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 How is student achievement money being paid?
 Student achievement money is allocated to school
districts by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) through
the monthly apportionment process. The
payment schedule is the monthly apportionment schedule defined in RCW
28A.510.250.
How
can Initiative 728 (I-728) money be used?
The
best guidance is provided by the initiative itself. Section 3 of the initiative reads as follows:
“School districts shall have the authority to decide the best use of student achievement
funds to assist students in meeting or exceeding the new, higher academic
standards in each district consistent with the provisions of the act.
(1) Student achievement funds shall be
allocated for the following uses:
(a) To reduce class size by hiring
certificated elementary classroom teachers in grades K–4 and paying
nonemployee-related costs associated with those new teachers;
(b) To make selected reductions in
class size in grades 5–12, such as small high school writing classes;
(c) To provide extended learning
opportunities to improve student academic achievement in grades K–12,
including, but not limited to, extended school year, extended school day,
before-and-after-school programs, special tutoring programs, weekend school
programs, summer school, and all-day kindergarten;
(d) To provide additional
professional development for educators, including additional paid time for
curriculum and lesson redesign and alignment, training to ensure that
instruction is aligned with state standards and student needs, reimbursement
for higher education costs related to enhancing teaching skills and knowledge,
and mentoring programs to match teachers with skilled, master teachers. The funding shall not be used for salary increases or additional
compensation for existing teaching duties, but may be used for extended year
and extended day teaching contracts;
(e) To provide early assistance for
children who need prekindergarten support in order to be successful in school;
(f) To provide improvements or
additions to school building facilities which are directly related to the class
size reductions and extended learning opportunities under (a) through (c) of
this subsection.”
The
school board must hold a public hearing on or before May 1 to consider the
proposed use of these funds. The
district must adopt a plan for expending the money by August 31 as part of the
district’s budget.
What
constitutes a hearing?
The
school board must hold at least one public meeting at a designated time and
place for the purpose of hearing public comment on proposed uses of the student
achievement money. Written comments
must be accepted and considered. The
district may hold multiple hearings, conduct surveys, or use other means of
public involvement if desired.
Does
the initiative require the local teachers’ union to have a say in how the
money is spent?
There
is nothing in the initiative requiring union involvement. However, collective bargaining laws and current contracts may require the
district to consult with the union. Section
3(1)(d) of the initiative states: “The funding shall not be used for salary
increases or additional compensation for exiting teaching duties, but may be
used for extended year and extended day teaching contracts.”
Can
a district use I-728 money to retain existing teachers if the district is losing
enrollment?
Yes,
in this circumstance retaining existing staff may be a method of reducing class
size.
Can
I-728 money be use to hire classroom paraprofessionals?
Classified
staff cannot be used to reduce class size in grades K-4. However,
classified instructional staff can be used for selected reductions in class size
in grades 5-12 if the district determines that this is an effective way to
increase student learning. Classroom paraprofessionals may also be used
for extended learning opportunities and for early assistance for prekindergarten
students.
Can I-728 money be use for professional development for classified staff?
Yes, if it will assist students in meeting or exceeding state academic standards.
Can
I-728 money be used to hire counselors, librarians, or other educational staff
associates (ESAs)?
ESAs
cannot be used for class size reduction unless employed in “teaching”
assignments. However, ESAs may be
used for extended learning opportunities and early assistance for
prekindergarten programs.
Can
I-728 money be used for equipment and other nonemployee related costs (NERC)?
Yes,
if included in the district’s plan and necessary to support activities funded
by the initiative.
Can
I-728 money be used for buildings or other capital purposes?
Subsection 3(1)(f) permits student achievement money to be
used for capital purposes that are directly related to class size reduction and
extended learning opportunity expenditures made under subsection 3(1)(a) through
3(1)(c) of the initiative.
A
district wishing to expend student achievement money from the capital projects
fund should budget student achievement revenues in the capital project fund. OSPI will apportion the amount budgeted directly to the
capital project fund. After
adoption of the budget, a district may revise the amount directed to the capital
projects fund by submitting a board resolution and letter to OSPI.
Student
achievement moneys may not be expended from the debt service fund or
transportation vehicle fund.
Can
I-728 money be used for pupil transportation costs for students participating in
extended learning opportunities?
Yes,
if pupil transportation costs are necessary for extended learning opportunities
and are not reimbursed under the state pupil transportation formula. (Costs should be treated as a debit transfer to the student achievement
program from the pupil transportation program.)
Are
indirect costs chargeable to the student achievement program?
Yes,
in the amount provided in the plan adopted by the district.
Can
I-728 money be carried over from year to year?
Yes.
How
will school districts account for revenues and expenditures?
Revenue account 4166 Student Achievement and program 66
Student Achievement are used to record student achievement fund revenues and
expenditures. Additional guidance
is provided in the accounting manual, budget instructions, and
S-275 personnel reporting instructions.
School
districts are advised to maintain sub-coding to identify how much is expended
for each of the six activities identified in subsections 3(1)(a) through 3(1)(f)
of the initiative as shown above.
What
activities can be charged directly to Program 66?
The
following activities are open in Program 66 for state budgeting and
reporting purposes:
21 Supervision
22 Learning Resources
23 Principal’s Office
24 Guidance and Counseling
25 Pupil Management and Safety
26 Health/Related Services
27 Teaching
29 Payments to School Districts
How
are expenditures reported?
School districts report student achievement revenues and
expenditures by activity and object on Report F-196, the district’s annual
financial report.
In addition, Section 3(2)
of the initiative requires school districts to annually “provide the
citizens of their district a public accounting of funds made available to the
district during the previous school year under this act, how the funds were
used, and the progress the district has made in increasing student achievement
as measured by required state assessments and other measures deemed appropriate
by the district.” Copies of
this report are to be provided to OSPI after the close of the school year.
OSPI provides districts with a reporting framework for the annual
report. Districts should be
prepared to identify the amount expended on each of the six purposes identified
in subsections 3(1)(a) through 3(1)(f) of the initiative.
Must
school districts plan a formal evaluation of I-728 expenditures to gauge the
impact on student achievement?
No,
the evaluation can be based on current state and district tests and evaluation
methods.
Under
what circumstances will OSPI recover (take back) student achievement money?
OSPI
does not recover student achievement allocations based on year-end
expenditure measurement (as done in state categorical programs).
Will
student achievement money be included in the levy base?
The levy lid and local effort assistance (LEA) rules
include I-728 money in the levy base. In addition, through 2011, the levy lid
and LEA rules include the difference between what the district would have
received in the current school year under the original initiative and what the
district actually receives in the current school year (RCW 84.52.0531(4)).
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