120.44 School board powers and duties.
(1) A unified school district is a body corporate with the power to sue and be sued, to levy and collect taxes, to acquire, hold and dispose of property and to do all other things reasonable for the performance of its functions in operating a system of public education.
(2) The public schools of a unified school district shall be under the management, control and supervision of a school board. The school board shall have the powers and duties of the school board and annual meeting in a common school district. The officers of a unified school district have the powers and duties of the officers of a common school district. No annual meeting shall be held in a unified school district. The school board shall not, in the name of the school district, issue bonds or incur other indebtedness without approval of the electors of the school district in any instance where the school board of a common school district is not authorized to do so.
History: 1981 c. 20; 1981 c. 340 s. 8; 1983 a. 339; 1985 a. 225 ss. 83, 92, 93; Stats. 1985 s. 120.44; 1993 a. 437; 1995 a. 27.
A school district did not incur indebtedness by entering into a lease-purchase agreement for a new school when the district, by electing not to appropriate funds for the following fiscal year's rental payment, had the option to terminate the agreement with no future payment obligation. Deick v. Unified School District of Antigo, 165 Wis. 2d 458, 477 N.W.2d 613 (1991).
Section 66.185 [now s. 66.0137] does not prohibit providing health insurance benefits to persons not listed in the statute if authority is granted by other statutes. Sections 120.12, 120.13, and 120.44, broadly construed as required by s. 118.001, grant broad powers, including that of providing insurance to persons not listed in this section. Pritchard v. Madison Metropolitan School District, 2001 WI App 62, 242 Wis. 2d 301, 625 N.W.2d 613, 00-0848.
School boards have authority to enforce policies that mandate the manner, conditions, and content of police interviews with students on school premises during school hours. 81 Atty. Gen. 126.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 120 - School district government.
120.01 - Number of school board members.
120.02 - Method of changing number, apportionment or election of school board members.
120.05 - School board officials.
120.06 - Election of school board members.
120.07 - School board member; refusal of salary.
120.08 - School district meetings.
120.09 - Consideration of special subject.
120.10 - Powers of annual meeting.
120.11 - School board meetings and reports.
120.115 - Report on debt service.
120.123 - School and school district accountability reports.
120.125 - Before- and after-school child care.
120.135 - Capital improvement fund.
120.137 - Long-term capital improvement trust fund.
120.14 - Audit of school district accounts.
120.15 - School district president; duties.
120.16 - School district treasurer; duties.
120.17 - School district clerk; duties.
120.18 - Annual school district report.
120.20 - School board members; compatible positions.
120.21 - School board contracts for courses.
120.25 - School board cooperation in acquiring school facilities.
120.41 - Composition of school board.
120.42 - Election of school board members.
120.43 - School board meetings.