BILL REQ. #: H-1154.1
| State of Washington | 60th Legislature | 2007 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/24/2007. Referred to Committee on Education.
AN ACT Relating to identifying the cost of delivering a basic education; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The legislature finds that the
Washington learns study took steps to establish a vision for education
in Washington and made recommendations for initial implementation of
that vision, but admittedly represented only a first phase of work.
Significant complexities and challenges characterize many aspects of
the state's education finance system, particularly in K-12 because of
constitutional mandates and the complex mixture of state and local
responsibilities.
(2) The legislature further finds that while a broadly
representative group of citizens, elected officials, educators, and
community and business leaders drawn from across the state provides an
excellent forum for establishing a vision for education, such a group
may not offer the best forum for the highly technical and complex work
of identifying the details of the costs of educating students in our
public schools, regardless of the high dedication and commitment of the
participants.
(3) Therefore, in order to move to the next phase of work in
creating a world-class educational system, the legislature intends to
commission an objective, nonpartisan study of the true cost for the
state to deliver, through our K-12 public school system, the basic
education guaranteed by the state Constitution to every child residing
in our state.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 (1) The Washington state institute for
public policy shall conduct a detailed study of the cost for the state
to deliver, through the K-12 public school system, a basic education as
defined by Title 28A RCW, the state Constitution, and various court
decisions. The institute's study shall examine and provide cost
information for four scenarios:
(a) One where the definition of a basic education is as currently
defined in statute by the legislature and supplemented by decisions of
the courts;
(b) One where the definition of a basic education would include
estimated average class sizes and average salaries for certificated
instructional staff in public schools at or near the median compared to
other states;
(c) One where the definition of a basic education would include
estimated average class sizes and average salaries for certificated
instructional staff in public schools in the top ten percent compared
to other states; and
(d) One where the definition of a basic education would reflect a
level of resources, including class sizes, staffing, salaries, and
other resources, that would be equal to the resources available to
public schools in the state with the top performing students, as
measured by the national assessment of educational progress adjusted
for student demographics.
(2) The institute may contract with outside sources for portions of
the study but shall maintain control over and be responsible for the
integrity and thoroughness of the methodology, data collection,
analysis, and findings of the study as a whole.
(3) The institute shall make a progress report to the fiscal
committees of the legislature by January 15, 2008, and a final report
by November 1, 2008.