H-3296.1  _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 2476

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1994 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Sheahan, Schoesler, Padden and Fuhrman

 

Read first time 01/17/94.  Referred to Committee on Education.

 

Authorizing transfer fees for nonresident students.


    AN ACT Relating to educational choice; and amending RCW 28A.225.220.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.225.220 and 1993 c 336 s 1008 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Any board of directors may make agreements with adults choosing to attend school:  PROVIDED, That unless such arrangements are approved by the state superinten­dent of public instruction, a reasonable tuition charge, fixed by the state superintendent of public instruction, shall be paid by such students as best may be accommo­dated therein.

    (2) A district is strongly encouraged to honor the request of a parent or guardian for his or her child to attend a school in another district.

    (3) A district shall release a student to a nonresi­dent district that agrees to accept the student if:

    (a) A financial, educational, safety, or health condition affecting the student would likely be reason­ably improved as a result of the transfer; or

    (b) Attendance at the school in the nonresident district is more accessible to the parent's place of work or to the location of child care; or

    (c) There is a special hardship or detrimental condition.

    (4) A district may deny the request of a resident student to transfer to a nonresident district if the release of the student would adversely affect the district's existing desegregation plan.

    (5) For the purpose of helping a district assess the quality of its education program, a resident school district may request an optional exit interview or questionnaire with the parents or guardians of a child transferring to another district.  No parent or guardian may be forced to attend such an interview or complete the questionnaire.

    (6) Beginning with the ((1993-94)) 1994-95 school year, school districts accepting nonresident students under subsection (3) of this section and RCW 28A.225.225 may ((not)) charge the student's resident school district a transfer fee((s or tuition for nonresident students enrolled under subsection (3) of this section and RCW 28A.225.225)).  The annual transfer fee shall not exceed the maintenance and operation excess tax levy rate per annual average full-time equivalent student of the district in which the student has transferred, as determined by the superintendent of public instruction.  If a school district charges a transfer fee, the fee shall be applied uniformly to all transfer students.  Reim­bursement of a high school district for cost of educat­ing high school pupils of a nonhigh school district shall not be deemed a transfer fee as affecting the apportionment of current state school funds.

    (7) The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW to implement subsection (6) of this section.

 

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