SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5990
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 28, 1994
Brief Description: Requiring school‑based budgeting based on the characteristics and educational needs of students.
SPONSORS: Senators Pelz, Rinehart, Williams, Niemi, Prentice, Moore and Talmadge
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5990 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Pelz, Chairman; McAuliffe, Vice Chairman; Gaspard, M. Rasmussen, Rinehart, Skratek and A. Smith.
Minority Report: Do not pass.
Signed by Senators Hochstatter, McDonald, Moyer and Nelson.
Staff: Leslie Goldstein (786‑7424)
Hearing Dates: January 14, 1994; January 28, 1994
BACKGROUND:
Some school districts have diverse populations with students having a range of needs. The level of student needs can vary significantly between schools.
SUMMARY:
During the 1994-95 school year, any school district with 40,000 or more students must develop and implement a budget system that allocates resources to each school based on the characteristics and educational needs of the students in each school. The characteristics that must be considered include: poverty, single-parent households, eligibility for bilingual education, and low performance on assessments.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall not allocate any funds for nonbasic education programs to the affected school district until the budget system is in place.
EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:
Implementation is delayed to the 1995-96 school year. Only block grant funds may be withheld if the program is not established.
Appropriation: none
Revenue: none
Fiscal Note: none requested
TESTIMONY FOR: None
TESTIMONY AGAINST:
This legislation is not necessary. The Seattle School District is working on its own plan to make sure the money gets to the schools that need it. The concept in the legislation is important, but the district does not need to be forced to take action. A large amount of excess resources are not available. A statewide weighted pupil formula is needed.
TESTIFIED: CON: Bruce Colwell, Seattle Education Association; Michael Preston, Seattle School Board; Lynn Harsh, Evergreen Foundation