SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5990

    AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 28, 1994

Brief Description:  Requiring school‑based budgeting based on the characteristics and educational needs of students.

SPONSORS: Senators Pelz, Rinehart, Williams, Niemi, Prentice, Moore and Talmadge

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5990 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Pelz, Chairman; McAuliffe, Vice Chairman; Gaspard, M. Rasmussen, Rinehart, Skratek and A. Smith.

Minority Report:  Do not pass. 

     Signed by Senators Hochstatter, McDonald, Moyer and Nelson.

Staff:  Leslie Goldstein (786‑7424)

Hearing Dates: January 14, 1994; January 28, 1994

BACKGROUND:

Some school districts have diverse populations with students having a range of needs.  The level of student needs can vary significantly between schools.

SUMMARY:

During the 1994-95 school year, any school district with 40,000 or more students must develop and implement a budget system that allocates resources to each school based on the characteristics and educational needs of the students in each school.  The characteristics that must be considered include: poverty, single-parent households, eligibility for bilingual education, and low performance on assessments. 

The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall not allocate any funds for nonbasic education programs to the affected school district until the budget system is in place.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

Implementation is delayed to the 1995-96 school year.  Only block grant funds may be withheld if the program is not established.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:  None

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

This legislation is not necessary.  The Seattle School District is working on its own plan to make sure the money gets to the schools that need it.  The concept in the legislation is important, but the district does not need to be forced to take action.  A large amount of excess resources are not available.  A statewide weighted pupil formula is needed.

TESTIFIED:  CON:  Bruce Colwell, Seattle Education Association; Michael Preston, Seattle School Board; Lynn Harsh, Evergreen Foundation