Private Acts of 2002 Chapter 139

SECTION 1. Chapter 150 of the Private Acts of 1965, and all other acts amendatory thereto, are hereby repealed.

SECTION 2. Obion County shall be divided into seven (7) school districts of substantially equal population, which shall be coextensive with the county legislative body districts established by resolution of the county legislative body from time to time.

SECTION 3. The Obion County Board of Education shall consist of seven (7) members, with one (1) member of the board being elected by the qualified voters in each school district on a nonpartisan basis. Board members shall be elected to staggered four (4) year terms, with the terms of the members representing the even-numbered districts expiring at the same time and the terms of the members representing the odd-numbered districts expiring at the same time.

Persons elected in the regular August general elections shall take office on September 1 following the election and shall serve until their successors are duly elected and qualified.

SECTION 4. During the transition to the newly-constituted board as provided herein, all incumbent board members shall remain on the board until the expiration of their current terms. To establish staggered terms as provided in Section 3, new board members shall be elected as follows: At the regular August 2002 election, board members shall be elected to four (4) year terms from each of the districts 4 and 6. At the regular August 2004 election, board members shall be elected to four (4) year terms from each of districts 3, 5 and 7. At the regular August 2006 election, Board members shall be elected to four (4) year terms from each of districts 2, 4, and 6, and one (1) board member shall be elected from district 1 to a term of two (2) years. Thereafter, board members shall be elected to four (4) year terms as their terms expire.

SECTION 5. The Obion County Board of Education shall have the powers, duties, privileges and qualifications given boards of education in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49.

SECTION 6. If any provision of this act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application and to that end the provisions of this act are declared to be severable.

SECTION 7. This act shall have no effect unless it is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the county legislative body of Obion County. Its approval or nonapproval shall be proclaimed by the presiding officer of the county legislative body of Obion County and certified to the secretary of state.

SECTION 8. For the purpose of approving or rejecting the provisions of this act, it shall be effective upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, it shall become effective upon being approved as provided in Section 7.

Passed: May 1, 2002.