The board of directors of the school district shall present to the superior court of the state of Washington in and for the county wherein is situated the real estate desired to be acquired for schoolhouse site purposes, a petition, reciting that the board of directors of such school district have selected certain real estate, describing it, as a schoolhouse site, or as additional grounds to an existing site, for such school district; that the site so selected, or some part thereof, describing it, belongs to a person or persons, naming him, her, or them, that such school district has offered to give the owner or owners thereof therefor . . . . . . dollars, and that the owner of such real estate has refused to accept the same therefor; that the board of school directors of such school district and the said owner or owners of such real estate are unable to agree upon the compensation to be paid by such school district to the owner or owners of such real estate therefor, and praying that a jury be impaneled to ascertain and determine the compensation to be made in money by such school district to such owner or owners for the taking of such real estate for the use as a schoolhouse site for such school district; or in case a jury be waived in the manner provided by law in other civil actions in courts of record, then that the compensation to be made as aforesaid, be ascertained and determined by the court, or judge thereof.