State budget invests in public education

Educators sent a clear message to lawmakers this legislative session that the legislature needed to support student behavioral and mental health and address the staffing shortages that are interrupting teaching and learning.  The conference supplemental operating budget unveiled on Wednesday addresses both of these issues and stabilizes school funding as we recover from the pandemic.

COLAs

Cost of Living Adjustments are critical at a time when we’re facing staffing shortages and seeing increasing inflation.  The proposed budget funds COLAs for K-12 educators, community and technical college staff, and plan 1 retirees.  (The COLAs can’t be considered comparable because various factors inform the amount, including past COLAs, previously set rates, and more.)

• K-12 educators (including classified and certificated): 5.5%
• Community and technical colleges (I-732 COLAs): 4.7%
• 4-year college faculty: 3.25%
• Plan 1 retirees: 3% up to $110 per month

For all but retirees, the COLAs are added to the amount the state provides to employers for staffing.  Local unions will need to bargain to have these amounts included in their contracts.

Student mental health supports

WEA members made our voices heard loud and clear: we need to support our students’ behavioral and mental health so that they can be able to learn.  The legislature heard us and responded by passing HB 1664 which phases in a considerably larger investment in counselors, school nurses, social workers, and psychologists.  By the 2024-2025 school year, the state will fund more FTEs for all K-12 buildings.  For example, elementary school nurses are currently funded at 1 FTE per 5,263 students and by 2024-2025 they are funded at 1 FTE per 684 students.  The full chart is below.

Stable funding

Our student needs are greater than they were before the pandemic; we need stable funding so our schools can plan to serve every student.  Fluctuation in enrollment numbers were likely to cause dips in funding that would cause harm to our ability to serve students.  WEA members worked with lawmakers to pass a bill to stabilize funding so that enrollment changes don’t impact school programs or services.  The budget funds 50% of the impact of enrollment decline on state funding formulas as outlined in SHB 1590, which allows districts to use 2019-2020 enrollment for 2023 levies and 2022 and 2023 levy equalization.

Higher education access

Our community and technical college students need more supports, both financial and personal, to thrive.  The budget makes significant investments in making college financially accessible, including an expansion of student financial aid and low interest student loans.  It also funds more outreach specialists and student supports.

Student transportation

The funding formula for student transportation falls short of covering increasing costs.  The budget proposal begins to adjust the student transportation formula, though more adjustments are still needed.  And to address the critical shortage of school bus drivers, the budget includes funding for aspiring drivers to seek Commercial Driver Licenses.

What’s next

The legislature has until midnight on Thursday, to pass a budget during the scheduled session.  Debate on the budget begins after 3pm today, 24 hours after the proposal was introduced.

Students per 1 FTE allocated staff 

Elementary	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
Counselors	811	606	484	403
School Nurses	5,263	1,626	962	684
Social Workers	9,524	3,030	1,802	1,286
Psychologists	23,529	8,696	5,333	3,846
Middle	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
Counselors	355	312	279	252
School Nurses	7,200	1,286	706	486
Social Workers	72,000	13,091	7,200	4,909
Psychologists	216,000	48,000	27,000	18,000
High	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
Counselors	236	222	208	197
School Nurses	6,250	1,770	1,031	728
Social Workers	40,000	11,538	6,742	4,724
Psychologists	85,714	28,571	17,143	12,245