This week lawmakers switched back into committee mode, holding public hearings on bills sent over from the opposite house. The House Education Committee hit the ground running, holding meetings beginning on Monday. Legislators will be expected to submit proposed amendments by next week, as time until the next cut-off is steadily ticking. April 2nd is the last day for bills to be amended and passed out of the opposite house.
On Tuesday, the highly anticipated March Revenue Forecast was released. Lawmakers have been waiting on the new set of state revenue estimates as they put their budget proposals together. Unfortunately, the figures that arrived were bleak. According to the Washington State Standard, the forecast, “further dimmed the financial outlook at a time when the state is already facing an operating budget shortfall estimated to be as much as $15 billion over the next four years.” This is not good news for legislators. As lawmakers prepare to negotiate a 2025-27 biennium budget, they will surely be debating whether to introduce new taxes or to deeply reduce spending to existing programs, or possibly both.
Washington is expected to collect nearly $845 million less in revenue over the next four years than projected in November’s forecast, according to the Office of Financial Management. “Today’s revenue forecast shows a modest decline in projected revenue, which is what we expected,” state Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement. “While it doesn’t change the broader fiscal challenges we face, it reinforces the need for a balanced and sustainable approach as we finalize the 2025-27 operating budget.”
On Thursday, Senate Democrats unveiled their tax package. The proposals, “if enacted, could cover roughly half of a budget shortfall estimated between $12 billion and $16 billion over the next four-and-a-half fiscal years,” reported Jerry Cornfield of The Washington State Standard. Cornfield breaks down the details of the plan in his article.
Education Committee Schedules for next week on tvw.org
House Education Committee:
- Monday, March 24 @ 1:30pm
- Wednesday, March 26 @ 4pm
- Thursday, March 27 @ 8am
Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee:
- Tuesday, March 25 @ 8am
- Wednesday, March 26 @ 10:30am
- Thursday, March 27 @ 10:30am
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 (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 is in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee. From The Seattle Times: Washington Initiative Takes Aim at Parents’ Bill of Rights Changes.
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 is in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 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 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 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 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 (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. 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 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.
263: 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 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 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. 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
“Offering the classes for free is a game changer for us.” From The Seattle Times, College in the Classroom Soars in Popularity Across the US and it’s Free.
“Alabama is the only state where 4th-grade math scores are higher now than they were in 2019, before the pandemic.” From NPR, How Alabama Students went from Last Place to Rising Stars in Math.