Does a Tennessee school board member who moves out of their district lose the seat?

Plain-English summary

Tennessee's school-board membership statutes are layered. § 49-2-202(a)(1) (which has been on the books since 1925) requires county school board members to be "residents and voters of the county." § 49-2-202(a)(5) makes the seat vacant if the member ceases to reside in the county. In 1992, the legislature amended § 49-2-201(a)(1) to add a district-residency requirement: members "shall be residents of and elected from districts." Read together, the two statutes mean a board member has to live in both the county and the specific election district.

If a member moves out of their election district but stays in the county, the seat becomes vacant. The Tennessee Court of Appeals confirmed this reading in Whalum v. Shelby County Election Comm’n, holding that the 1992 amendment created a district-residency qualification.

Filling the vacancy is the county legislative body's job. § 49-2-202(e)(1) and § 49-2-201(a)(1) both say the local legislative body fills the seat, and Article VII, § 2 of the Tennessee Constitution mandates that "[v]acancies in county offices shall be filled by the county legislative body." The appointed person serves until a successor is elected at the next election after the vacancy and is qualified.

What this means for you

If you serve on a Tennessee county board of education

The opinion says you must remain a resident of the district from which you were elected. If you cease to reside there, a vacancy occurs even if you still reside in the county.

If you sit on a county legislative body

When a school board member moves out of district, the opinion holds that the county legislative body fills the vacancy at its next regular meeting or at a special meeting. That duty comes from § 49-2-202(e)(1), § 49-2-201(a)(1), and article VII, § 2 of the Tennessee Constitution. The appointee serves until a successor is elected at the next election after the vacancy and is qualified.

If you are a school board candidate or potential applicant for a vacancy

Under this opinion, a board member must reside in both the county and the specific election district. An applicant for a vacancy who does not meet both requirements would not qualify for the seat.

If you are a parent or voter in the affected district

A vacancy doesn't trigger a special election; the county legislative body appoints. The appointee serves until the next general election. If you want the board to reflect a particular community choice, that has to come at the regular election cycle.

Common questions

Q: What happens between vacancy and appointment?
A: The opinion says the county legislative body fills the vacancy. It does not address interim board operations or quorum.

Background and statutory framework

Tennessee's two-layer residency requirement for school board members reflects the 1992 amendments. The county-residency rule predates the district-residency rule by decades. The Whalum decision confirmed that the 1992 amendment was substantive: it added a real district qualification, not just a procedural recital.

§ 8-48-101(3), the general state-office-vacancy statute, is consistent with this framework. It says vacancies occur when an officeholder ceases to reside in the relevant district. For school board members, the "relevant district" is both the county (under § 49-2-202(a)(5)) and the specific election district (under § 49-2-201(a)(1)).

Article VII, § 2 of the Tennessee Constitution is the constitutional anchor for filling county-office vacancies through the county legislative body, and the school-board-specific statutes implement that constitutional requirement. The appointed member serves until a successor is elected at the next election after the vacancy and is qualified.

Citations

• Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-2-202(a)(1) (county residency requirement)
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-2-202(a)(5) (county vacancy)
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-2-202(e)(1) (county legislative body fills vacancy)
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-2-201(a)(1) (district residency requirement)
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-48-101 (general office vacancy)
• Tenn. Const. art. VII, § 2 (constitutional vacancy-filling rule)
• Whalum v. Shelby County Election Comm'n, 2014 WL 4919601 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2014)

Subject

Residency Requirements for Members of County Boards of Education and Requirement for Filling a Vacancy on a County Board of Education

Source

• Landing page: https://www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral/opinions.html
• Original PDF: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/attorneygeneral/documents/ops/2021/op21-14.pdf

Original opinion text

Residency Requirements for Members of County Boards of Education and Requirement for Filling a Vacancy on a County Board of Education Question 1 If, during his or her term, a member of a county school board moves outside the district where he or she was elected but remains a resident of the county, is the office deemed vacant? Opinion 1 Question 2 If the answer to Question 1 is "yes", does the county commission fill the vacant office for the remainder of the term of the member who moved outside the district?

1. Vacancy due to member's removal of residence from district but not county.
   Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-2-202(a)(1) specifies as one of the qualifications for membership on county boards of education that the members "shall be residents and voters of the county in which they are elected." And, if "any member ceases to reside in the county, the office of the member shall become vacant." Id. § 49-2-202(a)(5). That county residency requirement has been part of the statutory scheme governing local boards of education since 1925. 1 When, in 1992, the legislature amended Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-2-201,² it included as an additional qualification that "[m]embers of county boards of education shall be residents of and 1 1925 Tenn. Pub. Acts, ch. 115, § 6. 2 1992 Tenn. Pub. Acts, ch. 535, § 39. STATE OF TENNESSEE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL September 1, 2021 Opinion No. 21-14 Residency Requirements for Members of County Boards of Education and Requirement for Filling a Vacancy on a County Board of Education Question 1 If, during his or her term, a member of a county school board moves outside the district where he or she was elected but remains a resident of the county,is the office deemed vacant? Opinion 1 Yes. Question 2 If the answer to Question 1 is “yes”, does the county commission fill the vacant office for the remainder of the term of the member who moved outside the district? Opinion 2 Yes. ANALYSIS
2. Vacancy due to member’s removal of residence from district but not county.
   Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-2-202(a)(1) specifies as one of the qualifications for membership on county boards of education that the members “shall be residents and voters of the county in which they are elected.” And, if “any member ceases to reside in the county, the office of the member shall become vacant.” Id. § 49-2-202(a)(5). That county residency requirement has been part of the statutory scheme governing local boards of education since 1925.1 When, in 1992, the legislature amended Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-2-201,2 it included as an additional qualification that “[m]embers of county boards of education shall be residents of and 1 1925 Tenn.Pub.Acts,ch.115,§ 6. 2 1992 Tenn.Pub.Acts,ch.535,§ 39. elected from districts "3 Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-2-201(a)(1). The Tennessee Court of Appeals has recognized that this amendment establishes, as a qualification for school board membership, As a result, the current statutory scheme governing membership on county boards of education requires that a board member be a resident of both the county and the district from which he or she is elected. It follows that, if a member ceases to reside in the district, a vacancy occurs even if the member still resides in the county because that member no longer satisfies both requirements for membership on the board. Tennessee Code Annotated § 8-48-101, which deals generally with vacancies in state offices, does not conflict with this statutory scheme which specifically governs vacancies on boards of education.⁴ Section 8-48-101 identifies generally the ways in which an office in the State may become vacant; it provides, among other things, that a vacancy occurs when the incumbent ceases "to be a resident of the state, or of the district, circuit, or county for which the incumbent was elected or appointed." Id. § 8-48-101(3). In other words, when an office holder is required to be a resident of a district, a vacancy occurs when he or she ceases to reside in the district, and when an fice holder is required to be a resident of a county, a vacancy occurs when he or she ceases to reside in the county. Since a school board member must be a resident of both the relevant county and the relevant district, a vacancy occurs when he or she ceases to be a resident of either the district or the county-or both. See Tenn. Att'y Gen. Op. No. 79-368 (Aug. 15, 1979), n. 1 ("pursuant to T.C.A. § 8-2801 once a Board member moves out of his district, he will have vacated this position on the school board representing that district.")
3. County legislative body required to fill vacancy on county school board.
   When a vacancy occurs on a county school board because a school board member has ceased to reside in the county, that member's unexpired term must be filled at the next regular meeting of the county legislative body, or at a special meeting of that body. Tenn. Code Ann.
   § 49-2-202(e)(1). Similarly, when a vacancy occurs because a school board member has ceased to reside in the district, that vacancy "shall be filled by the local legislative body." Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-2-201(a)(1). These two statutory requirements that vacancies on a county board of education be filled by the county legislative body are consistent with-indeed, are mandated by-article VII, section 2, of the Tennessee Constitution: "Vacancies in county offices shall be filled by the county legislative body, and any person so appointed shall serve until a successor is elected at the next 3 The legislat is presumed to know of its prior enactments and the state of the la when it enacts legislation, SO had it intended to replace the county residence requirement with a district residence requirement instead of adding the provision will control over a more general statutory provision."). 2 elected from districts . . . .”3 Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-2-201(a)(1). The Tennessee Court of Appeals has recognized that this amendment establishes, as a qualification for school board membership, residency in the district from which the member is elected. Whalum v. Shelby County Election Comm’n, No. W2013-02076-COA-R3CV, 2014 WL 4919601, at *9 (Tenn. Ct. App. Sept. 30, 2014). As a result, the current statutory scheme governing membership on county boards of education requiresthata board memberbe a residentofboth the county andthe district from which he or she is elected. It follows that, if a member ceases to reside in the district, a vacancy occurs even if the member still resides in the county because that member no longer satisfies both requirements for membership on the board. Tennessee Code Annotated § 8-48-101, which deals generally with vacancies in state offices, does not conflict with this statutory scheme which specifically governs vacancies on boards of education.4 Section 8-48-101 identifies generally the ways in which an office in the State may become vacant; it provides, among other things, that a vacancy occurs when the incumbent ceases “to be a resident of the state, or of the district, circuit, or county for which the incumbent was elected or appointed.” Id. § 8-48-101(3). In other words, when an office holder is required to be a resident of a district, a vacancy occurs when he or she ceases to reside in the district, and when an office holder is required to be a resident of a county, a vacancy occurs when he or she ceases to reside in the county. Since a school board member must be a resident of both the relevantcounty and the relevantdistrict,a vacancy occurswhenhe orshe ceasesto be a resident of eitherthe district orthe county—orboth. See Tenn.Att’y Gen.Op.No.79-368 (Aug.15, 1979), n. 1 (“pursuant to T.C.A. § 8–2801 once a Board member moves out of his district, he will have vacated this position on the school board representing that district.”)
4. County legislative body required to fill vacancy on county school board.
   When a vacancy occurs on a county school board because a school board member has ceased to reside in the county, that member’s unexpired term must be filled at the next regular meeting of the county legislative body, or at a special meeting of that body. Tenn. Code Ann.
   § 49-2-202(e)(1). Similarly, when a vacancy occurs because a school board member has ceased to reside in the district, that vacancy “shall be filled by the local legislative body.” Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-2-201(a)(1). These two statutory requirements that vacancies on a county board of education be filled by the county legislative body are consistent with—indeed,are mandated by—article VII, section 2, of the Tennessee Constitution: “Vacancies in county offices shall be filled by the county legislative body, and any person so appointed shall serve until a successor is elected at the next 3 The legislature ispresumedtoknowofitspriorenactmentsandthestate ofthelawwhenit enactslegislation,so had it intended to replace the county residence requirement with a district residence requirement instead of adding the district residence requirement for school board membership it could have and would have done so. Washington v. Robertson County,29S.W.3d 466,473(Tenn.2000). 4 Even if there were a conflict,themore specific statute would take precedence overthe generalstatute. Washington v. Robertson County.,29 S.W.3d 466,475 (Tenn.2000) (“Asa matterof statutory construction,a specific statutory provision .. . will controlovera more generalstatutory provision.”). election occurring after the vacancy and is qualified." Since county school board members qualify Constitution requires that any vacancy on the board must be filled by the county legislative body, such as the county commission. See also Tenn. Att'y Gen. Ops. No. 07-22 (Feb. 27, 2007), No. 10-88 (July 28, 2010), and No. 15-25 (Mar. 19, 2015) (vacancies on a county board of education may only be filled by the county legislative body until a successor can be elected, and any statutory provisions to the contrary would violate article VII, section 2 of the Tennessee Constitution). HERBERT H. SLATERY III Attorney General and Reporter ANDRÉE SOPHIA BLUMSTEIN Requested by: The Honorable Paul Bailey State Senator 425 Rep. John Lewis Way N. Suite 736 Cordell Hull Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243 3 election occurringafterthe vacancy and isqualified.” Since county schoolboardmembers qualify as county officers, see Jordan v. Knox County, 213 S.W.3d 751, 782 (Tenn.2007), the Tennessee Constitution requires that any vacancy on the board must be filled by the county legislative body, such as the county commission. See also Tenn. Att’y Gen. Ops. No. 07-22 (Feb. 27, 2007), No. 10-88 (July 28, 2010), and No. 15-25 (Mar. 19, 2015) (vacancies on a county board of education may only be filled by the county legislative body untila successorcan be elected,and any statutory provisions to the contrary would violate article VII, section 2 of the Tennessee Constitution). HERBERT H. SLATERY III Attorney General and Reporter ANDRÉE SOPHIA BLUMSTEIN Solicitor General Requested by: The Honorable Paul Bailey State Senator 425 Rep. John Lewis Way N. Suite 736 Cordell Hull Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243