Washington Business Fall 2017 | Legislative Review & Vote Record | Page 29

issue area reports | education and workforce
• Reestablishes certain increases to class size ratios and other school staffing ratios as enrichments
that may become part of the basic education program if funded in the future.
• Establishes a new state property tax for common schools, beginning in calendar year 2018, for a total
rate of $2.70 per $1,000 of assessed value when combined with the existing state property tax.
• Establishes a new school district levy lid capped at the lesser of $2,500 per student or $1.50
per $1,000 of assessed property value, effective calendar year 2019.
• Provides local effort assistance in proportion to a school district’s actual levy compared to
the maximum levy, up to a combined total of $1,500 per student, effective calendar year 2019.
• Limits use of school district levies and local effort assistance to enrichment and defines permitted
forms of enrichment, beginning with the 2019-20 school year.
• Requires pre-ballot approval of enrichment expenditures from school district levy revenues
beginning calendar year 2020.
• Revises school district accounting, auditing, and budgeting practices.
• Establishes a School Employees Benefits Board to procure health care and other benefits for
school district employees statewide, beginning Jan. 1, 2020.
The education funding bill signed into law provides a solid footing for our K-12 system to build upon. Going forward, AWB will
work with its partners and elected officials to ensure that the education our students receive in Washington’s primary and
secondary schools adequately prepares them for their post-secondary pursuits, including going directly into the workforce,
apprenticeships, and college. Sponsored by Reps. Pat Sullivan, D-Covington; Kristine Lytton, D-Anacortes; and David Taylor,
R-Moxee; Engrossed House Bill 2242 passed the House 67-26 and the Senate 32-17.
In November, the Supreme Court issued an order saying the Legislature’s plan was sufficient to meet the requirements of the
McCleary decision, but the timeline for implementing it is not.
levy lid
ESB 5023
school levy lid
Passed/AWB Supported
One of the key components of the McCleary
Supreme Court decision was the need to
reduce reliance on local school levies to
fund basic education. At the beginning of
the legislative session, state law required
a decrease in the amount of the levy a
locality could collect. Because a plan to
reduce reliance on local levies had yet to
pass the Legislature, lawmakers needed to
extend current levies to allow the funding
mechanism to be enacted and the state to
begin to fully fund basic education. AWB
supported a delay in the implementation
Bill considered as part of
AWB’s voting record
of revisions to the local school levy lid
which extended statutory policies on local
enrichment through calendar year 2019 to
promote a school district’s ability to plan
for the future during the 2017 transition
period. Engrossed Senate Bill 5023 passed
the Senate 48-1 and the House 87-10.
k-12 education
assessments
ESHB 2224
k-12 assessments
Passed/AWB Supported
Assessments are important to ensure stu-
dents are proficient in the subject areas
critical to post-secondary success. Sever-
al attempts have been made to eliminate
assessments, or to decouple them from
Favorable outcome for
Washington businesses
graduation. AWB supports assessments
that are beneficial and effective for stu-
dent advancement. The data collected
from assessments is beneficial to curricu-
lum development and necessary for school
accountability. Engrossed Substitute
House Bill 2224 delays implementation of
the high school science assessment until
the graduating class of 2021, moves the
administration of math and English lan-
guage assessments from the 11th grade to
the 10th grade, provides guidance for the
high school and beyond plan, and supports
alternative options for demonstrating
student achievement of state standards,
including completing dual credit courses.
ESHB 2224 passed the Senate 49-0 and the
House 94-0.
Missed Opportunities
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