Budget Deal Struck, Legislature Returns to Work

The state Senate returned to Olympia Monday afternoon, starting with overrides on 27 Senate bills vetoed by Governor Jay Inslee March 10^th.  Inslee issued the vetoes as a way to encourage legislators to get supplemental budgets completed, and has indicated that with an agreed-upon operating budget, he would not object to either chamber overriding the vetoes. 

The Senate bills now move to the House for its consideration of override votes. Bills that receive the two-thirds override in both chambers will not  go back to the Governor, but go to the Secretary of State’s office to be assigned a chapter law number.

House members also returned Monday afternoon to get a briefing on the proposed compromise supplemental operating budget.  A number of bills have been pulled to the floor, including the budget bills.  Look for HB 2380 (capital budget) and ESHB 2376 (operating budget) to move first in the House. House members begin work Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. The House is expected to go to caucus after it convenes, but should vote on the budget bills today and send them to the Senate for action.

Also of interest to WSPTA members is the newly introduced HB 3009 (on March 24^th) which would allow time spent eating a morning meal in the classroom to count as instructional time if instruction is also taking place. This bill replaces the “Breakfast after the Bell” bill, which failed to pass by the end of regular session. No funding is included in the compromise operating budget for one-time start-up grants at schools that adopt a morning meal program after the school day starts. 

The compromise operating budget also includes funding for beginning teachers, students who are homeless, students in the foster youth system, and to implement aspects of the education opportunity gap bill - all of which passed during the regular session. The bill also includes about a net of $4 million for charter schools (SB 6194), which has not been scheduled for a Governor bill signing yet. 

Legislation to extend an increase in school district levy authority from 2018 to 2019 will not be proposed during the special session. The compromise operating budget includes Section 515 which states the legislature's intent to adopt compensation and levy reform measures by April 1, 2017, or to introduce legislation to extend the authority another year if action by the end of session seems unlikely. 

If all goes according to House and Senate leadership plans, work should conclude by the end of Tuesday, the 20th day of the first special session. 

Marie Sullivan
Legislative Consultant
LegConsultant@wastatepta.org

Special Session Called, Budget Still to Be Done

After the Legislature gaveled the 2016 regular session to a close around 9:30 p.m. March 10, lawmakers found themselves called back into a special session about 30 minutes later. Governor Jay Inslee called the special session after vetoing 27 of 37 Senate bills that had come to his desk under a “five-day rule,” saying the vetoes were a message to lawmakers to focus on their primary job of updating supplemental operating and capital budgets.


Senate Republicans unveiled an operating budget proposal to negotiators that evening, and held a public hearing on the revised spending plan on Friday at 2 p.m. While both House and Senate Democrats said the proposal addresses some of their issues, they indicated that more work needed to be done before they had a deal. It was expected that budget negotiators met over the weekend.

Policy issues left unaddressed in the K-12 world include a bill that would extend increased levy authority another year (SB 6353 or HB 2698), increased compensation for beginning teachers, and siting schools outside of the urban growth area.

WSPTA Top Priorities
Fully Fund McCleary
The final 2016 supplemental operating budget is not expected to include new investments in K-12 basic education. In fact, the Senate Republican proposal would shift about $17 million in “unspent” K-3 funding appropriated last session to other spending priorities this session.

As previously mentioned, the levy cliff bills have not been passed by the Senate. One of the challenges is that extension of the levy authority through January 2019 will cost the state about $93 million in levy equalization in the 2017-19 biennium. Under a four-year balanced budget requirement, legislators must account for that spending in the 2016 supplemental budget. House Democrats proposed using money from the Budget Stabilization Account (the state’s emergency reserves) to balance the books. Senate Republicans have been reluctant to use the BSA for anything other than last summer’s wildfire needs.

In a move designed to keep the issue in play, Senator Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, called for the Senate to move to the 9th Order of Business to pull SB 6353 to the floor. While some Republicans will vote with Democrats (and vice versa) on bills, they hold the partisan line on procedural actions and the motion failed. That said, in voting to concur with House changes to ESHB 6194, the charter schools bill, Senator Brian Dansel, R-Ferry County, voted against the measure citing his concern that the levy cliff had yet to be addressed. Many believe the levy cliff issue will be resolved as part of the final negotiations, while others say the issue can be addressed by the 2017 legislature.

Promoting Social and Emotional Learning
During the legislative process, WSPTA tracked SB 6243 regarding Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). When the bill failed to pass out of the House Appropriations Committee several weeks ago, supporters got creative. All three elements of the bill reside in either a Senate or House bill that passed both chambers.

E2SHB 2439 now encompasses two elements: creating an inventory of mental health services provided to school age children, including funding sources; and one-day suicide prevention “train the trainer” session, with ongoing support if funded. The school safety bill, ESB 6620, now includes a requirement for Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to create and maintain an online social and emotional training module for educators, administrators, and other school district staff by September 1, 2017.

Increasing Capital Funding
Unlikely to move this session is HB 2968, a bill that would direct one-half of one percent that is sent to the BSA to support additional capacity for smaller K-3 class sizes and the expansion of all-day kindergarten each biennium through 2025. Last session the Legislature appropriated $200 million in capital funding for grants to school districts, and OSPI should be announcing recipients in the next month or so. Lawmakers are expected to wait to see how those grants work before making more investments in school construction and capacity.

The Senate changed SHB 2985 to apply only when a school district has failed a bond in the past five years. The bill would allow former school buildings that have been previously removed from a district’s inventory, to continue to be excluded from the School Construction Assistance Program inventory if they are used to support all-day kindergarten and/or reduced K-3 class sizes. The House concurred with the changes.

Increased Access to Higher Education
One of the bills vetoed by the Governor last week was SSB 6354, which would have begun a process to figure out how to reverse transfer academic credits from four-year institutions to community and technical colleges. If the Legislature chooses to bring the bill back during the special session, the veto requires a two-thirds vote of lawmakers for an override.

Funding to continue to back-fill the tuition reductions adopted last session was included in the latest Senate Republican proposal.

Breakfast after the Bell
There is a potential light at the end of the tunnel for E3SHB 1295, the Breakfast after the Bell bill. While it failed to pass out of the Senate budget committee, it is possible that lawmakers will adopt an alternative that would make the program voluntary and cap the amount of the one-time $6,000 grants to a total of $500,000. Since the bill didn’t pass the Senate by the end of the regular session, it returns to the House Rules Committee. However, if it is part of final budget negotiations, it would likely be modified in the House, passed to the Senate for approval, and then to the Governor’s desk.

WSPTA Platform Issues
The following bills have passed both chambers and have been delivered to the Governor’s desk:

• HB 1345 would require the development of a consistent definition for professional learning. Sponsors say this is a step needed before funding professional development days. 
• 2SHB 1408 would convene a work group to develop a consistent definition and framework of responsibilities for family engagement coordinators. 
• 4SHB 1541 would implement recommendations of the Education Opportunity Gap Oversight & Accountability Committee for closing the achievement and opportunity gaps. Elements include data dis-aggregation; school discipline; requiring ELL endorsements for teachers in the state-funded Transitional Bilingual Instruction Program; cultural competency; and more.
• E3SHB 1682 would focus on improving educational and housing opportunities for homeless youth. 
• 4SHB 1999 would increase support for students in the foster youth system. 
• SHB 2394 would make a goal of extending to all counties the existing Parent to Parent program by 2021. It would define in statute what the Parent to Parent Program is, including clarifying that the program applies both to individuals with developmental disabilities and/or special health care needs. 
• HB 2597 – would expand the plan that school districts must adopt for recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students to include indicators of sexual abuse.

Other K-12 Legislation of Interest

• SB 6245 would require school districts to offer near and far vision screening. 
• SSB 6273 would require OSPI to develop best practices and recommendations for instruction on digital citizenship, Internet safety, and media literacy, and report strategies for statewide implementation of the best practices and recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2016. The bill also would require school districts to update or adopt policies in time for the 2017-18 school year. 
• E2SSB 6455 would begin to address the teacher shortage issue. If funded, the bill includes recruitment campaigns, fee, scholarship and loan repayment programs, an ability for school districts to hire retired teachers, expansion of the state’s teacher mentor program, and development of plans for alternative route programs to teaching between teaching colleges and school districts. 
• ESB 6620 – would require an evaluation of how Washington and other states have addressed the funding of school safety and security programs, with a report due December 1, 2017. In addition, it would require annual safety summits, and would allow ESDs to implement a regional school safety and security program. This is the bill that was amended in the House to include the SEL training module requirements.

Possibly in Play

2SSB 6408, regarding paraeducator certification and endorsements, did not pass out of the House and therefore returns to the Senate Rules Committee. The bill may be dead for the session. In the original Senate Republican budget, funding was provided for implementation. In the Senate Republican proposed spending plan released last Thursday, no funding was included. If the bill does not pass this year, look for a renewed focus in 2017.

Dead For This Session

Fully Fund McCleary
Bills that would have closed tax loopholes to increase beginning teacher pay as proposed by Governor Jay Inslee failed to gain traction this session. In fact, on the final day of session the Senate passed a bill that would grant a sales tax exemption on construction for an aerospace company. Legislators on the Education Funding Task Force created by E2SSB 6195, which has been signed by the governor, are expected to grapple with the funding issues and bring forward recommendations for the 2017 session.

Increasing Capital Funding
HB 1941 would have allowed a simple majority to pass school district bond measures at the November general election. Bond votes at other times of the year would remain at 60 percent. HJR 4210, was the constitutional amendment to allow for simple majority on bonds. The measures had a public hearing in February but there was no widespread political support to pass this session. Representative Mia Gregerson, D-Seatac, is interested in keeping the momentum going this interim and bring the bills back in 2017.

Increased Access to Higher Education
Bills that would have created the Washington Promise Scholarship (two years of community college) or the Free to Finish program (paid tuition to those who are within 15 credits of a degree) didn’t gain the support needed to pass the Legislature this session.

Marie Sullivan
Legislative Consultant
LegConsultant@wastatepta.org

Sine Die Day!

Sine Die day dawns with no budget agreement.

Today marks the 60th day and the end of the regular session, and while budget negotiators say they have agreed on the "size of the box" for the budget, don't look for an agreement and voting by both chambers today. While no one has an exact date, it would appear that the Governor will call legislators back in on Friday to complete their work, which could take up to another week.

In a positive sign of movement, the Senate Ways & Means Committee held a hearing and voted on a handful of bills Wednesday afternoon. None of the bills was related to WSPTA priorities. 

However, of interest to WSPTA members is that Breakfast after the Bell may be unstuck, and part of the final negotiations in the operating budget. Lawmakers in the Senate were stuck on the mandate of the bill, which required all school districts with students who meet a 70 percent eligibility for free and reduced price meals to offer an expanded breakfast program. Some legislators balked at what they saw as another unfunded mandate for school districts.

Senator Bruce Dammeier (R-Puyallup) offered a compromise of a voluntary program, with one-time start-up grants capped at a total of $500,000. The amendment to the bill, if adopted, would pass after or at the same time as the operating budget. While not everything  advocates had hoped for, a bill this session would at least begin the program in another 83 or more schools across the state.

Small increases in K-12 construction funding may be part of the 2016 supplemental capital budget, which as of Wednesday afternoon hadn't been finalized. Typically the capital budget and the bond bill that supports it will be the final bills of the session, wait - special session.

House Democrats spent most of Wednesday closeted in caucus discussing the charter schools bill, SB 6194. The bill passed with all House Republicans voting for it along with 10 Democrats. The Senate spent a good portion of the last few days recognizing the retirements of Lt. Governor Brad Owen, Senators Benton and Fraser, and long-time legislative employees. 

The House returns to the floor at 10 a.m., while the Senate begins work at 11 a.m. The main work of the day is to concur or dispute any bills that were changed in the opposite chamber, and send bills to the Governor's desk. Only a handful of bills met the 5-day rule under which Governor Inslee threatened a veto. Bills that are delivered today are given 20 days to be signed or vetoed before they become law. Bills become law 90 days after today, unless they have a different effective date.

Marie Sullivan
Legislative Consultant
LegConsultant@wastatepta.org

Legislature Down to Four Days Left in the Regular Session

Friday, March 4 was the final day for bills to pass out of the opposite chamber from which they were introduced. The exceptions are bills that have been labeled “Necessary to Implement the Budget” or NTIB. In addition, a few policy bills might find new life in the final days of session, depending on various agreements between the two chambers.


Here’s a quick review of what’s still alive and what might resurface by March 10, the end of the regularly scheduled 60-day session:

WSPTA Top Priorities

Fully Fund McCleary
E2SSB 6195 was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on February 29th. The bill creates a nine-member Education Funding Task Force, with eight legislators and one non-voting member of the Governor’s office who will serve as the facilitator. The task force is directed to return by the 2017 legislative session with recommendations on compensation, revenue to meet basic education funding obligations, and levy reform.

The levy cliff bill, HB 2698, is still in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. The bill would extend a bump in levy authority granted during the 2010 session another year, through January 2019. While Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) Randy Dorn has always been opposed to the legislation, saying that not extending the levy authority will force the 2017 legislature to act on levy reform and compensation, school districts have argued for the one-year extension to prevent chaos in budget and school-year planning.

Perhaps providing some measure of relief, the Senate passed HB 2023, which would give school districts until June 15 to issue layoff notices if the operating budget isn’t passed by the end of the regular session. The bill has been signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, so is ready to be delivered to the Governor.

Operating budget negotiators have been meeting, but no one expects significant additional funding for basic education in the 2016 session. Efforts have been made to increase Career and Technical Education (CTE) Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOC) funding, but so far neither budget includes a boost in CTE funding. Because the supplemental operating budgets were so far apart philosophically, many are starting to suggest that it may take up to an additional week to seal the deal.

Promoting Social and Emotional Learning
2SSB 6243, a bill related to suicide prevention training, failed to pass out of the House Appropriations Committee by February 29th. One element of the bill remains: a one-day summit on suicide prevention as a “train the trainer” approach. Along with ongoing assistance from Forefront of UW for ESDs if funded, the suicide prevention training sections were added Thursday on the Senate floor to E2SHB 2439, a bill on youth mental health services.

Increasing Capital Funding
HB 2968, a bill that would direct one-half of one percent that is sent to the budget stabilization account (aka Rainy Day Fund) to support construction of smaller K-3 class sizes and the expansion of all-day kindergarten from this July through 2025, remains on the House floor calendar. As written, the bill would divert $187 million during this budget cycle from the Rainy Day Fund to the Education Construction Account. The word on the ground is that last year’s K-3/All Day Kindergarten (ADK) grant program was a pilot program and lawmakers will wait until the 2017-19 biennial capital budget to tinker with the policy and the funding source.

The House passed SHB 2985, which would allow former school buildings that have been previously removed from a district’s inventory, to continue to be excluded from the School Construction Assistance Program inventory if they are used to support all-day kindergarten and/or reduced K-3 class sizes. The exclusion would apply for state assistance on new construction awarded from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2021. The bill has not been heard in a Senate committee but may get a favorable response from the Senate and still secure the necessary votes to land on the Governor’s desk this session.

Increased Access to Higher Education
On its way to the Governor’s desk is SSB 6354, which would require four-year institutions of higher education to work with the State Board of Community & Technical Colleges to develop plans that would facilitate the reverse transfer of academic credits from four-year institutions to community & technical colleges. If funded, E2SSB 6601 would create the Washington College Savings Program, which would establish another college savings program option in Washington state. The bill was modified in the House, so will return to the Senate for concurrence with the changes.

Failing to make cutoff was SB 6626, which would create a “Degree in Three” work group to consider how to graduate in three years as way of cutting down on the debt associated with four or five years of college.

Breakfast after the Bell
E3SHB 1295 had a solid hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee February 29th, with parent advocate Heather Lindberg traveling to Olympia for at least the fourth time to speak in favor of the bill. The Breakfast after the Bell legislation is stalled in the fiscal committee, but still may be part of final negotiations if the Senate agrees to fund it in the final supplemental operating budget.

An alternative emerged on the 29th by Senator Bruce Dammeier, R-Puyallup, which would make the program voluntary and cap the amount of the one-time $6,000 grants to a total of $500,000. While this doesn’t go as far as advocates would like, it would at least keep the concept moving and provide additional breakfast opportunities to at least 83 schools and their high-need students.

As individuals, WSPTA members may want to contact their senators and ask them to bring the bill to the floor and support its funding and passage.

WSPTA Platform Issues

The following bills have passed both chambers and are in varying stages of concurrence, dispute, or delivery to the Governor’s desk:

• HB 1345 would require the development of a consistent definition for professional learning. Sponsors say this is a step needed before funding professional development days. Passed and signed by both chambers and ready to be delivered.
• 2SHB 1408 would convene a work group to develop a consistent definition and framework of responsibilities for family engagement coordinators. The bill passed the Senate 43-3.
• 4SHB 1541 would implement recommendations of the Education Opportunity Gap Oversight & Accountability Committee for closing the achievement and opportunity gaps. Elements include data dis-aggregation; school discipline; requiring ELL endorsements for teachers in the state-funded Transitional Bilingual Instruction Program; cultural competency; and more. The bill returns to the House for concurrence with Senate changes. 
• E3SHB 1682 would focus on improving educational and housing opportunities for homeless youth. This bill will return to the House for concurrence. 
• 4SHB 1999 would increase support for students in the foster youth system. Passed and signed by both chambers and ready to be delivered. 
• SHB 2394 would make a goal of extending to all counties the existing Parent to Parent program by 2021. It would define in statute what the Parent to Parent Program is, including clarifying that the program applies both to individuals with developmental disabilities and/or special health care needs. The bill will return to the House for concurrence. 
• HB 2597 – would expand the plan that school districts must adopt for recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students to include indicators of sexual abuse. Passed and signed by both chambers and ready to be delivered.

Necessary to Implement the Budget (NTIB)
2SSB 6408 regarding paraeducator certification and endorsements, did not pass out of the House Appropriations Committee by the 29th. The bill has a small appropriation and is sponsored by Senator Andy Hill, R-Redmond, who is the Senate budget chair.


And while the WSPTA hasn’t acted on any of the bills in play to address the teacher shortage, the one bill that has passed both chambers is E2SSB 6455. The House changed the bill substantially, which means it will return to the Senate for review and either agreement or dispute of the changes. Bills with changes that cannot be agreed upon can end up in a conference committee to work out the differences. When the agreed-upon bill emerges from the conference committee, the vote by both chambers is simply an up or down vote.

Worth a Look

Not on the platform, but passing both chambers are:

• SB 6245 would require school districts to offer near and far vision screening
• SSB 6273 would require Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to develop best practices and recommendations for instruction on digital citizenship, Internet safety, and media literacy, and report strategies for statewide implementation of the best practices and recommendations to the Legislature by December 1, 2016. The bill also would require school districts to update or adopt policies in time for the 2017-18 school year. 
• ESB 6620 – would require an evaluation of how Washington and other states have addressed the funding of school safety and security programs, with a report due December 1, 2017. In addition, it would require annual safety summits, and would allow Educational Service Districts (ESD) to implement a regional school safety and security program. The bill will return to the Senate for concurrence.

Marie Sullivan

Legislative Consultant

Washington State PTA

LegConsultant@wastatepta.org

Washington State Board of Education Community Forums

The State Board of Education (SBE) will hold a board meeting March 9-10 in Renton. Public comment is scheduled during the meeting; however, the Board recognizes that those times may not be the most convenient for community members, so the SBE will be hosting an additional open forum.

Please join board members for an open discussion about important topics, such as strategies for closing the achievement gap, standards, and college and career readiness. The community forum will be held Tuesday, March 8 at 5:30pm at the Renton Community Center.

Not able to attend? Visit the SBE board meeting page for the remainder of the 2016 board meeting dates, locations, and meeting materials.

This is a public meeting and all are welcome. You may bring guests or share this invitation.

If a quorum of board members are present, this will be a public meeting per RCW 42.30.030.

Location

Renton Community Center, Banquet Room

1715 Maple Valley Hwy

Renton, WA 98057

Contact

Stefanie Randolph, Communications Manager

Washington State Board of Education

(360) 725-6501

stefanie.randolph@k12.wa.us