HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 5129

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to educational service districts.

Brief Description:  Allowing educational service district boards of directors to provide cooperative and informational services.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Bauer, Sheldon, Barr, Haugen, Owen, Moyer, Gaspard, Sellar, Rinehart, Sutherland and McAuliffe).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Education, March 30, 1993, DPA.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 18 members:  Representatives Dorn, Chair; Cothern, Vice Chair; Brough, Ranking Minority Member; Thomas, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brumsickle; Carlson; G. Cole; Eide; G. Fisher; Hansen; Holm; Jones; Karahalios; J. Kohl; Pruitt; Roland; Stevens; and Vance.

Staff:  Margaret Allen (786-7191).

Background:  School districts and educational service districts (ESDs) have only those powers expressly authorized by law or necessarily or fairly implied in the powers expressly authorized by law.

During the 1992 session, the Legislature gave school districts broad discretionary power to adopt written policies providing for the development and implementation of programs, activities, services, or practices the school board determines will promote the education of students or the effective management and operation of the school district.

No similar power was given to ESDs.

Summary of Amended Bill:  An ESD may provide cooperative and informational services concerning the development and implementation of programs, activities, services, or practices supporting the education of students or the effective and safe management and operation of school districts.

One or more school districts served by the ESD must have requested the services.

By January 10, 1994, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy must submit recommendations to the Legislature for the design of a comprehensive study of the role and performance of ESDs.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  A grammatical error is corrected.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Amended Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  An educational service district needs flexibility to meet the needs of the school districts it serves.  Any services provided as a result of this bill still would have to be within an ESD's statutory authority and not in conflict with other law.  Further, such services would have to be requested in writing by a school district served by the ESD.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Bill Fromhold, Superintendent ESD 112.