When the board of trustees of a school district proposes to change the location of a school, close a school or change the use of a school building to a purpose other than the teaching of kindergarten through 12th grade, existing law requires the board of trustees to: (1) give 30 days' written notice to the principals and teachers of the affected school and to the parents of the children attending the school; and (2) publish a notice of the subject, time and place of the meeting at which the matter will be considered. (NRS 393.080) Section 1 of this bill exempts from those requirements a proposal to add prekindergarten to the grades that are taught at a school. Section 1 also: (1) requires the board of trustees to notify members of the community who reside within 1 mile of a school for which a change of location, closure or change of use is proposed; and (2) prescribes the required contents of the notice of a proposal to close a school that the board of trustees is required to provide to parents, teachers and the community. Section 1 additionally prohibits the board of trustees from basing a decision to close a school on: (1) any damage or other impact to the school caused by a flood or fire; or (2) the number of pupils enrolled in the school. Existing law authorizes a resident of a school district who is aggrieved by a decision of the board of trustees of a school district to close or change the use of a school to make a written request to the board for a hearing for reconsideration of the decision. (NRS 393.085) Section 2 of this bill: (1) requires the State Board of Education to review a final decision of the board of trustees to close or change the use of a school, regardless of whether the board of trustees holds such a reconsideration hearing; and (2) prescribes the process for such review.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 393.080, 393.085
BDR: 393.080, 393.085