A carve out of the minimum enrollment threshold for schools came out of committee.

 

House Bill 1215, which revises certain provisions regarding reorganization of certain school districts with low enrollment, passed the Senate Education committee on a 6-1 vote.

 

HB 1215 would specifically carve out an exemption for a district falling below the 100 student threshold for a school that is the only district in its county and has an attendance center at least twenty miles away from any other attendance center.

 

“It would allow local control, local decision making and local money,” Rep. Spencer Gosch, the bill’s prime sponsor, said, adding the bill would “essentially” apply to the Herreid School District, who is more than 20 miles from the next closest district’s attendance center, but does not receive sparsity funding.

 

Sen. Deb Soholt noted her support of the bill, but added “this is a population reality” and that districts were going to have to engage in “fierce decision making” in the future.

 

ASBSD is monitoring the bill, which now heads to the Senate floor.

 

For updates on the bill, check the ASBSD Blog, Bill Tracker page, Twitter feed and Facebook page.