A legal battle is brewing over a whole-grade sharing agreement between two northeast Iowa school districts. Fredericksburg and Sumner began sharing their programs and buildings last month after the boards in each community agreed to the arrangement. The decision was made last October in response to declining enrollment and fewer state funds. Now, some Fredericksburg residents, upset that the town lost its high school to Sumner, are trying to get the agreement nullified. They’re taking the Fredericksburg School District and its five-member board to court, claiming the agreement doesn’t meet state requirements and is, therefore, invalid. The residents are questioning whether the board intended to enter into the whole-grade sharing arrangement, and claim the district failed to provide proper public notice before voting on the agreement.
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