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As anticipated, legislators in the Senate and House moved to
officially adopt the Conference Committee reports on the 2008
Supplemental Operating Budget and the 2008 Supplemental Capital
Construction Budget — the last pieces of necessary business to take
care of before the 2008 Legislature adjourns “Sine Die.” (For some of
the major highlights of the K-12 portion of the Operating Budget,
please see yesterday’s Update, March 12.)
This morning, the Senate spent a considerable amount of time debating
the Operating Budget, as many majority Democrats praised the work to
enhance programs for education, social services and seniors and
several minority Republicans complained that the overall spending
level is too high and will be unsustainable in the future. The final,
compromise budget was adopted on a near party-line vote, 31 to 18,
with 31 Democrats voting “aye” and all 17 Republicans and 1 Democrat
voting “no.” The Senate-approved budget then moved to the House for
its final action.
The House, at the time this Update was posted, had not yet completed
its debate on the Operating Budget; however, it is no surprise that
discussion was similar to the Senate's earlier debate. Majority
Democrats in the House praised the budget, while minority Republicans
decried the spending level of the budget and complained about being
"shut out" of the process. Although a vote had not yet been taken, the
final vote was fully expected to be similar (if not exactly the same)
as the House's earlier vote on its budget proposal. The House's
proposed budget was adopted a few weeks ago with a near party-line
vote of 62 to 33.
Both the Senate and House adopted the final 2008 Supplemental Capital
Budget as well. The discussion and voting was much more cordial and
bi-partisan than the action on the Operating Budget. The Senate
unanimously adopted the Capital Budget; while the House adopted the
bill with a vote of 95 to 2.
Yesterday, our Update provided highlights of the Operating Budget, but
we should not lose sight of a fairly positive Capital Budget. WSSDA’s
End of Session Summary will include a comprehensive review of both
budgets, but we also include a few of the K-12 highlights of the final
Capital Budget here. The final Capital Budget is a $118 million
package (added to the underlying 2007-09 appropriation level of $4.3
billion).
• The Joint
Legislative Audit and Review Committee is provided with $230,000 to
develop a pilot facility condition and inventory system for K-12
public school facilities. Funding provided in the underlying budget
($850,000) for OSPI to conduct this pilot is eliminated.
• The underlying
budget provided Highline School District with $3.5 million to deal
with noise mitigation; this new budget provides an enhancement of
$1.5 million (for a total of $5.0 million).
• Legislation to
begin a “Community Schools” program was defeated this year; however,
the Capital Budget provides $4.6 million to the Department of
Community, Trade and Economic Development to acquire, rehabilitate,
expand or improve surplus school buildings to be converted into
community facilities for the delivery of nonresidential coordinated
services for children and families.
• Sunnyside School
District will receive $150,000 to renovate an old building for gang
prevention/rehabilitation activities.
• The underlying
budget provided $4.8 million to the Department of Ecology to school
bus diesel retrofits. The Supplemental Budget increases that amount
to $5.4 million for “clean diesel school bus projects.”
• As recommended by
the Joint Legislative Committee on School Construction Funding, the
Department of Natural Resources will receive $30,000 to establish
(with OSPI, which receives its own appropriation of $25,000) a work
group to analyze the feasibility of and develop options for using
existing state lands in high growth areas of the state for potential
future school sites.
• OSPI will receive
funding for a series of projects:
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$1.2 million is
provided for a new facility at Aviation High School.
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$2 million is
provided for the Greenbridge Early Learning Center – a center for
the Thrive-by-Five program within the Puget Sound ESD.
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$100,000 is
provided for the East Yakima Early Learning Center.
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$50,000 is
provided for the North Central Technical Skills Center.
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$75,000 is
provided for a Seattle Skills Center feasibility study.
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$475,000 is
provided for Satellite/Branch Campus Feasibility Studies regarding
potential skills center satellite or branch campuses in
underserved areas of Washington.
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$150,000 is
provided to establish a work group to develop methods and options
for making the current school construction assistance grant
program more transparent.
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$1.1 million is
provided to develop and implement a regional school construction
technical assistance program for school districts primarily
delivered through ESDs.
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$927,000 is
provided for the Grant county/Moses Lake school district skills
center.
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$550,000 is
provided for the Northeast King County Skills Center.
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$3.1 million is
provided for the Pierce County Skills Center.
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$150,000 is
provided to contract for an evaluation of the accuracy and
reliability of the current method used for forecasting school
district enrollment for determining eligibility for the school
assistance program.
WSSDA staff has begun work on the annual End of Session Summary. This
report will provide: comprehensive details education portions of the
2008 Supplemental Operating and Capital Budgets; a detailed overview
of each of the education-related bills adopted by the Legislature; a
review of the many education-related bills that were introduced, but
were not ultimately adopted; and a review of any action taken on
WSSDA’s legislative priorities. When the Summary is completed, it will
be mailed to those who receive WSSDA’s Impact newsletter.
Additionally, the Summary will be available on the WSSDA Web site (wssda.org).
With the end of the 2008 Legislative Session, NOW is the time to
prepare for the 2009 session. Included in the mailing of WSSDA’s End
of Session Summary will be a “Request for 2009 Legislative Proposals.”
We encourage you to review the Summary to get a better understanding
of the Legislature’s actions — and to submit legislative proposals to
WSSDA’s Legislative Committee. WSSDA’s legislative priorities are YOUR
priorities and you are encouraged to make your voice heard in this
important process.
On Wednesday, March 19, from 1:30-3:30 pm, OPSI will be hosting its
annual Legislative Session Wrap-up via K-20 Videoconference.
Videoconference sites will be available at each ESD, as well as
several school districts. For more details, please visit the OSPI Web
site at
http://www.k12.wa.us/LegisGov/default.aspx. Handouts for the
videoconference will be available at this site by 9:30 a.m. on the
morning of March 19. Even if you are not able to attend the
videoconference, you are encouraged to review the OPSI materials — and
WSSDA’s Summary — to better understand how the Legislature’s actions
impact your school district.
Finally, barring
any unforeseen legislative emergency, this will be the last Daily
Legislative Update for 2008. Your WSSDA staff appreciates your
attention to these Updates and further appreciates your willingness to
be active in the legislative process, helping us to advocate on behalf
of your education priorities. We trust these Updates have been
beneficial to you. The preparation for the 2009 Legislative Session
now begins…. |
