H-271                _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 252

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives Allen, Unsoeld, P. King, May and Brough

Read first time 1/22/87 and referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to education; amending RCW 28A.57.200; and providing an effective date.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 4, chapter 15, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess. as amended by section 24, chapter 385, Laws of 1985 and RCW 28A.57.200 are each amended to read as follows:

          In case any school district shall have an average enrollment of fewer than ((five)) one thousand kindergarten through eighth grade pupils during the preceding school year, including the 1984-85 school year and any subsequent school year, or shall not have made a reasonable effort to maintain, during the preceding school year at least the minimum term of school required by law, the educational service district superintendent shall report said fact to the regional committee, which committee shall dissolve the school district and annex the territory thereof to some other district or districts:  PROVIDED, That for the purposes of this section, in addition to any other finding, "reasonable effort" shall be deemed to mean the attempt to make up whatever days are short of the legal requirement by the conducting of school classes on any days to include available holidays, though not to include Saturdays and Sundays, prior to June 15 of that year:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That school districts operating an extended school year program, most commonly implemented as a 45-15 plan, shall be deemed to be making a reasonable effort:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That in the event any school district has suffered any interruption in its normal school calendar due to a strike or other work stoppage or slowdown by any of its employees such district shall not be subject to the requirements of this section:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That the state board of education may adopt rules establishing criteria by which school districts with fewer than one thousand pupils but with at least five pupils by reason of geography are sufficiently remote to remain a separate school district.  In case any territory is not a part of any school district, the educational service district superintendent shall present to the regional committee a proposal for the annexation of said territory to some contiguous district or districts.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     This act shall take effect September 1, 1987.  The regional committees and the state board of education shall take whatever steps are necessary in order for it to take effect on the effective date.