H-2822

AN ACT Relating to providing state funding assistance to school districts; adding new sections to chapter 28A.300 RCW; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The complex needs grant program is hereby created. The purpose of the grant program is to provide financial assistance to school districts that have a high number of students who cost more to educate due to social and economic factors.

(2) Funds appropriated by the legislature for the purposes of the complex needs grant program shall not become a part of the state's basic program of education obligation as set forth under Article IX of the state Constitution.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Grants under the complex needs grant program shall be allocated by a formula adopted by the superintendent of public instruction after consultation with representatives of the legislature, governors, teachers, administrators, students, school board members, and others. Funds, as appropriated by the legislature, shall be distributed to school districts qualifying for elements specified in this section. The elements of the complex needs formula shall include elements specified in LEAP Document 30, as developed by the legislative evaluation and accountability program a committee April ____, 1991, at ___ hours. As used in this section, "LEAP Document 30" means the computerized tabulation and formulas for the following elements:

(1) A poverty element based on the ratio of free and reduced meals compared to the headcount enrollment of the school district. A minimum of sixty-five percent of the students must be participating in free and reduced lunch programs for the district to qualify for this funding element;

(2) A special education element based, in part, on the ratio of special education students compared to the headcount enrollment of the school district. School districts with more than two thousand students participating in special education programs shall receive at least fifty dollars per weighted special education student. A minimum of nine percent of the students must be participating in special education programs for a district to qualify for this funding element.

(3) A bilingual education element based, in part, on the ratio of students participating in bilingual education programs compared to headcount enrollment of the school district. School districts with more than twenty-five thousand headcount enrollment shall receive a minimum of one hundred fifty dollars per weighted bilingual student. A minimum of nine percent of the district students must be participating in bilingual education programs for a district to qualify for this funding factor, except that any district with over twenty percent enrollment in bilingual programs shall receive a minimum of fifty dollars per student.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Before receiving complex needs grants, eligible school districts shall submit the following to the superintendent of public instruction:

(1) Documentation that the district board of directors has held at least one public hearing regarding the proposed use of the funds;

(2) A description of the services, programs, or activities that will be funded in whole or in part by the funds, and a proposed budget; and

(3) A description of the methods and procedures to be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the services, programs, or activities supported by the funds.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) Each school district receiving funds under the grant program established under section 1 of this act shall submit biennially to the superintendent of public instruction a report on the district's use of the funds. The report shall include an assessment of the effectiveness of the services, programs, or activities supported by the funds and other information required by the superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent of public instruction shall establish the date for submittal of reports. The superintendent of public instruction shall work with the eligible districts in developing reporting requirements that do not create excessive paperwork but that provide information necessary for the legislature to evaluate the effectiveness of the grant program in improving the educational outcomes of students with special needs in the districts.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction shall submit biennially to the legislature a report on the complex needs grant program. The first report shall be submitted not later than December 1, 1993.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The sum of seven million, five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, to the superintendent of public instruction from the general fund for the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 28A.300 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.