AN ACT Relating to local funding requirements for school construction projects; amending RCW 28A.47.801, 28A.47.802, 28A.47.803, and 28A.56.200; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. Section 2, chapter 244, Laws of 1969 ex. sess. as last amended by section 18, chapter 154, Laws of 1980 and RCW 28A.47.801 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Funds appropriated to the state board of education from the common school construction fund shall be allotted by the state board of education in accordance with student enrollment ((~~as computed for the purposes of RCW 28A.41.140~~)) and the provisions of RCW ((~~28A.47.800 through 28A.47.811: PROVIDED, That~~)) 28A.47.830.

(2) No allotment shall be made to a school district ((~~for the purpose aforesaid~~)) until such district has provided matching funds equal to or greater than the difference between the total approved project cost and the amount of state assistance to the district for financing the project computed pursuant to RCW 28A.47.803, with the following exceptions:

(a) The state board may waive the matching requirement for districts which have provided funds for school building construction purposes through the authorization of bonds or through the authorization of excess tax levies or both in an amount equivalent to two and one-half percent of the value of its taxable property, as defined in RCW 39.36.015((~~, or such lesser amount as may be required by the state board of education: PROVIDED FURTHER, That~~)).

(b) No such matching funds shall be required as a condition to the allotment of funds for the purpose of making major or minor structural changes to existing school facilities in order to bring such facilities into compliance with the handicapped access requirements of section 504 of the federal rehabilitation act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 706) and rules implementing the act.

(3) For the purpose of computing the state matching percentage under RCW 28A.47.803 when a school district is granted authority to enter into contracts, adjusted valuation per pupil shall be calculated using headcount student enrollments from the most recent October enrollment reports submitted by districts to the superintendent of public instruction, adjusted as follows:

(a) In the case of projects for which local bonds were approved after the effective date of this act:

(i) For districts which have been designated as serving high school districts under RCW 28A.56.200, students residing in the nonhigh district so designating shall be excluded from the enrollment count if the student is enrolled in any grade level not offered by the nonhigh district;

(ii) The enrollment of nonhigh school districts shall be increased by the number of students residing within the district who are enrolled in a serving high school district so designated by the nonhigh school district under RCW 28A.56.200, including only students who are enrolled in grade levels not offered by the nonhigh school district; and

(iii) The number of preschool handicapped students included in the enrollment county shall be multiplied by one-half;

(b) In the case of construction or modernization of high school facilities in districts serving students from nonhigh school districts, the adjusted valuation per pupil shall be computed using the combined adjusted valuations and enrollments of each district, each weighted by the percentage of the district's resident high school students served by the high school district; and

(4) The state board of education shall prescribe and make effective such rules and regulations as are necessary to equate insofar as possible the efforts made by school districts to provide capital funds by the means aforesaid.

(5) For the purposes of this section, "preschool handicapped students" means developmentally disabled children of preschool age who are entitled to services under chapter 28A.13 RCW and are not included in the kindergarten enrollment count of the district.

Sec. 2. Section 3, chapter 244, Laws of 1969 ex. sess. as amended by section 2, chapter 56, Laws of 1974 ex. sess. and RCW 28A.47.802 are each amended to read as follows:

In allotting the state funds provided by RCW 28A.47.800 through 28A.47.811, ((~~and in accordance with student enrollment as computed for the purposes of RCW 28A.41.140,~~)) the state board of education shall:

(1) Prescribe rules and regulations not inconsistent with RCW 28A.47.800 through 28A.47.811 governing the administration, control, terms, conditions, and disbursement of allotments to school districts to assist them in providing school plant facilities;

(2) Approve, whenever the board deems such action advisable, allotments to districts that apply for state assistance;

(3) Authorize the payment of approved allotments by warrant of the state treasurer; and

(4) In the event that the amount of state assistance applied for pursuant to the provisions hereof exceeds the funds available for such assistance during any biennium, make allotments on the basis of the urgency of need for school facilities in the districts that apply for assistance or prorate allotments among such districts in conformity with procedures and regulations applicable thereto which shall be established by the board.

Sec. 3. Section 4, chapter 244, Laws of 1969 ex. sess. as last amended by section 1, chapter 98, Laws of 1975 1st ex. sess. and RCW 28A.47.803 are each amended to read as follows:

Allocations to school districts of state funds provided by RCW 28A.47.800 through 28A.47.811 shall be made by the state board of education and the amount of state assistance to a school district in financing a school plant project shall be determined in the following manner:

(1) The boards of directors of the districts shall determine the total cost of the proposed project, which cost may include the cost of acquiring and preparing the site, the cost of constructing the building or of acquiring a building and preparing the same for school use, the cost of necessary equipment, taxes chargeable to the project, necessary architects' fees, and a reasonable amount for contingencies and for other necessary incidental expenses: PROVIDED, That the total cost of the project shall be subject to review and approval by the state board of education.

(2) The state matching percentage for a school district shall be computed by the following formula:

The ratio of the school district's adjusted valuation per ((~~full time equivalent~~)) pupil divided by the ratio of the total state adjusted valuation per ((~~full time~~)) pupil shall be subtracted from three, and then the result of the foregoing shall be divided by three plus (the ratio of the school district's adjusted valuation per ((~~full time equivalent~~)) pupil divided by the ratio of the total state adjusted valuation per ((~~full time~~)) pupil).

@p1!sb!ix

!tp3,4,4,2!tlDistrict adjusted !tlTotal state ad-

!tlvaluation per ((~~full~~!tljusted valuation

!ae0!tr3!sc-,1!sc ,1 !tr¸!sc ,1

!tl~~time equivalent~~)) !tlper ((~~full time~~

!tlpupil !tl~~equivalent~~)) pupil

!ae0!tm3,4,4,2!tcComputed !tj2!tcState

!tcState !tj2!tcAssist-

!ae0!tp3,4,4,2!tr=!sc ,1 !w‑ !tj1!tr=‑%

!tm3,4,4,2 !tcRatio !tj2!tcance

!ae0!tp3,4,4,2!tlDistrict adjusted !tlTotal state ad-

!tlvaluation per ((~~full~~ !tljusted valuation

!ae0!tr3+!sc ,1 !tr¸!sc ,1

!tl~~time equivalent~~)) !tlper ((~~full time~~

!tl pupil !tl~~equivalent~~)) pupil!te

@p0!tb !ixPROVIDED, That in the event the percentage of state assistance to any school district based on the above formula is less than twenty percent and such school district is otherwise eligible for state assistance under RCW 28A.47.800 through 28A.47.811, the state board of education may establish for such district a percentage of state assistance not in excess of twenty percent of the approved cost of the project, if the state board finds that such additional assistance is necessary to provide minimum facilities for housing the pupils of the district.

(3) In addition to the computed percent of state assistance developed in (2) above, a school district shall be entitled to additional percentage points determined by the average percentage of growth for the past three years. One percent shall be added to the computed percent of state assistance for each percent of growth, with a maximum of twenty percent.

(4) The approved cost of the project determined in the manner herein prescribed times the percentage of state assistance derived as provided for herein shall be the amount of state assistance to the district for the financing of the project: PROVIDED, That need therefor has been established to the satisfaction of the state board of education: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That additional state assistance may be allowed if it is found by the state board of education that such assistance is necessary in order to meet (a) a school housing emergency resulting from the destruction of a school building by fire, the condemnation of a school building by properly constituted authorities, a sudden excessive and clearly foreseeable future increase in school population, or other conditions similarly emergent in nature; or (b) a special school housing burden imposed by virtue of the admission of nonresident students into educational programs established, maintained and operated in conformity with the requirements of law; or (c) a deficiency in the capital funds of the district resulting from financing, subsequent to April 1, 1969, and without benefit of the state assistance provided by prior state assistance programs, the construction of a needed school building project or projects approved in conformity with the requirements of such programs, after having first applied for and been denied state assistance because of the inadequacy of state funds available for the purpose, or (d) a condition created by the fact that an excessive number of students live in state owned housing, or (e) a need for the construction of a school building to provide for improved school district organization or racial balance, or (f) conditions similar to those defined under (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) hereinabove, creating a like emergency.

Sec. 4. Section 1, chapter 239, Laws of 1981 and RCW 28A.56.200 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In cases where high school students resident in a nonhigh school district are to be educated in a high school district, the board of directors of the nonhigh school district shall, by mutual agreement with the serving district(s), designate the serving high school ((~~serving~~)) district or districts which its high school students shall attend. A nonhigh school district shall designate a district as a serving high school district when more than thirty-three and one-third percent of the high school students residing within the boundaries of the nonhigh school district are enrolled in the serving district.

(2) Students residing in a nonhigh school district shall be allowed to attend a high school other than in the designated serving district referred to in subsection (1) of this section((~~: PROVIDED, That~~)), however the nonhigh school board of directors shall not be required to contribute to building programs in any such high school district. Contribution shall be made only to those ((~~high school~~)) districts which are designated ((~~by the local nonhigh school board of directors for attendance by their high school students~~)) as serving high school districts at the time the county auditor is requested by the high school district to place a measure on the ballot regarding a proposal or proposals for the issuance of bonds or the authorization of an excess tax levy to provide capital funds for building programs. The nonhigh school district shall be subject to the capital fund aid provisions contained in this chapter with respect to the designated high school serving district(s).

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.