H-1317.2  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1715

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Representatives Thompson, Pelesky, Stevens, Koster, Campbell and Padden

Read first time 02/06/95.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Authorizing grants for educational services for children in private schools or receiving home-based instruction.

    AN ACT Relating to providing educational grants; adding a new section to chapter 28A.150 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that there are a growing number of viable alternatives to public education, including private schools and home schooling.  In order to be more fair to those taking on the public burden of educating their own children, the legislature intends to compensate parents who pay private school tuition and who home school their children.  This will also improve the quality of elementary and secondary education in the state by requiring public schools to compete for students, and by providing parents enhanced opportunity for the exercise of parental choice in the education of their school-age children.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall establish a program in which the parent or parents, including guardians, of  school-age children may receive from the superintendent, on request, a grant for educational services that their children have received at private schools or through home-based instruction.  The grants shall be awarded year-to-year for children between the ages of five and nineteen.

    (2) The value of the educational grant shall be based on fifty percent of the estimated average total per pupil K-12 state allocation, excluding allocations for state assistance for school facility construction, for the school year for which the grant is issued.  The superintendent may prorate the grant amount if the child was home schooled or attended private school less than a full school year.

    (3) A parent of a child eligible for an educational grant under this section may apply for a grant in accordance with rules established by the superintendent of public instruction.  Parents of students attending private schools shall include evidence of the student's attendance in the private school.  Home school students must meet the requirements of RCW 28A.200.010 to be eligible to receive a grant.  The application also shall include documentation that the student is making satisfactory academic progress as measured by a standardized test.

    (4) The educational grant program established in this section shall be implemented beginning in the 1996-97 school year.

    (5) Nothing in this section may be construed as increasing state controls of any state agency or employee over any private school, parent, guardian, or child.

    (6) The superintendent may develop and administer rules to implement this section.

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