FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1222

                         C 228 L 91

                     Synopsis As Enacted

Brief Description:  Placing the responsibility for the formation of school directors' districts with the districts' boards of directors.

By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Betrozoff, Peery, Brumsickle, G. Fisher, Brough, Holland, Paris, Broback, Nealey and Orr).

House Committee on Education

Senate Committee on Education

Background:  There is a question about the correlation between the school director district laws and the census laws regarding the procedure to be followed in redividing school director districts after a census has been taken.  Under the school director district laws, the regional committee of each educational service district plays a decisive role in dividing or redividing director districts.  Under the census law, the school boards have the authority to redivide the director districts.  The issue is whether it is the school board or the regional committee which has the authority to divide or redivide director districts. 

Current law prohibits more than two directors from residing within the boundaries of a director district in second class school districts which maintain a system allowing members of the board of directors to be elected from a combination of three director districts and two director at-large districts.

Summary:  The school board of each school district is given the responsibility and authority to divide or redivide director districts no later than eight months after any of the following:

(1)  Receipt of federal decennial census data from the redistricting commission;

(2)  Consolidation of two or more districts into one district;

(3)  Transfer of territory to or from the district;

(4)  Annexation of territory to or from the district; or

(5)  Approval by a majority of the registered voters voting on a proposition authorizing the division of school districts not already divided into directors' districts.

All divisions and redivisions must be done in accordance with the legal procedure and criteria for redistricting.

District boundary changes, including changes in director district boundaries, must be submitted to the county auditor within 30 days after the changes have been approved by the school district board of directors.  Any boundary changes submitted to the county auditor after the fourth Monday in June of odd-numbered years shall not take effect until the following year.

The statute which prohibits more than two directors from residing within a director district in second class school districts in which the directors are elected from a combination of three director districts and two at-large districts is repealed.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  98   0

Senate 44   0    (Senate amended)

House  96   0    (House concurred)

Effective:    May 20, 1991