HOUSE BILL REPORT

SSB 5013

BYSenate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senator Owen)

Relating to second class school districts changing back to having directors run at-large.

House Committe on Education

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  (16)

      Signed by Representatives Peery, Chair; G. Fisher, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Republican Member; Brumsickle, Cole, Dorn, Horn, Jones, P. King, Phillips, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Schoon, Walker and K. Wilson.

House Staff:Susan Patrick (786-7111)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 2, 1990

BACKGROUND:

Under current law, certain school districts are ineligible to dissolve their director districts and return to a system of electing some of their school board members on an at-large basis.  Allowing districts to elect their directors both at-large and from director districts could assist districts in recruiting school board candidates.

SUMMARY:

Second class school districts may dissolve their director districts upon approval of the registered voters of the district.  No fewer than three school board members from director districts and no more than two school board members at-large may then be elected.  No more than two school directors may reside in the same director district.

Current statutory provisions governing the dissolution process are not changed:  (1) at least 20 percent of the registered voters of the district must sign a petition or the school board must adopt a motion requesting dissolution of the director districts; (2) the petition or motion must be submitted to the educational service district superintendent and the county auditor shall call for a special election; and (3) if a majority of the voters approve, the district's directors shall be elected either at-large or from director districts upon expiration of the terms of the incumbent directors.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Senator Brad Owen; and Larry Swift, Washington State School Directors' Association.

House Committee - Testified Against:      No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The purpose of this bill is very simple.  We want to be sure that there are a full five members on school district boards of directors.  In small districts it is often difficult to find someone to run when the district is divided into director districts.  In some cases this has resulted in vacant positions on the board or appointment of board members rather than election by the residents of the district.  This is a problem for small school districts with 2,000 or less students.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None.