HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1532

                       As Passed House

                       March 12, 1991

Title:  An act relating to temporary waivers of requirements under chapter 28A.150 RCW.

Brief Description:  Granting temporary waivers of school day requirements for missed days due to snow.

Sponsor(s):  By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Dorn, Brumsickle, Ferguson, Pruitt, Neher, Basich, Peery, Grant, R. Meyers, Orr, H. Myers, Leonard, Roland, Morris, G. Fisher, Phillips, Scott, Paris and Winsley).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Education, February 18, 1991, DPS;

Passed House, March 12, 1991, 98-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

EDUCATION

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1532 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 18 members:  Representatives Peery, Chair; G. Fisher, Vice Chair; Brough, Ranking Minority Member; Vance, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Broback; Brumsickle; Cole; Dorn; Holland; P. Johnson; Jones; Neher; Orr; Phillips; Rasmussen; Roland; H. Sommers; and Valle.

Staff:  Susan Kirkpatrick (786-7291).

Background:  Under current law, school districts are required to provide an 180-day school year and meet certain requirements regarding total program hour offerings, course mix and percentage requirements, and teacher contact hours.  If schools close because of adverse weather conditions, they are required to make up the days of school closure at the end of the school year or during vacation unless the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) waives the requirements.

Many feel that teachers should receive more opportunities for expanded staff development time.

Summary of Bill:  The bill allows school districts the opportunity to provide additional days of staff development for all certificated and classified staff to make up for the days of school closure that occurred in the 1990-1991 school year in lieu of requiring them to make those days up.

Specifically, SPI is required to waive the requirements of a 180-day school year and to reduce the amount of total program hour offerings and teacher contact hours required for the 1990-1991 school year only for school districts that meet the following conditions:

a)  School closure is due to adverse weather conditions, such as snow or freezing weather;

b)  The school district provides a 178-day school year and an equivalent amount in total program hour offerings and teacher contact hours;

c)  The school district submits to SPI a staff development program plan relating to educational reform before June 1, 1991.  The plan must provide for staff development for all certificated and classified staff for a time period equivalent to the time period of school closure up to a maximum of two days and must provide that the program will be offered to the teachers before September 1, 1991.  If the staff development plans meet the conditions, they are not subject to approval or disapproval by SPI.

The act expires August 31, 1991.

Fiscal Note:  Requested February 6, 1991.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  There currently is great interest in educational reform.  In order for educational reform to be successful, teachers need to have extra days of planning time.  This bill would be a reasonable, short-term way of increasing planning time for all staff.  Also, the educational reform proposals being discussed give local school districts control over their time.  The bill would allow school districts some control on how they wanted to use the school closure make-up days; either as regular school days or for staff development and planning.

Testimony Against:  If classified staff are not included in the staff development plan, they will not get paid for the days of school closure not made up.  Also, their pension rights will be impaired if they do not work a full 180-day school year.

Witnesses:  Representative Dorn, prime sponsor; and David Westberg, Stationary Engineers, (opposed because of the impact of the bill on the pay and pension rights of classified staff).  Note:  The substitute bill addressed the issue raised in the testimony against.