SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5395

               As Passed Senate, March 11, 1997

Title:  An act relating to the formula for determining certificated instructional staff salaries in basic education and special education programs.

Brief Description:  Changing the formula for determining average salaries for certificated instructional staff.

Sponsors:  Senators West, Hochstatter and Spanel; by request of Office of Financial Management.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Ways & Means:  2/6/97, 2/13/97 [DP].

Passed Senate, 3/11/97, 30-18.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators West, Chair; Deccio, Vice Chair; Strannigan, Vice Chair; Kohl, Long, McDonald, Rossi, Schow, Swecker, Thibaudeau, Winsley and Zarelli.

Staff:  William Freund (786-7441)

Background:  The state makes payments to school districts for basic education (apportionment program) certificated instructional staff salaries based on a state salary allocation schedule. This salary allocation schedule is used by the state to account for differences in the education and experience of each district=s certificated instructional staff.  Typically, the greater the experience and education of such staff, the higher the pay.

State funding for special education certificated instructional staff is based on state salary allocations for basic education staff.  The experience and education of special education staff is not included in the calculation of the average salary for state allocation purposes.  As a result, the special education program is over-funded in some school districts and under-funded in others.  This problem was created in 1995 when the Legislature changed the special education funding formula to be based on a percentage of basic education funding per student.

There is a state salary compliance law which states that the actual average salary paid to a district=s basic education certificated instructional staff may not exceed the district=s average salary used by the state for basic education allocation purposes.

Summary of Bill:  Special education certificated instructional staff are included with basic education certificated instructional staff for determining a school district=s average salary for state allocation purposes.

The state salary compliance law is amended to combine basic and special education staff in determining a school district=s maximum average salary for certificated instructional staff in these programs.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  The current state special education funding formula does not recognize differences in average salary costs for certificated instructional staff in the special education program.  This bill would extend the current method of recognizing differences in salary costs in the basic education program to the special education program.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Harold Chambers (pro); Barbara McLain, Office of Financial Management.