SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5840

BYSenators Bailey, Rinehart, Patterson, Bauer, Saling, Anderson, Zimmerman, Stratton, Sellar, Barr, Johnson, Craswell, Kiskaddon, Benitz, West, Nelson and Pullen

Providing grants to local school districts to enhance education.

Senate Committee on Education

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 4, 1987; January 13, 1988; January 18, 1988

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5840 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Bailey, Chairman; Kiskaddon, Vice Chairman; Benitz, Craswell, Gaspard, Lee, Rinehart.

Senate Staff:Larry Davis (786-7422)

                  January 19, 1988

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 3, 1988; February 4, 1988

Majority Report:  That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5840 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators McDonald, Chairman; Craswell, Vice Chairman; Bauer, Bluechel, Cantu, Deccio, Fleming, Gaspard, Hayner, Johnson, Lee, Moore, Newhouse, Saling, Smith, Warnke, Wojahn, Zimmerman.

Senate Staff:Ken Kanikeberg (786-7715)

                  February 5, 1988

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS, FEBRUARY 4, 1988

BACKGROUND:

State laws and court decisions have defined a number of educational programs and services which districts must provide and the state must fund.  State and national reports recommend that educational improvements might best be gained by granting greater decision-making authority to districts and at the building level.  State funds were provided in the 1987-89 operating budget, in addition to basic education allocation funds, as a means to help districts enhance their local education programs according to district identified needs and priorities.  It is suggested that this funding enhancement program be established on a permanent basis.

SUMMARY:

School districts are eligible to receive a grant, in addition to their basic education allocation, for the 1987-88 and 1988-89 school years.  Districts may use the grant only for programs relating to early childhood education, drug and alcohol abuse programs, dropout prevention and retrieval programs, in-service training programs for staff development, and innovative programs to increase the adult-pupil ratio without increasing the number of certificated staff.

Programs enhanced or established through grant funds shall not become part of the state's obligation to provide a basic program of education.

Each school district's Board of Directors shall establish an advisory committee of no fewer than 13 and no greater than 21 members comprised of teachers, principals, the district superintendent, a board member, and citizens.  They will assess the needs of the schools in the district, assign priorities to the identified needs, prepare for recommendation to the school board a comprehensive two-year plan for addressing these priority needs, and develop an evaluation plan to assess how the grant funds demonstrate a direct educational benefit to the district's students.

Each school board shall approve the plan recommended by the advisory committee and submit it to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) by December 1, 1987.  Grant funds and advisory committee plans are not subject to collective bargaining.

Stipends may be awarded to certificated or classified staff who assume extra duties under programs enhanced or established by the grant funds.  No school district board may grant salary and compensation increases from a grant in excess of the amount and/or percentage provided by the state for employees.

Small or rural school districts may enter into cooperative agreements to provide educational enhancements through the sharing of funds.

Each district must maintain specific records on how the grant funds are spent and submit to the SPI a final report by August 1988.  The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall submit a final report to the Legislature by January 31, 1989, on the use of the local district grants and the resulting educational benefits.

Upon receiving the report of the SPI, the Senate and House Education Committees will review the report and evaluate whether to extend the program.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED EDUCATION SUBSTITUTE:

The budgetary "block grant" program is established in statute.

Local education program enhancement grants and the plans developed to spend the grant funds are not subject to collective bargaining unless the funds and the expenditure plan affect employees' wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment.

Districts must hold at least one public hearing before adoption of the expenditure plan.  The public hearing and the expenditure plan may be included as part of the districts' annual budget development procedures.

The block grant funds may be used to provide supplemental salary and benefits to certificated and classified employees but such employees must be participating in grant supported activities.  Supplemental salary and benefits for certificated staff must be provided through supplemental contracts.

Local education program enhancement funds are not considered levy reduction funds.

Districts must report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction every even-numbered calendar year, beginning in 1990, on their local enhancement program.  The Superintendent must report to the Legislature every even-numbered year, beginning in 1990, on the local education program enhancement grant program.

Provisions relating to establishment of an advisory committee in each district, the dollar amount of the grant, specific purposes for which the grant funds may be used, authorizing small and rural districts to enter into cooperative agreements, and the emergency clause, are deleted.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED WAYS & MEANS SUBSTITUTE:

The section which referenced levy reduction funds is eliminated.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      available

Senate Committee - Testified: EDUCATION:  Bob Fisher, Washington Education Association; Judy Hartmann, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; Kris Van Gorkom, Washington Association of School Administrators; Dick Harris, Superintendent, Federal Way School District; Dale Hoggins, Edmonds School District

Senate Committee - Testified: WAYS & MEANS:  No one