BILL REQ. #:  S-3605.4 

Read first time 01/25/10.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

     AN ACT Relating to the basic education instructional allocation distribution formula; amending RCW 28A.150.260 and 28A.150.390; amending 2009 c 548 s 804 (uncodified); creating new sections; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   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. 2   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)(i) 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.27
Grade 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.27
Grades 5-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . 34.32
Grades 7-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.43
Grades 9-12, except in cases when lower average class sizes
are specified for approved career and technical education
programs and skill centers . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.77
Approved career and technical education offered at
the middle school level . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.43
Approved career and technical education offered at
the high school level . . . . . . . . . . . . 26.58
Skill center programs meeting the standards established
by the office of the superintendent of public instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.76

     (ii) According to an implementation schedule adopted by the legislature, the omnibus appropriations act shall at a minimum specify:
     (((i) Basic average class size;
     (ii) Basic)) (A) 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
     (((iii))) (B) 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) 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)))

Sec. 3   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)) (6), and (7)(a).
     (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))) (6), and (7)(a), 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. 4   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. 5   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. 6   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. 7   This act takes effect September 1, 2011.