HOUSE BILL NO. 783 Offered January 11, 2006 Prefiled January 10, 2006 A BILL to provide for a referendum in Page County on the election of the school board for staggered four-year terms. ---------- Patron-- Gilbert ---------- Referred to Committee on Education ----------

Whereas, the voters of Page County in a November 2002 election approved the biennial election of the board of supervisors for staggered four-year terms; and

Whereas, there has been confusion whether that election also reflected approval of the biennial election of the school board for staggered four-year terms, and an election on that issue is required to resolve this issue; now, therefore

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  § 1. The officials conducting the November 7, 2006, election in Page County shall conduct a referendum on that date in the County to poll the voters on the question of whether they favor the biennial election of school board members for staggered four-year terms.

The question on the ballot shall be:

"Shall members of the County School Board be elected biennially for staggered four-year terms?"

The ballots shall be prepared and voted, the referendum shall be conducted, and the results shall be ascertained and certified as provided in Article 5 (§ 24.2-681 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of Title 24.2 of the Code of Virginia.

The electoral board shall cause notice of the election to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the County at least once in the period 45 to 60 days before the election.

If the voters approve the election of the school board biennially for staggered four-year terms at the November 2006 election, the members from Districts 1 and 5 shall be elected at the November 2007 election for two-year terms and the members from Districts 2, 3, and 4 shall be elected for four-year terms. Thereafter all members shall be elected for four-year terms.