[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to elementary school counselors; adding new sections to chapter 28A.300 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that an increasing number of children are coming to school from backgrounds that reflect many of society's dysfunctions. The backgrounds of these young students often inhibit the students' abilities to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered to them. The legislature also finds that these children would benefit greatly from early intervention by school counselors trained to help the children adapt to the demands of the educational system. The legislature intends to provide an opportunity for school districts to hire counselors for their elementary schools through a voluntary grant program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The school counselors voluntary grant program is established. The purpose of the program is to provide school districts with the funding to hire and support counselors to work with elementary school children.

(2) The program shall be administered by the office of the superintendent of public instruction. In its administration of the program, the responsibilities of the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall include, but need not be limited to:

(a) Adoption and distribution of rules and program guidelines;

(b) Use of simple, brief, and clear application processes, forms, and reporting requirements that help make the program accessible to school districts with minimal administrative teams;

(d) The annual adjustment of grant amounts, which may reflect compensation increases and other fiscal changes adopted by the legislature; and

(e) Distribution of a report by November 15th of each even-numbered year to the governor, the education and fiscal committees of the legislature, the educational community, and other interested parties. The report shall focus primarily on the results of the grants made for each recipient and of the program as a whole, and shall include any recommendations for program improvements. The first report shall include information on the number of school counselors needed by the school system, the cost of hiring and supporting the counselors, the numbers of qualified counselors available for schools, and recommendations for ensuring an adequate supply of trained counselors for the public schools.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

Any school district may participate in the program subject to the following requirements:

(1) Grant funds shall be used to hire qualified school counselors to work exclusively with elementary school children.

(2) Grant funds shall supplement and not supplant funding provided by the district to support elementary school counselors during a base year determined by the superintendent of public instruction.

(3) During the 1999-2000 biennium, priority shall be given to school districts that indicate the greatest need. The need may be determined through factors that include, but need not be limited to, elementary schools with the lowest percentage of school counselors and schools with a high percentage of children in need of the services of a school counselor.