FINAL BILL REPORT

                  HB 1224

                         C 208 L 95

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Authorizing waivers for educational restructuring.

Sponsors:  Representatives Brumsickle, Cole, Silver and Carlson; by request of Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction.

House Committee on Education

Senate Committee on Education

Background:  In 1987, the Legislature created the Schools for the 21st Century program.  The program was designed to enable educators and parents of selected school districts to restructure school operations and develop model school programs that would improve student performance.  The program concluded in June 1994.

One of the provisions of the program allowed participating schools to get waivers from specified state requirements, including: the length of the school year, teacher contact hours; program hour offerings; student teacher ratios; salary lid compliance; the commingling of categorical funds; and administrative rules.

This concept of waivers was continued in the education reform legislation in 1992 and 1993.  Schools may currently receive waivers from the self-study requirement, the teacher-student contact hour requirement, and portions of the program-hour offering requirement.

It has been suggested that the list of currently available waivers be expanded to include many of those that were available through the Schools for the 21st Century program.

Summary:  The State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction may grant waivers to school districts from statutes and rules relating to: 

-- The length of the school year;

--student-to-teacher ratios; and

--other administrative rules that may need to be waived in order for a district to  implement a school or school district educational restructuring program.

School districts may apply for waivers using the Student Learning Improvement grant application process or the education restructuring plan application process.

The Joint Select Committee on Education Restructuring is directed to study which waivers of state laws are necessary for school districts to implement education restructuring.  The committee is to report its findings to the Legislature by December 1, 1997.

Votes on Final Passage:

House     98 0

Senate    44 0 (Senate amended)

House     93 0 (House concurred)

Effective:  July 23, 1995