BILL REQ. #:  H-4588.2 

Read first time 01/22/08.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to community and technical college system allocation funding formula; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   It is the intent of the legislature that the state board for community and technical colleges allocate state funding for community and technical colleges in a method that is both equitable and efficient. The legislature intends to develop a new community and technical college funding formula that results in improved, equitable allocation of resources across the community and technical college system.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The joint legislative audit and review committee shall assess the current methodology and funding formula used by the state board for community and technical colleges to distribute state funding to community and technical colleges. The assessment shall include but not be limited to:
     (a) A review of the current and prior state board for community and technical colleges funding formula and identification of pros and cons of each;
     (b) An analysis of state funding per budgeted full-time equivalent employee by college, college district, and the community and technical college system, taking into account impacts of:
     (i) New and ongoing enrollment funding;
     (ii) Contract programs;
     (iii) Running start, worker retraining, adult basic education, and other state-supported programs; and
     (iv) Faculty and staff salaries and compensation;
     (c) An analysis of differences in historical funding levels by college and college district over the past ten years; and
     (d) An analysis of comparable funding formulas for community and technical college systems in comparable states.
     (2) The joint legislative audit and review committee shall analyze the advantages and disadvantages of alternatives to the current funding formula. In doing so, the committee shall identify criteria for comparing alternatives, which at a minimum shall take into consideration the guiding principles of the state board for community and technical colleges and the following priorities:
     (a) The independence of base budget allocations from the autonomous actions of each college;
     (b) Predictability from one year to the next;
     (c) How understandable alternatives are; and
     (d) Equity among colleges.
     (3) The final report shall be submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2008.
     (4) The state board for community and technical colleges, the office of financial management, the higher education coordinating board, and legislative staff shall cooperate with the joint legislative audit and review committee as it gathers data, conducts analyses, and assesses alternatives.