| SB 5790-S2 - DIGEST |
| (DIGEST AS ENACTED) |
Finds that student access to programs offered at skill centers can help prepare them for careers, apprenticeships, and postsecondary education. |
Finds that there are barriers to providing access to students in rural and remote areas but that there are opportunities to do so with satellite and branch campus programs, distance and online learning programs, and collaboration with higher education, business, and labor. |
Finds that skill centers provide opportunities for dropout prevention and retrieval programs by offering programs that accommodate students' work schedules and provide credit retrieval opportunities. |
Finds that implementing the recommendations from the study by the workforce training and education coordinating board will enhance skill center programs and student access to those programs. |
Requires the superintendent of public instruction to assign at least one full-time equivalent staff position within the office of the superintendent of public instruction to serve as the director of skill centers. |
| VETO MESSAGE ON 2SSB 5790 |
| May 14, 2007 |
| To the Honorable President and Members, |
| The Senate of the State of Washington |
| Ladies and Gentlemen: |
| I am returning, without my approval as to Section 8, Second Substitute Senate Bill 5790 entitled: |
"AN ACT Relating to skill centers." |
| Sections 1 through 7 of this bill provide for further development of skill center programs, program access for additional students, state level coordination of the skill center program, and a funding formula for the programs. |
| Section 8 of this bill amends RCW 84.52.068, which specifies the amount of property tax revenues deposited into the Student Achievement Account. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is directed to ensure that skill centers receive moneys generated by skill center students. |
| The Student Achievement Fund was created by Initiative 728 in 2000. School districts receive allocations from this fund based on the number of students enrolled in the district. The amount to be allocated per student is specified in RCW 28A.505.220. One source of funding for this allocation is a deposit of state property tax revenues. RCW 84.52.068 specifies the amount of property tax revenues per student to deposit into the Student Achievement Fund. Because the property tax deposit is less than the total per student allocation from the Student Achievement Fund, other sources of revenue are also used to ensure full funding for the allocations. |
| Although the intent of Section 8 is to ensure that skill centers receive their share of the total Student Achievement Fund allocation, the provision relates to the property tax deposit only. The language of the section therefore fails to accomplish its intended goal. |
| For this reason, I have vetoed Section 8 of Second Substitute Senate Bill 5790. |
| With the exception of Section 8, Second Substitute Senate Bill 5790 is approved. |
| Respectfully submitted, |
| Christine O. Gregoire |
| Governor |