CSTP Updates

• April 18: Student Growth Goal Colloquium
• NEW! May 20: Elementary Content Integration Expo
• June 14: Inclusionary Best Practices Colloquium

Happy Friday, Spring Break, Ramadan, Passover, and Easter as well! Phew! The session seems to be flying by and it is so packed with floor and committee action as well as the release, and debates of the budget proposals. According to the Seattle Times, “Spending on K-12 schools would account for nearly half of overall state spending for the next two years in both the House and Senate budget proposals. Legislators will have to hammer out an agreement on overall education spending and on a key area of that, special education.” Following the House budget vote earlier this week, appointed budget negotiators from both houses will continue to meet and debate on a final proposal. One of the last votes that lawmakers take this session will be on the final negotiated budget.   Tuesday, April 4, marked the fiscal committee cut-off for the House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means Committees. Most education related bills made it through at the last minute, however, a few did fail to make the cut. The next cut-off comes next Wednesday, April 12, and will be the last day for lawmakers to consider and pass bills out of the opposite house. This is the last cut-off date before the end of session, Sine Die, which is scheduled for April 23.

Education Committee Hearings for Next Week on TVW.org

There are no committee meetings scheduled next week but we expect there will be a lot of floor action.

House Bills

2SHB 1013: which would require OSPI and Washington ESDs to jointly establish a regional apprenticeship pilot program with one site each in Eastern and Western Washington (hearing time: 6:18). The bill is in the Rules Committee.

SHB 1015: which revises minimum employment requirements for paraeducators. The bill has passed both chambers and has been signed by the House Speaker and the Senate President.

ESHB 1057: which would provide a benefit increase to certain retirees of the public employees’ retirement system plan 1 and the teachers’ retirement system plan 1. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

HB 1146: which would require schools to notify high school students and their families about available dual credit programs and any available financial assistance. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1207: which aims to prevent and respond to harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination in schools through updated policies and procedures. The bill has passed both chambers.

E2SHB 1238: which would require K-5 elementary public schools, beginning with the 2024-25 school year, to offer universal free breakfasts and lunches if up to 30% of students at the school qualify for free or reduced lunch. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee. 

ESHB 1277: which would establish rules to improve the consistency and quality of the implementation of the fundamental courses of study for paraeducators. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

​​HB 1308: which establishes a graduation pathway option that enables students to meet pathway requirements by completing a performance-based learning experience. The bill has passed both chambers.

2SHB 1316:  which would lower dual enrollment program costs for eligible students from $65 to $42.50 per credit by creating a subsidy program, incentivizing reduction of per college credit fees charged to college in the high school students, and revising eligibility for the Running Start (RS) program tuition fee waiver. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1332: which would require all school districts to incorporate a tribal sovereignty curriculum into their social studies curricula by September 1, 2023, as well as require districts to consult with the nearest federally recognized Indian tribe(s) about incorporating materials about their history, culture, and government into their social studies curricula by September 1, 2025. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

ESHB 1377:  which would require the posting of approved courses and providers of continuing education. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee. 

ESHB 1436: which would increase the enrollment limit for special education funding over several years until the 2027-28 school year, when the limit is removed, and would increase special education excess cost multipliers for kindergarten through age 21 over four school years to 1.059 for students who spend at least 80 percent of the school day in a general education setting. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

2SHB 1550: which would establish the transition to kindergarten program to provide no-charge assistance to eligible children in need of additional preparation to be successful kindergarten students in the following school year. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

HB 1622: which aims to support the needs of students experiencing homelessness by aligning program goals, establishing common reporting requirements, and establishing examples of permitted expenditures for the OSPI program. The bill has passed both chambers.

SHB 1658:which would authorize high school students aged 16 and above to earn up to two elective credits through paid work experience if approval and alignment with the student’s High School and Beyond Plan are met. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

SHB 1701: which concerns basic education services to youth who are served through institutional education programs. The bill is in the Senate Rules Committee.

Senate Bills

SB 5019: which removes “classified staff providing student and staff safety” from the definition of physical, social, and emotional support staff and the specific funding considerations for that group. The bill is in the House Rules Committee. 

SSB 5048: which would require colleges to provide enrollment and registration in College in the High School (CHS) courses at no cost to students in grades 9-12 at public high schools, and would require the legislature to appropriate funds to fund CHS courses, at inflation-adjusted rates. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5072: which would establish new requirements for identifying students who may be eligible for highly capable services, including conducting universal screenings once in or before second grade, and again before sixth grade.The bill has passed both chambers.

SSB 5127: which would clarifyschool districts’ ability to redact personal information related to a student. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

E2SSB 5174: which would modify the student transportation allocation formula and expand the definition of “to and from school” to include the transportation of students participating in career connected and work based learning opportunities. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESB 5175: which would allow employment contracts between a school board and principal to be up to three years in length, as opposed to limited to a term of one year. The bill has passed both chambers.

E2SSB 5243: which revises high school and beyond plan (HSBP) requirements, and would require OSPI to facilitate the transition and adoption of a common online platform for HSBPs. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESSB 5257: which would ensure that public schools provide daily recess for all elementary students with a minimum of 45 minutes when the school day is longer than five hours and a minimum of 30 minutes when the school day is shorter, as well as prohibit schools from withholding recess as a punitive action. The bill has passed both chambers.

E2SSB 5311: which would increase the special education excess cost multipliers for pre-K and K12 students over a four-year period and increase the special education enrollment funding cap from 13.5 percent to 14.5 percent. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

E2SSB 5315: which would require OSPI to establish standards for approval, monitoring, and investigating school district contracts with nonpublic agencies (NPAs) operating special education programs for students with disabilities, and requires that restraint and isolation procedures and notification requirements apply to NPAS. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

ESB 5355: which requires school districts to provide instruction on sex trafficking prevention and identification at least once between grades 7 and 12 beginning in the 2024-25 school year. The bill is in the House Rules Committee.

SSB 5617: which would require interdistrict cooperative agreements in a skill center to stipulate that any course equivalencies approved by OSPI or a host district must be honored by other participating school districts. The bill has passed both chambers. 

ESB 5650: which concerns salary inflationary increases for K-12 employees. The bill has been delivered to the governor awaiting signature. 

Odds and Ends

“In Washington, housing is one of the clearest predictors of whether a student might face suspension or expulsion from school.” On April 12, Project Homeless is hosting a discussion about some of the challenges homeless students face, as well as solutions. Read more on this and how you can join in or offer help, from the Seattle Times, What Do You Want To Know About K-12 Student Homelessness?

“Last month, education leaders from Utah, California, and Maryland visited three Washington schools to learn strategies for inclusive education to take back to their states,” read more from OSPI: Washington Schools Serve as Model for Inclusionary Practices.

Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2023 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 in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 6 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.