BILL REQ. #:  S-3858.3 

Read first time 01/20/2004.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to an education finance study; creating a new section; making an appropriation; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The K-12 finance study executive committee is created to conduct a comprehensive K-12 education finance study. The comprehensive study shall address the following:
     (a) The constitutional and legal requirements underlying the current finance system and how those requirements are affected by the goal under education reform to provide all students with the opportunity to achieve the state standards;
     (b) The strengths and weaknesses of the current state and local finance formulas and how those formulas are used by local school districts to meet state requirements and student learning goals;
     (c) Potential changes to the current finance system including the methods of allocating funds and the levels of funding and how student achievement is affected;
     (d) Reviewing the funding systems in at least five other states.
     (2) Members of the K-12 finance study executive committee shall include: The governor or the governor's designee; the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee; one member from the senate democratic caucus and one member from the senate republican caucus appointed by the president of the senate; and one member from the house of representatives democratic caucus and one member from the house of representatives republican caucus appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
     (3) The K-12 finance study executive committee shall select the person or entity to conduct the study and shall approve the expenditure of funds. The executive committee shall form an advisory committee with the members appointed jointly by the governor and the superintendent of public instruction including representatives of school boards, school superintendents, school principals, school business managers, certificated instructional staff, classified school employees, parents, business, and the public. The advisory committee shall advise both the executive committee and the person or entity conducting the study.
     (4) The study shall be completed by July 1, 2006. The results shall be reported to the governor, the legislature, and the superintendent of public instruction.
     (5) This section expires July 1, 2006.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The sum of five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund for the biennium ending June 30, 2005, to the superintendent of public instruction to be spent for the comprehensive K-12 education finance study under section 1 of this act under the direction of the K-12 finance study executive committee created under section 1 of this act.