[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to school funding review; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1)(a) The legislature finds that the common schools of Washington began to implement comprehensive performance‑based education reforms in 1993 as provided in House Bill No. 1209 and subsequent legislation. The principal features of the present system for funding the operation of the common schools were enacted in 1977. The more fully schools and school districts implement performance-based educational programs, the less well‑aligned Washington's school funding and school program delivery systems become. The governor's council on education reform and funding, created by executive order in 1991, did not adopt recommendations to redesign the education funding system to align it with the performance-based instructional program model the commission recommended.

(b) The legislature also finds that many schools and school districts in Washington have developed creative approaches to helping students achieve the essential academic learning requirements and the goals of the basic education act as codified in RCW 28A.150.210. The successes already achieved by schools and school districts on the Washington assessment of student learning constitute evidence that the experiences of schools and school districts in Washington may suggest viable strategies for designing performance-based funding programs.

(c) The legislature further finds that the 2001 amendments to the federal elementary and secondary education act of 1965 will result in a fundamental change in programs for low-achieving and disadvantaged students, new requirements for new teachers and paraprofessionals, increasingly intensive accountability measures for low‑performing schools, and a shift in the way federal and state funds are used to support student learning.

(d) The legislature recognizes that as statewide accountability systems are developed and implemented to hold students, schools, and school districts accountable for improving student performance, and as the new federal requirements are implemented, it is appropriate and necessary to concurrently conduct a fundamental reexamination of the educational funding system and to explore optional ways to distribute state funds to meet the educational needs of students.

(2) As used in this section, "task force" means the task force on school funding review.

(3) The task force on school funding review is created.

(4)(a) The task force shall consist of nineteen members as follows: Thirteen citizen members, appointed by the governor, each of whom shall apply for membership and demonstrate his or her concern and interest in education financing; one member from each major political party appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; one member from each major political party appointed by the president of the senate; the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee; and a representative of the office of the governor or the office of financial management. When appointing the thirteen citizen members of the task force, the governor shall consider the applicants' expertise in educational finance, and shall attempt to include parents, business and community leaders, individuals with experience as principals, superintendents, school business managers, school auditors, teachers, and school directors, persons with experience working in postsecondary education, and persons with expertise in special education and in programs designed to meet the need of students with limited English proficiency.

(b) The governor shall appoint the chair of the task force.

(5)(a) The task force, with the assistance of any advisory committee it appoints, shall identify between fifteen and twenty-five successful comprehensive school or school district program models from within the school districts of Washington. In identifying successful comprehensive program models, the task force shall place special emphasis on results on the Washington assessment of student learning. The task force may also consider successful models from other states.

(b) After reviewing the structure and operation of the successful comprehensive school or school district program models, the task force shall recommend to the governor and the legislative fiscal and education committees a program to pilot test performance-based funding models that could be used in schools and school districts. The pilot performance-based funding models should be designed to implement either school-based or district-wide performance-based education funding systems.

(6) The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the governor and the legislative fiscal and education committees by January 1, 2004. In its final report, the task force shall recommend steps for pilot testing and implementing statewide a system of performance-based common school financing.

(7) The office of financial management shall provide staff support to the task force. The office of financial management may enter into contracts for any services necessary to fulfill the duties of the task force under this section.

(8) The task force expires June 30, 2004.