H-0915

AN ACT Relating to education; amending RCW 28A.150.260; and adding new sections to chapter 28A.150 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Resources provided by the state for the funding of basic education shall be used to the greatest degree possible in the provision of direct instructional services to students by direct instructional personnel. Direct instructional personnel are persons who work directly with students on a day-to-day basis to implement basic education goals. Direct instructional personnel shall have the highest funding priority.

(2) In recognition of the importance of a child's early educational experiences, the greatest amount of direct instructional personnel shall be assigned to students in grades kindergarten through three to assure the lowest class size and most assistance in addressing student's special needs.

(3) The highest priority of direct instructional personnel shall be in the teaching of the basic skills of reading, writing, arithmetic, English grammar, listening, speaking, and thinking to the students in their care considering their individual needs and abilities. Other responsibilities assigned to the public schools shall not distract from the schools' primary mission of carrying out the intent and goals of basic education.

(4) School districts shall evaluate programs to assess the effectiveness of their programs in increasing basic skills achievement, reducing the dropout rate, developing effective discipline and school management standards, and assuring that the greatest concentration of resources are directed at direct instructional services and that these services are effective, efficient, and under review to assure continued improvement.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 RCW to read as follows:

(1) During the 1991-92 school year and each subsequent school year up to and including the 1995-96 school year, school districts shall conduct a staff development program that meets the goals of section 1 of this act. In conducting the staff development program, priority shall be given to certificated and classified staff who provide instruction directly to children.

(2) To carry out the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, the superintendent of public instruction shall annually allocate to school districts funds for each full-time equivalent certificated instructional staff member who provides instruction directly to students. The amount allocated for each of the full-time equivalent certificated instructional staff providing instruction directly to students shall total: (a) For the 1991-92 school year, two thousand dollars; (b) for the 1992-93 school year, two thousand two hundred fifty dollars; (c) for the 1993-94 school year, two thousand five hundred dollars; (d) for the 1994-95 school year, two thousand seven hundred fifty dollars; and (e) for the 1995-96 school year, three thousand dollars.

(3) To carry out the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, the superintendent of public instruction shall annually allocate to school districts funds for each full-time equivalent classified staff member who provides instruction directly to students. The amount allocated for each of the full-time equivalent classified instructional staff providing instruction directly to students shall total: (a) For the 1991-92 school year, one thousand dollars; (b) for the 1992-93 school year, one thousand one hundred twenty-five dollars; (c) for the 1993-94 school year, one thousand two hundred fifty dollars; (d) for the 1994-95 school year, one thousand three hundred seventy-five dollars; and (e) for the 1995-96 school year, one thousand five hundred dollars.

(4) In-service and continuing education credits earned in the staff development programs established in subsection (1) of this section shall be used to meet any applicable teacher continuing education requirements and for state salary allocation purposes under RCW 28A.150.410.

Sec. 3. RCW 28A.150.260 and 1990 c 33 s 108 are each amended to read as follows:

The basic education allocation for each annual average full time equivalent student shall be determined in accordance with the following procedures:

(1) The governor shall and the superintendent of public instruction may recommend to the legislature a formula based on a ratio of students to staff for the distribution of a basic education allocation for each annual average full time equivalent student enrolled in a common school. The distribution formula shall have the primary objective of equalizing educational opportunities and shall provide appropriate recognition of the following costs among the various districts within the state:

(a) Certificated instructional staff and their related costs;

(b) Certificated administrative staff and their related costs;

(d) Nonsalary costs;

(e) Extraordinary costs of remote and necessary schools and small high schools, including costs of additional certificated and classified staff; and

(f) The attendance of students pursuant to RCW 28A.335.160 and 28A.225.250 who do not reside within the servicing school district.

(2)(a) This formula for distribution of basic education funds shall be reviewed biennially by the superintendent and governor. The recommended formula shall be subject to approval, amendment or rejection by the legislature. The formula shall be for allocation purposes only. While the legislature intends that the allocations for additional instructional staff be used to increase the ratio of such staff to students, nothing in this section shall require districts to reduce the number of administrative staff below existing levels.

(b) ((The formula adopted by the legislature for the 1987-88 school year shall reflect the following ratios at a minimum: (i) Forty-eight certificated instructional staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; (ii) forty-six certificated instructional staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades four through twelve; (iii) four certificated administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve; and (iv) sixteen and sixty-seven one-hundredths classified personnel to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve.

~~(c)~~)) The formula adopted by the legislature for the 1991-92 school year shall reflect the following ratios at a minimum: (i) Fifty-seven certificated instructional and administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; (ii) fifty-one certificated instructional and administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades four through twelve; and (iii) seventeen classified personnel to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve.

(c) The formula adopted by the legislature for the 1992-93 school year shall reflect the following ratios at a minimum: (i) Fifty-eight certificated instructional and administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; (ii) fifty-two certificated instructional and administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades four through twelve; and (iii) eighteen classified personnel to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve.

(d) The formula adopted by the legislature for the 1993-94 school year shall reflect the following ratios at a minimum: (i) Fifty-nine certificated instructional and administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; (ii) fifty-three certificated instructional and administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades four through twelve; and (iii) nineteen classified personnel to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve.

(e) The formula adopted by the legislature for the 1994-95 school year shall reflect the following ratios at a minimum: (i) Sixty certificated instructional and administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; (ii) fifty-four certificated instructional and administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades four through twelve; and (iii) twenty classified personnel to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve.

(f) Commencing with the 1995-96 school year, the formula adopted by the legislature shall reflect the following ratios at a minimum: (i) Sixty-one certificated instructional and administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; (ii) fifty-five certificated instructional and administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades four through twelve; and (iii) twenty classified personnel to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve.

(g) Commencing with the 1988-89 school year, the formula adopted by the legislature shall reflect the following ratios at a minimum: (i) Forty-nine certificated instructional staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; (ii) forty-six certificated instructional staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students in grades four through twelve; (iii) four certificated administrative staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students in grades kindergarten through twelve; and (iv) sixteen and sixty-seven one-hundredths classified personnel to one thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve.

((~~(d)~~)) (h) In the event the legislature rejects the distribution formula recommended by the governor, without adopting a new distribution formula, the distribution formula for the previous school year shall remain in effect: PROVIDED, That the distribution formula developed pursuant to this section shall be for state apportionment and equalization purposes only and shall not be construed as mandating specific operational functions of local school districts other than those program requirements identified in RCW 28A.150.220 and 28A.150.100. The enrollment of any district shall be the annual average number of full time equivalent students and part time students as provided in RCW 28A.150.350, enrolled on the first school day of each month and shall exclude full time equivalent handicapped students recognized for the purposes of allocation of state funds for programs under RCW 28A.155.010 through 28A.155.100. The definition of full time equivalent student shall be determined by rules and regulations of the superintendent of public instruction: PROVIDED, That the definition shall be included as part of the superintendent's biennial budget request: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That any revision of the present definition shall not take effect until approved by the house appropriations committee and the senate ways and means committee: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the office of financial management shall make a monthly review of the superintendent's reported full time equivalent students in the common schools in conjunction with RCW 43.62.050.

(3) (a) Certificated instructional staff shall include those persons employed by a school district who are nonsupervisory employees within the meaning of RCW 41.59.020(8): PROVIDED, That in exceptional cases, people of unusual competence but without certification may teach students so long as a certificated person exercises general supervision: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the hiring of such noncertificated people shall not occur during a labor dispute and such noncertificated people shall not be hired to replace certificated employees during a labor dispute.

(b) Certificated administrative staff shall include all those persons who are chief executive officers, chief administrative officers, confidential employees, supervisors, principals, or assistant principals within the meaning of RCW 41.59.020(4).

(4) Each annual average full time equivalent certificated classroom teacher's direct classroom contact hours shall average at least twenty-five hours per week. Direct classroom contact hours shall be exclusive of time required to be spent for preparation, conferences, or any other nonclassroom instruction duties. Up to two hundred minutes per week may be deducted from the twenty-five contact hour requirement, at the discretion of the school district board of directors, to accommodate authorized teacher/parent-guardian conferences, recess, passing time between classes, and informal instructional activity. Implementing rules to be adopted by the state board of education pursuant to RCW 28A.150.220(6) shall provide that compliance with the direct contact hour requirement shall be based upon teachers' normally assigned weekly instructional schedules, as assigned by the district administration. Additional record-keeping by classroom teachers as a means of accounting for contact hours shall not be required. However, upon request from the board of directors of any school district, the provisions relating to direct classroom contact hours for individual teachers in that district may be waived by the state board of education if the waiver is necessary to implement a locally approved plan for educational excellence and the waiver is limited to those individual teachers approved in the local plan for educational excellence. The state board of education shall develop criteria to evaluate the need for the waiver. Granting of the waiver shall depend upon verification that: (a) The students' classroom instructional time will not be reduced; and (b) the teacher's expertise is critical to the success of the local plan for excellence.