AN ACT Relating to the professional educator renewal program; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.70.110; adding new sections to Title 28A RCW; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1. Section 17, chapter 15, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess. and section 3, chapter 92, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess. and RCW 28A.70.110 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The fee for any certificate, or any renewal thereof, issued by the authority of the state of Washington, and authorizing the holder to teach or perform other professional duties in the public schools of the state shall be not less than one dollar or such reasonable fee therefor as the state board of education by rule or regulation shall deem necessary therefor. The fee must accompany the application and cannot be refunded unless the application is withdrawn before it is finally considered. The educational service district superintendent, or other official authorized to receive such fee, shall within thirty days transmit the same to the treasurer of the county in which the office of the educational service district superintendent is located, to be by ((~~him~~)) the treasurer placed to the credit of said school district or educational service district: PROVIDED, That if any school district collecting fees for the certification of professional staff does not hold a professional training institute separate from the educational service district then all such moneys shall be placed to the credit of the educational service district.

Such fees shall be used ((~~solely~~)) for the purpose of precertification professional preparation, program evaluation, ((~~and~~)) professional in-service training programs, and funding the professional education renewal program in accord with rules and regulations of the state board of education herein authorized.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The legislature recognizes that it is important to retain experienced teachers to teach our youth. No substitute can be found for the knowledge gained by actually teaching children and understanding their needs and motivations. It is also clear that as professionals, teachers need the time and opportunity to rejuvenate themselves and to update their knowledge by returning to school or working on special projects. In recognition of this need, the professional educator renewal program is created. The legislature encourages business, industry, and philanthropic organizations to join with state government in making this program successful.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall establish the professional educator renewal program to be funded on a grant basis to aid selected school districts in the implementation of sabbatical leave policies adopted under RCW 28A.58.099. The funds shall be appropriated from the sabbatical leave account established in section 4 of this act. The superintendent shall establish criteria by rule for evaluating and determining which districts shall be awarded the grants.

(2) School districts applying for grants shall submit a written application to the superintendent of public instruction no later than July 1st of any year in which grant funds are available for this purpose. The application shall identify the teachers who have been selected by the applicant district as candidates. The application shall rank the candidates in order of preference and shall submit no more than two names. The application shall also identify the procedure by which the district selected its candidates.

(3) The superintendent of public instruction shall allocate state funds under this section to districts only if a district agrees to provide, during the subsequent school year, funds at least equal to fifty-one percent of the actual salary of the selected certificated instructional staff for the current school year. The portion of the salary paid from state funds shall not exceed forty-nine percent of the actual salary of the certificated instructional staff for the current school year.

(4) The superintendent of public instruction shall select and notify the selected certificated instructional staff and the school districts of the sabbatical leave grant awards no later than November 1st of any year in which the grant funds are available. Grant funds shall be disbursed to selected certificated instructional staff during the subsequent school year.

(5) The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this section.

(6) The superintendent of public instruction shall annually deposit in the sabbatical leave fund an amount equal to the moneys generated by certification fees during the prior school year for deposit in the sabbatical leave fund.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The sabbatical leave fund is established in the custody of the state treasurer. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall increase the application fee for certification by ten dollars effective July 1, 1989, and shall deposit in the fund ten dollars from the fee paid by all applicants for teacher certification. Moneys in the fund may be spent only for paying the state portion of the cost of the professional educator renewal program. Disbursement from the fund shall be on authorization of the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee. The fund is subject to the allotment procedure provided under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for disbursements. No funds shall be allotted from the fund prior to July 1, 1990.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Effective July 1, 1989, the application fee for certification or renewal of certification shall be increased by ten dollars per application. The ten-dollar fee shall be deposited in the sabbatical leave fund established in section 4 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. 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.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Sections 2 through 5 of this act are each added to Title 28A RCW.