S-3516               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 4605

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senators Bauer and Patterson

Read first time 1/17/86 and referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to school district reorganization; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.57 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.57 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The board of directors of any school district with an average daily attendance of thirty thousand students or more during each of the preceding five consecutive school years, shall report such information in writing to the regional committee on school district organization by November 1 of each year.  Within thirty days of receipt of the written notice required under this section, the regional committee on school district organization shall commence formal proceedings, pursuant to chapter 28A.57 RCW, to reduce the school district's student population below the thirty thousand student enrollment level.  Such reduction shall be accomplished by establishing two or more school districts or by the transfer of territory to a neighboring district or districts, or by a combination of transfer of territory and creation of new districts.

          (2) Any proceedings commenced under this section shall provide for citizen involvement.  The regional committee on school district organization shall hold at least one public hearing in each director district of the district in which the enrollment exceeds thirty thousand students, if the school district is so divided, to receive testimony from the public on any issues relating to proposals to change the districts's boundaries.  If the school district directors are elected at-large, there shall be no fewer than five public hearings.  Any proposal involving the transfer of territory shall require at least one public hearing in each district which shall receive the transfer of territory.  The regional committee shall provide that notice of each hearing be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the area where the school district is located.  The last notice of hearing shall be published not later than seven days immediately before the final hearing.

          (3) Pursuant to RCW 28A.57.060, the final proposal recommended by the regional committee on school district organization to adjust the boundaries of any district affected by this section shall be subject to the approval of the state board of education.

          (4) Any proceedings commenced by the regional committee on school district organization under this section shall culminate in adjusted school district boundaries and enrollment levels not later than two years from the date that the proceedings are commenced.

          (5) The election of school directors for any new school district or districts created as a result of this section shall be governed by the applicable provisions of chapter 28A.57 RCW and Title 29 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.