FINAL BILL REPORT

SB 5120

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Background: Educational Service Districts (ESDs) are regional agencies that provide services to school districts and assist the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and State Board of Education. There are nine ESDs. Each ESD has a regional committee on school district organization composed of registered voters in the ESD. There is a statutory public process that the regional committee must follow to transfer school district territory from one district to another, consolidate one or more school districts with one or more school districts, or dissolve a school district and annex the territory to another district or districts.

If a school district's enrollment drops below five students in kindergarten through eighth grade in the prior school year, the ESD must report this information to the regional committee which must then dissolve the school district. The school district is then annexed into another school district or districts.

Summary: The criteria for the dissolution of a school district based on student enrollment is changed to require three consecutive years of an average enrollment of fewer than five students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate	43	4
House	89	8