HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1156

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to assisting school districts to establish and develop educational foundations.

Brief Description:  Requiring the SPI to provide support to individuals and organizations for the establishment of nonprofit education foundations.

Sponsors:  Representatives Dickerson, Brumsickle, Radcliff, Chopp, Mason, Cody, Hatfield, Poulsen, Veloria, Morris, Cole, Skinner, Tokuda, Costa, Elliot, Wolfe and Ogden.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Education:  1/24/95, 1/26/95, 1/31/95 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 18 members:  Representatives Brumsickle, Chair; Elliot, Vice Chair; Johnson, Vice Chair; Cole, Ranking Minority Member; Poulsen, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Clements; Dickerson; G. Fisher; Fuhrman; Hatfield; Pelesky; Quall; Radcliff; Smith; Talcott; B. Thomas; Thompson and Veloria.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative McMahan.

Staff:  Robert Butts (786-7111).

Background:  Educational foundations are private, nonprofit partnerships between school districts and local communities that are created to provide financial and other support to school districts.  Foundations often access private, federal, and local resources that may not otherwise be available and are able to serve students in innovative ways. 

There are approximately 20 public school foundations in the state.  Types of existing efforts supported or administered by foundations include drop-out prevention programs, homeschool partnership programs, technology support, and innovative classroom grants.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) is directed to hire a contractor to provide support, guidance, training, and technical assistance to individuals and organizations for the establishment and development of nonprofit educational foundations.   The superintendent is to solicit proposals from identified organizations and others who have the necessary expertise and experience.

The superintendent also is to contract with a third party to evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to assist educational foundations and to submit the evaluation to the Legislature by December 1, 1999.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The original bill allowed SPI to provide the support and assistance.  The substitute requires that SPI enter into a contract with an organization or individual to provide the support and assistance.

Appropriation:  The sum of $120,000 from the general fund to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 18, 1995.

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

Testimony For:   Existing educational foundations assist school districts in many ways: they get community members more involved in our schools,  provide financial assistance, and reward good teachers through classroom grants.  To start a foundation, however, is complicated.  One must file with the IRS, write bylaws, develop an operating agreement with the school district, and select board members. This bill will provide assistance to those who want to start new foundations in districts that currently do not have one.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Christina Peterson, Coalition of Public Schools Foundations (pro); Cheryl Marshall, citizen (pro); Rep. Dickerson, prime sponsor (pro); Jean Ameluxen, Superintendent of Public Instruction (pro); Judy Hartmann, Washington Education Association (pro);  Jan Stout, Washington Association of Partners in Education (pro); and Dwayne Slate, Washington State School Directors' Association (pro).