H-1109.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1646
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 57th Legislature 2001 Regular Session
By Representatives D. Schmidt, Haigh, Talcott, Keiser, Cox, Schual‑Berke, Anderson, Pearson, Quall, Santos, Rockefeller, McDermott, Schindler, Conway, Bush and Dunn
Read first time 01/31/2001. Referred to Committee on Education.
AN ACT Relating to alternative educational service providers; and amending RCW 28A.150.305.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 28A.150.305 and 1997 c 265 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) The board of directors of school districts may contract with alternative educational service providers for eligible students. Alternative educational service providers that the school district may contract with include, but are not limited to:
(a) Other schools;
(b) Alternative education programs not operated by the school district;
(c) Education centers;
(d) Skills centers;
(e) The Washington national guard youth program;
(f) Dropout prevention programs; or
(((f))) (g)
Other public or private organizations, excluding sectarian or religious
organizations.
(2) Eligible students include students who are likely to be expelled or who are enrolled in the school district but have been suspended, are academically at risk, or who have been subject to repeated disciplinary actions due to behavioral problems.
(3) If a school district board of directors chooses to initiate specialized programs for students at risk of expulsion or who are failing academically by contracting out with alternative educational service providers identified in subsection (1) of this section, the school district board of directors and the organization must specify the specific learning standards that students are expected to achieve. Placement of the student shall be jointly determined by the school district, the student's parent or legal guardian, and the alternative educational service provider.
(4) For the purpose of this section, the superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules for reporting and documenting enrollment. Students may reenter at the grade level appropriate to the student's ability. Students who are sixteen years of age or older may take the GED test.
(5) The board of directors of school districts may require that students who would otherwise be suspended or expelled attend schools or programs listed in subsection (1) of this section as a condition of continued enrollment in the school district.
(6) To the extent that funding is provided for this specific purpose, the superintendent of public instruction may contract with the Washington national guard youth challenge program to provide a residential academic program and postresidential mentoring for youth eighteen years of age or younger who have dropped out of school or who have been excluded from school for disciplinary reasons.
(a) For purposes of funding:
(i) Enrollments shall be based on the number of students enrolled on the opening day of each program term;
(ii) Students in the program shall be considered students of the district in which the program is located for general fund apportionment purposes. With the exception of funding for small school assistance, the superintendent shall provide funding on a per-student basis based on the amounts the program would have received if the students were enrolled in that district.
(iii) Funding shall include regular apportionment, categorical, and nonbasic education funds, as appropriate, and shall be based on the opening day enrollment information submitted by the program.
(b) Teachers for the program may be provided through contract with either a school district or educational service district in the general area in which the program is located.
(c) Under the terms of a cooperative agreement, students who successfully complete coursework through the program shall receive academic credit from a school district in the area in which the program is located.
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