HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 5911

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to school director positions, residency, and vacancies.

Brief Description:  Changing school director eligibility provisions.

Sponsors:  Senators Eide, Hochstatter and McAuliffe.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Education:  3/25/99, 4/1/99 [DPA].

                 Brief Summary of Bill

            (As Amended by House Committee)

$School directors from director districts who no longer live in the director district but do live in the school district may retain their offices for a time under three circumstances.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 13 members:  Representatives Quall, Democratic Co-Chair; Talcott, Republican Co-Chair; Haigh, Democratic Vice Chair; Schindler, Republican Vice Chair; Carlson; Cox; Keiser; Rockefeller; Santos; D. Schmidt; Schual-Berke; Stensen and Wensman.

Staff:  Susan Morrissey (786-7111).

Background:

School directors are elected by registered voters in regular elections.  To be elected in a school district election, candidates must be citizens of the United States and the state of Washington.  In addition, candidates must be registered voters in the school district or, if the school district has director districts, the candidates must be registered voters in the director district in which they run.

Summary of Amended Bill:

School directors from director districts who no longer live in the director district but do live in the school district may retain their offices for a time under three circumstances:

 1.If,  as a result of redistricting, their residences are placed outside the director districts, they may remain their offices for the remainder of their terms.

2.If they move into another residence in the district before the filing date for the upcoming regular election, they may serve until their successors are elected and assume office.

3.If they move after the filing date for the upcoming regular election, they may serve out the remainder of their terms.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  School directors who move between the filing date for the regular election and the election may serve out the remainder of their terms.  School directors who are redistricted out of their director districts may serve out the remainder of their terms.  School directors must continue to reside in the district to be eligible to serve.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Amended Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Some districts, including Seattle, nominate school directors by director district but elect them district-wide.  Every year, about a half dozen qualified school directors must resign because they move within their school districts.  This legislation would allow them to continue to serve until the next school board election.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Senator Eide, prime sponsor; and Dwayne Slate, Washington State School Directors' Association.