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SENATE BILL NO. 3865
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State of Washington 49th Legislature 1985 Regular Session
By Senators Bauer and Benitz; by Temporary Committee on Educational Policies, Structure and Management request
Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Education.
AN ACT Relating to vocational education and student eligibility; amending RCW 28A.58.190; adding a new section to chapter 28C.04 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the state's specialized area vocational technical institutes are primarily postsecondary in nature, enrolling adult students for the purposes of job training and updating vocational skills. In order to facilitate comprehensive planning and coordination of postsecondary education delivery, the vocational technical institutes should not be considered part of the common school system. A vocational technical institute system, with an appointed board, should take over the state-level administrative responsibilities for these schools, with each institute governed by its own separate board of trustees.
Sec. 2. Section 28A.58.190, chapter 223, Laws of 1969 ex. sess. as last amended by section 4, chapter 250, Laws of 1979 ex. sess. and RCW 28A.58.190 are each amended to read as follows:
Except as
otherwise provided by law, it is the general policy of the state that the
common schools shall be open to the admission of all persons who are five years
of age and less than ((twenty-one)) nineteen years residing in
that school district. Special students and students who have dropped out of
school or are in alternative schools may remain in the secondary system until
they have completed their program of studies or reach the age of twenty-one. Except
as otherwise provided by law, the state board of education is hereby authorized
to adopt rules in accordance with chapter 34.04 RCW which establish uniform
entry qualifications, including but not limited to birth date requirements, for
admission to kindergarten and first grade programs of the common schools. Such
rules may provide for exceptions based upon the ability, or the need, or both,
of an individual student.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28C.04 RCW to read as follows:
There is hereby created a vocational technical institute system. This system shall include the following:
(1) Independence from the common schools at both the state and local level;
(2) Transfer of all existing facilities and equipment, and current personnel, and continuation of such local bond obligations as may be already assumed;
(3) Continuation of existing policies and practices regarding course delivery and responsiveness to business, industry, and labor and their specific training needs;
(4) Continuation of the vocational technical institutes' character as regional specialized vocational education facilities;
(5) State-level governance by a five-member citizen board, appointed by the governor, operating with a small permanent staff, with additional temporary staff support as may be required from time to time provided by the institutes, whose primary responsibilities shall be preparation of a consolidated budget and such associated planning as may be necessary;
(6) Local governance by a separate five-member board appointed for each institute by the governor;
(7) State funding allocated through the state postsecondary education budget;
(8) Inclusion within the state higher education plan or planning recommendations and an appropriate advisory role in developing and implementing these; and
(9) A requirement of affirmative legislative action before any institute could be converted into a comprehensive community college.