HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1810

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Appropriations

Title:  An act relating to education centers.

Brief Description:  Revising provision for funding additional education centers.

Sponsors:  Representatives D. Sommers, Carlson, Radcliff, H. Sommers, Talcott, Ogden, Mielke and Pennington.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Appropriations:  2/19/97, 2/24/97 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 29 members:  Representatives Huff, Chairman; Alexander, Vice Chairman; Clements, Vice Chairman; Wensman, Vice Chairman; H. Sommers, Ranking Minority Member; Doumit, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Gombosky, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Benson; Carlson; Chopp; Cody; Crouse; Dyer; Keiser; Kenney; Kessler; Lambert; Linville; Lisk; Mastin; McMorris; Parlette; Poulsen; Regala; D. Schmidt; Sehlin; Sheahan; Talcott and Tokuda.

Staff:  Jack Daray (786-7178).

Background:

Education Centers -The Legislature created education centers for public school dropouts.  Education centers operate on a client-centered basis, with specific attention given to diagnosing the students learning needs and improving the students motivation and academic performance.  Certified teachers must provide instruction.  Students may take the general educational development (GED) test or reenter public school if they demonstrate satisfactory performance.  Students must have dropped out of school for 30 days prior to applying, or be referred to an education center by a public school official prior to being out of school 30 days.  Students who have been expelled or suspended may enroll in education centers.

Funding -The State Board of Education is responsible for certifying the instruction program for providing academic skills for each education center.   The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is responsible for allocating funds to centers meeting the criteria specified in RCW.205.070 from legislative appropriations.  If a new or additional education center is certified by the State Board of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall provide funding only if there has been a corresponding increase in the appropriations for education centers in the preceding biennium or there are sufficient funds in the current appropriation to allow minimally acceptable levels of service at the existing funded centers.  

Summary of Bill:  The Superintendent of Public Instruction is directed to provide an exception for funding existing and new education centers as provided in the appropriations act.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  The education centers are in a group of programs outside of the education funding formula where all programs are treated the same.  These programs received across the board cuts in the past biennia.  The sites that were closed because of budget cuts need to be restored.

Testimony Against: Sites should not be added under the current appropriation if it would cause existing centers to become ineffective.

Testified:  Sharon Case, Washington Association of Education Centers.