HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2602

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                       Appropriations

Title:  An act relating to the allocation of funds for high school students enrolled in technical college programs.

Brief Description:  Changing funding allocations for high school students attending technical colleges.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Dorn, Ebersole, Broback, Rasmussen, Tate, R. Meyers, Grant, Winsley, Riley, Basich, Franklin, Paris and Jacobsen.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Appropriations, February 10, 1992, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 26 members:  Representatives Locke, Chair; Inslee, Vice Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Silver, Ranking Minority Member; Morton, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Appelwick; Belcher; Bowman; Braddock; Brekke; Carlson; Dorn; Ebersole; Ferguson; Fuhrman; Lisk; May; Mielke; Nealey; Peery; Pruitt; Rust; D. Sommers; H. Sommers; Sprenkle; and Wang.

Minority Report: Do not pass.  Signed by 2 members:  Representatives Hine; and Valle.

Staff:  Jack Daray (786-7178).

Background:  The transfer of vocational-technical institutes, now referred to as technical colleges, from the common schools to the community college system by the 1991 Legislature included provision for continuation of occupational and vocational programs for high school students.  Four of the five technical colleges offer programs which high school students attend for the full school day.

The transfer legislation required the technical colleges to maintain those programs in place at the time of the 1991 transfer to the community college system with future proportional adjustments for enrollments in participating school districts.  Students in these programs are considered the responsibility of the common schools and the technical colleges are prohibited from charging tuition or other fees.  Funds are apportioned for these students to local districts by the Superintendent of Public Instruction as if they were attending district schools.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Funds for students attending the technical colleges will be apportioned directly to the participating college by the Superintendent for Public Instruction.  This direct method of apportionment to an entity other than a school district is to be used for certain programs for highly capable students and for educational clinics.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Voluntary participation in the new method of allocating funds by a participating vocational college is provided for.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Legislation would ease the burden on school districts having to process relatively small amounts of money in a pass through situation.

Testimony Against:  Schools should try harder to keep these students in the K-12 system rather than facilitating their departure to the technical colleges.

Witnesses:  Ginny Kappenman, Clover Park School District (con); Dianne Lindquist, Clover Park Technical College (pro); John Kvamme and Ron Hack, Tacoma Public Schools (con); and Ron Munkres, Sumner School District (pro).