HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1384

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to school district employment contracts.

Brief Description:  Changing provisions relating to the permissibility of contracts between municipal officers and their spouses in cases where the spouse is a certificated or classified school district employee or a substitute teacher.

Sponsors:  Representatives Chandler, Hansen, Karahalios, Dorn, Brough and Foreman.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Education, February 25, 1993, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 18 members:  Representatives Dorn, Chair; Cothern, Vice Chair; Brough, Ranking Minority Member; Thomas, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brumsickle; Carlson; G. Cole; Eide; G. Fisher; Hansen; Holm; Jones; Karahalios; J. Kohl; Patterson; Pruitt; Stevens; and Vance.

Staff:  Margaret Allen (786-7191).

Background:  Second class school districts with fewer than 500 full time equivalent students may employ the spouse of an officer of the district as a substitute teacher, provided the board of directors has found a shortage of substitute teachers in the district.

The terms of the contract must be commensurate with the pay plan or collective bargaining agreement operating in the district.

Second class school districts are defined by statute as having fewer than 2,000 students.  "Officer" is defined to include all elected and appointed officers of the district, together with all deputies and assistants of such an officer, and all persons exercising any of the powers or functions of a district officer.

Summary of Bill:  All school districts may employ the spouse of an officer of the district as a substitute teacher, if the board of directors has found a shortage of substitute teachers in the district.

The terms of the contract must be commensurate with the pay plan or collective bargaining agreement operating in the district.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Rural areas have difficulty getting substitute teachers.  This bill will increase the pool of available substitute teachers.  Potential candidates will no longer be reluctant to apply for school board positions for fear of disqualifying spouses from employment as substitute teachers.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Representative Gary Chandler, prime sponsor; and David R. James, Royal School District.