Legislative Update

Our advocacy team at AWSP works hard during the interim to get ready for the upcoming legislative session that begins in January 2023. This year’s session is a long session that runs from January through April and a new biennial budget for 2023-25 will be passed.  We are focused on solutions to address the needs of our school leaders through a holistic and multi-faceted approach addressing current policies, legislation, and funding so that we can attract and retain highly effective principals and assistant principals.

Each year, AWSP’s Advocacy Advisory Council has the opportunity to select a state-level public servant who has demonstrated support of principals and the principalship in the education of all students. For 2021, the Council selected Senator Sam Hunt as AWSP’s 2021 Torch of Leadership Award winner. Senator Hunt is a Democrat representing the 22nd legislative district, which includes Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and the surrounding areas.

Have you heard? High-needs schools that operate the School Breakfast Program (SBP) are required to implement a Breakfast After the Bell (BAB) program and give students adequate time to eat their breakfast for the 2022-23 school year. OSPI has all the information you need to create a plan to make this happen. Not sure if your school is required to operate a BAB program? Need some creative resources to make your program successful? Check out the School Breakfast Program page on OSPI’s website.

Curious what changes are coming via legislation for the next school year? Here's my summary of the bills that may impact you the most next school year, which started at 10 but ballooned a little more (like your workloads). For the full text of the actual legislation, the link for the bolded bill number will take you to the actual legislation. The linked text will take you to the bill report, which summarizes the bill in a much easier to read and understand format. Hopefully, you know WHO in your district is responsible for these programs (it might be you?) and HOW you can help influence them. Please send questions if you have them. Thank you!

Definition of “An embarrassment of riches”. So many good things that it is difficult to fund just one. The legislative session has concluded, the Governor has acted, and now as the show goes on, districts have to adjust. The supplemental budget (ESSB 5693) approved by the Legislature and the Governor increased general fund spending to $64 billion, an increase of $5 billion over the budget approved in April 2021. The final budget increased state spending by 24% over the previous biennium and by more than 50% since 2017.