HOUSE BILL REPORT

EHB 1841

As Amended by the Senate

BYRepresentatives Peery and Winsley

Establishing criteria for composing the instructional materials committee.

House Committe on Education

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (18)

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

House Staff:Susan Patrick (786-7111)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 15, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Currently, each school district must establish an instructional materials committee appointed and approved by the school board and superintendent.  The committee includes members of the professional staff including curriculum development committees and if only a K-8 district, an educational service district superintendent to assure correlation of the district's instructional material adoptions with the high school district which would serve these students.

SUMMARY:

School boards have the right to select or delete and approve or disapprove instructional materials.  The board shall appoint an instructional materials committee to make recommendations on instructional materials.  Districts may include parents on the instructional materials committee.  Parent members shall make up less than one-half of the total membership of the committee.  Reasonable notice shall be given to parents and other interested people of the opportunity to serve on the committee.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENTS:  The notice of the opportunity to serve on the instructional materials committee shall be given to parents but not to other people.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Donald Walley, Evergreen School District; Walter Ball, Association of Washington School Principals; and Dwayne Slate, Washington State School Directors' Association.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Many districts currently involve parents in the selection of instructional materials.  Participation is important and the statute should be changed to allow districts to involve parents if they wish.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      Yeas 97; Absent 1

Absent:     Representative McLean