S-1833.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5291
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State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Erwin, Bailey, Rinehart, Talmadge, Oke, Pelz, Johnson, A. Smith, Murray and Bauer).
Read first time March 5, 1991.
AN ACT Relating to low-income students; amending RCW 28A.320.500; adding new sections to chapter 28A.600 RCW; and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 28A.320.500 and 1990 c 33 s 339 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Every school district board of directors is authorized to establish and operate summer and/or other student vacation period programs and to assess such tuition and special fees as it deems necessary to offset the maintenance and operation costs of such programs in whole or part. The district shall adopt policies for waiving or reducing any such tuition or fees in the cases of students whose families, by reason of their low incomes, would have difficulty paying the entire amount of the tuition or fees. The policies shall, at a minimum, provide students whose family income is at or below the level established for free or reduced price meal eligibility, a waiver of any tuition or fees for the following courses, commencing with the 1991-92 school year:
(a) Elementary school offerings in reading, language arts, and mathematics; and
(b) Secondary school offerings of courses necessary to meet state or local graduation requirements.
(2) A summer and/or other student vacation period program may consist of such courses and activities as the school district board shall determine to be appropriate: PROVIDED, That such courses and activities shall not conflict with the provisions of RCW 28A.305.130. Attendance shall be voluntary.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. To cover all or part of the cost of summer school programs, the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate available funds based on the number of full-time equivalent students in the district's summer school program and the percentage of district annual average full-time equivalent students participating in free or reduced price meal programs during the school year.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Every school district board of directors shall adopt a written policy on the provision of school supplies and waivers and reductions of school program fees for students whose families, by reason of their low income, would have difficulty paying for them.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. Every school district board of directors shall annually provide notice reasonably calculated to inform all students' parents or guardians of the availability of school supplies and waivers and reductions of school program fees for students whose families qualify due to low income.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules necessary to implement sections 2 through 4 of this act. The superintendent of public instruction shall, not later than December 1, 1992, report to the legislature the methods used to allocate the funds under section 2 of this act and other such data as the superintendent may collect in relation to sections 2 through 4 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 2 through 5 of this act are each added to chapter 28A.600 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. (1) The sum of four hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of section 2 of this act.
(2) The funds appropriated in this section shall be allocated for summer school in the 1991-92 school year. Appropriations for summer school occurring in the 1992-93 and 1993-94 school years shall be contained in the 1993-95 biennial budget. Appropriations for subsequent two-year periods of summer school shall be in subsequent biennial budgets.