HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1120

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to school district territory included in city and town boundary extensions.

Brief Description:  Changing provisions relating to territory included in city and town boundary extensions.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Koster, Costa, Johnson and Scott; by request of Board of Education).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Education:  1/23/97, 2/6/97 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  2/21/97, 95‑0.

Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives Johnson, Chairman; Hickel, Vice Chairman; Cole, Ranking Minority Member; Keiser, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Linville; Smith; Sterk; Sump; Talcott and Veloria.

Staff:  Joe Hauth (786-7111).

Background:  The Legislature enacted the Acity or town districts@ statute in 1909. The  policy objective behind the statute is to ensure that each city or town is served by a single school district.  The Legislature has added several procedural requirements to change school district boundaries in response to city or town boundary changes. 

In some town or city boundary extensions, the educational service district superintendent must automatically transfer school district territory that is located within the annexed territory to the school district affiliated with the city or town that is annexing the territory.  The educational service district superintendent must take this action when the city or town boundary extension affects a school district that:

-operates all schools on a single site, or

-operates only elementary schools on two or more sites. 

If the school district territory included in the annexation contains a school building, the educational service district superintendent must also propose to a regional committee, how the remaining school district territory will be handled.

When a city or town that is expanding its boundaries includes a school district that operates elementary schools on more than one site or operates junior high or high schools, the regional committee may, at its discretion and subject to several provisions, submit a proposal to the State Board of Education regarding the transfer of any part or all of the school district=s territory to the district affiliated with the annexed territory.

Summary of Bill:  Regional committees may propose to transfer school districts affected by city or town annexations at their discretion.

Educational service district superintendents no longer must transfer school district territory that is located within the annexed territory to the school district affiliated with the city or town that is annexing the territory if the school district in the annexed territory operates all schools on a single site, or operates only elementary schools on two or more sites.  Regional committees may propose to transfer any part or all of a school district resulting from a town or city boundary extension at their discretion.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 17, 1997.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  The automatic transfer of school district territory has had a negative effect on families and students.  Small districts suffer financial distress and undue enrollment and boundary changes due to the current requirement.  School district boundary changes should be made by the regional committees.  Please be cautious in amending this statute. 

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Koster, prime sponsor; Bobbie May, State Board of Education; David Weiser, Mayor, city of Marysville; Linda Byrnes, Arlington School District; Wayne Robertson, Lakewood School District; Bob Kraski, Mayor, city of Arlington; and John Davis, Clover Park School District.