FINAL BILL REPORT

                           SSB 6593

                          C 152 L 94

                      SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Creating the learning and life skills grant program.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Pelz, M. Rasmussen, Skratek and McAuliffe)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

BACKGROUND:

Learning centers provided educational programs for some students who were under the jurisdiction of the court system.  The learning centers were operated jointly by local school districts and the Division of Juvenile Rehabilitation in the Department of Social and Health Services.  The programs operated for a 220-day school year.

There were six learning centers located in Yakima, Walla Walla, Spokane, Everett, Seattle and Tacoma.  During the 1991-93 biennium, $1.9 million was appropriated to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for six school districts to operate the education program at the centers and $400,000 was appropriated to the Department of Social and Health Services to provide facilities and staff support for the program.  The program was not funded in the 1993-95 Omnibus Appropriations Act.

SUMMARY:

The Learning and Life Skills grant program is created.  The Department of Social and Health Services administers the grants.  The purpose of the program is to help court-involved youth gain the necessary life and educational skills to obtain a certificate of educational competency, obtain employment, return to a school program, or enter a postsecondary education or job training program.

A "court-involved youth" is a person under 21 who within the past 24 months has served a court-imposed sentence or been on probation or parole, or who is currently involved in a legal proceeding.

The department awards grants to selected districts.  To be eligible for grants, school districts must agree to use for the program all the basic education dollars and federal dollars generated by the students participating in the program.  Districts must agree to serve only court-involved youth in the program and give priority to those students who have few other educational options, to design a program to meet the specific needs of court-involved youth and the specific needs of individual students, to collaborate with courts and community organizations, and to clearly define program goals.  Attendance records must be kept.  Districts must agree to participate in an evaluation of the program by the department.

The department may withhold grant funds if the terms of the agreement are not met.

The grant funds shall be used for facilities and case management services.

The department shall periodically evaluate the program.  Items considered in the evaluation include data on youth served, the type of offense, the type of services, time in the program, academic progress, recidivism, and rates of employment and enrollment in postsecondary programs.

The legislation is void if funding is not provided in the budget.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate    45   0

House     98   0

EFFECTIVE:June 9, 1994