S-363                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 3178

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Goltz, Hayner, Bauer, Conner, Bottiger, Kiskaddon, Johnson and Gaspard

Read first time 1/21/85 and referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to private schools; and amending RCW 28A.02.201.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 2, chapter 92, Laws of 1974 ex. sess. as last amended by section 1, chapter 56, Laws of 1983 and RCW 28A.02.201 are each amended to read as follows:

          The legislature hereby recognizes that private schools should be subject only to those minimum state controls necessary to insure the health and safety of all the students in the state and to insure a sufficient basic education to meet usual graduation requirements.  The state, any agency or official thereof, shall not restrict or dictate any specific educational or other programs for private schools except as hereinafter in this section provided.

          Principals of private schools or superintendents of private school districts shall file each year with the state superintendent of public instruction a statement certifying that the minimum requirements hereinafter set forth are being met, noting any deviations.  After review of the statement, the state superintendent will notify schools or school districts of those deviations which must be corrected.  In case of major deviations, the school or school district may request and the state board of education may grant provisional status for one year in order that the school or school district may take action to meet the requirements.  Minimum requirements shall be as follows:

          (1) The minimum school year ((shall be the same as that required of public schools in RCW 28A.01.025 as now or hereafter amended)) for instructional purposes shall consist of no less than one hundred eighty school days or the equivalent in annual minimum program hour offerings as prescribed in RCW 28A.58.754.

          (2) The ((length of the)) school day shall be the same as that required ((of public schools)) in RCW 28A.01.010 and 28A.58.754, each as now or hereafter amended, except that the percentages of total program hour offerings as prescribed in RCW 28A.58.754 for basic skills, work skills, and optional subjects and activities shall not apply to private schools or private sectarian schools.

          (3) All classroom teachers shall hold appropriate Washington state certification except as follows:

          (a) Teachers for religious courses or courses for which no counterpart exists in public schools shall not be required to obtain a state certificate to teach those courses.

          (b) In exceptional cases, people of unusual competence but without certification may teach students so long as a certified person exercises general supervision.  Annual written statements shall be submitted to the office of the superintendent of public instruction reporting and explaining such circumstances.

          (4) Appropriate measures shall be taken to safeguard all permanent records against loss or damage.

          (5) The physical facilities of the school or district shall be adequate to meet the program offered by the school or district:  PROVIDED, That each school building shall meet reasonable health and fire safety requirements.

          (6) Private school curriculum shall include instruction of the basic skills of occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and the development of appreciation of art and music, all in sufficient units for meeting state board of education graduation requirements.

          (7) Each school or school district shall be required to maintain up-to-date policy statements related to the administration and operation of the school or school district.

          All decisions of policy, philosophy, selection of books, teaching material, curriculum, except as in subsection (6) above provided, school rules and administration, or other matters not specifically referred to in this section, shall be the responsibility of the administration and administrators of the particular private school involved.