HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 330

BYRepresentatives Walker, Ebersole, Betrozoff, Todd, Peery, Rust, Rasmussen, Taylor, Fuhrman, Rayburn, Cole, Valle, Pruitt, Spanel, Holland, Wang, Holm and Sutherland

Establishing the elementary school counselor program.

House Committe on Education

Majority Report:     Do pass (20).

     Signed by Representatives Ebersole; Chair, Spanel; Vice Chair, Appelwick, Betrozoff, Cole, Cooper, Holland, Holm, P. King, Peery, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Rust, Schoon, L. Smith, Taylor, Todd, Valle and Walker.

House Staff:Susan Patrick (786-7111)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION FEBRUARY 17, 1987

BACKGROUND:

A student's ability to learn may be affected by the complexities of modern life including drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse, poverty and transiency.  These influences and many others may not be readily apparent but be demonstrated in school failure, absenteeism, drug and alcohol abuse, dropping out and delinquency.  Some school districts offer a variety of specialized programs to address these problems.  Other school districts have elected to use school counselors to address these problems.

SUMMARY:

The Superintendent of Public Instruction may grant funds to school districts for the implementation of an elementary school counseling program based on one counselor per elementary school building.  If a building has more than three hundred students, one counselor shall be provided.  If the building has a population of less than three hundred students, one half-time counselor shall be provided or buildings within a district or adjacent districts may enter into a cooperative arrangements or contract for such services from the Educational Service District or local community.  When districts contract for services or enter into a cooperative agreement, the service provider shall spend the total time contracted for within the school building for which services are being provided.  This is to assure that the service provider is knowledgeable of the unique nature of the individual school and the families and children it serves.

Interested school districts shall file an application including: 1) a letter of commitment to adopt a comprehensive counseling plan and to define the relationship of the school counselor to local community resources, 2) methods of evaluating the effectiveness of the program, 3) policies on the confidentiality standards applicable to the program, 4) policies on the notification and provision of services for parents and family, 5) referral procedures for dealing with community and state agencies, and 6) the scope of services to be provided.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall adopt rules to implement this program and appoint an advisory committee.  The advisory committee shall consist of school directors, administrators, principals, teachers, elementary school counselors, parents and community mental health professionals to advise the superintendent on the adoption of criteria for award of grant money.

Fiscal Note:    A sum of $6,000,000 is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1989.

Fiscal Note:    Attached.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     Representative Sally Walker; Leigh Ann Sheehan; John Armour and Larry Ash, Association of Washington School Principals;  John Kuamme and Peg Stiffler, Tacoma School District; Louise Moffitt and Jill Monson, Puyallup School District; Iris Marshall, Federal Way Schools; Audrey Williams and Betty Coady, Seattle School District; Gail MacLean and Kay Anderson, Washington School Counselor Association.

House Committee - Testified Against: None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:     Many problems which are addressed by a variety of special programs could be more effectively addressed at an earlier age by elementary school counsellors who are available to work with children, teachers, and parents.

House Committee - Testimony Against: None Presented.