(a) The governing board of a school district may acquire a site for a school building contiguous to the boundaries of the district and upon the acquisition of the site it shall become a part of the district.

(b) The site may not be acquired until all of the following conditions are met:

(1) A majority of the members of the governing board of the acquiring school district approves a petition requesting approval of the acquisition.

(2) The petition is filed with the county superintendent of schools with jurisdiction over the acquiring school district. If the site is in a county that is not the county in which the acquiring school district is located, the petition shall be filed with each of the county superintendents of the counties concerned. Within 10 working days of the date the petition is filed, each superintendent of schools of those counties shall notify the governing board of each school district involved that the petition was filed.

(3) The county committee on school district organization of the county of the acquiring school district approves the petition. If the site is in a county that is not the county in which the acquiring school district is located, each of the county committees on school district organization concerned shall approve the petition. The county committees on school district organization shall approve or disapprove a petition within 60 days from the day the governing board filed the petition with the county superintendent of schools.

(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), if each of the county committees on school district organization does not approve the petition as required by paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), the petition may be submitted to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for approval. If the Superintendent of Public Instruction approves the petition, the governing board may acquire the site.

(d) In approving the acquisition of a site pursuant to this section, the county committees on school district organization and the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall consider the extent to which the following are met:

(1) The proposed site acquisition will not promote racial or ethnic discrimination or segregation.

(2) The proposed site acquisition will not result in any substantial increase in costs to the state.

(3) The proposed site acquisition will not significantly disrupt the educational programs in the school districts affected by the proposed site acquisition and will continue to promote sound education performance in those school districts.

(4) The proposed site acquisition will not result in a significant increase in school housing costs.

(5) The proposed site acquisition is not primarily designed to result in a significant increase in property values causing financial advantage to property owners because territory was transferred from one school district to an adjoining school district.

(6) The proposed site acquisition will not cause a substantial negative effect on the fiscal management or fiscal status of any school district affected by the proposed site acquisition.

(e) The power of eminent domain may be used for the purposes of this section.

(f) A schoolsite is contiguous for the purpose of this section although separated from the boundaries of the district by a road, street, stream, or other natural or artificial barrier or right-of-way.

(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 798, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2004.)