HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESHB 2517

BYHouse Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Phillips, Betrozoff, Cole, Holland, Locke, Wang, O'Brien, Peery, Wineberry, Prentice, Walker, Brekke, Miller, Leonard, Rayburn, Valle, Jacobsen, Appelwick, Pruitt, H. Sommers, Rust, Nelson, Anderson, Brough, Horn, P. King, May, Winsley and McLean)

Establishing the magnet school program.

House Committe on Education

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  (14)

      Signed by Representatives Peery, Chair; G. Fisher, Vice Chair; Cole, Dorn, Holland, Jones, P. King, Phillips, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Schoon, Valle and K. Wilson.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (3)

      Signed by Representatives Betrozoff, Ranking Republican Member; Fuhrman and Walker.

House Staff:Robert Butts (786-7841)

Rereferred House Committee on Appropriations

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (22)

      Signed by Representatives Lock, Chair; Grant, Vice Chair; H. Sommers, Vice Chair; Silver, Ranking Republican Member; Youngsman, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; Belcher, Bowman, Brekke, Dorn, Doty, Ebersole, Ferguson, Hine, Inslee, May, McLean, Nealey, Rust, Spanel, Sprenkle, Valle and Wang.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (1)

      Signed by Representative Wineberry. 

House Staff:      Janet Peterson (786-7143)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 9, 1990

BACKGROUND:

Magnet schools have been used throughout the nation in efforts to reduce school segregation.  Magnet schools offer a special curriculum or education program and are often designed to attract students from different cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds.

SUMMARY:

It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a grant program to provide financial assistance to eligible school districts to establish and operate magnet schools offering special curricula or programs capable of attracting students of varied racial and ethnic backgrounds.  These schools are to encourage the reduction or prevention of minority group isolation in schools that have attendance areas with high percentages of minority students.

From moneys appropriated by the Legislature, the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) may provide grants to eligible school districts for use in magnet schools.

School districts may apply for a magnet school grant if it has a minority student population in excess of 25 percent and: (1) has a court ordered desegregation plan; or (2) has developed, or is willing to adopt, a plan that reduces, eliminates, or prevents minority group isolation in schools with substantial proportions of minority group students.

Conditions applied to schools considered for grants shall include: the school would be racially imbalanced without implementation of a desegregation busing program; the school offers a specialized curriculum that provides a strong foundation in basic skills and cultural, academic, or vocational enrichment; and the school will be open to students of all levels of academic ability and achievement.

Uses for the grant funds are specified.  Grants shall be determined annually.  A school may not receive additional grants if the minority percentage of the school increased relative to the minority percentage of the district.

In approving applications, priority shall be given to the number of minority children in the district and the proportion involved in the desegregation plan, the need for assistance, and the likelihood of success.

Moneys for magnet school programs shall be distributed by SPI to selected schools based on the number of full time equivalent students that the district intends to enroll in its magnet programs.

Fiscal Note:      Requested February 6, 1990.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    (Education)  Representative Phillips; William Kendrick, Seattle School District; Peter Demyan, Yakima School District; Jerry McCarthy, Tacoma School District; Larry Nyland, Pasco School District; Venus Placer-Barber, Seattle; Ed James, Seattle; Deb Wilson, Seattle; and Marilynne Gardner, Seattle.

(Appropriations)  Representative Larry Phillips; William Kendrick, Superintendent of Seattle School District; Bob Schabot, Washington State Parent-Teacher Association; and John Kvamme, Tacoma School District.

House Committee - Testified Against:      (Education)  No one.

(Appropriations)  No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    (Education)  Magnet schools in Tacoma, Seattle, Yakima, and across the nation are effective, both for school children and in desegregation efforts. However, magnet schools cost money, and local districts with desegregation efforts need financial assistance.

(Appropriations)  Magnet schools will allow urban school districts to provide choice.  This is an alternative to mandatory student assignments for desegregation purposes.

Some school districts have schools that are out of compliance with state guidelines for racial balance.  Magnet schools will help raise student test scores as well as facilitate school integration.  Other states provide support to urban school systems for magnet programs.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      (Education)  None.

(Appropriations)  None.