03/01/2004 01:35 PM Senate HES

         SB   1-INCREASE AMT OF BASE STUDENT ALLOCATION                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON  announced  that  he  would  hear  all  three  bills                                                               
together -  SSSB 1, SSSB  14, and SSSB 91  - since the  bills are                                                               
very similar.  Public testimony would  be limited to 1 minute and                                                               
would  be  closed  shortly  after  3:00 p.m.    If  members  were                                                               
willing, he would  like to move one  or more of the  bills out of                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SHEILA PETERSON,  staff to  Senator  Gary Wilken,  presented                                                               
SSSB 1.   She said it  increases the student dollar  $94, raising                                                               
it to $4,263.   The proposed increase was based  on the estimated                                                               
inflation  rate for  calendar year  2003, which  at the  time the                                                               
bill  was  drafted was  estimated  as  a 2.25  percent  increase.                                                               
Unfortunately, in  addition to the  impacts of  inflation, school                                                               
districts this  year are  faced with  additional costs.   Senator                                                               
Wilken recognizes  this and  sees SSSB  1 as  opening discussions                                                               
about increasing school funding.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON  said he understood  from Senator Wilken  if sponsors                                                               
of the other bills were  interested, he would gladly include them                                                               
as  co-sponsors;  he  asked  if  this  were  true,  and  received                                                               
confirmation from Ms. Peterson that it was correct.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GUESS  asked if  Senator Wilken  had determined  what the                                                               
appropriate  numbers  should  be,  noting that  this  deals  with                                                               
inflation  and,  based on  PERS/TRS,  every  district would  lose                                                               
money.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. PETERSON said he is  looking at additional dollars, but wants                                                               
to hear testimony from the various school districts.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
[The  following action  was  taken  at the  end  of the  meeting:                                                               
SENATOR  GREEN moved  to  report  SSSB 1  out  of committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON asked if there was  any objection.  There being none,                                                               
it was so ordered.]