizational meeting, the district board may elect an officer to fill the vacancy at any subsequent district board meeting. No person may serve as chairperson for more than 2 successive annual terms.

38.08(4)District board members shall receive their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

38.08(5)Where a function is assigned to the clerk of a governmental unit and a district is one of such governmental units, the function shall be performed by the district board secretary.
38.08 - ANNOT.
History: 1971 c. 154; 1977 c. 29; 1981 c. 269; 1983 a. 189 s. 329 (17); 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 94; 1989 a. 31, 359.
38.08 - ANNOT.
Office of commissioner on policy board of consortium of counties under federal comprehensive employment and training act and office of president of district VTAE (technical college) board which would be applicant and competitor for funds allocated are incompatible; however, counties under present statutes do not have power to form consortium for purposes of federal act where Governor has not designated them as participating units of government under 16.54 (6). 63 Atty. Gen. 458.08 - ANNOT.
Criteria for appointment to district VTAE (technical college) boards discussed, including changes in status of "employer," "employe" and "elected official" representatives and incompatibility between board membership and offices of sheriff and circuit judge. 77 Atty. Gen. 256.

38.10 Appointment of district board members.

38.10(1)District board members shall be appointed by an appointment committee constituted as follows:

38.10(1)(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.

38.10(1)(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.

38.10(1)(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.

38.10(1m)An appointment committee member may designate another officer of his or her governmental unit to represent the member at appointment committee meetings.

38.10(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.

38.10(2)(a)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 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.

38.10(2)(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.

38.10(2)(c)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. The board shall review district board appointments to determine whether they comply with the provisions of the plan and the requirements of s. 38.08 (1) (a) .

38.10(2)(d)1Upon 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.

38.10(2)(d)2In 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.

38.10(2)(d)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.

38.10(2)(d)4All notices under this paragraph are class 1 notices under ch. 985, except that they shall be 8-point type or larger.

38.10(2)(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.

38.10(2)(f)Selection of district board members and approval of a representation plan 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.

38.10(2)(fm)If the board determines under par. (c) that district board appointments do not comply with the plan of representation under par. (c) 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 under par. (c) 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 under par. (c) or do not comply with s. 38.08 (1) (a), the board shall formulate a plan of representation that conforms with par. (c) and the board shall appoint the district board members in accordance with the plan of representation and with s. 38.08 (1) (a).

38.10(2)(g)County board chairpersons from counties having a combined population exceeding 50% 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% 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.
38.10 - ANNOT.
History: 1971 c. 154; 1977 c. 29; 1981 c. 269; 1983 a. 192; 1987 a. 94; 1989 a. 31.
38.10 - ANNOT.
The county board chair acts for the county on special groups which appoint members of district boards of vocational, technical and adult education (technical colleges), even where there is a county administrator or executive. 60 Atty. Gen. 257.

For more information contact: valerie.payne@wtcsystem.edu

Back to Top

Last modified: October 26, 2007