HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 ESSB 6326

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to the Washington award for excellence.

Brief Description:  Changing the Washington award for excellence.

Sponsor(s):  By Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Gaspard, Bailey, Rinehart and Bauer).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Education, February 24, 1992, DPA.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.  Signed by 18 members:  Representatives Peery, Chair; G. Fisher, Vice Chair; Brough, Ranking Minority Member; Vance, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Broback; Brumsickle; Carlson; G. Cole; Dorn; P. Johnson; Jones; J. Kohl; Neher; Orr; Rasmussen; Roland; H. Sommers; and Valle.

Staff:  Robert Butts (786-7111).

Background:  Under the Washington Award for Excellence in Education Program, teachers, principals or administrators, classified staff, superintendents and school boards are recognized for their leadership, contributions, and commitment to education. 

Teachers and principals or administrators may elect to receive an academic grant not to exceed the current full-time equivalent resident graduate tuition for courses taken at one of the state's public, four-year institutions of higher education.  Clarification of the statutory language regarding this award option would make it easier to administrate.

Summary of Amended Bill:  Recipients selecting the academic grant shall be reimbursed for tuition and fees up to 45 quarter or 30 semester credits.  A single rate of reimbursement per credit hour is established and shall not exceed the resident, graduate, part-time cost per credit hour at the University of Washington in the year the recipient takes the credits.

The change in determining the value of the academic grant applies to all recipients regardless of the year in which they received their award.

A stipend not to exceed $1,000 is reinstated to accompany the academic grant for reimbursement of costs incurred in taking courses covered by the academic grant.  Reinstatement of the stipend of up to $1,000 to accompany the academic grant shall apply only to recipients for 1992 and beyond, and only if the stipends are funded in the budget.

A provision that grants to recipients 30 clock hours credit toward the state Board of Education's continuing education requirement is repealed.

Amended Bill Compared to Engrossed Substitute Bill:  Several technical amendments were made.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Amended Bill:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect April 30, 1992.

Testimony For:  This bill will correct a number of technical problems of last year's legislation.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Marcia Costello, SPI (supports).