The Appellants seek reversal of the November 22, 2011 decision of the local board of directors of the Spencer Community School District to realign the elementary grades in the District's three elementary schools, commencing with the 2012-13 school year. The issue is whether voting to restructure the buildings under a grade-alike concept was contrary to the local board's statutory authority or was done for irrational reasons.

The record shows that substantial, credible reasons existed to justify rejection of a grade-alike restructuring. But the record also shows that substantial, credible reasons existed to justify the grade-alike restructuring. Under the abuse of discretion standard, it simply is irrelevant whether the superior decision would have been to not restructure the elementary buildings as a grade-alike system. Even if we view all of the underlying facts in the light most favorable to the Appellants, we must conclude that a reasonable person could reach the same conclusion as was reached by the Spencer board.

There is no fraud and no abuse of discretion established by the record presented here. The local school board exercised its statutory authority for reasons that were neither arbitrary nor irrational. There are no legal grounds for reversal by this Board.

The decision of the Board of Directors of the Spencer Community School District made on November 22, 2011, restructuring the three elementary schools as described herein is AFFIRMED.