Legislative Update 1.10.25

The Only Constant is Change

The 2025 legislative session kicks off on Monday, January 13th and along with a new year, as usual, comes lots of changes. This year, however, it seems like a lot more is changing than in years past with a new governor and many new legislators. There are over 20 newly-elected legislators, as well as 10 legislators who will move from the House to the Senate. For a brief look at these new leaders, check out this article in the Washington State Standard . 2025 will be a long, 105-day session where over 2,000 bills will be introduced, and where the biennial operating, capital, and transportation budgets will be adopted by the Legislature and signed by Governor-Elect Bob Ferguson. The session is expected to end by the end of April.

In addition to the changing faces in the Legislature, another significant change will be dealing with a projected budget shortfall of $10 to $12 billion over the next four years. We no longer have federal COVID relief dollars to support some state programs, and while our state revenues continue to increase, they are not doing so at the pace that was projected. According to Jerry Cornfield from the Washington State Standard , “There’s a big gap between what the state is collecting in taxes and what it needs to pay for its commitments in education, human services, health care, corrections, and other day-to day government operations.” Budget discussions will focus on prioritizing what our state wants to accomplish, and they will include discussions around potential new sources of revenue. Governor-Elect Ferguson, however, released his budget priorities this week and wants to focus on reducing spending to achieve savings, not raising new revenue. He stated that he wants to increase the percentage of the state budget that goes to K-12 education.

For our K–12 community, we have been working hard to focus on the “Big 3” core funding issues that impact all districts: Special Education; Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOC); and Transportation. School districts are paying over $1 billion for basic education funding costs that should be covered by the state. A concerted effort to advocate for these basic funding needs was organized by WASA and the ESDs during the interim. They created a website with resources that show how countless school districts are experiencing a financial crisis and that help explain how our state’s efforts to fund education are not keeping up with actual expenses. Check out WA School Funding for more information and share these resources with people in your district.

The Seattle Times and other publications continue to publish articles about the state of education funding and the need to find solutions at the state level. In a recent editorial, they wrote, “In the maze of calculations that comprise school funding, observers of every political persuasion agree on one thing: Washington’s method for covering public education is built on fidelity to outdated mathematical formulas, rather than the specific needs of children.”

While much attention will be paid to the budget, there will also be hundreds of education policy bills that will be introduced. Each week, my legislative update will include a list of which bills are being heard in the House and Senate Education Committees. I will also provide a link to my current bill tracking list.

So far, some of the bills that may be of interest to you include those related to school safety, juvenile access to attorneys, financial literacy, providing support for 9th graders, and interscholastic athletic activities. There will also be several bills related to establishing cell phone use policies. Check out a recent blog by Interlake High School Principal Bret Cochrun about his desire for cell phone-free schools.

My most recent bill tracking list includes almost 70 education-related bills that have already been pre-filed. Click on the links of bills that you are interested in learning more about and let me know what you think about them or if you have any questions.

AWSP’s Legislative Platform includes three intersecting circles of areas that need attention in order to help all students succeed. Fully funding basic education means addressing the “Big 3” issues that I wrote about earlier. Increasing support for students includes many things but we highlighted behavioral and mental health support, outdoor learning, and ending the sale of flavored tobacco and vapor products. The third circle, which is purposely placed at the top, is creating a stronger system of leadership development in our state. Our board, along with many other stakeholders, will be working on specific ideas at their next meeting at the end of January, but we will also be working to address internship grant funding, mentoring, and more this session.

Finally, here is a link to a short interview that I did with Senator Lisa Wellman (D-Mercer Island) a few weeks ago about her thoughts on the upcoming legislative session as well as her specific message of thanks and gratitude to all of our building leaders in Washington. We are fortunate to have Senator Wellman as one of our champions and I hope you all know that there are many more champions out there who are appreciative of the hard work you all do each and every day!

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Your Voice

Our job is to keep telling our stories about what our students and educators need to create successful learning environments. There are many ways to have your voice heard in order to keep building champions. Check out the “Important Links” below to find out how to contact your own legislators. They care very much about hearing directly from their constituents. When we weigh in as an association, it is helpful and important, but having many of you reach out directly with a short email to legislators can be much more powerful. Find your legislator and email them here if you have any thoughts to share. 

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Other Advocacy Efforts

Principal for a Day

• Wes Allen, Sno-Isle Skill Center, Mukilteo School District
• Stephanie Barringer, Meridian Elementary, Kent School District
• Issa El Hayek, Seven Oaks Elementary, North Thurston Public Schools
• Aaron Fletcher, Liberty High School, Liberty School District
• Lacey Griffiths, R. A. Long High School, Longview School District
• Ryan Henderson, Highland Elementary, Lake Stevens School District
• Heidi Sutton, Apple Valley Elementary, West Valley School District

Day on the Hill

Many of our Advocacy Advisory Council and AWSP Board Members are planning a visit to Olympia on February 10, 2025 for our annual “Day on the Hill." They will be meeting with their own legislators and perhaps attending some committee hearings. You can get involved by scheduling a virtual meeting with your own legislators that week. More information will be coming soon.