This Week in Olympia
Week of March 18
Take Action
Local levies provide flexibility for districts to meet needs not funded by the state, including librarians, nurses, additional teachers and instructional assistants, enhanced arts programs and more. Tell your legislators to restore local levy flexibility so our students get the classes, programs and services they need. Restore levy flexibility!
Attend a legislative town hall. Many are happening this weekend. Find a full list here.
This Week in Olympia
It was back to committee hearings this week, as legislators heard bills that originated in the other chamber.
A proposed substitute for SSB 5313 was heard in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday. This proposal raises local levy authority but may limit future growth.
WEA supports added levy flexibility, and prefers levy formulas based on a percentage of their total state and federal funding. This lets them raise local funds based on the actual needs, as opposed to the one-size-fits-all limits in place now. Districts receive more state basic education funding when they have students with higher needs. A percentage-based levy adjusts as community and student needs in the district change.
E2SHB 1139 would expand the current and future educator workforce with a variety of actions. Those include targeting recruitment efforts to reach veterans and changing the “comprehensive” teacher evaluation program to every six years instead of four among other things. The Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee held a public meeting on the bill Monday.
ESHB 1355 creates a task force to recommend credentials, roles and ratios for community and technical college counselors. It was heard in the Senate Committee on Higher Ed and Workforce Development on Tuesday.
E2SHB 1599 is one of the testing bills we’ve been following. It would delink graduation from standardized test scores and allow for multiple pathways for graduation.
Some other bills we’ve been watching that had hearings this week include:
ESSB 5853 regarding school construction assistance program. WEA supports the intent of this bill to increase the funding formula for the state’s matching school construction funding. We hope to see improvements to this bill so that school districts can be assured the state matching funds are available to all districts.
SHB 2108 would delay the requirement for school districts to comply with the K-3 class size reductions until 2020-21, but it would continue to provide funding to meet student needs. The delay is proposed to address district concerns regarding facility space and current teacher shortages.
SB 5360 and ESHB 1308 would change the default retirement plan from Plan 3 to Plan 2 for educators and state employees. The Senate Ways and Means committee approved ESHB 1308 on Thursday and moved it to the Rules Committee.
Next Week in Olympia
The House general fund and capital budgets are both expected to be released on Monday, followed by the House’s revenue plan later in the week. A public hearing on the budget is expected in House Appropriations Monday afternoon. The House Capital Budget committee will have a public hearing on Tuesday.
The Senate budget is expected later in the week, or early the following week.
The budgets represent the priorities of each chamber and will set the stage for final negotiations during the last month of session.
ESHB 1130 language access in schools, is expected to be heard on Monday afternoon in Senate Ways and Means
SSHB 1264, concerning secondary traumatic stress in public school staff will also have a hearing in Senate Ways and Means on Monday.
On Wednesday, community and technical college members will come to Olympia to lobby for higher pay for higher education faculty to attract and keep great instructors.
School Safety
And don't forget to support student safety. Check out this video from Support our Schools!
