And that’s a wrap folks! Just in time, legislators were able to build consensus and pass an operating budget before the scheduled close of session on Sunday, April 27th. In many ways this session felt longer and more difficult than others in the past; with inner-party tensions, the multi-billion dollar budget deficit looming over everything and debates over parental rights in schools, lawmakers had their hands more than full. Legislators released their final operating budget deal on Saturday, within the required 24 hours prior to a floor vote, and wrapped up the session at 6pm Sunday, spending their final day approving new two-year budgets for the state’s day-to-day operations, transportation system and capital construction.

ESSB 5167, was the final operating budget bill, passed on partisan votes in both chambers. Without going into all the fine points of the budget bill, it’s helpful to point out that the tax package totals around 9 billion in 4 years. “Much of that money, around $5.6 billion, will come from increases in the state’s main business tax. There’s also a higher rate added to the state’s capital gains tax for gains above $1 million.” Reports The Washington State Standard. 

On the education front, arguably the most impactful and beneficial moves made by legislators this session were the investments in special education. E2SSB 5263, a bi-partisan bill, co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Senator Jamie Pedersen (D-43) and the Senate Minority Leader, Senator John Braun (R-20), remained in the final operating budget and lifts the 16% cap on special education funding for Washington’s public schools. The legislation also increased the special education funding formula and the safety-net threshold for high-cost students was lowered. 

On Tuesday, April 28, State Supt. Christopher Reydal, weighed in on the 2025 Legislative Session, commending lawmakers for maintaining their commitment to funding Washington’s Public Schools despite the huge budget deficit. Reykdal stated, “Our priority request to the Legislature this year was to increase funding for supports for students with disabilities and to remove the artificial cap on state funding for students with disabilities. Lawmakers did both, bringing our state much closer to fully funding these essential services. All of our students have a right to basic education and deserve to thrive in their learning environments. This is not only a key Washingtonian value—it’s a constitutional obligation.”

Reykdol also brought attention to the legislature’s attempts at greater funding for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) in Washington’s schools. ESSB 5192, increased funding for MSOC, however, Reykdal notes that there is still more work to be done in the future to fully fund the costs that schools are facing. 

As for Governor Ferguson, his role brought another dimension to the budget negotiations that lawmakers may or may not have foreseen. He previously rejected two budget proposals earlier in the session, sending budget writers back to the drawing board. However, when lawmakers in Olympia released their final proposed budget on Saturday, Ferguson noted that he was pleased that the legislature maintained the states’ savings and made investments in K-12 education. Ferguson has until May 17 to sign or veto the budget.

Bills Signed into Law

2SHB 1273: which directs ESDs to collaborate with specified entities to streamline regional efforts that support students’ dual credit access and directs the SBCTC to develop a plan for improving its online career and technical education (CTE) dual credit administrative data system. 

ESHB 1393: which requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to permit students to wear one item or object of cultural significance at high school commencements and other official graduation ceremonies and events. 

ESHB 1414: which directs OSPI, in consultation with the Department of Labor, to establish a work group to recommend changes to state laws and practices affecting the training, certification, and employment of 16- and 17-year-olds enrolled in or who completed career and technical education programs. 

2SSB 5358: which permits school districts to offer Career and Technical Education Program (CTE) courses to sixth graders in middle school and requires middle and high school CTE courses to be treated as a single program for accounting purposes. 

Bills Delivered to Governor Ferguson for Signature

SHB 1079: which allows school districts to provide all students enrolled in online school programs the option to take statewide standardized tests remotely, beginning in the 2027-28 school year.

ESHB 1296: which would make changes to the delineated rights of parents and legal guardians of public school children, establish a statement of student rights and associated duties for school districts, and establish anti-retaliation protections for public school employees. 

ESHB 1651: which establishes teacher residency programs, describes a teacher apprenticeship program and establishes requirements for teacher apprenticeship programs (and number of hours) and requires the PESB to establish a process to approve these programs. 

HB 2050: which would change the monthly apportionment schedule for allocations to public schools in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years and would limit the alternative learning experience enrollment used to calculate Local Effort Assistance (LEA) to 33 percent of a school district’s total enrollment. 

ESSB 5004: which requires emergency response systems of school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to include specified technology and be developed in accordance with collaboration requirements. 

SSB 5025: which directs the PESB to establish full and limited certificates for deaf and deaf-blind educational interpreters and specifies that, by the beginning of the 2027-28 school year, educational interpreters employed by school districts must obtain a certificate; and provides that those without a certificate, but who demonstrate satisfactory efforts toward full certification, may provide educational interpreter services for up to 18 months after completing the assessment.  

SB 5189: which requires OSPI to adopt rules to authorize funding for students enrolled in competency-based education (CBE) programs and to create competencies aligned with state learning standards, as well as requires the SBE to develop a process to identify schools and school districts that are implementing CBE, and identify costs associated with this process.

ESSB 5192: which increases allocations for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) as well as provides that MSOC calculations must use a three-year rolling average for student enrollment and must be adjusted annually for inflation. 

SSB 5253: which extends special education services to students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which the student turns 22. 

E2SSB 5263: which would increase the special education funding multipliers to 1.6381 for Pre-K students and 1.5289 for K-12 students and would eliminate multiplier tiers that provide different levels of funding based on time spent in a general education setting. 

Odds and Ends

“Lessons in special education don’t only happen in special ed classrooms.” From KQED’s MindShift, As Special Ed Students are More Integrated at School, Teacher Training is Evolving.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize that ASL is fully its own language.” From the Spokesman Review, Now a State Champion, a Ferris Junior Had No Concept of Her ‘Deaf Culture,’ Before Taking an ASL Class.

Happy Friday! The official end of session is just days away. Sunday, April 27, is Sine Die and the final day for lawmakers to finalize a budget that both chambers and the governor all agree upon. As of now, the legislature has already passed 170 bills, which is quite an accomplishment. However, debates over amendments and budget-trailer bills are making the last few days difficult, with loads left to do and little agreement on how to actually do it. Arguably, the most important item on the “to-do list,” is passing the state’s operating budget that will fund the next two years. The final operating budget is required to be posted publicly for 24 hours, before lawmakers can take a final vote. The state is facing an estimated $15 billion dollar operating budget shortfall over the next four years. 

Despite the back and forth and the various budget proposals that have been presented to Governor Ferguson over the last few weeks, legislators are making progress and are hopeful that their goal of passing an operating budget by Sunday will be reached. “We have made all the decisions, but there’s still a lot of pieces that have to fall into place,” said Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and chief architect of the Senate operating budget proposal.” The latest proposals bring a smaller “wealth tax,” back to the negotiating table. A policy that was previously rejected by Governor Ferguson. At this point in the session, no new legislation can be submitted, and no new policy bills can be considered, unless they have funding attached.

This brings me back to “budget-trailer,” bills and policy bills that have funding attached to them. Such bills can be hard to follow because they are typically submitted late in the session, in some cases bypass policy committees altogether, and are often not bound to scheduled cut-offs. These bills tend to rear their heads toward the end of session when budget negotiations are in full swing. A couple of these cost-saving examples of education-related budget-trailer bills are; EHB 2044, which would change the way public schools deal with truancy courts, instead working closer with Community Engagement Boards (CEBs), to battle chronic absenteeism. Another is HB 2050, which would change the calculation for a school district’s local effort assistance (LEA). Both of these bills would provide large amounts of savings for the state if passed and implemented.

Bills Signed into Law

2SHB 1273: which directs ESDs to collaborate with specified entities to streamline regional efforts that support students’ dual credit access and directs the SBCTC to develop a plan for improving its online career and technical education (CTE) dual credit administrative data system. 

ESHB 1393: which requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to permit students to wear one item or object of cultural significance at high school commencements and other official graduation ceremonies and events. 

ESHB 1414: which directs OSPI, in consultation with the Department of Labor, to establish a work group to recommend changes to state laws and practices affecting the training, certification, and employment of 16- and 17-year-olds enrolled in or who completed career and technical education programs. 

2SSB 5358: which permits school districts to offer Career and Technical Education Program (CTE) courses to sixth graders in middle school and requires middle and high school CTE courses to be treated as a single program for accounting purposes. 

Bills Delivered to Governor Ferguson for Signature:

SHB 1079: which allows school districts to provide all students enrolled in online school programs the option to take statewide standardized tests remotely, beginning in the 2027-28 school year.

ESSB 5004: which requires emergency response systems of school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to include specified technology and be developed in accordance with collaboration requirements. 

SB 5189: which requires OSPI to adopt rules to authorize funding for students enrolled in competency-based education (CBE) programs and to create competencies aligned with state learning standards, as well as requires the SBE to develop a process to identify schools and school districts that are implementing CBE, and identify costs associated with this process.

SSB 5253: which extends special education services to students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which the student turns 22. 

House Bills We’re Following:

ESHB 1296: which would make changes to the delineated rights of parents and legal guardians of public school children, establish a statement of student rights and associated duties for school districts, and establish anti-retaliation protections for public school employees. The bill has passed both chambers.

ESHB 1651: which establishes teacher residency programs, describes a teacher apprenticeship program and establishes requirements for teacher apprenticeship programs (and number of hours) and requires the PESB to establish a process to approve these programs. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker and Senate President.

HB 2044: which would ​​eliminate the requirement that school districts file a truancy petition with the juvenile court after any child has seven unexcused absences in a month and no later than the fifteenth unexcused absence in a school year, and removes related truancy petition provisions. It also requires school districts, for any child aged 6 or 7, to either enter into an attendance agreement with the child and parent, or refer the child to a Community Engagement Board (CEB) after the seventh unexcused absence in a month and no later than the fifteenth unexcused absence in a school year. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee and is scheduled for executive session on April 25th.

HB 2050: which would change the monthly apportionment schedule for allocations to public schools in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years and would limit the alternative learning experience enrollment used to calculate Local Effort Assistance (LEA) to 33 percent of a school district’s total enrollment. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee and is scheduled for executive session on April 25th.

Senate Bills We’re Following:

SSB 5025: which directs the PESB to establish full and limited certificates for deaf and deaf-blind educational interpreters and specifies that, by the beginning of the 2027-28 school year, educational interpreters employed by school districts must obtain a certificate; and provides that those without a certificate, but who demonstrate satisfactory efforts toward full certification, may provide educational interpreter services for up to 18 months after completing the assessment. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the Senate President and the House Speaker.

ESSB 5181: which modifies certain rights of parents and guardians of children enrolled in public school, removes rights related to notification requirements regarding medical services and treatment, lists ten additional rights of parents and guardians, and includes cross references to existing state law for each. The bill adds that these rights do not create a private right of action. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee. 

ESSB 5192: which increases allocations for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) as well as provides that MSOC calculations must use a three-year rolling average for student enrollment and must be adjusted annually for inflation. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker.

E2SSB 5263: which would increase the special education funding multipliers to 1.6381 for Pre-K students and 1.5289 for K-12 students and would eliminate multiplier tiers that provide different levels of funding based on time spent in a general education setting. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

Odds and Ends

Some sad and unexpected news here, last Saturday, Washington Sen. Bill Ramos, D-Issaquah, died unexpectedly. You can read more about his life’s work and commitment to his constituents here.

On a lighter note, girls’ flag football is now sanctioned by the WIAA. Read more from The Seattle Times, Girls Flag Football Becomes the First New Sanctioned Sport Since 1999.

Happy Friday! We have arrived at the last full week of the 2025 Legislative Session. Sine Die is Scheduled for Sunday, April 27. However, lawmakers still have quite a bit on their “to-do” list to accomplish. Wednesday, April 16, was the cut-off for the opposite house, and the final cut-off for the 2025 Legislative Session.  All bills still sitting in their respective “rules,” committees had to be assigned to the floor schedule and heard by legislators. But in all honesty, it’s the budget drama and the impending session deadline that is ratcheting up the heat in Olympia. On Thursday,The Seattle Times reported that Democratic budget writers have now backed off their original proposal for a new wealth tax. “Instead, they’ve dialed up a slew of increases to existing taxes, cobbling together a package that would raise an estimated $12 billion over the next four years.”

The back and forth between legislators regarding the “parents’ rights,” bills that are both still in play, has gotten quite a bit of press this last week. Two Democratic sponsored bills, SB 5181 and ESHB 1296, seek changes to the 2024 Republican-backed initiative 2081, commonly known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights. Both of these bills continue to move toward Governor Ferguson’s desk despite repeated objections from Republican lawmakers.“Throughout the session, the debate has developed into a broader discussion of Washington’s public school policies around inclusive learning environments and students’ access to mental health care,” reported The Seattle Times.

The original initiative specified 15 rights for parents and guardians of public school students, such as the right to be notified of certain safety, medical, and law enforcement related issues and the right to request certain records. According to reporting by The Washington State Standard, “Some of the biggest changes Senate Bill 5181 would make to the law passed last year are around parents’ access to their children’s medical records, including for mental health counseling.”

On Wednesday, House lawmakers amended, and then voted 97-0 to pass SB 5263, which would eliminate the cap on special education funding, and fully fund special education in Washington’s public schools. As reported in the Washington State Standard, the amended bill that passed also “adjusted two other funding levers in the bill to drive more dollars for special education to the state’s 295 school districts. All told, roughly $870 million more will be sent out over the next two budgets. That sum is a compromise with the Senate, which wanted to spend closer to $2 billion.” 

Bills Delivered to Governor Ferguson for Signature:

2SHB 1273: which directs ESDs to collaborate with specified entities to streamline regional efforts that support students’ dual credit access and directs the SBCTC to develop a plan for improving its online career and technical education (CTE) dual credit administrative data system. 

ESHB 1393: which requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to permit students to wear one item or object of cultural significance at high school commencements and other official graduation ceremonies and events. 

ESHB 1414: which directs OSPI, in consultation with the Department of Labor, to establish a work group to recommend changes to state laws and practices affecting the training, certification, and employment of 16- and 17-year-olds enrolled in or who completed career and technical education programs. 

House Bills We’re Following:

SHB 1079: which allows school districts to provide all students enrolled in online school programs the option to take statewide standardized tests remotely, beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The bill has passed out of the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 1296: which would make changes to the delineated rights of parents and legal guardians of public school children, establish a statement of student rights and associated duties for school districts, and establish anti-retaliation protections for public school employees. The bill has passed the Senate Rules Committee. From the Washington State Standard, Rewrite of Parental Rights Law Passes Washington House.

ESHB 1651: which establishes teacher residency programs, describes a teacher apprenticeship program and establishes requirements for teacher apprenticeship programs (and number of hours) and requires the PESB to establish a process to approve these programs. The bill has passed both chambers.

HB 2044: which would ​​eliminate the requirement that school districts file a truancy petition with the juvenile court after any child has seven unexcused absences in a month and no later than the fifteenth unexcused absence in a school year, and removes related truancy petition provisions. It also requires school districts, for any child aged 6 or 7, to either enter into an attendance agreement with the child and parent, or refer the child to a Community Engagement Board (CEB) after the seventh unexcused absence in a month and no later than the fifteenth unexcused absence in a school year. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

Senate Bills We’re Following:

ESSB 5004: which requires emergency response systems of school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to include specified technology and be developed in accordance with collaboration requirements. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5025: which directs the PESB to establish full and limited certificates for deaf and deaf-blind educational interpreters and specifies that, by the beginning of the 2027-28 school year, educational interpreters employed by school districts must obtain a certificate; and provides that those without a certificate, but who demonstrate satisfactory efforts toward full certification, may provide educational interpreter services for up to 18 months after completing the assessment. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

ESSB 5181: which modifies certain rights of parents and guardians of children enrolled in public school, removes rights related to notification requirements regarding medical services and treatment, lists ten additional rights of parents and guardians, and includes cross references to existing state law for each. The bill adds that these rights do not create a private right of action. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee. 

SB 5189: which requires OSPI to adopt rules to authorize funding for students enrolled in competency-based education (CBE) programs and to create competencies aligned with state learning standards, as well as requires the SBE to develop a process to identify schools and school districts that are implementing CBE, and identify costs associated with this process. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

ESSB 5192: which increases allocations for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) as well as provides that MSOC calculations must use a three-year rolling average for student enrollment and must be adjusted annually for inflation. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5253: which extends special education services to students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which the student turns 22. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

E2SSB 5263: which would increase the special education funding multipliers to 1.6381 for Pre-K students and 1.5289 for K-12 students and would eliminate multiplier tiers that provide different levels of funding based on time spent in a general education setting. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

2SSB 5358: which permits school districts to offer Career and Technical Education Program (CTE) courses to sixth graders in middle school and requires middle and high school CTE courses to be treated as a single program for accounting purposes. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the Senate President and House Speaker.

SB 5737: which reduces the annual bonuses for instructional staff with a National Board Certificate starting in the 2025-26 school year. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Odds and Ends

“IDEA is one of the primary ways the federal government contributes to educating disabled students. The law enshrines the right of every child to “a free and appropriate public education.” From KQED’s MindShift, How the Education Department Helps Students with Disabilities Get an Education.

AI helping close gaps amongst those, “linguistically disadvantaged?” From The Olympian, International Students May be Among the Biggest Beneficiaries of ChatGPT.

Tuesday, April 8 was the fiscal cut-off for the opposite chamber. Fiscal committees held marathon sessions over the weekend, hearing testimony on a slew of bills from policy committees. This part of the session can feel a bit tricky, with some bills being overlooked and others being categorized as, “necessary to implement the budget,” or NCIB, and kept alive through cut-off. The cut-off for the opposite house comes next Wednesday, April 16. By that date bills still sitting in rules committees will need to be scheduled and heard on the floor of their respective chamber in order to stay alive.

There were several casualties from Tuesday’s cut-off, but many of the big-ticket bills are still in play. One bill that failed to make it out of the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday was SSB 5123, that focused on inclusivity in schools. This bill was sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles, D-Fircrest, and would have added protections, “for ethnicity, homelessness, immigration status and neurodivergence. It also would have also established new classes to specifically defend against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity,” reported the Washington State Standard.

As for the budget woes, and/or budget negotiations, a lot will happen behind closed doors over the upcoming weeks, which is usual protocol for budget writers. Last week, Governor Ferguson voiced his concerns with the proposed budgets from both the House and Senate, making it clear that the use of a “wealth tax,” was not an option he wanted to pursue. However, this viewpoint has left many unsettled and on Wednesday, hundreds of WA State workers rallied around the capitol protesting budget cuts and furloughs, chanting, “Tax the rich!” 

State workers are not the only people confused as to what will happen next. “I would like direction from the governor on where we can find additional reductions,” said Senate Ways and Means Committee Chair June Robinson, D-Everett, the architect of the Senate’s spending plan. This was in response to the nine page letter that Ferguson’s Budget Director released on Tuesday, reiterating his call for maintaining strong reserves, restraining new spending and squeezing savings from state-funded programs before considering new revenue. 

Lastly, on Tuesday, Washington’s State Supt. Chris Reykdal released a statement addressing the U.S. Department of Education’s letter requesting states to certify compliance with the Department’s interpretation of federal civil rights guidelines, or risk losing federal funding. You can read his statement here, or for further info, read The Seattle Times; WA Schools Superintendent Resists Trump’s DEI Order.

House Bills 

SHB 1079: which allows school districts to provide all students enrolled in online school programs the option to take statewide standardized tests remotely, beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1273: which directs ESDs to collaborate with specified entities to streamline regional efforts that support students’ dual credit access and directs the SBCTC to develop a plan for improving its online career and technical education (CTE) dual credit administrative data system. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee. 

ESHB 1296: which would make changes to the delineated rights of parents and legal guardians of public school children, establish a statement of student rights and associated duties for school districts, and establish anti-retaliation protections for public school employees. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 1393: which requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to permit students to wear one item or object of cultural significance at high school commencements and other official graduation ceremonies and events. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 1414: which directs OSPI, in consultation with the Department of Labor, to establish a work group to recommend changes to state laws and practices affecting the training, certification, and employment of 16- and 17-year-olds enrolled in or who completed career and technical education programs. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 1651: which establishes teacher residency programs, describes a teacher apprenticeship program and establishes requirements for teacher apprenticeship programs (and number of hours) and requires the PESB to establish a process to approve these programs. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

Senate Bills

ESSB 5004: which requires emergency response systems of school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to include specified technology and be developed in accordance with collaboration requirements. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5025: which directs the PESB to establish full and limited certificates for deaf and deaf-blind educational interpreters and specifies that, by the beginning of the 2027-28 school year, educational interpreters employed by school districts must obtain a certificate; and provides that those without a certificate, but who demonstrate satisfactory efforts toward full certification, may provide educational interpreter services for up to 18 months after completing the assessment. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

ESSB 5181: which modifies certain rights of parents and guardians of children enrolled in public school, removes rights related to notification requirements regarding medical services and treatment, lists ten additional rights of parents and guardians, and includes cross references to existing state law for each. The bill adds that these rights do not create a private right of action. The bill is in the House Rules Committee. 

SB 5189: which requires OSPI to adopt rules to authorize funding for students enrolled in competency-based education (CBE) programs and to create competencies aligned with state learning standards, as well as requires the SBE to develop a process to identify schools and school districts that are implementing CBE, and identify costs associated with this process. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESSB 5192: which increases allocations for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) as well as provides that MSOC calculations must use a three-year rolling average for student enrollment and must be adjusted annually for inflation. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5193:  which allows school districts with online programs to provide students the ability to complete statewide assessments remotely beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The bill directs OSPI to develop assessment administration and security policies to support remote testing options by April 1, 2027. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5253: which extends special education services to students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which the student turns 22. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

E2SSB 5263: which would increase the special education funding multipliers to 1.6381 for Pre-K students and 1.5289 for K-12 students and would eliminate multiplier tiers that provide different levels of funding based on time spent in a general education setting. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

2SSB 5358: which permits school districts to offer Career and Technical Education Program (CTE) courses to sixth graders in middle school and requires middle and high school CTE courses to be treated as a single program for accounting purposes. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SB 5737: which reduces the annual bonuses for instructional staff with a National Board Certificate starting in the 2025-26 school year. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

ESB 5769: which would limit the annual average full-time equivalent eligible children enrolled in the Transition to Kindergarten Program. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

Odds and Ends

Banning cell phones in school, is that the answer? From The Seattle Times’ Education Lab; With Phones Banned, WA School District Keeps Busy with Real Life

Alabama High Schools and the “workforce diploma.” From The Olympian, A New Kind of High School Diploma Trades Chemistry for Carpentry.

Happy Friday! We have made it to the last few weeks of the 2025 Legislative Session, and things feel as busy as ever. Wednesday, April 2, was the policy committee cut-off in the opposite chamber. However, this felt a bit anticlimactic with all the focus really on budgets with the reality of our state’s current fiscal situation. Last Monday, both the House and the Senate released their respective operating budget proposals, and after nearly a full day of fiscal committee hearings, both houses voted and passed their budget bills out of fiscal. 

That being said, on Tuesday, April 1, Governor Ferguson responded to Democrats and their proposed budgets with rejection. Ferguson called on lawmakers, “to immediately move budget discussions in a different direction.” Ferguson has remained skeptical on the use of a “wealth tax,” as a sustainable option and would likely attract legal challenge if implemented. “It would be irresponsible to rely on an untested new tax to balance our budget, particularly given the situation we face with the federal government,” Ferguson told reporters April 1.

Don’t forget that each chamber has already approved competing versions of the budget, but both chambers must come to a shared agreement and then must send it to the governor for final approval. Meaning, if lawmakers hope to avoid a “special session,” before the end of this year’s 105-day legislative session, lawmakers will need to negotiate and agree upon a budget, which then must be signed by the Governor into law. Ferguson highlighted that point; “if the legislature wishes to complete our work on time, they need to immediately move the budget discussions in a significantly different direction.” The fiscal committee cutoff for the opposite house is on April 8th. Bills that are not voted on and passed out of the House Appropriations and the Senate Ways & Means Committees will not move forward.

Fiscal Committee Schedules for Next Week on TVW.org

House Appropriations Committee:

• Saturday, April 5th @ 9am

Senate Ways & Means Committee: 

• Saturday, April 5th @ 12pm

House Bills

SHB 1079: which allows school districts to provide all students enrolled in online school programs the option to take statewide standardized tests remotely, beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

HB 2012: which provides appropriation to fund the additional school year 2024-25 forecasted enrollment of the Transition to Kindergarten (TTK) program and limits TTK program enrollment for each school district to its 2024-25 school year enrollment. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

2SHB 1273: which directs ESDs to collaborate with specified entities to streamline regional efforts that support students’ dual credit access and directs the SBCTC to develop a plan for improving its online career and technical education (CTE) dual credit administrative data system. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

ESHB 1296: which would make changes to the delineated rights of parents and legal guardians of public school children, establish a statement of student rights and associated duties for school districts, and establish anti-retaliation protections for public school employees. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

ESHB 1393: which requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to permit students to wear one item or object of cultural significance at high school commencements and other official graduation ceremonies and events. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 1414: which directs OSPI, in consultation with the Department of Labor, to establish a work group to recommend changes to state laws and practices affecting the training, certification, and employment of 16- and 17-year-olds enrolled in or who completed career and technical education programs. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.ESHB 1651: which establishes teacher residency programs, describes a teacher apprenticeship program and establishes requirements for teacher apprenticeship programs (and number of hours) and requires the PESB to establish a process to approve these programs. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Senate Bills

ESSB 5004: which requires emergency response systems of school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to include specified technology and be developed in accordance with collaboration requirements. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5025: which directs the PESB to establish full and limited certificates for deaf and deaf-blind educational interpreters and specifies that, by the beginning of the 2027-28 school year, educational interpreters employed by school districts must obtain a certificate; and provides that those without a certificate, but who demonstrate satisfactory efforts toward full certification, may provide educational interpreter services for up to 18 months after completing the assessment. The bill has passed out of the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5123: which would add protected classes to the nondiscrimination provisions that apply to Washington public schools: ethnicity, homelessness, immigration status, and neurodivergence. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

ESSB 5181: which modifies certain rights of parents and guardians of children enrolled in public school, removes rights related to notification requirements regarding medical services and treatment, lists ten additional rights of parents and guardians, and includes cross references to existing state law for each. The bill adds that these rights do not create a private right of action. The bill is in the House Rules Committee. 

SB 5189: which requires OSPI to adopt rules to authorize funding for students enrolled in competency-based education (CBE) programs and to create competencies aligned with state learning standards, as well as requires the SBE to develop a process to identify schools and school districts that are implementing CBE, and identify costs associated with this process. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

ESSB 5192: which increases allocations for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) as well as provides that MSOC calculations must use a three-year rolling average for student enrollment and must be adjusted annually for inflation. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SSB 5193:  which allows school districts with online programs to provide students the ability to complete statewide assessments remotely beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The bill directs OSPI to develop assessment administration and security policies to support remote testing options by April 1, 2027. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5253: which extends special education services to students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which the student turns 22. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

E2SSB 5263: which would increase the special education funding multipliers to 1.6381 for Pre-K students and 1.5289 for K-12 students and would eliminate multiplier tiers that provide different levels of funding based on time spent in a general education setting. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SSB 5327: which directs the SBE to develop recommendations for students to have the opportunity to demonstrate competency of the high school computer science state learning standards and consider how to incorporate the competencies into the framework of graduation requirements. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

2SSB 5358: which permits school districts to offer Career and Technical Education Program (CTE) courses to sixth graders in middle school and requires middle and high school CTE courses to be treated as a single program for accounting purposes. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SB 5570: which requires school districts to incorporate curricula about the nearest federally recognized Indian tribe or tribes into their social studies curricula no later than September 1, 2026, and requires districts to collaborate with neighboring tribes on coordinating curricula. The bill is in the House Education Committee.

SB 5737: which reduces the annual bonuses for instructional staff with a National Board Certificate starting in the 2025-26 school year. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.ESB 5769: which would limit the annual average full-time equivalent eligible children enrolled in the Transition to Kindergarten Program. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

Odds and Ends

Because I love coaching youth sports – AND I love basketball, from The Spokesman, “It’s a Big Family:’ Professional Basketball Stars Show Spokane Youths the Ropes Prior to NCAA March Madness Games.

Let’s hear it for these Edmonds students! The Newsfeed: Edmonds Student Robotics Team is Top 10 in the World.

Happy Friday! Legislators were busy this week holding policy committee meetings in order to hear the last of the bills from the opposite house and exec’ing them out in time for the next session cut-off. For the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, Thursday was their last committee meeting of the session. Next Wednesday, April 2, is the last day for lawmakers to pass bills out of committee from the opposite house. 

Work sessions were another focus this week for both the house and senate education policy committees. The house held a work session focusing on digitizing high school transcripts, while the senate’s work session centered around potential local impacts of changing federal laws.

There’s no question, however, what is on the minds of all lawmakers in Olympia, and that is the budget woes. On Monday, Democrats in Washington, “pitched their competing budget plans.” Senate and House Dems plot a different budget course, but both plans count on huge sums from new taxes over the next four years: $17 billion in the Senate, $15 billion in the House.” As of now, negotiations begin and lawmakers resign themselves to long days, hammering out an agreed upon consensus that once voted upon by their fellow legislators, will become the biennial budget. Votes on the budgets are expected in the Senate on Saturday and in the House next Monday. The last day of the session, or “Sine Die,” is Sunday, April 27, and that is a fixed ending point set by our state constitution. In order to avoid a “special session,” legislators must finish up all their work by 11:59pm on Sine Die.

Education Committee Schedules for next week on tvw.org

House Education Committee:

• Monday, March 31 @ 1:30pm
• Tuesday, April 1 @ 4pm

House Bills 

SHB 1079: which allows school districts to provide all students enrolled in online school programs the option to take statewide standardized tests remotely, beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The bill was passed out of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee and sent to the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1273: which directs ESDs to collaborate with specified entities to streamline regional efforts that support students’ dual credit access and directs the SBCTC to develop a plan for improving its online career and technical education (CTE) dual credit administrative data system. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

ESHB 1296: which would make changes to delineated rights of parents and legal guardians of public school children, establish a statement of student rights and associated duties for school districts, and would establish anti-retaliation protections for public school employees (Senate hearing time: 1:54). Testifying in support:representatives from Gender Diversity, WEA Chinook Council, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, SWEC, WSCA, Pro-Choice WA, Gender Justice League, The Washington Bus, Sexual Violence Law Center, WEA, OSPI,  and several concerned citizens. Testifying in opposition: representatives from the Eatonville SD, Reject 5599, Informed Choice WA, a Yakima County Commissioner and several concerned citizens. The bill was passed out of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee and sent to the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

HB 1393: which requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to permit students to wear one item or object of cultural significance at high school commencements and other official graduation ceremonies and events (Senate hearing time: 00:37). The bill was passed out of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee and sent to the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 1414: which directs OSPI, in consultation with the Department of Labor, to establish a work group to recommend changes to state laws and practices affecting the training, certification, and employment of 16- and 17-year-olds enrolled in or who completed career and technical education programs (Senate hearing time: 26:29 and 1:18:58). Testifying in support: representatives from MIC, Tritech Skill Center, Northwest Maritime, WSSCA and a concerned citizen. The bill was passed out of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee and sent to the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 1651: which establishes teacher residency programs, describes a teacher apprenticeship program and establishes requirements for teacher apprenticeship programs (and number of hours) and requires the PESB to establish a process to approve these programs (Senate Hearing time: 2:44and 35:11). Testifying in support: representatives from the WEA. Testifying as “other:” representatives from PESB. The bill was passed out of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee and sent to the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Senate Bills

ESSB 5004: which requires emergency response systems of school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to include specified technology and be developed in accordance with collaboration requirements (House hearing time: 5:04). Testifying in support: representatives from Make Our Schools Safe and several concerned citizens. Testifying with amendment suggestion: representatives from the Puget Sound School Coalition. The bill was passed out of the House Education Committee.

SSB 5025: which directs the PESB to establish full and limited certificates for deaf and deaf-blind educational interpreters and specifies that, by the beginning of the 2027-28 school year, educational interpreters employed by school districts must obtain a certificate; and provides that those without a certificate, but who demonstrate satisfactory efforts toward full certification, may provide educational interpreter services for up to 18 months after completing the assessment (House hearing time: 00:29). Testifying in support: representatives from the PESB and CDHY. The bill was passed out of the House Education Committee.

SSB 5123: which would add  protected classes to the nondiscrimination provisions that apply to Washington public schools: ethnicity, homelessness, immigration status, and neurodivergence (House hearing time: 1:42). Testifying in support: representatives from WSASP, PFLAG Skagit, several concerned citizens,  Testifying in opposition: representatives from WSYR, Lynden School District, FPIW Action, and several concerned citizens. The bill was passed out of the House Education Committee.

SB 5177: which would require OSPI to specify that the professional development resources that are provided on certain topics must consider the experiences of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups (House hearing time: 39:02). Testifying in support:representatives from LYAC and the Attorney General’s Office.  Testifying in opposition: a concerned citizen. The bill is in the House Education Committee.

2SSB 5179: which directs OSPI to establish a process to investigate and address complaints alleging noncompliance with state laws concerning civil rights; harassment, intimidation, and bullying; certain curriculum requirements; the use of restraint or isolation on a student; and student discipline (House hearing time: 6:52and 22:31). Testifying in support: representatives from OSPI and The Arc of King Co. Testifying in opposition: representatives from Reject 5599 PAC, Lynden School Board, the Supt. of the Chewelah SD and several concerned citizens. The bill is in the House Education Committee. 

ESSB 5181: which modifies certain rights of parents and guardians of children enrolled in public school, removes rights related to notification requirements regarding medical services and treatment, lists ten additional rights of parents and guardians and includes cross references to existing state law for each. The bill adds that these rights do not create a private right of action (House hearing time: 9:33and 55:26). Testifying in support: representatives from Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, WEA, Sexual Violence Law Center, WSASP and several concerned citizens. Testifying in opposition: representatives from Informed Choice WA and several concerned citizens. The bill is in the House Education Committee. 

SB 5189: which requires OSPI to adopt rules to authorize funding for students enrolled in competency-based education (CBE) programs and to create competencies aligned with state learning standards, as well as requires the SBE to develop a process to identify schools and school districts that are implementing CBE, and identify costs associated with this process (House hearing: 1:38:05). Testifying in support: representatives from the SBCTC, SBE, Issaquah SD (Gibson Ek HS) and the LaConner SD. Testifying in opposition: a concerned citizen. The bill has passed out of the House Education Committee.

ESSB 5192: which increases allocations for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) as well as provides that MSOC calculations must use a three-year rolling average for student enrollment and must be adjusted annually for inflation. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SSB 5193:  which allows school districts with online programs to provide students the ability to complete statewide assessments remotely beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The bill directs OSPI to develop assessment administration and security policies to support remote testing options by April 1, 2027 (House hearing time: 44:58). Testifying in support: representatives from K12 Stride, WA Digital Public School Alliance and a concerned citizen. The bill has passed out of the House Education Committee.

SSB 5240: which allows a school nurse or designated trained school personnel to use any available epinephrine on school property to respond to an anaphylactic reaction when certain requirements are met as well as provides liability protections when epinephrine is administered in substantial compliance with the written policies of the school district. Testifying as “other:” representatives from SNOW and WFIS. The bill is in the House Education Committee.

SSB 5253: which extends special education services to students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which the student turns 22 (House hearing time: 00:54).Testifying in support: representatives from OSPI,The Arc of WA and a concerned citizen. The bill has passed out of the House Education Committee.

E2SSB 5263: which would increase the special education funding multipliers to 1.6381 for Pre-K students and 1.5289 for K-12 students and would eliminate multiplier tiers that provide different levels of funding based on time spent in a general education setting. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SSB 5327: which directs the SBE to develop recommendations for students to have the opportunity to demonstrate competency of the high school computer science state learning standards, and consider how to incorporate the competencies into the framework of graduation requirements. (House hearing time: 1:15:02). Testifying in support: representatives from the SBE. The bill has passed out of the House Education Committee.

2SSB 5358: which permits school districts to offer Career and Technical Education Program (CTE) courses to sixth graders in middle school, and requires middle and high school CTE courses to be treated as a single program for accounting purposes. The bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

SSB 5418: which designates that charter schools must provide a program of basic education unless an exemption has been authorized pursuant to a charter contract. As well as provides that charter contracts may allow charter schools to seek exemptions to basic education requirements and directs a charter school authorizer to consult with the State Board of Education. The bill is in the House Education Committee. 

SB 5570: which requires school districts to incorporate curricula about the nearest federally recognized Indian tribe or tribes into their social studies curricula no later than September 1, 2026, and requires districts to collaborate with neighboring tribes on coordinating curricula (House hearing: 1:17:26). Testifying in support: the Asst. Supt. of the Office of Native Education, representatives from the Highline PS, Bellingham SD and the WSNAEC. Testifying in opposition: a concerned citizen and a teacher from Ferndale HS. The bill has passed out of the House Education Committee.

SB 5637: which requires school districts that operate a high school provide a mandatory one-half credit stand-alone course in civics for each high school student (House hearing time: 5:03and 1:39:32). Testifying support: representatives from the WLA, LYAC and several high school students. Testifying in opposition: representatives from the Conservative Ladies of WA. The bill is in the House Education Committee.

SB 5737: which reduces the annual bonuses for instructional staff with a National Board Certificate starting in the 2025-26 school year (hearing time: 1:57:32). Testifying in opposition: representatives from the Evergreen, Mount Baker, Walla Walla, Lake Washington SD and Vancouver School Districts, the WEA, WSSDA, Highline Education Association, WSCA and several concerned citizens. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Odds and Ends

What happens when AI writes for us? From KQED’s MindShift: With AI Changing Everything, Here’s How Teachers Can Shape the New Culture of Learning.

“They are more mature, very compassionate to other global situations, kind to others, and understanding the difference between the two countries and other countries.” From The Seattle Times, The 50-year Tie that Bonds Students in Seattle and Japan.