This was budget week in Olympia. The Senate Democrats released their budget on Monday morning and the House Democrats followed on Monday afternoon. The rest of the week has been spent trying to digest and respond to these 1,000+ page documents along with following committee action as legislators work to move out a few more bills before their next cut-off date of April 2 when policy bills have to pass out of the opposite house committees.
In an excellent summary of the two different budgets, Jerry Cornfield from the Washington State Standard says, “In short, Senate Democrats make ends meet in the next two-year budget by delaying expansion of early learning and child care programs, furloughing state workers, and draining state reserves in order to boost funding for special education and other needs of public schools. House Democrats plot a course that avoids controversial moves like furloughing state workers and drawing down savings. Like the Senate, they hold off expanding popular early learning and child care programs. But the House also pledges about $1 billion less in new funding for special education and public school operating costs.”
From a K-12 perspective, there are many more things to like about the Senate budget as it would provide $1 billion in new spending to special education and MSOC. This is about half of what our districts need, but it is much better than what the House proposes. Too many of our school districts are struggling financially, which shows this is a systematic problem that the Legislature needs to fix.
My letter to budget writers asked them to adopt at least the level of investment in special education and MSOC that is proposed by the Senate. I also thanked them for their continued investment in the principal intern grant program (even though funding would be reduced from $700,000 to $477,000) and in the Washington State Leadership Academy (WSLA–or as we now refer to it–Next Level Leaders). Other programs have been cut here and there by the two different budgets. The Senate cuts funding for TPEP and BEST for example, and the House cuts funding for Outdoor Education. There is much to be worked out with these differences as legislators work to agree on one final budget before session is expected to end on April 27.
Legislators are looking for savings everywhere they can because in order to make any of these proposed budgets work, there needs to be both cuts and additional revenue. Next week, the revenue bills will be heard in both fiscal committees. Here is a summary of the Senate revenue package again from the Washington State Standard. And here is a summary of the House revenue package from the Washington State House Democrats.
For one of the best summaries about all of this budget news, turn to WASA’s Dan Steele for his This Week in Olympia (TWIO) Special Edition on the budget proposals.
Along with other statewide associations and agency partners, as well as many education advocates, we will keep fighting forward for what our schools need. You can help by continuing to email legislators about the student and staff needs that you have in your schools and districts. See below for links to our action alerts and contact information for legislators.
Bills Heard This Week
The volume of policy bills is slowing down, and all of the action is shifting to fiscal committees. For a complete list of bills that I’m tracking, click here.
Monday
House Education
2SSB 5179 – Establishing a complaint process to address willful noncompliance with certain state education laws.
ESSB 5181 – Amending the parents rights initiative to bring it into alignment with existing law.
SSB 5412 – Providing temporary interfund loans for school districts.
SSB 5418 – Concerning charter school contracts.
SB 5637 – Promoting student access to information about media literacy and civic education.
Tuesday
House Appropriations
HB 1198 – Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.
Senate Ways and Means
SB 5167 – Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium operating appropriations.
Bills Being Heard Next Week
Monday
House Education: Executive Session
2SSB 5179 – Establishing a complaint process to address willful noncompliance with certain state education laws.
ESSB 5181 – Amending the parents rights initiative to bring it into alignment with existing law.
SSB 5412 – Providing temporary interfund loans for school districts.
Senate Ways and Means
SB 5797 – Enacting a tax on stocks, bonds, and other financial intangible assets for the benefit of public schools.
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