Hazelmere School District in southern Ferry County — which has one teacher and a one-room red schoolhouse serving 11 elementary students — will be dissolved at the end of this school year.
But in making that decision Tuesday, the Regional Committee on School District Organization attached some strings that must go before the state Board of Education.
The committee, meeting in Spokane, split the existing Hazelmere district into two parts.
One, comprising about 23 square miles but where no students now live, will go to Keller School District. The remainder of the district and its building, grounds and students, will go to Inchelium School District.
But for the plan to go through, the state board must designate Hazelmere Elementary School a remote and necessary site. That will enable Inchelium School District to obtain special funding and keep the school open.
If the school is closed, some elementary students will face three-hour one-way bus rides to school.
All this is scheduled to take effect at midnight June 30.
The process was set in motion last year when the Legislature amended laws regulating organization of school districts. The law originally was intended to eliminate county school district organization boards in favor of broader-based regional boards.
When the House finished amending that bill, it increased the minimum average number of students a school district could have from two to five in kindergarten through eighth grade. That was an effort to fold Lesser School District in Pierce County, which operated only for the students of its staff.
Caught in the same legislative net was Hazelmere. Even though it has 11 students now, the law went into effect when its average enrollment was only four.
The Hazelmere district has sued Ferry County, contending the law is unconstitutional because the bill creating it contained two issues: creation of the regional committee and minimum size of school districts.
Bob Winston, attorney for the Hazelmere district, said that district's directors want to continue as a separate entity but realize "fighting the Legislature and the state superintendent of public instruction might not ultimately be in the best interest of the students.
"With mixed emotions, the board of Hazelmere School District can support" the recommended dissolution and annexation of its territory to neighboring districts, Winston said.
He said the district will hold back on pushing the lawsuit to ensure compliance with the conditions of the regional committee's action.
If the state board doesn't designate Hazelmere Elementary School a "remote and necessary" site that Inchelium could operate, "we will probably pursue the action," Winston said.
That is necessary because Inchelium doesn't have the funds to operate the school without extra help. If the dissolution and annexation are approved, Inchelium will inherit the Hazelmere district's assets and liabilities.
Hazelmere ended last year with assets of $202,067.09. The Inchelium district ended the year with assets of $223,259.34.
"I don't want to come off as sounding like the sole heir waiting for granddad to kick off." said Inchelium Superintendent Mark Jacobson.
He said his district's "main concern is for the students presently attending Hazelmere ... but our school board believes the present building can be maintained and operated at its present site if the 'remote and necessary' funding is approved."
The Inchelium board will hold a special meeting Thursday to pass a resolution asking the state board to approve that funding. Friday is the deadline for the state board to receive agenda material for its Jan. 30-31 meeting in Olympia.
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