AN ACT Relating to the Washington award for
excellence in education program; amending RCW 28A.625.060 and 28A.625.065;
reenacting and amending RCW 28A.625.041; adding a new section to chapter
28A.625 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.80 RCW; providing an effective
date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1.
RCW 28A.625.041 and 1992 c 83 s 1 and 1992 c 50 s 1 are each reenacted and
amended to read as follows:
(1) All recipients of the Washington award for
excellence in education shall receive a certificate presented by the governor
and the superintendent of public instruction, or their designated
representatives, at a public ceremony or ceremonies in appropriate locations.
(2) In addition to certificates under
subsection (1) of this section, awards for teachers, classified employees, and
principals or administrators shall include one of the following:
(a) Except as provided under RCW 28B.80.255, an
academic grant which shall be used to take courses at a state institution of
higher education. The academic grant shall provide reimbursement to the
recipient for actual costs incurred for tuition and fees for up to forty-five
quarter credit hours or thirty semester credit hours at a rate of reimbursement
per credit hour not to exceed the resident graduate, part-time cost per credit
hour at the University of Washington in the year the recipient takes the
credits. In addition, a stipend not to exceed one thousand dollars shall be
provided for costs incurred in taking courses covered by the academic grant
beginning with 1992 recipients, if funds are appropriated for the stipends in
the omnibus appropriations act. This stipend shall be provided as
reimbursement for actual costs incurred. The academic grant shall not be
considered compensation for the purposes of RCW 28A.400.200; or
(b) A recognition stipend not to exceed one
thousand dollars. The recognition stipend shall not be considered compensation
for the purposes of RCW 28A.400.200; or
(c) An educational grant not to exceed one
thousand dollars. The educational grant shall be awarded under RCW 28A.625.060
and shall not be considered compensation for the purposes of RCW 28A.400.200.
(3) In addition to certificates under
subsection (1) of this section, the award for the superintendent shall include
one of the following:
(a) A recognition stipend not to exceed one
thousand dollars. The recognition stipend shall not be considered compensation
for the purposes of RCW 28A.400.200; or
(b) An educational grant not to exceed one
thousand dollars. The educational grant shall be awarded under RCW 28A.625.060
and shall not be considered compensation for the purposes of RCW 28A.400.200.
(4) In addition to certificates under
subsection (1) of this section, the award for the school board shall include an
educational grant not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars. The
educational grant shall be awarded under RCW 28A.625.060.
(5) Within one year of receiving the Washington
award for excellence in education, teachers, classified employees, principals
or administrators, and the school district superintendent shall notify the
superintendent of public instruction in writing of their decision to apply for
an academic grant, a recognition stipend, or an educational grant as provided
under subsections (2) and (3) of this section. The superintendent shall notify
the higher education coordinating board of those recipients who select the
academic grant.
(6) This section applies to all individuals
named by the office of the superintendent of public instruction as recipients
of the Washington award for excellence in education before January 1, 1994.
(7) This section shall expire June 30, 1998.
Sec. 2.
RCW 28A.625.060 and 1992 c 50 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Teachers, classified employees,
principals or administrators, and superintendents who have received an award
for excellence in education and choose to apply for an educational grant under
RCW 28A.625.041 shall be awarded the grant by the superintendent of public
instruction as long as a written grant application is submitted to the
superintendent within one year after the award was received. The grant
application shall identify the educational purpose toward which the grant shall
be used.
(2) This section applies to all individuals
named by the office of the superintendent of public instruction as recipients
of the Washington award for excellence in education before January 1, 1994.
(3) This section shall expire June 30, 1998.
Sec. 3.
RCW 28A.625.065 and 1992 c 83 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Courses paid for in full by the
academic grant under RCW 28A.625.041(2)(a) shall be completed within four years
after the academic grant is received.
(2) This section applies to all individuals
named by the office of the superintendent of public instruction as recipients
of the Washington award for excellence in education before January 1, 1994.
(3) This section shall expire June 30, 1998.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A
new section is added to chapter 28A.625 RCW to read as follows:
(1) All recipients of the Washington award for
excellence in education shall receive a certificate presented by the governor
and the superintendent of public instruction, or their designated
representatives, at a public ceremony or ceremonies in appropriate locations.
(2) In addition to the certificate under
subsection (1) of this section, the award for teachers, classified employees,
superintendents employed by second class school districts, and principals or
administrators shall include a recognition award of at least two thousand five
hundred dollars. The amount of the recognition award for superintendents
employed by first class school districts shall be at least one thousand
dollars. The recognition award shall not be considered compensation for the purposes
of RCW 28A.400.200.
(3) In addition to the certificate under
subsection (1) of this section, the award for the school board shall include a
recognition award not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars. The school
board must use its recognition award for an educational purpose.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A
new section is added to chapter 28B.80 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The higher education coordinating board
shall adopt rules establishing procedures for recipients of the Washington
award for excellence in education academic grant to convert the remaining value
of their grant into a recognition award as provided under section 4 of this
act, subject to the availability of funds from the legislature to cover this option.
This is an option for individuals named by the office of the superintendent of
public instruction as recipients of the Washington award for excellence in
education before January 1, 1994, who have elected to receive their award in
the form of the academic grant. This option shall be exercised only at the
discretion of the academic grant recipients.
(2) This section shall expire June 30, 1998.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.
Section 4 of this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing
public institutions, and shall take effect April 1, 1994.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. If
any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is
held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to
other persons or circumstances is not affected.
