Happy Friday folks! Week 9 of the legislative session brought with it another cut-off for lawmakers; this time the deadline for Rules Committees to pass bills out of their house of origin and into the opposite house. As last week brought with it tireless hours on the chamber floors, this week we saw the resurgence of policy committee hearings for education committees, hearing testimony on bills from the opposite house. We can expect this committee work to continue until the first week of April and the next legislative cut off is scheduled to hit.
On Wednesday, as lawmakers took to the floor to push their legislation forward before the evening cut-off, the senate voted 48-0 to approve E2SSB 5263 which will provide another $2 billion in the next four years for special education services in Washington States’ public school districts. Senate Majority Leader Jamie Peterson, D-Seattle and Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, co-sponsored this bill, which identifies special education as a component of basic education that the state has a duty to fund. “It is going to be expensive for us, but the fact that it is expensive doesn’t change that on the ground we’ve got kids with special needs who are in our charge and are relying on us to make sure that they get the education to which they’re entitled,” Pederson said.
As lawmakers navigate the second half of this legislative session, the issue of passing a balanced operating budget will be a top priority. We should expect to see budget proposals being released over the next few weeks, as the March Revenue Forecast is expected to be released around March 20. Senate Republicans released their budget proposal on Tuesday.
Lastly, just a quick note that State Superintendent, Chris Reykdol, gave a press conference Thursday afternoon addressing recent federal executive actions and how they impact state law as well as fielding questions.
Education Committee Schedules for next week on tvw.org
House Education Committee:
- Monday, March 17 @ 1:30pm
- Tuesday, March 18 @ 4pm
- Thursday, March 20 @ 8am
Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee:
- Tuesday, March 18 @ 8am
- Wednesday, March 19 @ 1:30pm
- Thursday, March 20 @ 1:30pm
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 Early Learning & K-12 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 House Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee.
2HB 1285: which requires public school students, beginning with the graduating class of 2031, to meet the high school state financial education learning standards to graduate. The bill requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to provide all high school students with instruction in the state financial education learning standards, beginning in or before the 2027-28 school year. The bill is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 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. The bill has passed out of the House Rules 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 is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 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 has passed out of the House 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 Early Learning & K-12 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 is in 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 is in 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. The bill is in 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. 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. 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. The bill is in the House Education Committee. From
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 is in the House Education Committee.
SB 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 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.
SB 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 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 has passed out of the Senate Rules 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 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 is in 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. The bill has passed out of the Senate Rules 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, From The Seattle Times, Thousands of Highly Paid WA Teachers Could Have Their Pay Cut. The bill is in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
Odds and Ends
“The goal is to keep children safe, but these tools raise serious questions about privacy and security.” From The Seattle Times, Student Privacy vs. Safety: The AI Surveillance Dilemma in WA Schools.
So, just how much federal-education funding does Washington state stand to lose?
From The Olympian, Amid Federal Education Cuts, What’s at Stake for WA Public Schools?