BILL REQ. #:  H-2144.1 

READ FIRST TIME 03/04/03.   

     AN ACT Relating to studying the education finance system; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The office of financial management shall conduct a comprehensive study of the Washington education finance system, including examination of alternative teacher compensation models.
     (2) The study shall, at a minimum:
     (a) Compare Washington's common school funding system with those in other states that are beginning to link finance systems with education reform and expected student learning outcomes;
     (b) Review the role of state and local funding and levy equalization policies in the Washington common school finance system, building upon the 2002 joint task force on local effort assistance report;
     (c) Design alternative common school finance systems for Washington, with consideration of the following principles:
     (i) Aligning the finance system with the policy expectations and goals established under education reform to provide all students the opportunity to achieve state standards;
     (ii) Recognizing staffing as a key component of school district costs, including the number of and compensation for certificated instructional staff, certificated administrative staff, and classified staff;
     (iii) Providing stable and predictable funding for school districts;
     (iv) Supporting local flexibility in program delivery; and
     (v) Providing accountability for taxpayers focused on student learning outcomes;
     (d) Design one or more alternative compensation models that:
     (i) Attract and retain high performing teachers in all Washington schools;
     (ii) Reward teachers for improving their skills and knowledge in a manner that translates into improved student learning;
     (iii) Recognize participation in teacher mentoring programs; and
     (iv) Recognize different career stages for teachers and the leadership roles they perform in schools; and
     (e) Design a prekindergarten finance system to maximize school readiness and provide smooth transitions for children into kindergarten.
     (3)(a) A twenty-three member steering committee shall direct the office of financial management in the system review and the development of alternatives and recommendations.
     (b) The governor and the superintendent of public instruction shall jointly appoint the following members of the steering committee: A school board director, two school district administrators, a school principal, two certificated instructional staff, and a classified school employee. When making appointments, the governor and the superintendent shall consider regional representation on the committee, including the need for urban, rural, and suburban district perspectives.
     (c) The governor shall appoint the following members of the steering committee: An early childhood educator, a parent, a business executive, and three public members.
     (d) The steering committee shall include the superintendent of public instruction, or the superintendent's designee.
     (e) The steering committee shall also include eight legislators: The speaker of the house of representatives, the senate majority leader, the house of representatives and senate minority leaders, and one additional member appointed by each major caucus of the house of representatives and the senate.
     (f) The governor, or the governor's appointee, shall chair the committee.
     (g) Appointments to the steering committee shall be completed within thirty days of the effective date of this section.
     (h) The committee may form an executive committee, create subcommittees, designate alternative representatives, and define other procedures, as needed, for the operation of the committee.
     (i) Legislative members of the steering committee shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 44.04.120. Other members of the steering committee shall, and members of subcommittees may, be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
     (4) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, the academic achievement and accountability commission, the state board of education, and the professional educator standards board shall provide data and technical expertise to support the study.
     (5) The office of financial management shall report initial findings and recommendations of the committee to the legislature, including the education and fiscal committees of the house of representatives and the senate, by June 30, 2004. A final report shall be provided to the education and fiscal committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 20, 2004.
     (6) This section expires June 30, 2005.