SB 6048 -
By Senator Jarrett
PULLED 03/09/2009
Beginning on page 10, line 19 of the amendment, strike all of section 106 and insert the following:
"Sec. 106 RCW 28A.150.260 and 2006 c 263 s 322 are each amended
to read as follows:The
basic education allocation for each annual average full time equivalent
student shall be determined in accordance with the following
procedures)) The purpose of this section is to provide for the
allocation of state funding that the legislature deems necessary to
support school districts in offering the minimum instructional program
of basic education under RCW 28A.150.220. The allocation shall be
determined as follows:
(1) The governor shall and the superintendent of public instruction
may recommend to the legislature a formula ((based on a ratio of
students to staff)) for the distribution of a basic education
instructional allocation for each ((annual average full time equivalent
student enrolled in a)) common school district. ((The distribution
formula shall have the primary objective of equalizing educational
opportunities and shall provide appropriate recognition of the
following costs among the various districts within the state:))
(a) Certificated instructional staff and their related costs;
(b) Certificated administrative staff and their related costs;
(c) Classified staff and their related costs;
(d) Nonsalary costs;
(e) Extraordinary costs, including school facilities, of remote and
necessary schools as judged by the superintendent of public
instruction, with recommendations from the school facilities citizen
advisory panel under RCW 28A.525.025, and small high schools, including
costs of additional certificated and classified staff; and
(f) The attendance of students pursuant to RCW 28A.335.160 and
28A.225.250 who do not reside within the servicing school district.
(2)(((a))) The distribution formula under this section shall be for
allocation purposes only. Except as may be required under chapter
28A.165, 28A.180, or 28A.155 RCW, or federal laws and regulations,
nothing in this section requires school districts to use basic
education instructional funds to implement a particular instructional
approach or service. Nothing in this section requires school districts
to maintain a particular classroom teacher-to-student ratio or other
staff-to-student ratio or to use allocated funds to pay for particular
types or classifications of staff. Nothing in this section entitles an
individual teacher to a particular teacher planning period.
(3)(a) The distribution formula for the basic education
instructional allocation shall be based on minimum staffing and
nonstaff costs the legislature deems necessary to support instruction
and operations in prototypical schools serving high, middle, and
elementary school students as provided in this section. The use of
prototypical schools for the distribution formula does not constitute
legislative intent that schools should be operated or structured in a
similar fashion as the prototypes. Prototypical schools illustrate the
level of resources needed to operate a school of a particular size with
particular types and grade levels of students using commonly understood
terms and inputs, such as class size, hours of instruction, and various
categories of school staff. Funding allocations to school districts
shall be adjusted from the school prototypes based on the actual number
of annual average full-time equivalent students in each grade level at
each school in the district and not based on the grade-level
configuration of the school. The allocations shall be further adjusted
from the school prototypes with minimum allocations for small schools
and to reflect other factors identified in the omnibus appropriations
act.
(b) For the purposes of this section, prototypical schools are
defined as follows:
(i) A prototypical high school has six hundred average annual full-time equivalent students in grades nine through twelve;
(ii) A prototypical middle school has four hundred thirty-two
average annual full-time equivalent students in grades seven and eight;
and
(iii) A prototypical elementary school has four hundred average
annual full-time equivalent students in grades kindergarten through
six.
(c) The minimum allocation for each level of prototypical school
shall be based on the number of full-time equivalent classroom teachers
needed to provide instruction over the minimum required annual
instructional hours under RCW 28A.150.220 and provide at least one
teacher planning period per school day, and based on an average class
size as specified in the omnibus appropriations act. The omnibus
appropriations act shall specify:
(i) Basic average class size;
(ii) Basic average class size in schools where more than fifty
percent of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals;
(iii) Average class size for exploratory and preparatory career and
technical education, laboratory science, advanced placement, and
international baccalaureate courses; and
(iv) Average class size in grades kindergarten through three.
(d) The minimum allocation for each level of prototypical school
shall include allocations for the following types of staff in addition
to classroom teachers:
(i) Principals, including assistant principals and other
certificated building-level administrators;
(ii) Teacher librarians, a function that includes information
literacy, technology, and media to support school library media
programs;
(iii) Student health services, a function that includes school
nurses and social workers;
(iv) Guidance counselors, a function that includes parent outreach
and graduation advisor;
(v) Professional development coaches;
(vi) Office support and noninstructional aides;
(vii) Custodians and other maintenance; and
(viii) Student and staff safety.
(4)(a) The minimum allocation for each school district shall
include allocations per annual average full-time equivalent student for
the following materials, supplies, and operating costs: Student
technology; utilities; curriculum, textbooks, library materials, and
instructional supplies; instructional professional development; other
building-level costs including maintenance, custodial, and security;
and central office administration.
(b) The annual average full-time equivalent student amounts in (a)
of this subsection shall be enhanced based on full-time equivalent
student enrollment in exploratory career and technical education
courses for students in grades seven through twelve; laboratory science
courses for students in grades nine through twelve; preparatory career
and technical education courses for students in grades nine through
twelve offered in a high school; and preparatory career and technical
education courses for students in grades eleven and twelve offered
through a skill center.
(5) The allocations provided under subsections (3) and (4) of this
section shall be enhanced as follows to provide additional allocations
for classroom teachers and maintenance, supplies, and operating costs:
(a) To provide supplemental instruction and services for
underachieving students through the learning assistance program under
RCW 28A.165.005 through 28A.165.065, allocations shall be based on the
percent of students in each school who are eligible for free and
reduced-price meals. The minimum allocation for the learning
assistance program shall provide an extended school day and extended
school year for each level of prototypical school and a per student
allocation for maintenance, supplies, and operating costs.
(b) To provide supplemental instruction and services for students
whose primary language is other than English, allocations shall be
based on the number of students in each school who are eligible for and
enrolled in the transitional bilingual instruction program under RCW
28A.180.010 through 28A.180.080. The minimum allocation for each level
of prototypical school shall provide for supplemental instruction based
on percent of the school day a student is assumed to receive
supplemental instruction and a per student allocation for maintenance,
supplies, and operating costs.
(6) The allocations under subsections (3) through (5) of this
section shall be enhanced as provided under RCW 28A.150.390 on an
excess cost basis to provide supplemental instructional resources for
students with disabilities.
(7) The distribution formula shall include allocations to school
districts to support staffing of central office administration. The
minimum allocation shall be calculated as a percentage, identified in
the omnibus appropriations act, of the total allocations for staff
under subsection (3) of this section for all schools in the district.
(8)(a) For the purposes of allocations for prototypical high
schools and middle schools under subsections (3) and (5) of this
section that are based on the percent of students in the school who are
eligible for free and reduced-price meals, the actual percent of such
students in a school shall be adjusted by a factor identified in the
omnibus appropriations act to reflect underreporting of free and
reduced-price meal eligibility among middle and high school students.
(b) Allocations or enhancements provided under subsections (3) and
(4) of this section for exploratory and preparatory career and
technical education courses shall be provided only for courses approved
by the office of the superintendent of public instruction under chapter
28A.700 RCW.
(9)(a) This formula for distribution of basic education funds shall
be reviewed biennially by the superintendent and governor. The
recommended formula shall be subject to approval, amendment or
rejection by the legislature. ((The formula shall be for allocation
purposes only. While the legislature intends that the allocations for
additional instructional staff be used to increase the ratio of such
staff to students, nothing in this section shall require districts to
reduce the number of administrative staff below existing levels.)) (b) In the event the legislature rejects the distribution
formula recommended by the governor, without adopting a new
distribution formula, the distribution formula for the previous school
year shall remain in effect((
(b) The formula adopted by the legislature shall reflect the
following ratios at a minimum: (i) Forty-nine certificated
instructional staff to one thousand annual average full time equivalent
students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; (ii) forty-six
certificated instructional staff to one thousand annual average full
time equivalent students in grades four through twelve; (iii) four
certificated administrative staff to one thousand annual average full
time equivalent students in grades kindergarten through twelve; and
(iv) sixteen and sixty-seven one-hundredths classified personnel to one
thousand annual average full time equivalent students enrolled in
grades kindergarten through twelve.
(c): PROVIDED, That the distribution formula
developed pursuant to this section shall be for state apportionment and
equalization purposes only and shall not be construed as mandating
specific operational functions of local school districts other than
those program requirements identified in RCW 28A.150.220 and
28A.150.100)).
(c) The enrollment of any district shall be the annual average
number of full-time equivalent students and part-time students as
provided in RCW 28A.150.350, enrolled on the first school day of each
month ((and shall exclude full time equivalent students with
disabilities recognized for the purposes of allocation of state funds
for programs under RCW 28A.155.010 through 28A.155.100)), including
students who are in attendance pursuant to RCW 28A.335.160 and
28A.225.250 who do not reside within the servicing school district.
The definition of full-time equivalent student shall be determined by
rules of the superintendent of public instruction((: PROVIDED, That
the definition)) and shall be included as part of the superintendent's
biennial budget request((: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That)). The definition
shall be based on the minimum instructional hour offerings required
under RCW 28A.150.220. Any revision of the present definition shall
not take effect until approved by the house appropriations committee
and the senate ways and means committee((: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That)).
(d) The office of financial management shall make a monthly review
of the superintendent's reported full-time equivalent students in the
common schools in conjunction with RCW 43.62.050.
(((3)(a) Certificated instructional staff shall include those
persons employed by a school district who are nonsupervisory employees
within the meaning of RCW 41.59.020(8): PROVIDED, That in exceptional
cases, people of unusual competence but without certification may teach
students so long as a certificated person exercises general
supervision: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the hiring of such classified
people shall not occur during a labor dispute and such classified
people shall not be hired to replace certificated employees during a
labor dispute.))"
(b) Certificated administrative staff shall include all those
persons who are chief executive officers, chief administrative
officers, confidential employees, supervisors, principals, or assistant
principals within the meaning of RCW 41.59.020(4).
Beginning on page 21, line 1 of the amendment, strike all of section 111 and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 111
(2) The office of financial management and the office of the
superintendent of public instruction shall convene a technical working
group to recommend a revised program of basic education, the details of
the funding formulas, and a concurrent implementation schedule.
(3) The working group shall include representatives of the
legislative evaluation and accountability program committee, school
district and educational service district financial managers, the
Washington association of school business officers, the Washington
education association, the Washington association of school
administrators, the association of Washington school principals, the
Washington state school directors' association, and other interested
stakeholders with expertise in education finance. The working group
may convene advisory subgroups on specific topics as necessary to
assure participation and input from a broad array of diverse
stakeholders.
(4) The working group shall be monitored and overseen by the basic
education steering committee under section 3 of this act."
EFFECT: Reinstates the details for funding using the prototype school model but does not provide the numeric values.