SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHB 1120

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                   Education, March 21, 1997

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

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Education:  3/20/97, 3/21/97 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Hochstatter, Chair; Finkbeiner, Vice Chair; Goings, Johnson, Rasmussen and Zarelli.

Staff:  Susan Mielke (786-7422)

Background:  Under current law, the Legislature does not set school boundaries, but has established statutory procedures for changing school district boundaries due to annexation or the transfer of property. 

Generally, each city or town is required to be in one school district.  If a city or town extends its limits to include any part of a school district operating on Aone site,@ then the annexed property automatically becomes part of the school district containing the city or town. 

If a town extends its limits to include any part of a school district operating on more than one site, then the issue goes before the regional committee of the educational service district.  The regional committee decides which school district will contain the annexed property.  The members of the regional committee are selected by the boards of directors of the school districts in the educational service district.

Summary of Bill:  The automatic transfer of annexed property of a one-site school district to an annexing city or town is changed.  If a city or town annexes property in a one-site school district and the annexed property contains a school building, then the regional committee has the discretion to decide which school district contains the property. 

The provision permitting the regional committee to decide which school district contains annexed property when a town extends its limits to include any part of a school district operating on more than one site remains unchanged.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  This bill eliminates the automatic transfer of the property of a Aone-site@ school district.  It means that districts will not be treated differently just because of the geographic location of their schools.  It permits a voter to vote on an annexation measure solely on the merits of annexation and not have to consider whether the annexation will negatively impact their school district.  It allows communities to have input using the existing regional committee process established by the Legislature.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Representative Koster, prime sponsor; Wayne Robertson, Superintendent, Lakewood School District; Linda Byrnes, Superintendent, Arlington School District.