H.B. 234

             1     

SCHOOL DISTRICT DIVISION AMENDMENTS

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Jim Bird

             5     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill makes changes to certain new school district creation procedures.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    changes a process of creating a new school district by requiring a majority vote of
             13      residents located within each affected school district; and
             14          .    makes clarifying and technical corrections.
             15      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             16          None
             17      Other Special Clauses:
             18          None
             19      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             20      AMENDS:
             21           53A-2-118 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 230
             22     
             23      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             24          Section 1. Section 53A-2-118 is amended to read:
             25           53A-2-118. Creation of new school district -- Initiation of process -- Procedures
             26      to be followed.
             27          (1) A new school district may be created from one or more existing school districts, as


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


             59          (f) Within 45 days after the filing of a petition under Subsection (2)(a)(i) or five
             60      business days after the filing of a request under Subsection (2)(a)(ii) or (iii), the clerk of each
             61      county with which a request or petition is filed shall:
             62          (i) determine whether the request or petition complies with Subsections (2)(a), (b), (d),
             63      and (e), as applicable; and
             64          (ii) (A) if the county clerk determines that the request or petition complies with the
             65      applicable requirements:
             66          (I) certify the request or petition and deliver the certified request or petition to the
             67      county legislative body; and
             68          (II) mail or deliver written notification of the certification to the contact sponsor; or
             69          (B) if the county clerk determines that the request or petition fails to comply with any
             70      of the applicable requirements, reject the request or petition and notify the contact sponsor in
             71      writing of the rejection and reasons for the rejection.
             72          (g) If the county clerk fails to certify or reject a request or petition within the time
             73      specified in Subsection (2)(f), the request or petition shall be considered to be certified.
             74          (h) (i) If the county clerk rejects a request or petition, the request or petition may be
             75      amended to correct the deficiencies for which it was rejected and then refiled.
             76          (ii) Subsection (2)(d) does not apply to a request or petition that is amended and refiled
             77      after having been rejected by a county clerk.
             78          (i) If a county legislative body receives a request from a school board under Subsection
             79      (2)(a)(ii) or a petition under Subsection (2)(a)(i) which is certified by the county clerk on or
             80      before December 1:
             81          (i) the county legislative body shall appoint an ad hoc advisory committee, as provided
             82      by Subsection (3), on or before January 1;
             83          (ii) the ad hoc advisory committee shall submit its report and recommendations to the
             84      county legislative body, as provided by Subsection (3), on or before July 1; and
             85          (iii) if the legislative body of each county with which a request or petition is filed
             86      approves a proposal to create a new school district, the proposal shall be submitted to the
             87      respective county clerk to be voted on by the electors of each existing school district at the
             88      regular general or municipal general election held in November.
             89          (3) (a) The legislative body of each county with which a request or petition is filed


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


             121          (ii) in accordance with the procedures and requirements applicable to a regular general
             122      election under Title 20A, Election Code; and
             123          (iii) at the next regular general election or municipal general election, whichever is
             124      first.
             125          (e) Creation of the new school district shall occur if a majority of the [electors] voters
             126      within [both] the proposed new school district and each remaining school district voting on the
             127      proposal vote in favor of the creation of the new school district.
             128          (f) Each county legislative body shall comply with the requirements of Section
             129      53A-2-101.5 .
             130          (g) If a proposal submitted under Subsection (2)(a)(i) or (ii) to create a new school
             131      district is approved by the [electors] voters, the existing school district's documented costs to
             132      study and implement the proposal shall be reimbursed by the new school district.
             133          (5) (a) If a proposal submitted under Subsection (2)(a)(iii) is certified under Subsection
             134      (2)(f) or (g), the legislative body of each county in which part of the proposed new school
             135      district is located shall submit the proposal to the respective clerk of each county to be voted
             136      on:
             137          (i) by the legal voters [residing within the proposed new] of each existing school
             138      district [boundaries];
             139          (ii) in accordance with the procedures and requirements applicable to a regular general
             140      election under Title 20A, Election Code; and
             141          (iii) at the next regular general election or municipal general election, whichever is
             142      first.
             143          (b) (i) If a majority of the legal voters within the proposed new school district
             144      [boundaries] and a majority of the legal voters within each remaining school district voting on
             145      the proposal at an election under Subsection (5)(a) vote in favor of the creation of the new
             146      school district:
             147          (A) each county legislative body shall comply with the requirements of Section
             148      53A-2-101.5 ; and
             149          (B) upon the lieutenant governor's issuance of the certificate under Section 67-1a-6.5 ,
             150      the new school district is created.
             151          (ii) Notwithstanding the creation of a new school district as provided in Subsection


             152      (5)(b)(i)(B):
             153          (A) a new school district may not begin to provide educational services to the area
             154      within the new school district until July 1 of the second calendar year following the school
             155      board general election date described in Subsection 53A-2-118.1 (3)(a)(i);
             156          (B) a remaining school district may not begin to provide educational services to the
             157      area within the remaining school district until the time specified in Subsection (5)(b)(ii)(A);
             158      and
             159          (C) each existing school district shall continue, until the time specified in Subsection
             160      (5)(b)(ii)(A), to provide educational services within the entire area covered by the existing
             161      school district.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 11-18-13 4:39 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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