Monday, February 13, 2017

February 17 Marks First Major Deadline for Bills

Last week began with a public hearing in the House Appropriations Committee on the two competing education funding proposals: SSB 5607 (Senate Republicans) and HB 1843 (House Democrats). The bills drew more than two hours’ worth of testimony, most of it mixed on both spending plans, although the support for HB 1843 outweighed that of SSB 5607.

Some of the objections raised to SSB 5607 included the concern about the lack of a local levy in calendar 2019 and the impact on programs and staffing that would have on two school years; the cap on use of a 10% local M&O levy on programs and activities that might currently be funded by local levies; the limit on salaries to 80% of a total budget, along with setting a minimum salary; and the overall lack of new funding to the system. In addition, the state counties association and fire district association weighed in with concerns about the impact the additional $1.80 statewide property tax would have on other taxing districts that access funds within the property tax box.

Concerns about HB 1843 included elimination of a minimal salary structure to provide stability for salaries at all levels, including experience and education; failure to address the system’s inequity by maintaining a statewide 24% local levy; and the inclusion of TRII as an allowed expenditure.
SHB 1843 was amended in committee, and passed out on a party-line vote. The changes include the additional of an accountability monitoring and reporting system, requiring districts to report on WaKIDS, 3rd grade reading proficiency, 8th grade math proficiency, and four-year graduation rates. The amended bill also includes a work group organized by OSPI to review the 12.7% cap on state spending for students with special needs and to make recommendations whether the percent should be adjusted. Finally, while calling it a drafting error, the amendment reduces the prototypical funding percentage for parent involvement coordinators from all schools to just prototypical elementary schools.

Friday, February 17th marks the first of many deadlines the Legislature uses to winnow the number of bills they consider. By Friday, policy bills must have passed out of committee to a budget committee or to the Rules committee to stay under consideration. This deadline will be followed by February 24th, which is the cutoff for bills with a fiscal impact (to the state) to be considered.

Status of Top Five Legislative Priorities - Update
1.       Social and Emotional Learning
·         The bill that would embed SEL throughout the calendar year is up for public hearing Monday.
2.       Amply Funding Basic Education
·         The House Appropriations Committee passed SHB 1823 (see above).
3.       Closing the Opportunity Gap
·         No new bills introduced
4.       Standards for Parae-ducators
·         SHB 1115 was voted out of House Education as a substitute, replacing requirements for certification and endorsements with training and standards for all para-educators, and standards for para-educators who are in classrooms with students with special needs and ELL students.
5.       Breakfast after the Bell
·         SB 5696 is the Senate version of the Breakfast after the Bell bill. It is scheduled for public hearing Thursday, February 16 at 1:30 in the Senate education committee. 

2017 WSPTA Supported Issues:
·         Improving Educational Outcomes for Foster Children
o   No new bills
·         Engaging Families in Student Success
o   HB 1843 specifically increases to 1.085 the family engagement coordinator per prototypical school.
o   Unfortunately, SHB 1843, the House Democrats’ education funding plan, removed the increase to 1.085 FTE for all prototypical schools, setting it only for elementary schools.
·         Post-Secondary/Higher Education Access and Affordability
o   Several bills had public hearings last week, and bills WSPTA is tracking have passed or are on the schedule for executive action this session.
·         Removing Barriers to Implementing ECEAP
o   HB 1518 is an SEL bill, but also would create the opportunity for school districts to offer a summer-only ECEAP program for children entering kindergarten the upcoming year.  
·         Restorative Justice and School Safety
o   No new bills

Week in Review
WSPTA parent Jennifer Ogle testified February 6 on the House and Senate education funding plans. Parent Sarah Butcher is scheduled to testify on behalf of WSPTA on Monday, February 13 on the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) bill.

The Week Ahead
Monday, February 13
Education (House) - HHR A, JLOB - 2/13 @ 1:30pm
Public hearing:
·         HB 1511 - Concerning the learning assistance program.
·         HB 1518 - Improving student achievement by promoting social emotional learning throughout the calendar year.
·         HB 1618 - Concerning family and community engagement coordinators.

Tuesday, February 14
Early Learning & Human Services (House) - HHR C, JLOB - 2/14 @ 8:00am

·         HB 1867 - Public Hearing - Improving transitions in extended foster care to increase housing stability for foster youth.

Higher Education (House) - HHR D, JLOB - 2/14 @ 8:00am
Executive session:
·         HB 1375 - Providing students at community and technical colleges with the costs of required course materials.
·         HB 1169 - Enacting the student opportunity, assistance, and relief act.
·         HB 1440 - Establishing a student loan bill of rights.
·         HB 1425 - Creating the Washington next generation educational savings account pilot program.
·         HB 1452 - Concerning the opportunity scholarship program.
·         HB 1488 - Expanding higher education opportunities for certain students.
·         HB 1512 - Expanding college bound scholarship eligibility.
·         HB 1840 - Establishing the Washington promise program.
·         HB 1651 - Supporting students' success by increasing retention and graduation rates with evidence-based programs.

Higher Education (Senate) - SHR 3, JACB - 2/14 @ 8:00am
·         SB 5476 - Public Hearing - Expanding state need grant eligibility.

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) - SHR 1, JACB - 2/14 @ 1:30pm
·         SB 5183 - Exec Session - Concerning career and technical education funding.
·         SB 5348 - Exec Session - Concerning students who receive special education services who earn certificates of individual achievement.

Education (House) - HHR A, JLOB - 2/14 @ 1:30pm
Executive session:
·         HB 1511 - Concerning the learning assistance program.
·         HB 1518 - Improving student achievement by promoting social emotional learning throughout the calendar year.
·         HB 1618 - Concerning family and community engagement coordinators.

Ways & Means (Senate) - SHR 4, JACB - 2/14 @ 3:30pm
·         SSB 5107 - Public Hearing - Creating a local pathway for local governments, school districts, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations to provide more high quality early learning opportunities by reducing barriers and increasing efficiency.
·         SB 5070 - Public Hearing - Concerning paraeducators. WSPTA signing in

Wednesday, February 15
Early Learning & Human Services (House) - HHR C, JLOB - 2/15 @ 1:30pm

·         HB 1867 - Exec Session - Improving transitions in extended foster care to increase housing stability for foster youth.

Higher Education (House) - HHR D, JLOB - 2/15 @ 1:30pm
Executive session:
·         HB 1375 - Providing students at community and technical colleges with the costs of required course materials.
·         HB 1169 - Enacting the student opportunity, assistance, and relief act.
·         HB 1440 - Establishing a student loan bill of rights.
·         HB 1425 - Creating the Washington next generation educational savings account pilot program.
·         HB 1452 - Concerning the opportunity scholarship program.
·         HB 1488 - Expanding higher education opportunities for certain students.
·         HB 1512 - Expanding college bound scholarship eligibility.
·         HB 1840 - Establishing the Washington promise program.
·         HB 1651 - Supporting students' success by increasing retention and graduation rates with evidence-based programs.

Appropriations (House) – HHR A, JLOB – 2/15 @ 3:30pm
·         SHB 1046 – Public Hearing – Concerning certificates of academic and individual achievement.
·         HB 1621 – Public Hearing – Providing funding allocations to promote children’s health and social-emotional learning.

Thursday, February 16
Education (House) – HHR A, JLOB – 2/16 @ 8:00am
Executive session:
·         HB 1511 - Concerning the learning assistance program.
·         HB 1518 - Improving student achievement by promoting social emotional learning throughout the calendar year.
·         HB 1618 - Concerning family and community engagement coordinators.

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate) - SHR 1, JACB - 2/16 @ 1:30pm
·         SB 5758 - Public Hearing - Increasing college and career readiness and graduation rates in public schools.
·         SB 5696 - Public Hearing - Concerning breakfast after the bell programs. (Hearing is on the Proposed Substitute.)

Ways & Means (Senate) - SHR 4, JACB - 2/16 @ 3:30pm
·         SB 5702 - Public Hearing - Improving state funding for school construction, modernization, and asset preservation.
·         SB 5753 - Public Hearing - Concerning the financing of early learning facilities.

Friday, February 17
Higher Education (House) - HHR D, JLOB - 2/17 @ 10:00am
Executive session:
·         HB 1375 - Providing students at community and technical colleges with the costs of required course materials.
·         HB 1169 - Enacting the student opportunity, assistance, and relief act.
·         HB 1440 - Establishing a student loan bill of rights.
·         HB 1425 - Creating the Washington next generation educational savings account pilot program.
·         HB 1452 - Concerning the opportunity scholarship program.
·         HB 1488 - Expanding higher education opportunities for certain students.
·         HB 1512 - Expanding college bound scholarship eligibility.
·         HB 1840 - Establishing the Washington promise program.
·         HB 1651 - Supporting students' success by increasing retention and graduation rates with evidence-based programs.


WSPTA Bill Tracker - updated 2/12/17

Prepared by:
Marie Sullivan
WSPTA Legislative Consultant

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