It was a very important week for special education as multiple bills were heard in both the House and Senate policy and budget committees related to this critical legislative priority. Last night, the House Appropriations hearing was deemed "Special Education Night" by stakeholders and legislators alike. We heard several bills (see comparisons) on special education funding and your very own WSSDA Advocacy and Policy Analyst, Levon Williams, represented us well in his first time in front of the dais. Check out his testimony here.

You may remember that two special education bills, among several other WSSDA legislative priorities, were heard in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee just last week. As a result of your great advocacy efforts, and our education partners locking arms on the right policy measures for special education funding, Senate Substitute Bill (SSB) 5263 passed out of the committee yesterday during their executive session. It now moves on to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The bill sponsor, Senator Jamie Pedersen, is the new Senate Majority Leader and cares deeply about this issue. (Signal: that means good things for the bill getting through the Senate.) His original bill was great - and even better as substituted and passed out of committee. The new Senate Substitute 5263 includes all the best of his original bill, plus the best of Senator Wellman's special education bill, and then some more. You can review the key changes from this bill report. In a nutshell, it will:

• increase special education funding multipliers to 1.6381 for Pre-K and 1.32 for K-12 students;
• eliminate the tiered multipliers based on time in general education settings;
• removes the 16% funding cap on special education enrollment;
• decrease the threshold for special education safety net eligibility to 1.5 times the average per-pupil expenditure;
• a statewide online system for individualized education programs will be established; and
• the funding multiplier for the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers Program is also increased to match that of Pre-K students.

We have 88 more days of ADVOCATING to see this bill to the finish line. It will take all of us to ensure this bill's success. Let your legislators know how these policy and funding changes will positively impact their communities and the lives of their constituents and the students in the districts where they serve.

How Special Education is Currently Funded

Washington's special education funding system is failing our most vulnerable students. While the state provides additional funding through an "excess cost formula," this outdated approach:

• Forces districts to operate under an artificial 16% enrollment cap
• Ignores the true cost of providing mandated services
• Creates an unfair burden on local communities
• Perpetuates inequities between districts

The Crisis We Face

Our current system is creating a crisis of inequity:

• Schools are legally required to serve EVERY student with disabilities
• Yet state funding falls dramatically short of actual costs
• Districts are forced to use local levy funds meant for other critical needs
• This growing funding gap particularly hurts our most vulnerable communities

A Clear Path Forward

We can fix this broken system by:

1. Increasing special education multipliers to match actual service costs

2. Eliminating the arbitrary 16% enrollment cap

3. Providing dedicated resources for professional development and inclusive practices

4. Ensuring every district can meet federal and state mandates

These solutions will:

• Give each and every student with disabilities access to quality services, regardless of where they live
• Stop forcing districts to choose between special education and other critical needs
• Fulfill our moral and legal obligation to Washington's students with disabilities

The time for bold action is now. Our students cannot wait any longer for the resources they need to thrive.

Your Voice Needed - Hearings Next Week

Multiple education bills that could significantly impact your district will be heard next week. Your real-world perspective is essential to help legislators make informed decisions.

Action Steps:

1. Check WSSDA's Bill Watch for hearing schedule

2. Identify bills affecting your district

3. Submit testimony or sign up to speak

There are only 86 more days left in this session. Don't miss this chance to advocate for your students, staff, and community. Learn more here.

Time-Sensitive - Act now to ensure your district's voice is heard.

Appropriations (House) - HHR A and Virtual JLOB - 2/3 @ 4:00pm

HB 1338 - Public Hearing - Concerning school operating costs.

Education (House) - HHR A and Virtual JLOB - 2/4 @ 4:00pm

HB 1032 - Public Hearing - Concerning school district elections. (Remote Testimony Available).

HJR 4201 - Public Hearing - Amending the Constitution to allow a majority of voters voting to authorize school district bonds.

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) - SHR 1 and Virtual J.A. Cherberg - 2/6 @ 10:30am

SB 5517 - Public Hearing - Determining state allocations for school staff salaries.

WSSDA staff carefully considers each education bill and identifies one or more member-adopted positions to determine a position before weighing in. Additionally, the Legislative Committee, each member representing their Director Area (DA), meets every week to sift through some of the most challenging issues and brings forward perspectives that can be shared during testimony or written comments. Below are the options available to "weigh in."

Guided by WSSDA's member-adopted positions, WSSDA weighed in on multiple bills this week:

Community Safety (House) - 1/27 @ 1:30pm

HB 1085 - Improving school safety by extending penalties for interference by, or intimidation by threat of, force or violence at schools and extracurricular activities and requiring schools to notify the public of such penalties. (Testified Pro - Cindy McMullen, Central Valley School Board)

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) - 1/28 @ 8:00am

SB 5007 - Supporting students who are chronically absent and at risk for not graduating high school. (Signed in Pro)

SB 5235 - Repealing and reorganizing outdated statutes concerning public schools. (Signed in Pro)

Education (House) - 1/28 @ 4:00pm

HB 1450 - Establishing transition to kindergarten programs. (Signed in Other - Submitted Written Comment - Marissa Rathbone, WSSDA Staff)

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) - 1/29 @ 10:30am

SB 5369 - Enhancing youth mental health and well-being through advanced training and expansion of the workforce in schools. (Signed in Pro)

SB 5126 - Establishing a statewide network for student mental and behavioral health. (Signed In Pro)

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) - 1/30 @ 10:30am

SB 5358 - Concerning career and technical education in sixth grade. (Signed in Pro)

SB 5272 - Improving school safety by extending penalties for interference by, or intimidation by threat of, force or violence at schools and extracurricular activities and requiring schools to notify the public of such penalties

SB 5253 - Extending special education services to students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which the student turns 22. (Signed in Pro with written comment re: needed funding)

Appropriations (House) - 1/30 @ 4:00pm

HB 1310 – Concerning special education funding. (Testified Pro - Levon Williams, WSSDA Staff)

HB 1357 - Providing special education funding and support for inclusionary practices. (Testified Other – Luckisha Phillips, Federal Way School Board)

You can also track education bills and the weekly schedule on the WSSDA website. Email us with questions or comments at strategicadvocacy@wssda.org.