SHB 2776 -
By Committee on Ways & Means
ADOPTED AS AMENDED 03/04/2010
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) It is the legislature's intent to
continue implementation of chapter 548, Laws of 2009, by adopting the
technical details of a new distribution formula for the instructional
program of basic education. The legislature intends to continue to
review and revise the formulas and may make revisions as necessary for
technical purposes and consistency in the event of mathematical or
other technical errors.
(2) The legislature further intends to adjust the timelines for the
working groups created under chapter 548, Laws of 2009, so that their
expertise and advice can be received as soon as possible and to make
adjustments to the composition of the local finance working group. The
legislature further intends to clarify the legislature's intent to
fully fund all-day kindergarten by the 2018-19 school year.
Sec. 2 RCW 28A.150.315 and 2009 c 548 s 107 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Beginning with the 2007-08 school year, funding for voluntary
all-day kindergarten programs shall be phased-in beginning with schools
with the highest poverty levels, defined as those schools with the
highest percentages of students qualifying for free and reduced-price
lunch support in the prior school year. The funding shall continue to
be phased-in until full statewide implementation of all-day
kindergarten is achieved in the 2018-19 school year. Once a school
receives funding for the all-day kindergarten program, that school
shall remain eligible for funding in subsequent school years regardless
of changes in the school's percentage of students eligible for free and
reduced-price lunches as long as other program requirements are
fulfilled. Additionally, schools receiving all-day kindergarten
program support shall agree to the following conditions:
(a) Provide at least a one thousand-hour instructional program;
(b) Provide a curriculum that offers a rich, varied set of
experiences that assist students in:
(i) Developing initial skills in the academic areas of reading,
mathematics, and writing;
(ii) Developing a variety of communication skills;
(iii) Providing experiences in science, social studies, arts,
health and physical education, and a world language other than English;
(iv) Acquiring large and small motor skills;
(v) Acquiring social and emotional skills including successful
participation in learning activities as an individual and as part of a
group; and
(vi) Learning through hands-on experiences;
(c) Establish learning environments that are developmentally
appropriate and promote creativity;
(d) Demonstrate strong connections and communication with early
learning community providers; and
(e) Participate in kindergarten program readiness activities with
early learning providers and parents.
(2) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the
superintendent of public instruction shall designate one or more school
districts to serve as resources and examples of best practices in
designing and operating a high-quality all-day kindergarten program.
Designated school districts shall serve as lighthouse programs and
provide technical assistance to other school districts in the initial
stages of implementing an all-day kindergarten program. Examples of
topics addressed by the technical assistance include strategic
planning, developing the instructional program and curriculum, working
with early learning providers to identify students and communicate with
parents, and developing kindergarten program readiness activities.
Sec. 3 2009 c 548 s 302 (uncodified) is amended to read as
follows:
(1) Beginning ((July)) April 1, 2010, the office of financial
management, with assistance and support from the office of the
superintendent of public instruction, shall convene a technical working
group to develop options for a new system of supplemental school
funding through local school levies and local effort assistance.
(2) The working group shall consider the impact on overall school
district revenues of the new basic education funding system established
((under this act)) by the legislature based on prototypical schools and
shall recommend a phase-in plan that ensures that no school district
suffers a decrease in funding from one school year to the next due to
implementation of the new system of supplemental funding.
(3) The working group shall also:
(a) Examine local school district capacity to address facility
needs associated with phasing-in full-day kindergarten across the state
and reducing class size in kindergarten through third grade;
(b) Provide technical advice to the quality education council
including an analysis on the potential use of local funds that may
become available for redeployment and redirection as a result of
increased state funding allocations for pupil transportation and
maintenance, supplies, and operating costs; and
(c) Advise the quality education council and the legislature on
further development and implementation of the funding formulas under
RCW 28A.150.260, as appropriate.
(4) The working group shall be composed of representatives from the
department of revenue, the legislative evaluation and accountability
program committee, school district and educational service district
financial managers, and representatives of the Washington association
of school business officers, the Washington education association, the
Washington association of school administrators, the association of
Washington school principals, the Washington state school directors'
association, the public school employees of Washington, and other
interested stakeholders with expertise in education finance. When
choosing the individuals to serve on the working group, the office of
financial management and the office of the superintendent of public
instruction are encouraged, as appropriate, to include members of the
funding formula technical working group convened in accordance with
section 112, chapter 548, Laws of 2009. The working group may convene
advisory subgroups on specific topics as necessary to assure
participation and input from a broad array of diverse stakeholders. In
addition to the staff support provided by the office of financial
management and the office of the superintendent of public instruction,
the department of revenue shall provide technical assistance, including
financial and legal analysis, to support the working group's findings
and analysis under subsection (3) of this section.
(((4))) (5) The local funding working group shall be monitored and
overseen by the legislature and by the quality education council
created in ((section 114 of this act)) RCW 28A.290.010. The working
group shall submit an initial report to the legislature ((December 1))
and the quality education council by November 30, 2010, and a final
report by June 30, 2011.
Sec. 4 RCW 43.41.398 and 2009 c 548 s 601 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The legislature recognizes that providing students with the
opportunity to access a world-class educational system depends on our
continuing ability to provide students with access to world-class
educators. The legislature also understands that continuing to attract
and retain the highest quality educators will require increased
investments. The legislature intends to enhance the current salary
allocation model and recognizes that changes to the current model
cannot be imposed without great deliberation and input from teachers,
administrators, and classified employees. Therefore, it is the intent
of the legislature to begin the process of developing an enhanced
salary allocation model that is collaboratively designed to ensure the
rationality of any conclusions regarding what constitutes adequate
compensation.
(2) Beginning July 1, ((2011)) 2010, the office of financial
management in collaboration with the office of the superintendent of
public instruction, shall convene a technical working group to
recommend the details of an enhanced salary allocation model that
aligns state expectations for educator development and certification
with the compensation system and establishes recommendations for a
concurrent implementation schedule. In addition to any other details
the technical working group deems necessary, the technical working
group shall make recommendations on the following:
(a) How to reduce the number of tiers within the existing salary
allocation model;
(b) How to account for labor market adjustments;
(c) How to account for different geographic regions of the state
where districts may encounter difficulty recruiting and retaining
teachers;
(d) The role of and types of bonuses available;
(e) Ways to accomplish salary equalization over a set number of
years; and
(f) Initial fiscal estimates for implementing the recommendations
including a recognition that staff on the existing salary allocation
model would have the option to grandfather in permanently to the
existing schedule.
(3) As part of its work, the technical working group shall conduct
or contract for a preliminary comparative labor market analysis of
salaries and other compensation for school district employees to be
conducted and shall include the results in any reports to the
legislature. For the purposes of this subsection, "salaries and other
compensation" includes average base salaries, average total salaries,
average employee basic benefits, and retirement benefits.
(4) The analysis required under subsection (1) of this section
must:
(a) Examine salaries and other compensation for teachers, other
certificated instructional staff, principals, and other building-level
certificated administrators, and the types of classified employees for
whom salaries are allocated;
(b) Be calculated at a statewide level that identifies labor
markets in Washington through the use of data from the United States
bureau of the census and the bureau of labor statistics; and
(c) Include a comparison of salaries and other compensation to the
appropriate labor market for at least the following subgroups of
educators: Beginning teachers and types of educational staff
associates.
(5) The working group shall include representatives of the
department of personnel, the professional educator standards board, the
office of the superintendent of public instruction, the Washington
education association, the Washington association of school
administrators, the association of Washington school principals, the
Washington state school directors' association, the public school
employees of Washington, and other interested stakeholders with
appropriate expertise in compensation related matters. The working
group may convene advisory subgroups on specific topics as necessary to
assure participation and input from a broad array of diverse
stakeholders.
(6) The working group shall be monitored and overseen by the
legislature and the quality education council created in RCW
28A.290.010. The working group shall make an initial report to the
legislature by ((December 1, 2012)) November 30, 2010, and a final
report by June 30, 2011, and shall include in its report
recommendations for whether additional further work of the group is
necessary.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 A new section is added to chapter 28A.300
RCW to read as follows:
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall
implement and maintain an internet-based portal that provides ready
public access to the state's prototypical school funding model for
basic education under RCW 28A.150.260. The portal must provide
citizens the opportunity to view, for each local school building, the
staffing levels and other prototypical school funding elements that are
assumed under the state funding formula. The portal must also provide
a matrix displaying how individual school districts are deploying those
same state resources through their allocation of staff and other
resources to school buildings, so that citizens are able to compare the
state assumptions to district allocation decisions for each local
school building.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6 The legislature intends to continue to
refine and provide greater detail to the distribution formula for the
basic education instructional allocation, which shall be based on
minimum staffing and nonstaff costs that the legislature deems
necessary to support instruction and operations in prototypical schools
as defined by the legislature. The legislature expects that the
detailed prototype school model will bring greater transparency,
understanding, and public accountability to the funding system because
it displays funding assumptions in understandable terms centered on the
operations of school buildings.
Sec. 7 RCW 28A.150.260 and 2009 c 548 s 106 are each amended to
read as follows:
The purpose of this section is to provide for the allocation of
state funding that the legislature deems necessary to support school
districts in offering the minimum instructional program of basic
education under RCW 28A.150.220. The allocation shall be determined as
follows:
(1) The governor shall and the superintendent of public instruction
may recommend to the legislature a formula for the distribution of a
basic education instructional allocation for each common school
district.
(2) The distribution formula under this section shall be for
allocation purposes only. Except as may be required under chapter
28A.155, 28A.165, 28A.180, or ((28A.155)) 28A.185 RCW, or federal laws
and regulations, nothing in this section requires school districts to
use basic education instructional funds to implement a particular
instructional approach or service. Nothing in this section requires
school districts to maintain a particular classroom teacher-to-student
ratio or other staff-to-student ratio or to use allocated funds to pay
for particular types or classifications of staff. Nothing in this
section entitles an individual teacher to a particular teacher planning
period.
(3)(a) To the extent the technical details of the formula have been
adopted by the legislature and except when specifically provided as a
school district allocation, the distribution formula for the basic
education instructional allocation shall be based on minimum staffing
and nonstaff costs the legislature deems necessary to support
instruction and operations in prototypical schools serving high,
middle, and elementary school students as provided in this section.
The use of prototypical schools for the distribution formula does not
constitute legislative intent that schools should be operated or
structured in a similar fashion as the prototypes. Prototypical
schools illustrate the level of resources needed to operate a school of
a particular size with particular types and grade levels of students
using commonly understood terms and inputs, such as class size, hours
of instruction, and various categories of school staff. It is the
intent that the funding allocations to school districts be adjusted
from the school prototypes based on the actual number of annual average
full-time equivalent students in each grade level at each school in the
district and not based on the grade-level configuration of the school
to the extent that data is available. The allocations shall be further
adjusted from the school prototypes with minimum allocations for small
schools and to reflect other factors identified in the omnibus
appropriations act.
(b) For the purposes of this section, prototypical schools are
defined as follows:
(i) A prototypical high school has six hundred average annual full-time equivalent students in grades nine through twelve;
(ii) A prototypical middle school has four hundred thirty-two
average annual full-time equivalent students in grades seven and eight;
and
(iii) A prototypical elementary school has four hundred average
annual full-time equivalent students in grades kindergarten through
six.
(((c))) (4)(a) The minimum allocation for each level of
prototypical school shall be based on the number of full-time
equivalent classroom teachers needed to provide instruction over the
minimum required annual instructional hours under RCW 28A.150.220 and
provide at least one teacher planning period per school day, and based
on ((an)) the following general education average class size ((as
specified in the omnibus appropriations act.)) of full-time equivalent
students per teacher:
General education
average
class size
Grades K-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.23
Grade 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . 27.00
Grades 5-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . 27.00
Grades 7-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.53
Grades 9-12, except in cases when lower average class sizes
are specified for approved career and technical education
programs and skill centers . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.74
(b) The minimum allocation for each prototypical middle and high
school shall also provide for full-time equivalent classroom teachers
based on the following number of full-time equivalent students per
teacher in career and technical education:
Career and technical
education average
class size
Approved career and technical education offered at
the middle school and high school level . . . . . . . . . . . . 26.57
Skill center programs meeting the standards established
by the office of the superintendent of public instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.76
(c) According to an implementation schedule adopted by the
legislature, the omnibus appropriations act shall at a minimum specify:
(i) ((Basic average class size;)) A high-poverty average class size in schools where
more than fifty percent of the students are eligible for free and
reduced-price meals; and
(ii) Basic
(((iii))) (ii) A specialty average class size for ((exploratory and
preparatory career and technical education,)) laboratory science,
advanced placement, and international baccalaureate courses((; and)).
(iv) Average class size in grades kindergarten through three
(((d))) (5)(a) The minimum allocation for each level of
prototypical school shall include allocations for the following types
of staff in addition to classroom teachers:
(((i) Principals, including assistant principals, and other
certificated building-level administrators;))
(ii) Teacher librarians, performing functions including information
literacy, technology, and media to support school library media
programs;
(iii) Student health services, a function that includes school
nurses, whether certificated instructional or classified employee, and
social workers;
(iv) Guidance counselors, performing functions including parent
outreach and graduation advisor;
(v) Professional development coaches;
(vi) Teaching assistance, which includes any aspect of educational
instructional services provided by classified employees;
(vii) Office support, technology support, and other
noninstructional aides;
(viii) Custodians, warehouse, maintenance, laborer, and
professional and technical education support employees; and
(ix) Classified staff providing student and staff safety.
(4)(a)
Elementary School | Middle School | High School | |
Principals, assistant principals, and other certificated building-level
administrators, except administrators for approved career and technical programs and skill centers . . . . . . . . . . . . | 1.253 | 1.353 | 1.880 |
Teacher librarians, a function that includes information literacy, technology, and media to support school library media programs . . . . . . . . . . . . | 0.663 | 0.519 | 0.523 |
Health and social services: | |||
School nurses . . . . . . . . . . . . | 0.076 | 0.060 | 0.096 |
Social workers . . . . . . . . . . . . | 0.042 | 0.006 | 0.015 |
Psychologists . . . . . . . . . . . . | 0.017 | 0.002 | 0.007 |
Guidance counselors, a function that includes parent outreach and graduation advising . . . . . . . . . . . . | 0.493 | 1.116 | 1.909 |
Professional development coaches . . . . . . . . . . . . | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Teaching assistance, including any aspect of educational instructional services provided by classified employees . . . . . . . . . . . . | 0.917 | 0.685 | 0.638 |
Office support and other noninstructional aides . . . . . . . . . . . . | 1.971 | 2.277 | 3.201 |
Custodians . . . . . . . . . . . . | 1.622 | 1.902 | 2.903 |
Classified staff providing student and staff safety . . . . . . . . . . . . | 0.077 | 0.090 | 0.138 |
Parent involvement coordinators . . . . . . . . . . . . | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
Sec. 8 RCW 28A.150.390 and 2009 c 548 s 108 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The superintendent of public instruction shall submit to each
regular session of the legislature during an odd-numbered year a
programmed budget request for special education programs for students
with disabilities. Funding for programs operated by local school
districts shall be on an excess cost basis from appropriations provided
by the legislature for special education programs for students with
disabilities and shall take account of state funds accruing through RCW
28A.150.260 (((3)(b), (c)(i), and (d), (4), and (8) and federal medical
assistance and private funds accruing under RCW 74.09.5249 through
74.09.5253 and 74.09.5254 through 74.09.5256)) (4)(a), (5)(a), (6), and
(7).
(2) The excess cost allocation to school districts shall be based
on the following:
(a) A district's annual average headcount enrollment of students
ages birth through four and those five year olds not yet enrolled in
kindergarten who are eligible for and enrolled in special education,
multiplied by the district's base allocation per full-time equivalent
student, multiplied by 1.15; and
(b) A district's annual average full-time equivalent basic
education enrollment, multiplied by the district's funded enrollment
percent, multiplied by the district's base allocation per full-time
equivalent student, multiplied by 0.9309.
(3) As used in this section:
(a) "Base allocation" means the total state allocation to all
schools in the district generated by the distribution formula under RCW
28A.150.260 (((3)(b), (c)(i), and (d), (4), and (8))) (4)(a), (5)(a),
(6), and (7), to be divided by the district's full-time equivalent
enrollment.
(b) "Basic education enrollment" means enrollment of resident
students including nonresident students enrolled under RCW 28A.225.225
and students from nonhigh districts enrolled under RCW 28A.225.210 and
excluding students residing in another district enrolled as part of an
interdistrict cooperative program under RCW 28A.225.250.
(c) "Enrollment percent" means the district's resident special
education annual average enrollment, excluding students ages birth
through four and those five year olds not yet enrolled in kindergarten,
as a percent of the district's annual average full-time equivalent
basic education enrollment.
(d) "Funded enrollment percent" means the lesser of the district's
actual enrollment percent or twelve and seven-tenths percent.
Sec. 9 RCW 28A.150.410 and 2007 c 403 s 1 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The legislature shall establish for each school year in the
appropriations act a statewide salary allocation schedule, for
allocation purposes only, to be used to distribute funds for basic
education certificated instructional staff salaries under RCW
28A.150.260. For the purposes of this section, the staff allocations
for classroom teachers, teacher librarians, professional development
coaches, guidance counselors, and student health services staff under
RCW 28A.150.260 are considered allocations for certificated
instructional staff.
(2) Salary allocations for state-funded basic education
certificated instructional staff shall be calculated by the
superintendent of public instruction by determining the district's
average salary for certificated instructional staff, using the
statewide salary allocation schedule and related documents, conditions,
and limitations established by the omnibus appropriations act.
(3) Beginning January 1, 1992, no more than ninety college quarter-hour credits received by any employee after the baccalaureate degree
may be used to determine compensation allocations under the state
salary allocation schedule and LEAP documents referenced in the omnibus
appropriations act, or any replacement schedules and documents, unless:
(a) The employee has a master's degree; or
(b) The credits were used in generating state salary allocations
before January 1, 1992.
(4) Beginning in the 2007-08 school year, the calculation of years
of service for occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, nurses, social workers,
counselors, and psychologists regulated under Title 18 RCW may include
experience in schools and other nonschool positions as occupational
therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists,
audiologists, nurses, social workers, counselors, or psychologists.
The calculation shall be that one year of service in a nonschool
position counts as one year of service for purposes of this chapter, up
to a limit of two years of nonschool service. Nonschool years of
service included in calculations under this subsection shall not be
applied to service credit totals for purposes of any retirement benefit
under chapter 41.32, 41.35, or 41.40 RCW, or any other state retirement
system benefits.
Sec. 10 RCW 28A.150.100 and 1990 c 33 s 103 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) For the purposes of this section and RCW 28A.150.410 and
28A.400.200, "basic education certificated instructional staff"
((shall)) means all full-time equivalent classroom teachers, teacher
librarians, guidance counselors, certificated student health services
staff, and other certificated instructional staff in the following
programs as defined for statewide school district accounting purposes:
Basic education, secondary vocational education, general instructional
support, and general supportive services.
(2) ((In the 1988-89 school year and thereafter,)) Each school
district shall maintain a ratio of at least forty-six basic education
certificated instructional staff to one thousand annual average full
time equivalent students.
Sec. 11 2009 c 548 s 710 (uncodified) is amended to read as
follows:
(1) RCW 28A.150.030 (School day) and 1971 ex.s. c 161 s 1 & 1969
ex.s. c 223 s 28A.01.010;
(2) RCW 28A.150.060 (Certificated employee) and 2005 c 497 s 212,
1990 c 33 s 102, 1977 ex.s. c 359 s 17, 1975 1st ex.s. c 288 s 21, &
1973 1st ex.s. c 105 s 1;
(3) ((RCW 28A.150.100 (Basic education certificated instructional
staff -- Definition -- Ratio to students) and 1990 c 33 s 103 & 1987 1st
ex.s. c 2 s 203;)) RCW 28A.150.040 (School year -- Beginning -- End) and 1990 c 33
s 101, 1982 c 158 s 5, 1977 ex.s. c 286 s 1, 1975-'76 2nd ex.s. c 118
s 22, & 1969 ex.s. c 223 s 28A.01.020;
(4)
(((5))) (4) RCW 28A.150.370 (Additional programs for which
legislative appropriations must or may be made) and 1995 c 335 s 102,
1995 c 77 s 5, 1990 c 33 s 114, 1982 1st ex.s. c 24 s 1, & 1977 ex.s.
c 359 s 7; and
(((6))) (5) RCW 28A.155.180 (Safety net funds--Application--Technical assistance--Annual survey) and 2007 c 400 s 8.
Sec. 12 2009 c 548 s 804 (uncodified) is amended to read as
follows:
Sections 101 through 105, 107 through 110, and 701 through 710 of
this act take effect September 1, 2011.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 13 If any part of this act is found to be in
conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to
the allocation of federal funds to the state, the conflicting part of
this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict and with
respect to the agencies directly affected, and this finding does not
affect the operation of the remainder of this act in its application to
the agencies concerned. Rules adopted under this act must meet federal
requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal
funds by the state.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 14 If any provision of this act or its
application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the
remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other
persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 15 Sections 6 through 13 of this act take
effect September 1, 2011.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 16 Section 3 of this act is necessary for the
immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or
support of the state government and its existing public institutions,
and takes effect immediately."
SHB 2776 -
By Committee on Ways & Means
ADOPTED AS AMENDED 03/04/2010
On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "education;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 28A.150.315, 43.41.398, 28A.150.260, 28A.150.390, 28A.150.410, and 28A.150.100; amending 2009 c 548 s 302 (uncodified); amending 2009 c 548 s 710 (uncodified); amending 2009 c 548 s 804 (uncodified); adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; creating new sections; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency."