S-0512.2

SENATE BILL 5657


State of Washington	64th Legislature	2015 Regular Session

By Senators Mullet, Litzow, Billig, Frockt, McAuliffe, Keiser, Habib, and Conway

Read first time 01/28/15. Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

AN ACT Relating to creating a pilot program to encourage school districts to extend the school day to provide homework assistance to middle schools; creating new sections; making appropriations; and providing an expiration date.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that providing an additional hour at the end of each school day for middle school students to work on homework assignments with a teacher available to answer questions can provide helpful academic assistance to students that will result in a reduction in the student dropout rate. The legislature further finds that this can be done by providing a cadre of teachers who take turns providing this assistance to the students. The legislature intends to create a pilot program to encourage school districts to use state investments to extend the school day at middle schools to provide homework assistance to students.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1)(a) Subject to funds provided for this specific purpose, a pilot program is established to encourage school districts to extend the school day one hour beyond the regular school day of the school district during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years for the purpose of providing homework assistance to students. Funding shall be provided for the 2015-16 and the 2016-17 school years;

(b) The funding must be used to provide a cadre of teachers who take turns providing homework assistance to students at the end of the regular school day. Teachers providing instruction during the extended-day time shall be paid at an hourly rate using a supplemental contract as authorized under RCW 28A.400.200(4); and

(c) Funding received under this section may also be used for transportation to and from school for students participating in the extended school day.

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall create a competitive grant process to award the funding provided under this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, from the general fund to the office of the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.

(2) The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, from the general fund to the office of the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.