SENATE BILL REPORT

                           ESSB 6155

              AS PASSED SENATE, FEBRUARY 11, 1994

Brief Description:  Changing provisions relating to schools.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Winsley, Franklin, Prentice and Bauer)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6155 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Pelz, Chairman; McAuliffe, Vice Chairman; Gaspard, Hochstatter, McDonald, Moyer, M. Rasmussen, Rinehart, A. Smith and Winsley.

Staff:  Leslie Goldstein (786‑7424)

Hearing Dates: January 26, 1994; February 2, 1994

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

BACKGROUND:

Many teachers, students, administrators, and parents are concerned about the growing level of violence in society and in schools. 

SUMMARY:

Current law requiring school districts to send permanent records of transferring students, if even students have not paid fines, is changed to permit school districts to withhold students' permanent records of students for failure to pay fines.

When a student transfers to another school, the receiving school shall request the student and parent to provide brief information about the student's history in former schools.

The receiving school shall request the sending school to send the student's permanent record.  If the student has not paid fines, the sending district shall transmit information about the student including information about the academic performance, special placement, and records of disciplinary action.  However, the sending district may withhold the permanent record or official transcript.  The student must be given notice that failure to have a permanent record may result in failure to graduate or exclusion from extracurricular activities.

When the information is requested by the receiving district, the information must be transmitted by the sending district within two school days.

Family reconciliation services may include information on parenting, conflict management, and dispute resolution.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  requested January 17, 1994

Effective Date:  July 1, 1994

TESTIMONY FOR:

The bill was designed to improve school safety, make it easier to share student records, improve partnerships with the juvenile court system, and provide training to promote safe schools and prevent violence.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

Concerns were expressed regarding the definition of dangerous fireworks; whether or not mace should be permitted on school grounds; and whether or not the exemption to the public records law for the exchange of information was too broad.

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Mark Della, Donna Salcedo, Seattle School District; Judy Hartmann, Bob Maier, WEA; Walter Bell, Principals' Assn.; Susan Patrick, OSPI; Marcia Costello, WA Assn. of School Administrators; CON:  Janeane Dunbar, Computer Professionals For Social Responsibility; Jerry Sheehan, ACLU; Jerry Farley, WA Independence Day Assn.

HOUSE AMENDMENT(S):

Districts are permitted but not required to request information from students.  A grammatical correction is made.