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S.B. 123

             1     

SCHOOL DISTRICT DIVISION PROCESS

             2     
2009 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Lyle W. Hillyard

             5     
House Sponsor: ____________

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill changes certain new school district creation procedures.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    changes a process to create a new school district by requiring a vote of residents
             13      within the entire existing school district.
             14      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             15          None
             16      Other Special Clauses:
             17          None
             18      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             19      AMENDS:
             20          53A-2-118, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 92
             21     
             22      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             23          Section 1. Section 53A-2-118 is amended to read:
             24           53A-2-118. Creation of new school district -- Initiation of process -- Procedures
             25      to be followed.
             26          (1) A new school district may be created from one or more existing school districts, as
             27      provided in this section.


             28          (2) (a) The process to create a new school district may be initiated:
             29          (i) through a citizens' initiative petition;
             30          (ii) at the request of the board of the existing district or districts to be affected by the
             31      creation of the new district; or
             32          (iii) at the request of a city within the boundaries of the school district or at the request
             33      of interlocal agreement participants, pursuant to Section 53A-2-118.1 .
             34          (b) (i) Each petition submitted under Subsection (2)(a)(i) shall be signed by qualified
             35      electors residing within the geographical boundaries of the proposed new school district equal
             36      in number to at least 15% of the number of electors in the area who voted for the office of
             37      governor at the last regular general election.
             38          (ii) Each request or petition submitted under Subsection (2)(a) shall:
             39          (A) be filed with the clerk of each county in which any part of the proposed new school
             40      district is located;
             41          (B) indicate the typed or printed name and current residence address of each governing
             42      board member making a request, or registered voter signing a petition, as the case may be;
             43          (C) describe the proposed new school district boundaries; and
             44          (D) designate up to five signers of the petition or request as sponsors, one of whom
             45      shall be designated as the contact sponsor, with the mailing address and telephone number of
             46      each.
             47          (c) A signer of a petition under Subsection (2)(a)(i) may withdraw or, once withdrawn,
             48      reinstate the signer's signature at any time before the filing of the petition by filing a written
             49      withdrawal or reinstatement with the county clerk.
             50          (d) The process under Subsection (2)(a)(i) may only be initiated once during any
             51      four-year period.
             52          (e) A new district may not be formed pursuant to Subsection (2)(a) if the student
             53      population of the proposed new district is less than 3,000 or the existing district's student
             54      population would be less than 3,000 because of the creation of the new school district.
             55          (f) Within 45 days after the filing of a petition under Subsection (2)(a)(i) or five
             56      business days after the filing of a request under Subsection (2)(a)(ii) or (iii), the clerk of each
             57      county with which a request or petition is filed shall:
             58          (i) determine whether the request or petition complies with Subsections (2)(a), (b), (d),


             59      and (e), as applicable; and
             60          (ii) (A) if the county clerk determines that the request or petition complies with the
             61      applicable requirements:
             62          (I) certify the request or petition and deliver the certified request or petition to the
             63      county legislative body; and
             64          (II) mail or deliver written notification of the certification to the contact sponsor; or
             65          (B) if the county clerk determines that the request or petition fails to comply with any
             66      of the applicable requirements, reject the request or petition and notify the contact sponsor in
             67      writing of the rejection and reasons for the rejection.
             68          (g) If the county clerk fails to certify or reject a request or petition within the time
             69      specified in Subsection (2)(f), the request or petition shall be considered to be certified.
             70          (h) (i) If the county clerk rejects a request or petition, the request or petition may be
             71      amended to correct the deficiencies for which it was rejected and then refiled.
             72          (ii) Subsection (2)(d) does not apply to a request or petition that is amended and refiled
             73      after having been rejected by a county clerk.
             74          (i) If a county legislative body receives a request from a school board under Subsection
             75      (2)(a)(ii) or a petition under Subsection (2)(a)(i) which is certified by the county clerk on or
             76      before December 1:
             77          (i) the county legislative body shall appoint an ad hoc advisory committee, as provided
             78      by Subsection (3), on or before January 1;
             79          (ii) the ad hoc advisory committee shall submit its report and recommendations to the
             80      county legislative body, as provided by Subsection (3), on or before July 1; and
             81          (iii) if the legislative body of each county with which a request or petition is filed
             82      approves a proposal to create a new district, the proposal shall be submitted to the respective
             83      county clerk to be voted on by the electors of each existing district at the regular general or
             84      municipal general election held in November.
             85          (3) (a) The legislative body of each county with which a request or petition is filed
             86      shall appoint an ad hoc advisory committee to review and make recommendations on a request
             87      for the creation of a new school district submitted under Subsection (2)(a)(i) or (ii).
             88          (b) The advisory committee shall:
             89          (i) seek input from:


             90          (A) those requesting the creation of the new school district;
             91          (B) the school board and school personnel of each existing school district;
             92          (C) those citizens residing within the geographical boundaries of each existing school
             93      district;
             94          (D) the State Board of Education; and
             95          (E) other interested parties;
             96          (ii) review data and gather information on at least:
             97          (A) the financial viability of the proposed new school district;
             98          (B) the proposal's financial impact on each existing school district;
             99          (C) the exact placement of school district boundaries; and
             100          (D) the positive and negative effects of creating a new school district and whether the
             101      positive effects outweigh the negative if a new school district were to be created; and
             102          (iii) make a report to the county legislative body in a public meeting on the committee's
             103      activities, together with a recommendation on whether to create a new school district.
             104          (4) For a request or petition submitted under Subsection (2)(a)(i) or (2)(a)(ii):
             105          (a) The county legislative body shall provide for a 45-day public comment period on
             106      the report and recommendation to begin on the day the report is given under Subsection
             107      (3)(b)(iii).
             108          (b) Within 14 days after the end of the comment period, the legislative body of each
             109      county with which a request or petition is filed shall vote on the creation of the proposed new
             110      school district.
             111          (c) The proposal is approved if a majority of the members of the legislative body of
             112      each county with which a request or petition is filed votes in favor of the proposal.
             113          (d) If the proposal is approved, the legislative body of each county with which a
             114      request or petition is filed shall submit the proposal to the county clerk to be voted on:
             115          (i) by the legal voters of each existing school district;
             116          (ii) in accordance with the procedures and requirements applicable to a regular general
             117      election under Title 20A, Election Code; and
             118          (iii) at the next regular general election or municipal general election, whichever is
             119      first.
             120          (e) Creation of the new school district shall occur if a majority of the electors within


             121      both the proposed school district and each remaining school district voting on the proposal vote
             122      in favor of the creation of the new district.
             123          (f) Each county legislative body shall provide notice of the action as required in Section
             124      53A-2-101.5 .
             125          (g) If a proposal submitted under Subsection (2)(a)(i) or (ii) to create a new district is
             126      approved by the electors, the existing district's documented costs to study and implement the
             127      proposal shall be reimbursed by the new district.
             128          (5) (a) If a proposal submitted under Subsection (2)(a)(iii) is certified under Subsection
             129      (2)(f) or (g), the legislative body of each county in which part of the proposed new school
             130      district is located shall submit the proposal to the respective clerk of each county to be voted
             131      on:
             132          (i) by the legal voters residing within the [proposed new] existing school district
             133      boundaries;
             134          (ii) in accordance with the procedures and requirements applicable to a regular general
             135      election under Title 20A, Election Code; and
             136          (iii) at the next regular general election or municipal general election, whichever is
             137      first.
             138          (b) (i) If a majority of the legal voters within the [proposed new] existing school
             139      district boundaries voting on the proposal at an election under Subsection (5)(a) vote in favor
             140      of the creation of the new district:
             141          (A) each county legislative body shall, within 60 days after the canvass date, file with
             142      the lieutenant governor the written notice, with the accompanying map or plat, required under
             143      Section 53A-2-101.5 ; and
             144          (B) upon the lieutenant governor's issuance of the certificate under Section 67-1a-6.5 ,
             145      the new district is created.
             146          (ii) Notwithstanding the creation of a new district as provided in Subsection
             147      (5)(b)(i)(B):
             148          (A) a new school district may not begin to provide educational services to the area
             149      within the new district until July 1 of the second calendar year following the creation election
             150      date;
             151          (B) a remaining district may not begin to provide educational services to the area


             152      within the remaining district until the time specified in Subsection (5)(b)(ii)(A); and
             153          (C) each existing district shall continue, until the time specified in Subsection
             154      (5)(b)(ii)(A), to provide educational services within the entire area covered by the existing
             155      district.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-26-09 9:57 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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