Frequently Asked Questions

• Is the County Committee the same as the County Board of Education?
• What are the responsibilities of the County Committee on School District Organization?
• Who can initiate a request to create or abolish trustee areas in a school district, increase or decrease the number of governing board members, or change the method of election?
• What is the process for creating or abolishing trustee areas within a school district?
• What is the process for increasing or decreasing the number of governing board members?
• Who can initiate the rearrangement of trustee areas within a district, and what is the process?
• What's the difference between district boundary lines and school boundary lines?
• Who can request a change in school district boundaries?
• What are the different types of boundary reorganization?
• What is the process for requesting a boundary change?
• What is the process for requesting a unification of school districts?

Q: Is the County Committee the same as the County Board of Education?

A: The County Committee is a separate entity from the County Board of Education in Santa Clara County. (However, about half of California's counties have boards of education that do also serve as the county committee.) The Santa Clara County Committee is selected by a chosen representative from each of the county's school districts. The County Board of Education is elected by registered voters within the county.

Q: What are the responsibilities of the County Committee on School District Organization?

A: The primary responsibility of the County Committee is the reorganization of school districts (through territory transfers and unification). The Committee also is empowered by the Education Code to:

• Create or abolish trustee areas
• Increase or decrease the number of governing board members
• Rearrange trustee areas
• Determine alternative methods of electing governing board members
• Establish or abolish common governing boards; and
• Rearrange trustee areas based on federal decennial census.

Q: Who can initiate a request to create or abolish trustee areas, increase or decrease the number of governing board members, or change the method of an election?

A: The request can be initiated by the school district itself; by a petition of 10 percent of registered voters within the district; or by the County Committee.

Q: What is the process for creating or abolishing trustee areas within a school district?

A: The County Committee will hold at least one public hearing regarding the request. At the conclusion of the hearing the Committee will take action on the request. If approved, the proposal will be placed on the ballot. It's important to note that any time trustee areas are established in a district, the method of electing board members must be determined. Board members can be elected at-large or elected by trustee area (sometimes known as a ward system).

Q: What is the process for increasing or decreasing the number of governing board members?

A: The process is the same as the establishment/abolishment of trustee areas. The County Committee will hold at least one public hearing regarding the request. At the conclusion of the hearing the Committee will take action on the request. If approved, the proposal will be placed on the ballot. The same process is also used for changing the method of election of governing board members.

Q: Who can initiate the rearrangement of trustee areas within a district, and what is the process?

A: The Committee can initiate the process itself or a request can come from the district. The Committee holds at least one public hearing on the matter before approving or denying the proposal. If the proposal is approved, it is put into effect for the next school district election that occurs at least 120 days from the approval. The proposal does not constitute an order of election unless the county committee receives a petition from 5 percent of the electorate requesting an election. The petition must be received within 60 days of the county committee's action on the proposal.

Q: What's the difference between district boundary lines and school boundary lines?

A: Santa Clara County has 31 school districts, and the boundaries between them are the school district boundary lines. These boundaries are overseen by the County Committee. School boundary lines, otherwise known as attendance areas, are the lines within a district that dictate what homes belong to an individual school site. These attendance areas are governed by the boards of local school districts.

Q: Who can request a change in school district boundaries?

A: A request to reorganize school boundary lines can come from individual homeowners, registered voters in the area to be reorganized, or from school district governing boards (E.C. 35700). A request can also come via a resolution approved by the majority of members of a city council, county board of supervisors, governing body of a special district, or local agency formation commission (E.C. 35720, 35721). Also, the County Committee itself can initiate the reorganization process (E.C. 35720).

Q: What are the different types of reorganization?

A: The three most common types of district organization are 1) transfers of territory from one district to another, 2) unification of elementary district with high school districts or portions of elementary districts with portions of high school districts, and 3) unification where a feeder elementary district is not included in the unification process. For detailed information on this topic click here.

Q: What is the process for requesting a boundary change?

A: The process is:

1. Determine the specific area to be proposed for transfer.
2. Obtain a map of the area and clearly indicate the boundary of the area proposed for transfer.
3. Write a description of the property. The description should be a list of all assessor's parcel numbers (APN) with corresponding street address and the school district.
4. For transfers of a territory with fewer than 12 registered voters you must submit a letter with the reasons for the transfer and signatures of the homeowners. For the transfer of a territory with 12 or more registered voters you must also submit the signatures of at least 25 percent of the registered voters in the area proposed for transfer on a formal petition.
5. Prepare a complete set of materials which should include a copy of the map, the written description of the territory, names of chief petitioners (3 maximum), reasons for requesting the transfer, names of all affected school districts, signature petition(s), and declaration of person(s) circulating the petition.
6. Submit the completed set of materials to the following address:

Santa Clara County Committee on School District Organization
Center for Educational Planning
Suzanne Carrig - MC #243
Santa Clara County Office of Education
1290 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95131

Q: What is the process for requesting a unification of school districts?

A: The initiation of proposals for unification is similar to territory transfer.

1. Determine the specific area to be proposed for transfer.
2. Obtain a map of the area (any clear map should do) and clearly indicate the boundary of the area proposed for transfer.
3. The petition may be signed by the governing boards of all affected districts or the petition form can be signed by 25% of the registered voters in the inhabited territory proposed to be reorganized.
4. Prepare a complete set of materials which should include a copy of the map, the written description of the territory, names of chief petitioners (3 maximum), reasons for requesting the transfer, names of all affected school districts, signature petition(s), and declaration of person(s) circulating the petition.

Submit the completed set of materials to the following address:

Santa Clara County Committee on School District Organization
Office of the Superintendent
Suzanne Carrig - MC #243
Santa Clara County Office of Education
1290 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95131

Date last revised: March 2, 2012