HB 2589

Brief Description: Enhancing the basic education allocation formula to adopt the staffing resources recommended by the quality education council.

Sponsors: Representatives Goodman, Pettigrew, Stanford, Sells, S. Hunt, Appleton, Pollet, Bergquist, Ormsby, Stonier, Haigh, Riccelli, Moscoso, Fey, Walkinshaw, Tarleton, Tharinger, Wylie, Senn, Ryu, Morrell, Reykdal, Seaquist, Roberts, Habib and Freeman.

Hearing Date: 2/4/14

Staff: Barbara McLain (786-7383).

Background:

Chapter 548, Laws of 2009 (Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2261) revised the definition of the program of Basic Education and established new methods for distributing state funds to school districts to support it. Various technical working groups were established to continue implementation of the legislation, as well as a Quality Education Council (QEC) composed of legislators, representatives of state education agencies, and a representative from the Governor's Office.

The new funding formula is based on allocations for assumed class sizes and the administrative, classified, and instructional staff of various types assumed to be needed in a prototypical elementary, middle, and high school of a particular size. There are also assumptions about nonstaff costs, district-wide support, central administration, and special programs.

In the 2009 legislation, a certain amount of detail about the structure of the new formula was placed into statute. However, there were no numeric values provided for the various formula elements.

A Funding Formula Technical Working Group (FFTWG) developed a recommended set of numeric values for the formula that were intended to represent, as closely as possible, a translation of the 2009-10 levels of state funding for Basic Education into the new formula elements. These were called "Baseline" values. The QEC recommended in its January 2010 report that the Legislature adopt the Baseline values as recommended by the FFTWG and place these values into statute, to take effect September 1, 2011. Chapter 236, Laws of 2010 (Substitute House Bill 2276) implemented this recommendation.

In support of the QEC's deliberations during 2009, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) prepared a series of issue papers that contained analyses and recommendations for increasing the levels of school staff and other resources allocated through the prototypical school funding formula above the Baseline values. An appendix to the QEC's 2010 report illustrated these increased levels of staffing and other resources and described them as "Provisional." The QEC report stated that further consideration of the Provisional values would be a topic for the QEC's workplan during 2010.

Summary of Bill:

Changes are made to the statutory prototypical school funding formula, which all take effect September 1, 2018.

Numeric values for average class size, which form the basis of allocations for classroom teachers in the funding formula, are changed as follows:

Grade Level	Class Size
Grades K-3	17.0
Grade 4	25.0
Grades 5-6	25.0
Grades 7-8	25.0
Grades 9-12	25.0
Middle and High School Career and Technical Education	19.0
Skill Centers	16.0

Allocations for average class size in schools where more than 50 percent of students were eligible for free and reduced-price meals in the prior year are specified in statute, rather than being specified in the Omnibus Appropriations Act.

Grade Level	Class Size
Grades K-3	15.0
Grade 4	22.0
Grades 5-6	23.0
Grades 7-8	23.0
Grades 9-12	23.0

Funding for the specified average class size is provided only to the extent of, and proportionate to, the school district's demonstrated actual average class size, up to the funded level. School districts that demonstrate capital facility needs that prevent them from reducing actual class size to funded levels may use funding provided for class size for school-based personnel who provide direct services to students, but must annually report this expenditure by school and grade level. The OSPI must adopt rules to implement these provisions.

The full-time equivalent (FTE) staff allocations for each level of prototypical school are increased to the following:

Building-Level Staff FTE	Elementary (400 students)	Middle (432 students)	High (600 students)
Principals, building administrators	1.30	1.40	1.90
Teacher librarians	1.0	1.0	1.0
School nurses	0.585	0.888	0.824
School social workers	0.311	0.088	0.127
School psychologists	0.104	0.024	0.049
Guidance counselors	0.50	2.0	3.5
Teaching assistance	2.0	1.0	1.0
Office support, non-instructional aides	3.0	3.5	3.5
Custodians	1.7	2.0	3.0
Student and staff safety	0.0	0.7	1.3
Parent involvement coordinators	1.0	1.0	1.0

The allocations of district-wide support staff per 1,000 FTE students are changed as follows:

District-wide Support	Staff FTE
Technology	2.8
Facilities, maintenance, grounds	4.0
Warehouse, laborers, mechanics	1.9

For the 2015-2017 biennium, funding allocated under the prototypical school funding formula must be no less than 50 percent of the difference between funding as of September 1, 2013, and the funding necessary to support the new statutory class size and staffing allocations, with priority for additional funding given to the highest poverty schools and districts. By the end of the 2017-2019 biennium, state allocations must fully fund the new statutory class size and staffing allocations.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 28, 2014.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed, except section 2 which provides reduced class size and increased staffing allocations in the prototypical school funding formula, which takes effect September 1, 2018.