HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1490

BYRepresentatives Peery, Betrozoff, Locke, Holland, Walker, Van Luven, Brough, Miller, Rayburn, Jacobsen, Nelson, P. King, Cole, Sayan, Dorn, Morris and H. Myers 

Providing for school construction.

House Committe on Education

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (18)

      Signed by Representatives Peery, Chair; G. Fisher, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Republican Member; Brumsickle, Cole, Dorn, Fuhrman, Holland, Horn, Jones, P. King, Phillips, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Schoon, Valle and Walker.

House Staff:Susan Patrick (786-7111)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION FEBRUARY 13, 1989

BACKGROUND:

During the 1988 interim, a Joint Select Committee on School Construction met to discuss the continuing problems encountered in funding the state portion of school construction costs from school trust land money.  A backlog of two to three hundred million dollars in school construction projects has persisted for several years.  These projects have been approved by the local community and have local money, but the state matching funds for construction have not been available.  In its deliberations, the Joint Select Committee on School Construction recommended the transfer of a portion of the funds from the projected general fund balance for the 1987-89 fiscal period to the common school construction fund to reduce the backlog of projects.

SUMMARY:

The state treasurer shall transfer $150,000,000 from the general fund to the common school construction fund before June 30, 1989.  The sum of $150,000,000, or as much as is necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the common school construction fund to the State Board of Education for school construction and modernization projects.

An emergency is declared and this act shall take effect immediately.

Appropriation:    $150,000,000 to the Common School Construction Fund for transfer to the State Board of Education.

Fiscal Note:      Requested February 2, 1989.

Effective Date:The bill declares an emergency and takes effect immediately.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Harry Peterson, State Board of Education; Dick Harris, Superintendent, Federal Way School District; Mike Roberts, Superintendent of Public Instruction; Kris Van Gorkom, Washington Association of School Administrators; and Dwayne Slate, Washington State School Directors' Association.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    For several years we have had a backlog of school construction and modernization projects for which we cannot provide school construction funds. These projects have been approved by local voters, local funds have been generated and the projects have been approved by the State Board of Education. The missing ingredient is a shortage of state funds.  In the past month the situation has become critical.  A ninety day moratorium on the approval of school construction projects has been imposed by the State Board of Education.  At the present time we will not have enough state money to fund all unhoused students. As a short term solution we believe the use of the ending fund balance is the most realistic solution available.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.