HB 1289 Summary

• Establishes the School District County Restructuring Act requiring all Oklahoma school districts to restructure by July 1, 2012, either into consolidated county school districts or into districts of specified sizes

• Except for Tulsa, Oklahoma, Rogers, Cleveland, and Canadian counties, all school districts in each county must consolidate into one county school district

• In the five excepted counties, school districts must restructure into one or more districts with 7,000 to 14,000 students, with provisions allowing voluntary restructuring through annexation or division

• Requires the State Board of Education to develop consolidation plans if districts fail to submit voluntary restructuring plans or if submitted plans are rejected; sets July 1, 2012 as the deadline for completion

• Specifies that consolidated districts must preserve all student and historical records, employ only one superintendent, and may not close school sites for three years; prohibits restructuring that negatively affects desegregation efforts