New York A 5281: Permits union free and central school district boards of education to establish wards for the purpose of school board elections

Bill Text

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A05281 Summary:

BILL NOA05281 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORJacobson

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §§1702 & 1804, Ed L

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Authorizes the boards of education in union free school districts and central school districts to establish wards for the purpose of school board elections.

Go to top A05281 Actions:

BILL NOA05281 

&nbsp

02/12/2025referred to education

01/07/2026referred to education

Go to topA05281 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA05281 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA05281 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 5281

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 February 12, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. JACOBSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
 tee on Education

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the establishment of
 school election wards in union free school districts and central
 school districts

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Section 1702 of the education law is amended by adding a
 2 new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
 3 4. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a
 4 board of education of a union free school district may, by resolution
 5 and subject to a mandatory referendum, establish school election wards
 6 for purposes of electing individual trustees. There shall be at least
 7 three, but no more than nine, school election wards within a school
 8 district. One trustee shall be chosen from each ward by the qualified
 9 voters therein. Within such resolution, a board of education may
 10 require that a trustee elected to represent a ward shall be a resident
 11 of such ward. Such resolution shall also provide for the signature
 12 requirements for nominating petitions consistent with the applicable
 13 provisions of this chapter.
 14 b. (i) A resolution by the board of education, which shall be passed
 15 no less than one hundred eighty days prior to a related referendum being
 16 placed before the qualified voters of the school district during the
 17 annual meeting and election, shall include an assessment and finding,
 18 which shall take into account any historic disenfranchisement or
 19 discrimination against any group of individuals within the school
 20 district based upon race, gender, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic
 21 status, or sexual orientation, including that no disenfranchisement or
 22 discrimination would result from the adoption of the proposed resol-
 23 ution. The board of education shall conduct no fewer than three public
 24 hearings on such resolution.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04651-01-5

 A. 5281 2

 1 (ii) Such public hearings shall be conducted not less than thirty nor
 2 more than ninety days prior to a vote on the resolution by a majority of
 3 the qualified voters of the district. The district clerk shall give
 4 notice of the public hearing by publishing a notice five times within
 5 fifteen days preceding the hearing, on the district's website and in two
 6 newspapers if there shall be two, or in one newspaper if there shall be
 7 but one, having general circulation within such district. But if no
 8 newspaper shall then have general circulation therein, said notice shall
 9 be posted in at least twenty of the most public places in said district
 10 fifteen days before the time of the first hearing.
 11 (iii) Following such public hearings, a proposition for approval of
 12 such resolution and the boundaries of proposed school election wards by
 13 a majority of the qualified voters of such district shall be submitted
 14 at the next succeeding annual meeting and election. The district clerk
 15 shall give notice of such proposition by publishing notice prior to the
 16 election, in the same manner and publication as the public hearings, set
 17 forth in this section, specifying the time when and place or places
 18 where such election will be held, the hours during which the polls will
 19 remain open for the purpose of receiving ballots, and setting forth in
 20 full the language of the proposition to be approved at