Happy Friday! This week wrapped up the 2026 Legislative Session with the gavel coming down for the last time on Thursday, March 12, which marked Sine Die. The big news this week was the “millionaires tax,” which despite republican resistance from the start, House Democrats were able to send it back to the senate for agreement and then onto the desk of Governor Bob Ferguson who says he will sign it. It took over24 hours of debate, with republicans attempting to slow down the policy by filibustering with nearly 60 amendment proposals to the legislation. Adding to the fact that democrats proposed over 20 amendments of their own to SB 6346, this debate ended up clocking in as one of the longest in recent history over a single piece of legislation. Needless to say, in the end, it passed with a final vote tally of 51-46, with eight dissenting democrats joining republicans.
In terms of what sort of impact this bill will have on education in Washington State schools, depends on who you talk to. That is, opinions are mixed along party lines. The Seattle Times reported, “Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, the chief sponsor of the tax measure, praised tweaks made by the House, including a pledge to use some of the money to guarantee free school lunches for children in K-12 schools.” Most of the money generated by this tax would go into the state’s general fund budget, which funds K-12 schools. A 5% chunk will be dedicated to child care and early learning.
In an opposing view, The Washington State Standard quoted Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, “This bill is wrong for our economy, it’s wrong for our families, it’s wrong for our communities, it’s wrong for our state. Let’s not concur,” he said.
As for the budget, Democrats released their budget deal on Wednesday. Child-care providers who take subsidies from the government will pay the biggest price. However, the K-12 system will not escape budget constraints. The Transition to Kindergarten program will receive $27 million less than previous years, resulting in a loss of roughly a third of the program’s available slots. This article from The Spokesman, breaks down the K-12 funding cuts, such examples include: reducing how much districts are reimbursed for buying school buses and money for running start programs. Local effort assistance, a program that subsidizes school districts without much property value to tax from, would also see reductions.
State Superintendent, Chris Reykdal, shared his opinion on the final budget. “The Legislature has not fully funded the state’s paramount duty since 2019, but sadly, they embraced the Governor’s proposed cuts to education. This budget makes harmful reductions to programs that directly serve students—reductions that are likely to impact students identified as low-income the most. Read his full statement here.
Bills Delivered to Governor Ferguson for Signature
E3SHB 1634: which establishes a network of statewide and regional partners to provide school districts and public schools with the technical assistance, resources, and training necessary to coordinate comprehensive student supports across the behavioral health continuum.
SHB 2360: which would allow public and private schools to maintain and use a supply of albuterol at each school beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
ESHB 2534: which would make changes to school district requirements for enrolling children of military families, transferring their education records, and providing them with services and accommodations.
ESHB 2557: which would require a school district to provide the student’s parent or guardian with a copy of the special education evaluation report at least five school days before the meeting at which the report will be reviewed, or the student’s eligibility for services will be determined, unless the parent or guardian provides a written waiver of this timeline. Parents Get More Time to Review Special Ed Evaluations with New Law.
SSB 5346: which would revise the definition of digital citizenship so that the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior related to current technology use include student use of mobile devices as well as direct OSPI to include research on student use of mobile devices and recommended best practice strategies for teaching students how to use their mobile devices responsibly.
SSB 5841: which requires high school and beyond plans to contain evidence that the student has completed at least one state or federal financial aid application, or that their parent or legal guardian has opted the student out of this requirement.
2SSB 5969: which directs that the statewide online system for Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and High School and Beyond Plans be integrated to the greatest extent possible in order to relieve duplication between the plans.
SSB 6268: which would require OSPI to maintain an online record of all final decisions issued in response to special education community complaints in the prior 20 years.
SB 6278: which would require the PESB to conduct an ongoing review of approved educator preparation programs to include program standards, educator role standards, evidence submitted by programs, and input from community constituents such as classroom educators and administrators.
ESSB 6326: which imposes a 9.90 percent tax on individuals on the receipt of income exceeding $1 million beginning in 2028, expands eligibility for the Working Families Tax Credit to include persons who are at least 18 years of age and who meet other eligibility requirements, repeals sales taxes on certain specified services, which were enacted in 2025 in ESSB 5814 and exempts the individual income tax from a statutory prohibition on state and local income taxes.
House Bills
ESHB 1295: which would require public schools to implement a comprehensive literacy program that uses evidence-based instructional practices to promote the early literacy and reading and writing literacy of students in kindergarten through fourth grade. The bill also directs the PESB to adopt revised literacy endorsement standards and to require teacher preparation programs to implement the revised standards. The bill has passed both chambers.
ESHB 1795: This bill would prohibit specified interventions, including chemical and mechanical restraint, and prohibit the construction of isolation rooms, while allowing physical restraint and isolation of students under certain conditions. The bill would also prohibit the isolation of students in prekindergarten through fifth grade beginning August 1, 2027, except under specified conditions and modify requirements for incident notification, review, and reporting, behavioral intervention planning; and policies and procedures. The bill has passed both chambers and been signed by the House Speaker.
SHB 2594: which establishes state-based requirements for ensuring that homeless children and youths have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as is provided to other children and youths. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker.
Odds and Ends
In honor of March Madness, here’s a shout out to Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School and the nation’s number one NBA recruit. Seattle’s Rainier Beach features the nation’s hottest basketball recruit. At 18, he’s already making millions
For Women’s History Month, from Edutopia.org, Celebrating Women’s History Month in Middle School.
CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator
Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2026 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators.
Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master’s in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 8 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.