SB 5304 expands Washington's Students Experiencing Homelessness and Foster Youth Program to include accredited tribal colleges, previously limited to public four-year institutions. The bill requires participating tribal colleges and four-year schools to provide specific supports like laundry access, housing assistance, reduced-price meals, technology resources, and case management for eligible students. It directly affects students who experienced homelessness or were in foster care upon high school graduation, ensuring they can access these services at tribal colleges meeting accreditation standards. The program also mandates annual reporting on participation and program effectiveness to the legislature.
HB 2082 aims to increase funding for public K-12 education, early learning, child care, and higher education in Washington state. The bill proposes to do this by modifying the state's capital gains tax and estate tax. It introduces an additional 2.90% excise tax on an individual's Washington capital gains that exceed $1,000,000, effective January 1, 2025. For the estate tax, it increases the exclusion amount to $3,000,000 for estates of decedents dying on or after January 1, 2025, and intends to raise the top-tier rates up to 35 percent. Revenues generated from these changes would be dedicated to the education legacy trust account.
SB 5327 directs the State Board of Education and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to review and update learning standards and graduation requirements concerning computer science and financial education for K-12 students. The State Board of Education must recommend adjustments to high school graduation requirements to ensure students can demonstrate foundational skills in these subjects, considering various credit and competency options. Concurrently, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction will update K-12 computer science learning standards and review financial education standards. The bill also requires the State Board to collect information from school districts on their current offerings and implementation needs for these subjects, and clarifies that school districts must provide all high school students opportunities to access financial education learning standards.
This bill aims to improve high school students' access to Career and Technical Education (CTE) dual credit programs in Washington state. It establishes and expands regional pilot programs through grant funding, enabling community and technical colleges, public high schools, and skill centers to boost student participation and credential attainment. The bill also directs the state board for community and technical colleges to plan for improving or replacing the statewide online enrollment and reporting system for CTE dual credit. Additionally, it requires reports to the legislature on the pilot program findings and recommendations for further improvements to dual credit policies and data collection.
HB 1295 requires Washington public school districts to implement evidence-based reading and writing literacy programs for kindergarten through fourth grade students. These programs must include phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension instruction, and be fully operational by the 2027-28 school year. The bill also mandates revised teacher training standards for educators to deliver these programs, with new certification requirements by 2026 and educator preparation programs updated by 2027. This directly affects elementary schools, teachers, and students, particularly those identified as reading below grade level, with specific attention to improving equity in dyslexia screening and support.
SB 5369 addresses Washington's critical shortage of school social workers, which currently stands at one worker for every 3,798 students - far below the recommended national standard of one per 250 students. The bill requires educational service districts to partner with universities, mental health agencies, and school districts to expand the workforce through in-school training placements for social work students and conditional certification pathways. It revises statutes to clarify school social workers' roles in providing mental health counseling, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, and support for students with individualized education plans. The law directly affects K-12 schools and students, particularly those facing emotional distress, behavioral challenges, or high absenteeism rates, by increasing access to mental health support within educational settings.
Washington's SB 5080 requires all public high school students to complete financial education instruction to graduate, beginning with the 2033 class. School districts must provide courses aligned with existing state learning standards by the 2029-30 school year, offering flexible options like regular classes, online learning, or career programs. The bill mandates districts to submit implementation plans by December 2025 and allows individual waivers for students who moved to Washington after previous graduation requirements were met. This applies to all Washington public high schools, including charter and tribal schools, without creating new curriculum but making existing financial education standards a graduation requirement.
SB 5007 creates a statewide program to support students missing 10% or more of school days (chronically absent) and at risk of not graduating high school. It requires educational service districts to train staff on early warning systems to identify at-risk students and connect them with supports like family engagement, health services, academic help, and transportation. The bill establishes a "Building Bridges" grant program for local school-family-community partnerships to implement dropout prevention systems, including data-driven interventions, mentorship, and alternative education options. These partnerships must collect and report data on student demographics, attendance, graduation rates, and outcomes to track effectiveness. The law aims to improve reengagement and graduation rates through coordinated, evidence-based support for vulnerable students.
HB 1556 expands tuition waivers at Washington community and technical colleges for students who need to complete high school while attending college. It directly affects high school completers (including nonresidents), children and surviving spouses of fallen or disabled law enforcement officers, firefighters, or state patrol officers, and up to 40% of students in deaf education programs. Key provisions require colleges to waive all tuition and fees for eligible high school completers and first responder families (with a 10-year enrollment window), and allow partial waivers for nonresidents in high school completion programs. The law, effective July 2025, also mandates annual reporting on waiver costs to the legislature.
Senate Bill 5637 updates the mandatory one-half credit civics course for high school students in Washington state. Starting in the 2026-27 school year, this course will expand to include instruction on voter registration, media literacy related to elections and misinformation, and how individuals can influence public policy. The bill requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to identify and provide nonpartisan educational materials for these new topics by September 2025. OSPI will also review these resources every five years to ensure they remain relevant. This legislation aims to enhance students' critical thinking skills regarding information and civic engagement.
