279.18 Appeal by teacher to court.
1. If a teacher rejects the board’s decision, the teacher shall, within thirty days of the initial filing of such decision, appeal to the district court of the county in which the administrative office of the school district is located. The notice of appeal shall be immediately mailed by certified mail to the board. The secretary of the board shall transmit to the reviewing court the original or a certified copy of the entire record which may be the subject of the petition.\n\nTue Dec 09 22:17:58 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 279 (98, 4) 13 DIRECTORS — POWERS AND DUTIES, §279.19\n\nBy stipulation of all parties to the review proceedings, the record of such a case may be shortened. A party unreasonably refusing to stipulate to limit the record may be taxed by the court for the additional cost. The court may require or permit subsequent corrections or additions to the shortened record.
2. In proceedings for judicial review of the board’s decision, the court shall not hear any further evidence but shall hear the case upon the certified record. In such judicial review, especially when considering the credibility of witnesses, the court shall give weight to the decision of the board, but shall not be bound by it. The court may affirm the board’s decision or remand to the board for further proceedings upon conditions determined by the court. The court shall reverse, modify, or grant any other appropriate equitable or legal relief from the board decision, including declaratory relief, if substantial rights of the petitioner have been prejudiced because the action is any of the following:
a. In violation of constitutional or statutory provisions.
b. In excess of the statutory authority of the board.
c. In violation of a board rule or policy or contract.
d. Made upon unlawful procedure.
e. Affected by other error of law.
f. Unsupported by a preponderance of the competent evidence in the record made before the board when that record is viewed as a whole.
g. Unreasonable, arbitrary, or capricious or characterized by an abuse of discretion or a clearly unwarranted exercise of discretion.
3. An aggrieved or adversely affected party to the judicial review proceeding may obtain a review of any final judgment of the district court by appeal to the supreme court. The appeal shall be taken as in other civil cases, although the appeal may be taken regardless of the amount involved.
4. For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires, “teacher” shall include but not be limited to an instructor employed by a community college. [C77, 79, 81, §279.18] 2002 Acts, ch 1047, §15; 2017 Acts, ch 2, §34, 48, 49 Referred to in §256.103, 256.160, 260C.39, 273.22, 275.33, 279.13, 279.16, 279.19B, 279.27 \n
Notes of Decisions
Walthart v. Bd. of Directors of Edgewood-Colesburg Cmty. Sch. Dist., 667 N.W.2d 873 (Iowa 2003).
· cites it 38× “17, the action of the board becomes final (1) if a teacher does not appeal to an adjudicator within ten days of the “determination of the board,” Iowa Code § 279.17 (first numbered paragraph); or (2) if an adjudicator appeal is taken, the adjudicator’s decision is filed, and…”
Fay v. Bd. of Directors of North-linn, Etc., 298 N.W.2d 345 (Iowa Ct. App. 1980).
· cites it 16× “Exercising his prerogative under section 279.17, petitioner appealed the Board's decision to an adjudicator who, on June 14, 1979, reversed that decision, found no just cause to terminate petitioner's contract, and ordered the Board to offer him a contract for the 1979-80 school…”
Walthart v. Bd. of Dirs. of Edco Sc. Dist., 694 N.W.2d 740 (Iowa 2005).
· cites it 10× “Following the board’s vote to terminate her, Walthart filed a notice of appeal to an adjudicator under Iowa Code section 279.17. She claimed the termination violated statutory and constitutional provisions; was in excess of the statutory authority of the board; violated board…”
Stafford v. Valley Cmty. Sch. Dist., 298 N.W.2d 307 (Iowa 1980).
· cites it 15× “She had sought to compel defendants to process her notice of appeal to an adjudicator, under section 279.17, The Code 1979, so that she could challenge defendants’ decision to terminate her teaching contract.”
Wollenzien v. Bd. of Ed. of Manson, 297 N.W.2d 215 (Iowa 1980).
· cites it 12× “Thereafter, pursuant to section 279.17, plaintiff appealed her termination to an adjudicator.”
McFarland v. Bd. of Educ., 277 N.W.2d 901 (Iowa 1979).
· cites it 8× “The adjudicator, selected pursuant to section 279.17, concluded he did not have jurisdiction to hear the appeal and dismissed it.”
Bruton v. Ames Cmty. Sch. Dist., 291 N.W.2d 351 (Iowa 1980).
· cites it 4× “13, The Code 1975 (“the action of the board shall be final”), with §§ 279.17 and 279.18, The Code 1977 (under section 279.”
Christiansen v. West Branch Cmty. Sch. Dist., 674 F.3d 927 (8th Cir. 2012).
“Here, the district court dismissed Christiansen’s procedural due process claims as unexhausted because he failed to appeal his termination to an adjudicator under Iowa Code § 279.17 . Christiansen asserts dismissal was improper on this basis because “exhaustion of state…”
Bd. of Ed. of Fort Madison Cmty. v. Youel, 282 N.W.2d 677 (Iowa 1979).
· cites it 2× “Youel appealed to an adjudicator selected by the process described in § 279.17. The case was submitted to him on the record made before the Board, and he subsequently filed an opinion reversing the Board and ordering Youel’s reinstatement.”
Ar-We-Va Cmty. Sch. Dist. v. Long, 292 N.W.2d 402 (Iowa 1980).
· cites it 4× “The applicants, as nonprobationary teachers, appealed the decision of the board to an adjudicator as allowed by section 279.17. Following an evaluation of the entire record, the adjudicator concluded that the terminations were in violation of the master contract between the…”
— Iowa Code § 279.17(7) — 1 case
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