Transcript School District Organization

School District
Organization
Informational Workshop on the Process
and Fiscal Implications of School District
Reorganization
The Role of the County Committee
 The County Committee on School District
Organization has a major role in review and approval
of proposals to change school district organization in
the county.
 This committee believes that requests for
reorganization should not come from the committee,
but from interested districts or members of the public.
Goals for Today
 Understand the process
 Understand fiscal implications
Types of Reorganization Proposals
1. Territory Transfers
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Boundary Changes – a portion of a district is
transferred to another district.
Consolidation – an entire district is transferred
to another district.
2. Unification
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The combination of elementary and high school
districts into a K-12 district.
Territory Transfers:
Signature Requirements for Petitions
A petition may be signed by:
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The majority of owners of uninhabited territory.
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25% of the registered voters in an inhabited area.
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The majority of Board Members in each of the
affected districts.
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10% of the registered voters in an inhabited area.
Differences Between Petitions
Signed by 10% or 25%
of the Registered Voters in an Area
10% Petition –the county committee must hold a
preliminary public hearing and may approve the
proposal and adopt it as its own tentative
recommendation; however, if the county committee
does not approve the proposal, further action is
halted.
25% Petition – the county committee recommends
approval or disapproval to the State Board of
Education.
What’s Common Between Petitions
Signed by 10% or 25% of the Registered
Voters in an Area
See Flowcharts A and B on pages 39 and 43
of Chapter 5 of the CDE
District Organization Handbook
Beginning with the Notice of Public Hearings (lower
middle portion of both flowcharts) the processes for
10% and 25% petitions are the same.
Flowchart A
Flowchart B
Information to be Included
 Three items of basic information should be
included in a petition:
• A legal description and map of the territory to be
covered by the proposed action.
• A list of school districts affected by the proposal.
• The reasons for the proposed reorganization.
Determination of Sufficiency
 County superintendent must determine the
sufficiency of the petition.
 A petition signed by registered voters must be verified
by the county elections department.
Public Hearings
 The county committee must hold a public hearing in
each affected district within 60 days of receipt of a
valid petition.
CEQA Review
 The county committee must determine the impact
that the territory transfer may have on the
environment.
County Committee Study
Ed. Code 35753 Criteria
 The county committee must determine the
impact of the territory transfer on the 10 criteria
listed in Ed. Code 35753.
(1) The reorganized districts will be adequate in terms
of number of pupils enrolled.
(2) The districts are each organized on the basis of a
substantial community identity.
(3) The proposal will result in an equitable division of
property and facilities of the original district or
districts.
(4) The reorganization of the districts will preserve each
affected district's ability to educate students in an
integrated environment and will not promote racial or
ethnic discrimination or segregation.
(5) Any increase in costs to the state as a result of the
proposed reorganization will be insignificant and
otherwise incidental to the reorganization.
(6) The proposed reorganization will continue to
promote sound education performance and will not
significantly disrupt the educational programs in the
districts affected by the proposed reorganization.
(7) Any increase in school facilities costs as a result of
the proposed reorganization will be insignificant and
otherwise incidental to the reorganization.
(8) The proposed reorganization is primarily designed
for purposes other than to significantly increase
property values.
(9) The proposed reorganization will continue to
promote sound fiscal management and not cause a
substantial negative effect on the fiscal status of the
proposed district or any existing district affected by
the proposed reorganization.
 (10) Any other criteria as the board may, by
regulation, prescribe.
 (b) The State Board of Education may approve a
proposal for the reorganization of school districts if
the board determines that it is not practical or
possible to apply the criteria of this section literally,
and that the circumstances with respect to the
proposals provide an exceptional situation sufficient
to justify approval of the proposals.
Approval Process
 All territory transfers are decided at the local level.
 If all the criteria of Ed. Code 35753 are substantially
met within 120 days of the first public hearing, the
county committee must approve or disapprove the
petition to transfer territory.
 If the county committee approves the transfer
the county superintendent must call an
election unless:
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If inhabited, the territory consists of less than 10%
of the assessed valuation of the district or
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If uninhabited, a majority of the owners of the
territory consent, and
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Whether inhabited or uninhabited, the governing
boards of all affected districts consent to the
transfer.
Unification Process
See Flowcharts C and D on pages 46 and 49
of Chapter 5 of the CDE
District Organization Handbook
The unification process is very similar to the
Territory Transfer process.
Sample Petition to Election Timeline
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Gather Petition
Petition Verified
CEQA Hearing
County Committee Hearing
County Committee Study
SBE Study and Hearing
Election order delivered
County Clerk
From a November Election
to the effective date of
unification
Copyright © School Services of California
90 days
30 days
Within 60 days of hearing
60 days
120 days
120 days (or more)
35 days
120 days
235 days
810 days (2.2 years or longer)
Fiscal Implications
 Base Revenue Limit (see next slide for
example)
 Revenue Neutral
Example: Blended Base Revenue Limit Using 2004-05
Date – for a Reorganization Effective 2006-07
District
2004-05
Base revenue
Limit per
ADA
(A)
2004-05
Revenue
Limit
ADA
(B)
Affected ADA
(C)
Percent of
District in
Reorganization
(D) = (C) (B)
Computed
Total Base
Revenue Limit
(E) = (A) x (C)
Elementary District 1
$4,523.00
900
900
100.00%
$4,070,700
Elementary District 2
$4,548.00
1,500
1,500
100.00%
$6,822,000
Elementary District 3
$4,788.00
200
200
100.00%
$957,600
High School District
$5,446.00
3,000
1,200
40.00%
$6,535,200
Totals
3,800
$18,385,500
Blended Base Revenue Limit per ADA $18,385,500 divided by 3,800 affected ADA = $4,838.29
Check: $4,838.29 times 3,800 ADA = $18,385,502 (or same amount to within a $2 round-off error)
Copyright © 2006 by School Services of California
• Salary and Benefit Adjustment
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Based on differences and average cost per FTE
Calculate one average for all certificated staff
Calculate a second average for all classified staff
Cost to “level-up” is capped at 10% of the blended base
revenue limit
Salary and Benefit adjustment may provide more or less
than is needed to move all employees to the highest
schedule of component districts
There is no requirement that the reorganized district adopt
the highest schedule
In a unification, classified salaries/benefits may not be
negotiated below the level paid at the time of election.
Options and Alternatives
 New Millennium Example