BILL REQ. #:  H-3781.1 

Prefiled 12/10/07. Read first time 01/14/08.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to the basic education kindergarten through grade three certificated instructional staff allocation; amending RCW 28A.150.260; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The state of Washington has set high expectations for its public school students and its school districts. Washington state currently ranks forty-seventh in the nation in its student:teacher ratio. Washington cannot expect to be competitive with other states and other nations with such low rankings. Meeting high expectations will require additional investments in public schools.
     The purpose of this act is to improve public education by enabling learner-focused education through smaller class sizes in the early grades. Studies show that smaller classes in the early grades can significantly increase the amount of learning that takes place in the classroom. Significant class size reductions will provide children with more individualized instruction and the attention they need and lead to better results.
     The state's long-term goal is to reduce class size in grades kindergarten through three to no more than seventeen students per teacher in a class by the 2013-14 school year.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.150.260 and 2006 c 263 s 322 are each amended to read as follows:
     The basic education allocation for each annual average full-time equivalent student shall be determined in accordance with the following procedures:
     (1) The governor shall and the superintendent of public instruction may recommend to the legislature a formula based on a ratio of students to staff for the distribution of a basic education allocation for each annual average full-time equivalent student enrolled in a common school. The distribution formula shall have the primary objective of equalizing educational opportunities and shall provide appropriate recognition of the following costs among the various districts within the state:
     (a) Certificated instructional staff and their related costs;
     (b) Certificated administrative staff and their related costs;
     (c) Classified staff and their related costs;
     (d) Nonsalary costs;
     (e) Extraordinary costs, including school facilities, of remote and necessary schools as judged by the superintendent of public instruction, with recommendations from the school facilities citizen advisory panel under RCW 28A.525.025, and small high schools, including costs of additional certificated and classified staff; and
     (f) The attendance of students pursuant to RCW 28A.335.160 and 28A.225.250 who do not reside within the servicing school district.
     (2)(a) This formula for distribution of basic education funds shall be reviewed biennially by the superintendent and governor. The recommended formula shall be subject to approval, amendment or rejection by the legislature. The formula shall be for allocation purposes only, except as provided in (c) of this subsection. While the legislature intends that the allocations for additional instructional staff be used to increase the ratio of such staff to students, nothing in this section shall require districts to reduce the number of administrative staff below existing levels.
     (b) The formula adopted by the legislature shall reflect the following ratios at a minimum: (i) Forty-nine certificated instructional staff to one thousand annual average full-time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; (ii) forty-six certificated instructional staff to one thousand annual average full-time equivalent students in grades four through twelve; (iii) four certificated administrative staff to one thousand annual average full-time equivalent students in grades kindergarten through twelve; and (iv) sixteen and sixty-seven one-hundredths classified personnel to one thousand annual average full-time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve.
     (c) In addition to the base allocation in (b)(i) of this subsection, additional certificated instructional staff shall be allocated only if the district documents an actual ratio in grades kindergarten through three equal to or greater than the sum of the base allocation in (b)(i) of this subsection and any allocation provided in (c)(i) through (vi) of this subsection for the applicable year. The additional funds allocated under this subsection (2)(c) may be used to provide improvements or additions to facilities directly related to class size reductions in grades kindergarten through three. The allocation in this subsection (2)(c) per one thousand annual average full-time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three shall be as follows: (i) For the 2008-09 school year, an additional six and ninety-five one-hundredths certificated instructional staff; (ii) for the 2009-10 school year, an additional nine and seven-tenths certificated instructional staff; (iii) for the 2010-11 school year, an additional twelve and forty-five one-hundredths certificated instructional staff; (iv) for the 2011-12 school year, an additional fifteen and nineteen one-hundredths certificated instructional staff; (v) for the 2012-13 school year, an additional seventeen and ninety-three one-hundredths certificated instructional staff; (vi) for the 2013-14 school year and thereafter, an additional twenty and sixty-nine one-hundredths certificated instructional staff.
     (d) In the event the legislature rejects the distribution formula recommended by the governor, without adopting a new distribution formula, the distribution formula for the previous school year shall remain in effect: PROVIDED, That the distribution formula developed pursuant to this section shall be for state apportionment and equalization purposes only and shall not be construed as mandating specific operational functions of local school districts other than those program requirements identified in RCW 28A.150.220 and 28A.150.100. The enrollment of any district shall be the annual average number of full-time equivalent students and part-time students as provided in RCW 28A.150.350, enrolled on the first school day of each month and shall exclude full-time equivalent students with disabilities recognized for the purposes of allocation of state funds for programs under RCW 28A.155.010 through 28A.155.100. The definition of full-time equivalent student shall be determined by rules of the superintendent of public instruction: PROVIDED, That the definition shall be included as part of the superintendent's biennial budget request: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That any revision of the present definition shall not take effect until approved by the house appropriations committee and the senate ways and means committee: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the office of financial management shall make a monthly review of the superintendent's reported full-time equivalent students in the common schools in conjunction with RCW 43.62.050.
     (3)(a) Certificated instructional staff shall include those persons employed by a school district who are nonsupervisory employees within the meaning of RCW 41.59.020(8): PROVIDED, That in exceptional cases, people of unusual competence but without certification may teach students so long as a certificated person exercises general supervision: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the hiring of such classified people shall not occur during a labor dispute and such classified people shall not be hired to replace certificated employees during a labor dispute.
     (b) Certificated administrative staff shall include all those persons who are chief executive officers, chief administrative officers, confidential employees, supervisors, principals, or assistant principals within the meaning of RCW 41.59.020(4).