Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
During a Yelm Community Schools board meeting on Thursday, March 27, Superintendent Chris Woods spoke to attendees about several House and Senate bills that could impact funding for public education in Washington state.
Senate Bill 5263 and House Bill 1310 relate to special education while Senate Bill 5192 and House Bill 1338 relate to materials, supplies and operating costs (MSOC).
Specifically, SB 5263 would enhance special education funding and support for students with disabilities and require the superintendent of public instruction to submit a budget request for special education programs every odd-numbered year. This bill passed in the Senate on March 12.
HB 1310, another special education bill, would increase special education excess cost multipliers and revise the special education safety net while allowing the superintendent of public instruction to reserve up to .005 of excess cost allocations to use for certain statewide special education activities.
Woods said HB 1310 “didn’t make it” and was replaced by HB 1357, which relates to special education funding and support for inclusionary practices. The superintendent of public instruction would also submit a programmed budget for special education programs and students with disabilities each regular session of the Legislature during an odd-numbered year.
While both bills focus on special education funding, Woods stated SB 5263 and HB 1357 are “polar opposite sides.”
“In special education, the Senate bill is a $1 billion increase and elimination of that 16% cap, which means you get funded up to 16% of your enrollment to offset the special education costs but, oftentimes districts go above that 16%, and you’re not funded for that. The House bill is only $188 million, versus $1 billion in the Senate,” Woods said.
Most sessions, according to Woods, would see the House and Senate meet somewhere in the middle. He said there’s some optimism they’ll meet closer on the Senate’s side “given the priorities of (Gov. Bob Ferguson),” but it won’t be clear until the conclusion of the Legislative session.
Woods also highlighted SB 5192 — which amends RCW 28A.150.260 — that establishes a distribution formula for basic education instructional allocations, which will be recommended to the Legislature by the governor and superintendent of public instruction. A key provision in the bill included a minimum allocation of $1,656.50 per full-time equivalent student for MSOC, which will be adjusted annually for inflation starting in fiscal year 2026. He said the bill would increase an allocation in funding to state school districts by $111 million.
HB 1338, another MSOC bill, would amend RCW 28A.150.260 to improve the allocation of state funding for school districts, specifically targeting basic education programs. A key change would include an increase in funding for technology, utilities, curriculum and supplies, new minimum allocations for small schools and a requirement for funding to align with staffing ratios. This would increase funding by $41 million, Woods said.
Woods told the Nisqually Valley News that House bills for MSOC and special education are minimal increases, while the Senate bills are “much better but still don’t get Washington state public schools to the funding levels we need to be.”
“They had estimates of what they believe the revenue would be, and they’re going to be below that,” he said. “However, revenues are still expected to increase from previous years. As a matter of fact, for the 23-25 time, it’s supposed to increase $66 billion,” Woods said. “One of the messages you’ve been hearing is about a shortfall, and short funding. It’s an overspending issue that we’re spending, it’s not a funding issue. It’s an over-extension in spending. That’s an increase of 2.6% over the 2021-23 time period. In 2025-27, we’ll see another $70 billion — that’s 6.8% above current. Then, in 2027-29, it’s another $76 billion, and that’s an additional 7.7%.”
Woods added the paramount duty of the State of Washington is to fully fund public education.
“So we’re not even entering into that conversation as a state because that’s the paramount duty and it’s in our state Constitution. What we’re doing is working on three specific areas,” he said. “I’ve shared with you MSOCs — which is materials, supplies, operating costs — basically what it costs to run our district including fuel, insurance and a number of things that inflation has not kept up with.”
Woods said the district will continue to provide information through YCS district newsletters and through Woods’ Friday updates. More information will also be available at YCS board meetings on Thursday, April 17, and Monday, April 28.
