By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org
Newly elected state House of Representative members and Senators were sworn in at opening ceremonies in the House and Senate on January 13, the first day of this long session. On Tuesday, former Governor Jay Inslee, who had served three terms (12 years), addressed a joint session of the House and Senate with final remarks and the unveiling of his portrait.
On Wednesday, January 15, Bob Ferguson was sworn in as the 24th governor of the State of Washington, along with the other eight separately elected statewide officials. Immediately thereafter, Ferguson shared a 30-minute speech with a joint session of the House and Senate that was marked with references to working in a bipartisan way to make government better for the people and his commitment to focusing on protecting the rights of Washingtonians and affordability. That night, Governor Ferguson celebrated in style with about 3,500 guests in the Legislative Building with the first inaugural ball since 2017. (The 2021 Governor’s ball was cancelled due to COVID-19.)
Over in the House and Senate all week, policy and budget committees held work sessions to bring new members up to speed on complex topics and work that occurred over the interim. Some committees even jumped right into public hearings on bills and executive action to keep bills moving.
Two seats remain to be filled: Senator Joe Nguyen’s seat in the 34th legislative district (west Seattle) and Representative Tana Seen of Mercer Island (41st legislative district). Nguyen and Senn were tapped by Governor Ferguson to be department directors for state Commerce and state Children, Youth & Families, respectively.
Click here for Marie’s comprehensive bill tracker and details report for Week 2 of the 2025 Legislative Session.
The Big 3
As reported last week, bills to increase funding for special education and MSOC have been introduced in both the House and the Senate. The transportation bill has been introduced in the Senate. The Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee will hear public testimony on the various bills on Wednesday, January 22 at 1:30 PM. Parents are encouraged to sign in Pro for the record (see The Week Ahead); use Parent Advocate in the “organization line.” Comprehensive bill comparison resources are provided below.
Up for hearing are:
- SB 5187 would direct OSPI to update the student transportation funding formula (report due June 1, 2028) and immediately increase funding by a rate of $400 per student qualifying under the federal McKinney Vento Act (students who are homeless). The bill is sponsored by Senator Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island.
- SB 5192 would increase the Materials, Supplies & Operating Costs (MSOC) allocation to school districts. Rather than breaking out each of the nine categories into separate line-item allocations, the bill would make a single allocation and direct districts to report to OSPI how the funds are spent by each category. The bill also would change from an annual per student allocation to a three-year FTE student average, and add the Implicit Price Deflator as an annual inflation factor. It is sponsored by Senator T’wina Nobles, D-University Place.
- SB 5263 would remove the enrollment cap for special education; increase the multiplier to 1.5 x the basic education allocation, regardless of classroom placement; and reduce the safety net threshold to 1.5 or about $27,000-$30,000, depending on how the multiplier discussion ends up. This bill has a powerhouse duo of sponsors: Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen of Seattle and Senate Republican Leader John Braun of Centralia.
- SB 5307 is OSPI-request legislation that would remove the enrollment cap; increase the multiplier based on classroom placement; and reduce the safety net threshold to 1.5. The bill also includes a percentage for OSPI administration for monitoring and review of disproportionate identification of students.
Over in the House, there are three bills on special education funding:
- HB 1310 is Seattle Democrat Rep. Gerry Pollet’s companion to SB 5307, with identical language.
- Democrat Rep. Monica Stonier of Vancouver is offering HB 1357, which would slightly bump up the multiplier and create a grant program to fund up to 25 districts for a pilot program on inclusionary practices. Her bill does not address the enrollment cap or the safety net.
- Finally, Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, has teamed up with Rep. Pollet to introduce HB 1267, which would phase out the cap and remove it by the 2028-29 school year, and immediately remove the cap for all school districts with fewer than 2,500 students or districts where 10% of student enrollment has been identified as having a military parent.
HB 1338 is Rep. April Berg’s MSOC bill, which goes beyond the Senate version and includes a small school factor and a four-year rebase to ensure state funding is keeping up with operating costs. Berg is a former school board director and is a Democrat from Mill Creek.
All of the House bills related to the Big 3 have been referred to the House Appropriations Committee and may be scheduled for the week of January 27.
- Read a comparison of the Special Education Funding bills here.
- Read a comparison of the MSOC funding bills here.
Changes to the Learning Assistance Program funding formula
Senator T’wina Nobles has also introduced SB 5120, which would replace the single 50% threshold for high poverty Learning Assistance Program (LAP) funds with a three-tiered approach, beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
In addition to the 2.3975 hours per week in extra instruction for all LAP students, the new tiers would increase by:
- 2 hours per week for Tier 1 schools, which are defined as a school in which the three-year rolling average of the prior year total annual average enrollment that qualifies for free or reduced price meals is equal to or exceeds 70% of its total annual average enrollment;
- 6 hours per week for Tier 2 schools, defined as above for schools between 50% – 69.9%;
- 4 hours per week for Tier 3 schools, defined as above for schools between 30% – 49.9%.
For the 2025-26 school year, currently eligible high-poverty LAP schools would get an increase from 1.1 hours per week to 1.6 hours per week. The bill has an estimated fiscal impact of $178.8 million in FY27, and $227.77 million in the 2027-29 biennium
NEW: Levies/Local Effort Assistance bill introduced
HB 1356 is a multi-pronged approach to increasing K-12 education funding introduced by Renton Democrat Steve Bergquist. The bill increases enrichment levies, increases per student Local Effort Assistance (LEA), and sets dates to remove the cap on special education and fund additional substitute days and rates for teachers and classified staff.
The bill would add an “inflation enhancement” of $500 to enrichment levies, beginning in the 2026 calendar year, and a 3.33% inflationary adjustment to the 2027 through 2030 calendar years. This basically would boost the amount of levy funding per student from $2,500 per student or $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value to $3,000 per student (modified for inflation) and $3,500 for Seattle Public Schools. In addition, starting in the 2031 calendar year, the amount would grow to $5,035 for taxes levied for collection in 2032, multiplied by the number of average annual FTE students enrolled in the district the prior school year.
The bill also would address LEA and the need for state match to the increased levy enrichment amounts if enrichment levies are increased. The “inflation enhancement” for LEA would be set at $200 in calendar year 2026 and $300 in calendar year 2027 above the $1,550 per student, increased by inflation.
To cover the costs of LEA and other programs, the bill would propose increasing the state property tax limit by three percent, beginning in calendar year 2026. This is something legislators have discussed in the past and would help not just school districts but all local governments and taxing districts.
Section 301 would remove the 16% cap on total student enrollment for special education beginning in the 2027-28 school year; it would not change the multiplier or the safety net thresholds.
OSPI would be required to immediately convene a K-12 Funding Equity Work Group to analyze K-12 funding formulas and explore options for revisions, including a focus on improving funding equity. An initial report would be due November 1, 2025, and annually thereafter through 2027.
Finally, beginning in the 2027-28 school year, the bill would direct the state to allocate funding for five substitute days per classroom teacher unit at a daily substitute rate of $200, and two substitute days per classified staff unit at a daily substitute rate of $150, both adjusted for inflation from the 2027-28 school year.
Parents’ Rights, Inclusion and Compliance
The Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday, January 21 on a series of bills related to modifying last session’s Parents’ Bill of Rights; requiring compliance with state laws and offering consequences; updating model policies and procedures to create gender inclusive school environments; and update the anti-discrimination laws relating to school operations. Here’s a quick summary:
- SB 5123 would create new definitions for ethnicity, gender expression, gender identify, sexual orientation, homelessness, neurodivergence, and immigration status, and add these protections to the school district statute prohibiting discrimination.
- SB 5179 would establish a complaint process to be managed by OSPI and authorize OSPI to impose penalties in cases where school directors and/or superintendents willfully break state law.
- SB 5180 would update the statutory language to replace references to “transgender students” with “gender inclusive schools” for the purposes of the model policy and procedures. Would require districts to update their model policy accordingly.
- SB 5181 would amend the Parents’ Rights initiative enacted in the 2024 legislative session. Among the various section changes, the bill would update the RCW to other current laws related to protecting student rights in various situations. The bill also would modify the definition of “education record,” and would modify notification of parents for certain student actions.
For a copy of a description of the bills, please click here.
Advocacy in Action
WSPTA Board member Melissa Stone testified in favor of SB 5186 and SJR 8200, which would ask voters to lower the percentage required to pass school bonds from 60% to 55%. Melissa shared data about bond passage in Washington and asked members of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee members at the January 16 hearing to pass the bills and let the voters decide on raising the threshold.
Listen to Melissa here
The Week Ahead – Use the Committee Sign In to testify, state your position or submit written comments
Higher Education & Workforce Development (Senate) – SHR 2 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/20 @ 10:30am
- SB 5205 – Public Hearing – Concerning Washington college grant award amounts. (Remote Testimony Available).
Labor & Commerce (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/20 @ 10:30am
- SB 5062 – Public Hearing – Establishing a childcare workforce standards board. (Remote Testimony Available).
Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/21 @ 8:00am
- SB 5181 – Public Hearing – Amending the parents rights initiative to bring it into alignment with existing law. (Remote Testimony Available).
- SB 5180 – Public Hearing – Securing the rights of students to have a safe, civil, and respectful learning community. (Remote Testimony Available).
- SB 5123 – Public Hearing – Expanding protections for certain students to promote inclusivity in public schools. (Remote Testimony Available).
Finance (House) – HHR B and Virtual JLOB – 1/21 @ 8:00am
- HB 1386 – Public Hearing – Imposing a new tax on firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition. (Remote Testimony Available). (If measure is referred to committee.)
Civil Rights & Judiciary (House) – HHR A and Virtual JLOB – 1/21 @ 10:30am
- HB 1163 – Public Hearing – Enhancing requirements relating to the purchase, transfer, and possession of firearms. (Remote Testimony Available).
- HB 1132 – Public Hearing – Enhancing public safety by limiting bulk purchases and transfers of firearms and ammunition. (Remote Testimony Available).
- HB 1152 – Public Hearing – Enhancing public safety by establishing secure storage requirements for firearms in vehicles and residences. (Remote Testimony Available).
Postsecondary Education & Workforce (House) – HHR C and Virtual JLOB – 1/21 @ 1:30pm
- HB 1143 – Public Hearing – Concerning Washington college grant award amounts. (Remote Testimony Available).
- HB 1136 – Exec Session – Providing student navigational supports to increase postsecondary enrollment.
***Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/22 @ 1:30pm
- SB 5187 – Public Hearing – Providing adequate and predictable student transportation. (Remote Testimony Available).
- To sign in to testify, click here.
- To sign in and record your position, click here.
- SB 5192 – Public Hearing – Concerning school district materials, supplies, and operating costs. (Remote Testimony Available).
- To sign in to testify, click here.
- To sign in and record your position, click here.
- SB 5263 – Public Hearing – Concerning special education funding. (Remote Testimony Available).
- To sign in to testify, click here.
- To sign in and record your position, click here.
- SB 5307 – Public Hearing – Concerning special education funding. (Remote Testimony Available).
- To sign in to testify, click here.
- To sign in and record your position, click here.
Postsecondary Education & Workforce (House) – HHR C and Virtual JLOB – 1/22 @ 1:30pm
- HB 1259 – Public Hearing – Concerning supervision requirements for behavioral health professionals in elementary and secondary public schools. (Remote Testimony Available).
Education (House) – HHR A and Virtual JLOB – 1/23 @ 8:00am
- HB 1285 – Public Hearing – Making financial education instruction a graduation requirement in public schools. (Remote Testimony Available).
- HB 1296 – Public Hearing – Promoting a safe and supportive public education system. (Remote Testimony Available).
Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) – SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/23 @ 10:30am
- SB 5120 – Public Hearing – Expanding the learning assistance program. (Remote Testimony Available).
- To sign in to testify, click here.
- To sign in and record your position, click here.
- SB 5177 – Public Hearing – Considering the experiences of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups when identifying professional development resources on certain topics. (Remote Testimony Available).
- SB 5181 – Exec Session – Amending the parents rights initiative to bring it into alignment with existing law.
Law & Justice (Senate) – SHR 4 and Virtual JACB – 1/23 @ 10:30am
- SB 5105 – Exec Session – Concerning offenses involving fabricated depictions of minors.
Higher Education & Workforce Development (Senate) – SHR 2 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg – 1/23 @ 1:30pm
- SB 5275 – Public Hearing – Modifying funding and award levels for the passport to careers program and eligibility for the Washington college grant. (Remote Testimony Available).
- SB 5308 – Public Hearing – Establishing the Washington guaranteed admissions program and requiring student notifications. (Remote Testimony Available).
Civil Rights & Judiciary (House) – HHR A and Virtual JLOB – 1/24 @ 10:30am
- HB 1163 – Exec Session – Enhancing requirements relating to the purchase, transfer, and possession of firearms.
- HB 1132 – Exec Session – Enhancing public safety by limiting bulk purchases and transfers of firearms and ammunition.
- HB 1152 – Exec Session – Enhancing public safety by establishing secure storage requirements for firearms in vehicles and residences.
Resources
Analysis of the Various Parents’ Rights, Inclusion and Compliance bills