The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-04-06
LEGISLATION
AFFECTING
THE SCHOOLS

! iouned passed several important
educational measures directly bearing
on the common schools according to
an interview given out by Mrs. Jose
phine Corliss Preston, Superintendent
of Public instruction.
House Bill No. 1O5 OIigh School Bid
The Act relating to the attendance
of high school pupils from non-high
school districts and providing for the
reimbursement Of certain school dis
tricts for the cost of educating high
school pupils from other school dis
tricts, creating two classes of school
districts for each purpose, providing
for a fund and plan of taxation for
such reimbursement, fixing require
ments for admission to certain high
schools, and giving boards Of direc-
tors power to arrange and pay for
transportation Of pupils for the pur-
poses of this act.
"This act" explained Mrs. Preston,
"provides for the classification of
present school districts into high
school and non-high school districts"
1t provides for the levying of tax
upon all non-high school districts, not
to exceed two mills, for the purposes
of creating a fund out Of which the
high school districts are to be REIN
bursed from the actual cost of educat-
ing pupils from non-high school dis
tricts.
In arriving at the cost per pupil
for educating pupils from non-high
school districts, the high school dis
trict is authorized to consider only
items of current expenses, which are
specifically set forth in this act. The
apportionment of state and county
funds earned by the attendance of pu-
pills from non-high school districts is
to be deducted in arriving at the
amount due the high school district
from the high school district fund for
educating such pupils.
The State Board of Education is
authorized and directed to classify all
the school districts in the state into
high school and non-high school dis
tricts. In order to protect the inter
ests of those districts which are now
maintaining two or three year high
school course, the Act provides that
/ those districts which are now main
tanning at least two year high school
| shall be temporarily classified at high
school districts. The State Board is
| authorized to remove such districts
from such classification if they fail
to advance their school to four year
course within two years from the TAX
| ing effect of this Act.
Transportation of high school pu-
| pills is authorized to the nearest avail
able high school and districts are au-
thorized to enter into contracts there
| for.
The reimbursement of the high
school district for the cost of educat-
ing high school pupils from a non
high school district is not to be deem
ed as a tuition charge as affecting the
apportionment of the current state
school fund.
Substitute House Bill No. Is (Certi-
fication BilD
In view of the criticism that has
been made of the standard for certi-
fication in the state of Washington
and in view of the original bill on GER
LITIGATION which was introduced as the
result of the investigation and DELHI
GRAFTON of the Educational Survey
Commission appointed by the 1917
Legislature, it was apparent that some
changes were necessary in our certi-
fication law looking to a raising OF
the standard. The original bill or
this subject House Bill No. 16) met
with such opposition throughout the
state that it was deemed advisable tC
prepare a substitute measure which
would incorporate some of the gen
eral features of the original House
Bill No. 16. Accordingly Substitute
House Bill No. 16 was prepared as 6
: compromise measure, to eliminate
some of the obiectional features Of
original House Bill No. 16, as well a,
to remedy the defects in our present
law, and was agreed to in a confer
ence by all of the heads of the higher
. institutions of learning, the legisla
tive committee Of the Washington
State Teachers Association, the mem
bers of the Survey Commission, the
committees on education both in the
House and Senate, and the State De
partment of Education.
Due consideration was given to al
suggestions which were received from
individuals throughout the state who