BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to equipment and technology funding for secondary vocational technical education; amending 1995 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 502 (uncodified); creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that students now and in the future will need increased access to skills acquired in secondary vocational technical education classrooms in high schools and skills centers.

The legislature further finds that new technologies are being introduced at a rapid pace and students must be trained on updated equipment to be adequately prepared to meet the increasingly high skill demands of business and industry.

A large percentage of high school graduates do not pursue a four-year degree and must be prepared to transition into the work force after leaving high school. Students working to pay for their postsecondary education need training on updated equipment while in the secondary system to gain employment at higher than minimum wage.

The legislature further finds that providing resources for equipment and technology improvements in secondary vocational technical education is necessary to enhance the skills training and educational experience of students.

Sec. 2. 1995 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 502 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:

FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION‑-FOR GENERAL APPORTIONMENT (BASIC EDUCATION)

General Fund Appropriation (FY 1996)....................... $ 3,174,826,000

General Fund Appropriation (FY 1997)....................... $ ((~~3,284,918,000~~))

3,290,918,000

TOTAL APPROPRIATION..................... $ ((~~6,459,744,000~~))

6,465,744,000

The appropriations in this section are subject to the following conditions and limitations:

(1) The appropriation includes such funds as are necessary for the remaining months of the 1994-95 school year.

(2) Allocations for certificated staff salaries for the 1995-96 and 1996-97 school years shall be determined using formula‑generated staff units calculated pursuant to this subsection. Staff allocations for small school enrollments in (d) through (f) of this subsection shall be reduced for vocational full-time equivalent enrollments. Staff allocations for small school enrollments in grades K-6 shall be the greater of that generated under (a) of this subsection, or under (d) and (e) of this subsection. Certificated staffing allocations shall be as follows:

(a) On the basis of each 1,000 average annual full-time equivalent enrollments, excluding full-time equivalent enrollment otherwise recognized for certificated staff unit allocations under (c) through (f) of this subsection:

(i) Four certificated administrative staff units per thousand full-time equivalent students in grades K-12;

(ii) 49 certificated instructional staff units per thousand full-time equivalent students in grades K-3; and

(iii) An additional 5.3 certificated instructional staff units for grades K-3. Any funds allocated for these additional certificated units shall not be considered as basic education funding;

(A) Funds provided under this subsection (2)(a)(iii) in excess of the amount required to maintain the statutory minimum ratio established under RCW 28A.150.260(2)(b) shall be allocated only if the district documents an actual ratio equal to or greater than 54.3 certificated instructional staff per thousand full-time equivalent students in grades K-3. For any school district documenting a lower certificated instructional staff ratio, the allocation shall be based on the district's actual grades K-3 certificated instructional staff ratio achieved in that school year, or the statutory minimum ratio established under RCW 28A.150.260(2)(b), if greater;

(B) Districts at or above 51.0 certificated instructional staff per one thousand full-time equivalent students in grades K-3 may dedicate up to 1.3 of the 54.3 funding ratio to employ additional classified instructional assistants assigned to basic education classrooms in grades K-3. For purposes of documenting a district's staff ratio under this section, funds used by the district to employ additional classified instructional assistants shall be converted to a certificated staff equivalent and added to the district's actual certificated instructional staff ratio. Additional classified instructional assistants, for the purposes of this subsection, shall be determined using the 1989-90 school year as the base year;

(C) Any district maintaining a ratio equal to or greater than 54.3 certificated instructional staff per thousand full-time equivalent students in grades K-3 may use allocations generated under this subsection (2)(a)(iii) in excess of that required to maintain the minimum ratio established under RCW 28A.150.260(2)(b) to employ additional basic education certificated instructional staff or classified instructional assistants in grades 4-6. Funds allocated under this subsection (2)(a)(iii) shall only be expended to reduce class size in grades K-6. No more than 1.3 of the certificated instructional funding ratio amount may be expended for provision of classified instructional assistants; and

(iv) Forty‑six certificated instructional staff units per thousand full-time equivalent students in grades 4-12; and

(b) For school districts with a minimum enrollment of 250 full-time equivalent students whose full-time equivalent student enrollment count in a given month exceeds the first of the month full-time equivalent enrollment count by 5 percent, an additional state allocation of 110 percent of the share that such increased enrollment would have generated had such additional full-time equivalent students been included in the normal enrollment count for that particular month;

(i) Vocational education programs approved by the superintendent of public instruction, 0.92 certificated instructional staff units and 0.08 certificated administrative staff units for each 18.3 full-time equivalent vocational students;

(ii) Skills center programs approved by the superintendent of public instruction, 0.92 certificated instructional staff units and 0.08 certificated administrative units for each 16.67 full-time equivalent vocational students; and

(iii) Indirect cost charges to vocational-secondary programs shall not exceed 10 percent;

(d) For districts enrolling not more than twenty‑five average annual full-time equivalent students in grades K-8, and for small school plants within any school district which have been judged to be remote and necessary by the state board of education and enroll not more than twenty‑five average annual full-time equivalent students in grades K-8:

(i) For those enrolling no students in grades seven and eight, 1.76 certificated instructional staff units and 0.24 certificated administrative staff units for enrollment of not more than five students, plus one‑twentieth of a certificated instructional staff unit for each additional student enrolled; and

(ii) For those enrolling students in grades 7 or 8, 1.68 certificated instructional staff units and 0.32 certificated administrative staff units for enrollment of not more than five students, plus one‑tenth of a certificated instructional staff unit for each additional student enrolled;

(e) For specified enrollments in districts enrolling more than twenty‑five but not more than one hundred average annual full-time equivalent students in grades K-8, and for small school plants within any school district which enroll more than twenty‑five average annual full-time equivalent students in grades K-8 and have been judged to be remote and necessary by the state board of education:

(i) For enrollment of up to sixty annual average full-time equivalent students in grades K-6, 2.76 certificated instructional staff units and 0.24 certificated administrative staff units; and

(ii) For enrollment of up to twenty annual average full-time equivalent students in grades 7 and 8, 0.92 certificated instructional staff units and 0.08 certificated administrative staff units;

(f) For districts operating no more than two high schools with enrollments of less than three hundred average annual full-time equivalent students, for enrollment in grades 9-12 in each such school, other than alternative schools:

(i) For remote and necessary schools enrolling students in any grades 9-12 but no more than twenty‑five average annual full-time equivalent students in grades K-12, four and one‑half certificated instructional staff units and one‑quarter of a certificated administrative staff unit;

(ii) For all other small high schools under this subsection, nine certificated instructional staff units and one‑half of a certificated administrative staff unit for the first sixty average annual full time equivalent students, and additional staff units based on a ratio of 0.8732 certificated instructional staff units and 0.1268 certificated administrative staff units per each additional forty‑three and one‑half average annual full time equivalent students.

Units calculated under (f)(ii) of this subsection shall be reduced by certificated staff units at the rate of forty‑six certificated instructional staff units and four certificated administrative staff units per thousand vocational full-time equivalent students.

(g) For each nonhigh school district having an enrollment of more than seventy annual average full-time equivalent students and less than one hundred eighty students, operating a grades K-8 program or a grades 1-8 program, an additional one‑half of a certificated instructional staff unit;

(h) For each nonhigh school district having an enrollment of more than fifty annual average full-time equivalent students and less than one hundred eighty students, operating a grades K-6 program or a grades 1-6 program, an additional one‑half of a certificated instructional staff unit.

(3) Allocations for classified salaries for the 1995‑96 and 1996‑97 school years shall be calculated using formula‑generated classified staff units determined as follows:

(a) For enrollments generating certificated staff unit allocations under subsection (2) (d) through (h) of this section, one classified staff unit for each three certificated staff units allocated under such subsections;

(b) For all other enrollment in grades K-12, including vocational full-time equivalent enrollments, one classified staff unit for each sixty average annual full-time equivalent students; and

(c) For each nonhigh school district with an enrollment of more than fifty annual average full-time equivalent students and less than one hundred eighty students, an additional one‑half of a classified staff unit.

(4) Fringe benefit allocations shall be calculated at a rate of 20.71 percent in the 1995‑96 school year and 20.71 percent in the 1996-97 school year of certificated salary allocations provided under subsection (2) of this section, and a rate of 18.77 percent in the 1995‑96 school year and 18.77 percent in the 1996-97 school year of classified salary allocations provided under subsection (3) of this section.

(5) Insurance benefit allocations shall be calculated at the rates specified in section 504(2) of this act, based on the number of benefit units determined as follows:

(a) The number of certificated staff units determined in subsection (2) of this section; and

(b) The number of classified staff units determined in subsection (3) of this section multiplied by 1.152. This factor is intended to adjust allocations so that, for the purposes of distributing insurance benefits, full-time equivalent classified employees may be calculated on the basis of 1440 hours of work per year, with no individual employee counted as more than one full-time equivalent;

(6)(a) For nonemployee-related costs associated with each certificated staff unit allocated under subsection (2) (a), (b), and (d) through (h) of this section, there shall be provided a maximum of $7,656 per certificated staff unit in the 1995‑96 school year and a maximum of $7,893 per certificated staff unit in the 1996-97 school year.

(b) For nonemployee-related costs associated with each vocational certificated staff unit allocated under subsection (2)(c) of this section, there shall be provided a maximum of $14,587 per certificated staff unit in the 1995‑96 school year and a maximum of $15,039 per certificated staff unit in the 1996-97 school year.

(7) Allocations for substitute costs for classroom teachers shall be distributed at a maximum rate of $341 for the 1995‑96 school year and $341 per year for the 1996‑97 school year for allocated classroom teachers. Solely for the purposes of this subsection, allocated classroom teachers shall be equal to the number of certificated instructional staff units allocated under subsection (2) of this section, multiplied by the ratio between the number of actual basic education certificated teachers and the number of actual basic education certificated instructional staff reported state‑wide for the 1994-95 school year.

(8) Any school district board of directors may petition the superintendent of public instruction by submission of a resolution adopted in a public meeting to reduce or delay any portion of its basic education allocation for any school year. The superintendent of public instruction shall approve such reduction or delay if it does not impair the district's financial condition. Any delay shall not be for more than two school years. Any reduction or delay shall have no impact on levy authority pursuant to RCW 84.52.0531 and local effort assistance pursuant to chapter 28A.500 RCW.

(9) The superintendent may distribute a maximum of $3,122,000 outside the basic education formula during fiscal years 1996 and 1997 as follows:

(a) For fire protection for school districts located in a fire protection district as now or hereafter established pursuant to chapter 52.04 RCW, a maximum of $431,000 may be expended in fiscal year 1996 and a maximum of $444,000 may be expended in fiscal year 1997;

(b) For summer vocational programs at skills centers, a maximum of $1,938,000 may be expended in the 1995-96 school year; and

(10) For the purposes of RCW 84.52.0531, the increase per full-time equivalent student in state basic education appropriations provided under this act, including appropriations for salary and benefits increases, is 2.2 percent from the 1994‑95 school year to the 1995‑96 school year, and 1.5 percent from the 1995‑96 school year to the 1996‑97 school year.

(11) If two or more school districts consolidate and each district was receiving additional basic education formula staff units pursuant to subsection (2) (b) through (h) of this section, the following shall apply:

(a) For three school years following consolidation, the number of basic education formula staff units shall not be less than the number of basic education formula staff units received by the districts in the school year prior to the consolidation; and

(b) For the fourth through eighth school years following consolidation, the difference between the basic education formula staff units received by the districts for the school year prior to consolidation and the basic education formula staff units after consolidation pursuant to subsection (2) (a) through (h) of this section shall be reduced in increments of twenty percent per year.

(12) A maximum of $6,000,000 is provided solely for the purchase of new and replacement vocational education equipment and technology for use in approved vocational-secondary and skill center programs. These moneys shall be allocated to school districts during the 1996-97 school year on the basis of full-time equivalent enrollment in vocational programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. 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 immediately.