Appellant sought reversal of the decision of the Board of Directors of the Nodaway Valley Community School District made on March 20, 2002 to realign grades at its elementary attendance centers, located in Greenfield and Bridgewater, Iowa. The focus of this appeal was an examination of the process followed by the Nodaway Valley Board in making its decision to realign its elementary grades at its East and West attendance centers. The District contended that it substantially complied with the Barker guidelines in making its March 20, 2002 decision.

In contrast, Appellants argue that the District Board's March 20, 2002 decision should be reversed because the Board did not follow the Barker guidelines. The administrative law judge heard extensive testimony from parents, members of the public, Board members, and district administrators. The administrative law judge concluded that the Board of the Nodaway Valley Community School District substantially complied with the Barker guidelines in making its March 20, 2002 decision.

We now concluded that in the future, when local boards consider grade realignment, the full Barker guidelines will not apply. The concerns for loss of identity to a neighborhood and for schisms in the community are not present to the same degree in a grade realignment as in a building closing. The Barker Guidelines will continue to apply to building closings. Instead, we established four procedural standards for reasonableness as guidelines for local boards to follow when considering grade realignments.

That the decision of the Board of Directors of the Nodaway Valley Community School District made on March 20, 2002, was affirmed.