School district governing boards: reduction of membership.

(1) Existing law establishes in each county, except a county that is also a city and county, a county committee on school district organization, and authorizes the committee to take certain actions regarding the organization of school districts and community college districts in the territory under the committee's jurisdiction. Existing law requires a committee, upon a proposal initiated by the committee or by a petition signed by a specified number of registered voters, to approve or disapprove a proposal to increase the membership of a school district governing board from 5 to 7, or to decrease membership from 7 to 5, in accordance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would also authorize a county committee on school district organization, for any school district whose average daily attendance during the preceding year was less than 300, to approve or disapprove a proposal to decrease the membership of the school district governing board from 5 to 3 in accordance with those specified procedural requirements. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on county committees on school district organization, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.