School districts-reorganization.

WORKING DRAFT
2007
STATE OF
WYOMING
07LSO-0154

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0147

School districts-re
organization
.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Illoway

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to
school district organization; providing for the reorganization of existing school districts within the state as specified; establishing county committees for this purpose; imposing a consolidation planning process and reporting requirements; imposing duties upon the state superintendent and state board of education;
and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

W.S. 21
‑
6
‑
301 through 21
‑
6
‑
3
03
are created to read:

ARTICLE 3
SCHOOL DISTRICT
REORGANIZATION

21
‑
6
‑
301.

D
efinitions.

(a)

A
s used in this article:

(i)

"
County committee" means
the county planning committee for the reorganization of school districts in accordance with this article;

(ii)

"
Reorganization plan" means
:

(A)

For all but Fremont County, Wyoming,
a plan which places all the territory of a county into one (1) unified district
with boundaries identical to those of the county in which it is located
; or

(B)

F
or purposes of Fremont County, Wyoming, and to reorganize territory within the state under
the
jurisdiction of the joint business council of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe Indian Tribes,
a plan which
reorganizes
the area within the county as follows:

(I
)

All a
reas within the county under the jurisdiction of the joint business council of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe Indian Tribes shall be divided into two (2)
unified
school districts;

(
II
)

All remaining areas within the county not under the jurisdiction of the joint business council of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe Indian Tribes shall be comprised of one (1)
unified
school district.

(iii)

"State committee" means as defined in W.S. 21
‑
6
‑
202(a)(ii);

(iv)

"Unified school district" means as defined in W.S. 21
‑
6
‑
202(a)(iv).

21
‑
6
‑
302.

C
ounty planning committees; membership;
meetings; expenses;
d
uties
.

(a)

Not later than September 1, 2007, and except as provided under subsection (b) of this section, the boards of trustees of each school district within each county with more than one (1) school district shall elect
two
(
2
) registered voter
s
from each school district within the county to be member
s
of a county committee to review the reorganization of the school districts within the county.

(b)

Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, and not later than September 1, 2007:

(i)

The boards of trustees of each school district located in areas within Fremont County, Wyoming, under the jurisdiction of the joint business council of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe Indian Tribes, together with members of the joint business council, shall elect one (1) registered voter from each school district within such area and one (1) registered voter from each Indian tribe comprising the joint business council, to be member
s
of a county committee to review the reorganization of the school districts within
this area of Fremont County;

(ii)

The boards of trustees of each school district located in areas within Fremont County, Wyoming, which are not under the jurisdiction of the joint business council of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe Indian Tribes shall elect two (2) registered voters from each school
district
within this area to be members of a county committee to review reorganization of the school districts within this are
a
of Fremont County.

(c)

Each county
committee
shall organize by electing from its membership a chairman. Meetings of the committee shall be held upon the call of the chairman or by a majority of committee members. A majority of committee members constitutes a quorum for purposes of transacting business but no plan or report shall be adopted under this article except upon the affirmative
vote
of a majority of the committee.

(d)

Members of county committees shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed from their respective school districts, including all members selected under paragraph (b)(i) of this section, for actual and necessary travel
a
nd expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

(
e
)

Each county planning committee shall:

(i)

Prepare and submit to the state committee before September 1, 200
8
, a report on consolidation and a plan of reorganization conforming to the criteria and procedures specified by this article for the reorganization of school districts within its
jurisdiction
;

(ii)

Hold at least one (1) public hearing within the county or area of jurisdiction within a county, as appropriate, on its proposal for the reorganization plan. Notice of public hearing shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or area within a county at least once each week for the two (2) weeks immediately preceding the date set for hearing, stating the time, location and purpose of the hearing. In addition, at least ten (10) days and not more than fourteen (14) days before the hearing, a copy of the notice shall be sent to each school district trustee residing within the area involved in the reorganization plan and the hearing;

(iii)

Include
in the report to the state committee its determination of the feasibility of consolidation of school districts within the county or portion of a county, necessary incentives to encourage voluntary consolidation and obstacles to consolidation. This portion of the report shall also be submitted by the county committee to
members of
the
joint education interim committee and the joint appropriations
interim
committee of the
legislature;

(iv)

The report shall include a suggested consolidation plan with:

(A)

Recom
mendations on the location of schools, the utilization of existing buildings, allocation of existing indebtednesses, the employment of exi
s
ting personnel and the transportation requirements under the proposed plan for the organization of the unified school district, together with the time period under which recommendations are to be accomplished;

(B)

A summary of the rational for the plan;

(C)

A record of all hearings;

(D)

A summary of
any
anticipated
modification
and improvement to provision of the required statewide educational program prescribed by W.S. 21
‑
9
‑
101 and 21
‑
9
‑
102
;

(E)

The number of trustees for the reorganized school district
and the manner of truste
e selection;

(
F
)

The proposed effective date for school district reorganization under the plan;

(
G
)

The extent to which consolidation may result in reduction in total federal revenues available to the reorganized district as compared with that available to all existing districts within the county or portion of a county. The report shall include recommended legislation to minimize the impact of reorganization on the availability of federal revenue; and

(
H
)

Other reports, records and materials the county committee or the state committee determine
s to be
necessary.

21
‑
6
‑
303.

State committee; powers and duties.

(a)

The state committee shall:

(i)

Assist the county committees in carrying out duties and responsibilities imposed under this article
through assistance from the state department of education, as authorized by the state superintendent,
and from the school facilities commission as authorized by the director of the commission,
in the provision of necessary plans of procedure, standards, data, maps
, facility guidelines
and other information and services to the county committee as necessary to develop district reorganization reports and plans;

(ii)

By October 1,
2007
, appoint a county committee in any county in which a county committee is not elected as required by this article
;

(iii)

By October 1, 2008, compile county committee reports and plans submitted under this article and report the compilation together with findings, recommendations and enabling legislation to members of the joint education interim committee and joint appropriations
interim
committee of the legislature
.
The legislative service office shall assist the state committee in drafting any required legislation.

Section 2.

This act is effective July 1, 2007.

(END)

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HB0147