Third Substitute H.B. 22

Senator Millie M. Peterson proposes to substitute the following bill:

1 SCHOOL DISTRICT SIZE
2 2000 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: David N. Cox
5 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; REQUIRING THE STATE BOARD OF
6 EDUCATION TO CONDUCT A STUDY AND MAKE A REPORT ON WHETHER THERE
7 SHOULD BE AN OPTIMUM SIZE FOR SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS BASED ON
8 STUDENT POPULATION.
9 This act enacts uncodified material.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
11 Section 1. School and school district size study -- Report.
12 (1) The State Board of Education shall conduct a study during the year 2000 interim to
13 determine:
14 (a) if there should be an optimum size for schools and school districts within the state's
15 public education system, based upon student population;
16 (b) whether smaller or larger schools and school districts, in terms of student population,
17 would better promote the mission and maintain the characteristics of the state's public education
18 system detailed in Sections 53A-1a-103 and 53A-1a-104 ; and
19 (c) whether a ceiling or range on the size of schools and school districts, in terms of
20 student population, should be established in statute.
21 (2) The board shall include consideration of the following issues in its study:
22 (a) the benefits to students and their parents associated with having smaller or larger
23 schools and school districts;
24 (b) economies of scale in terms of administrative and support costs associated with having
25 smaller schools and districts and how those costs if increased by having smaller districts could be

26 mitigated;
27 (c) the acquisition, transfer, construction, and maintenance of capital facilities associated
28 with creating smaller or larger school districts;
29 (d) space sharing with business and school models with long-range community needs; and
30 (e) the process by which:
31 (i) larger districts could be divided into smaller districts;
32 (ii) smaller districts consolidated into larger districts; and
33 (iii) new districts would be created as the state's student population continues to grow.
34 (3) In conducting its study, the board shall seek input from:
35 (a) local school boards and local school superintendents;
36 (b) public school administrators, educators, and classified personnel;
37 (c) higher education personnel from the state's colleges of education;
38 (d) students and parents of students;
39 (e) the business community; and
40 (f) the general public.
41 (4) (a) The board may establish a task force or use a subcommittee of the board to facilitate
42 the study.
43 (b) The board shall make a report of its findings, together with any recommendations for
44 proposed legislation, to the Education Interim Committee and the Strategic Planning for Public and
45 Higher Education Committee prior to November 30, 2000.