SENATE BILL REPORT

                           SHB 1211

     AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 26, 1993

Brief Description:  Authorizing educational service districts to provide cooperative and informational services to local school districts.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Ogden, Brumsickle, Franklin, Jacobsen, Carlson, Springer, Orr, Leonard, H. Myers and Basich)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended. 

     Signed by Senators Pelz, Chairman; Hochstatter, McDonald, Moyer, M. Rasmussen, Skratek, and Winsley.

Staff:  Leslie Goldstein (786‑7424)

Hearing Dates: March 24, 1993; March 26, 1993

BACKGROUND:

In 1992, the Legislature enacted a law giving school district boards of directors broad discretionary power to adopt policies to promote the education of students or the effective management of the school district unless the policy was expressly prohibited by law.  (See RCW 28A.320.015)  This legislation reversed the general court interpretation, referred to as Dillon's rule, that school districts, educational service districts, and other municipal corporations only have the authority to exercise those powers expressly granted in law or necessarily or fairly implied from the powers expressly granted in law.

Educational service districts were established by the Legislature and given the express authority to provide cooperative and informational services to local school districts, provide assistance to the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and provide services to school districts to assure equal educational opportunities.  The state is currently divided into nine educational service districts.

SUMMARY:

Educational service districts are authorized to provide cooperative and informational services at the written request of school district boards of directors if: (1) the services are within their statutory authority; (2) do not conflict with other provisions of law; and (3) support education programs or the management of school districts.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

A new section is added requiring the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to design a proposal for a study about the role and performance of educational service districts.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

This helps ESDs be more responsive to school district needs.  This is not a broad grant of authority since school districts must request the services first.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Representative Val Ogden, prime sponsor