AN ACT Relating to school enhancement and accountability; creating new sections; making an appropriation; declaring an emergency; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that investing in the education of the children of the state of Washington is one of the most important responsibilities of the state. Providing the resources to local school districts to provide quality education that directly impacts children is necessary to ensure that the children of this state will be prepared to meet the challenges of the future.

The legislature further finds that parental, community, and private sector involvement in planning and implementing educational programs is advantageous to ensuring relevance and quality in the delivery of educational programs to the children of the state of Washington.

The legislature further finds that, as investors in the education of the children of the state of Washington, the public is entitled to assurances that educational programs are delivered in such a way as to ensure that children are receiving maximum benefit from the educational programs of this state.

The legislature recognizes that individual school districts have individual educational needs that can be met by providing additional dollars distributed directly to the school districts. It is the intent of the legislature, through this act, to provide local school districts the flexibility to meet individual needs with a minimum of direction from the legislature as to what those needs may be.

The purpose of this act is to provide a grant, in addition to the district's basic education allocation, to each school district based on full-time equivalent student enrollment to meet the educational needs of each district.

The legislature further finds that local districts are entitled to authorize excess levy funds to supplement dollars provided by the state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) Grants shall be available to local school districts in the 1987-88 and 1988-89 school years for the following purposes:

(a) Curriculum development;

(b) Textbook purchase;

(c) Reducing adult pupil ratios in classrooms, including stipends for certificated, classified, or other temporary classroom assistants;

(d) Inservice training;

(e) Instructional equipment purchases;

(f) Nonemployee related costs;

(g) Early intervention programs;

(h) Dropout prevention and retrieval programs;

(i) Merit awards, including stipends, release time, tuition, travel, and registration fees;

(j) Nutritional programs;

(k) Substance abuse curriculum or program development; and

(l) Enhancement of existing local programs.

(2) Funding resulting from the grants shall not be considered part of the state's obligation to provide a basic education, including transitional bilingual education, compensatory education, highly capable education, special education, or transportation.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) Each school district shall establish an advisory committee consisting of the chairman of the school board, the superintendent, a principal from each school, a teacher from each school, and a citizen representing each school. The structure of the advisory committee is intended to ensure local participation and accountability in educational planning. The advisory committee shall submit a two-year plan detailing how grant dollars will be spent to the educational service district, which in turn shall submit it to the superintendent of public instruction. The educational service district shall approve or deny grant applications.

(2) The grant moneys provided under this act shall not be subject to collective bargaining.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) No school district board of directors may grant salary and compensation increases from grant moneys in excess of the amount or percentage as may be provided for employees as set forth in the state operating appropriations act in effect at the time the compensation is payable.

(2) Each district shall be authorized levy capacity up to the amount of the state grant appropriation.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) Each district shall report to the superintendent of public instruction at the end of each school year detailing (a) how the grant moneys were spent; and (b) how the expenditure of the grant moneys directly impacted the education of the children in their district.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction shall prepare two annual reports to the legislature, one to be delivered by January 30, 1988, and the other to be delivered by January 30, 1989.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This act shall be known as the common school local enhancement and accountability support act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1987.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The sum of _____ million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1989, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction to be distributed to each school district in the state on the basis of full-time equivalent students.