SB 5702 — Improving state funding for school construction, modernization, and asset preservation.

S-1793.2SUBSTITUTES-0464.4SENATE SENATE BILL 5702State of Washington65th Legislature2017 Regular SessionBy Senate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Keiser, Honeyford, Frockt, and Pedersen)READPedersenRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/24/17.AN02/03/17. ACT Relating to improving state funding for school construction, modernization, and asset preservation;

Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.AN ACT Relating to improving state funding for school construction, modernization, and asset preservation;

In calculating preservation and renewal grants, all variables set by the omnibus capital appropriations act must be used for the fiscal years in which the grant awards are made.made.(4) Disbursement of grant funds and reporting requirements.

The joint legislative task force created in section 501 of this act shall evaluate how declining enrollment may prevent school districts from qualifying for preservation and renewal grants and recommend measures to enable these school districts to qualify for preservation and renewal grants.(4) Disbursement of grant funds and reporting requirements.

Small, rural district modernization grants are for school districts with student enrollments thatunder are less than or equal to one thousandthousand. students.

For school districts that, because of low assessed property values or high indebtedness, are not eligible for school construction assistance program modernization grants, the joint legislative task force established in section 501 of this act shall recommend measures for those school districts to become eligible in the small, rural district school construction assistance program.

The advisory committee created in (a) of this subsection must identify a preliminary list of school districts with the most serious building deficiencies, the most limited financial capacity, and the greatest student opportunityachievement gapsgaps.(c) given the condition of school facilities.(c) After identifying the list of school districts under (b) of this subsection, the advisory committee created in (a) of this subsection and the office of superintendent of public instruction must offer technical assistance to the districts on the list to develop affordable and effective proposals to resolve the most serious building deficiencies.(d) After offering technical assistance under (c) of this subsection, the advisory committee created in (a) of this subsection must evaluate final applications from the school districts on the first list interested in pursuing a grant.

The submitted prioritized list must describe the project, the proposed state funding level, and the estimated total project cost including other funding and in-kind resources.

All classrooms include any room in an elementary school in a permanent or portable structure that is in use as a classroom or that could be used as a classroom if one of the following conditions are met:(A) A classroom in a permanent building was designed as a classroom at the time the school was constructed or was subsequently added as part of a modernization or renovation.(B) A classroom in a portable building installed after 19921989 and that meets the building code requirements for use as a classroom without requiring repairs or renovations that exceed fifty thousand dollars.The count of all district classrooms must also include all planned elementary school classrooms in projects approved at the "D6" stage or later of the school construction assistance program.