HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 451

BYRepresentatives H. Sommers, B. Williams, Winsley and Miller; by request of Governor Gardner

Creating the office of educational services.

House Committe on State Government

Majority Report:     The substitute bill be substituted therefore and the substitute bill do pass.  (7)

     Signed by Representatives H. Sommers; Chair; Peery, Vice Chair; Baugher, Chandler, Hankins, O'Brien and Sayan.

Minority Report:     Do not pass.  (2)

     Signed by Representatives Taylor and Walk.

House Staff:Pam Madson (786-7135)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT MARCH 3, 1987

BACKGROUND:

In 1975, the legislature created the Commission of Vocational Education (CVE) to coordinate vocational education between the common school system and the community college system.  CVE is governed by a seven-member board, consisting of five citizen members, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the director of the State Board for Community College Education.  CVE is responsible for insuring the development of a state plan, adjudicating plan related disputes between the common school system and the community college system, receiving and allocating state funds, and administering the job skills program and portions of the Job Training Partnership Act.  The commission also administers the Washington Award for Vocational Excellence program, registers private vocational institutions, and approves the recipients of veterans vocational education benefits.

The Council of Vocational Education (COVE), a state advisory council of 13 members appointed by the governor, is directed to advise CVE on policy matters, evaluate programs, and submit an annual evaluation report to the federal government.

CVE was scheduled for sunset termination on June 30, 1986.  In a 1985 Legislative Budget Committee (LBC) sunset review of the CVE, the LBC recommended that CVE functions be placed in an office of education under the governor's jurisdiction, and that the office be given additional powers.  Because the 1986 legislature did not act to reauthorize the CVE, the commission has been terminated and currently is in its one-year wind-down period.  Its enabling statutes expire on June 30, 1987.

In 1985 the legislature established the Higher Education Coordinating Board. The board was assigned policy functions, coordination functions, and the administrative responsibility for several existing programs.  The board was directed to study delegating these administrative functions and make recommendations to the legislature.  In October 1986, the board recommended to the Governor's Task Force on Reorganization that the board be relieved of certain administrative responsibilities in order to allow the board to concentrate on matters of policy and coordination.

The administrative programs to be delegated include:  programs for student financial assistance, the Displaced Homemaker Program, the Washington Scholars Program, the regulation of private degree-granting schools, and veterans approval functions for degree-granting institutions.

The Governor's Task Force on Reorganization recommended that the administration of these programs be transferred to a newly created Office of Educational Services, along with the functions of CVE.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  The Office of Educational Services is established.  The director is appointed by the governor.  The office will administer the following programs: Student Financial Aid; Job Skills; Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE); Washington Scholars Program; Assistance to Blind Students; programs for state and veterans administration approval; and regulation of private academic and vocational schools.  The office shall work with Employment Security Department on various employment information systems.

The office shall administer activities mandated by federal statute which includes receiving federal vocational education funds, and acting as state liaison with the federal government.

The office shall initiate and adopt a state planning process for vocational education together with the two delivery systems (the common school system and the community college system).  If the planning process is not adopted within 180 days of the effective date of this act, the governor shall establish the process.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board for Community College Education in consultation with parties interested in vocational education will jointly develop an integrated state plan for all state and federally funded vocational education services.

The office shall receive and expend federal funds in accordance with the state plan which is developed by the two delivery systems.

The Vocational Education Advisory Board is established.  Members include the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the director of the State Board for Community Colleges, the director of Employment Security, four citizen members (one business, one labor, two knowledgeable about vocational education); and the director of the office who also serves as chair.

The advisory board approves and adopts the state plan which is developed by the two delivery systems (Superintendent of Public Instruction and State Board for Community College Education).

The director shall appoint a financial aid Advisory committee to advise the office on various functions related to programs for student financial assistance.  The committee will be composed of financial aid administrators, a representative of the Higher Education Coordinating Board, and other financial aid constituencies.  The responsibility for analyzing student financial aid issues remains with the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The director of Financial Management, in consultation with the Department of Personnel, and the Higher Education Personnel Board, will conduct an analysis of the personnel classifications and staff needed by the office.  No vacancies may be filled until the analysis is completed without the approval of the director of Financial Management.  When the analysis is completed, the governor must determine to which personnel system the office will be assigned. All classified staff of the Commission on Vocational Education and those involved in transferred functions from the Higher Education Coordinating Board are transferred to the office.

The supervision and delivery of vocational education in the public schools and the community colleges will remain the responsibility of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board for Community College Education.  They will also supervise and administer the implementation of the state plan, develop the plan and modifications to the plan, and adopt rules needed to implement their responsibilities, including rules for existing and future common school vocational-technical institutes.

Public schools and community colleges are directed to establish local advisory committees to provide advice on employment needs and on courses necessary to meet those needs.  These committees must help determine vocational program needs, review and evaluate program elements, and consult with and include local representatives of business, labor, and the community.

The Council on Vocational Education is authorized as required by federal law.  The composition and the duties of the council will be in accordance with federal law.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  Language outlining legislative intent and the purpose of the office is removed; certain definitions are combined and modified; duties of the office are reordered; language pertaining to the 180 day planning process is modified; the director of the office is added to the advisory committee as the chair; and the duties of the advisory committee are reduced.  Language pertaining to the financial aid advisory committee and to analyses for financial aid is modified, and an analysis of staffing needs and necessary personnel classifications is added.

Fiscal Note:    Attached.

Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and will take effect on July 1, 1987.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     Sam Hunt, Office of the Governor; Bob Thoeny, Higher Education Coordinating Board; Merritt Long, Commission for Vocational Education; Chuck Bailey, Washington State Labor Council; Clif Finch, Association of Washington Business; Larry Malo, Washington Service Delivery Area Administrators Association; Charles A. Johnson, Washington Federation of Private Vocational Schools; Dennis Coplen, executive director, Council on Vocational Education (partly for); and Tom Parker, Washington Friends of Higher Education.

House Committee - Testified Against: Dr. Frank Brouillet, Superintendent of Public Instruction; Kenneth Minnaert, South Puget Sound Community College; Beverly Postlewaite, Highline Community College; Charles Coddington, Centralia College; and Dennis Coplen, executive director, Council on Vocational Education (partly opposed).

House Committee - Testimony For:     Several recent studies have recommended that the state's vocational planning and coordinating agency should be strengthened.  Consolidating CVE functions with certain administrative functions of the Higher Education Coordinating Board are compatible and complimentary.  Creation of the Office of Educational Services and consolidation of functions would meet reorganization criteria of simplicity, accountability to the public, and elimination of functional duplication and long term cost savings.  A central, objective oversight body for vocational education with strong representation by business and labor is needed.  An independent agency will be more likely to involve all elements of vocational education and not just those found in the public school system.

House Committee - Testimony Against: Creating another agency will be duplicative and overlapping.  All but eight states have the state board of education acting as the federally required vocational education board.  The two delivery systems cooperate in the area of vocational education.  Another agency would get in the way of delivering voc ed services to young people.  Subjecting some educational programs to policies, procedures, and oversight of one state agency and other programs to another agency is confusing, time consuming and bureaucratic.  Voc ed funds should be spent on students and programs rather than administrative costs of another agency.