Washington Business Fall 2018 | Legislative Review & Vote Record | Page 25

issue area reports | education and workforce
Education & Workforce Development
Amy Anderson: Education, Workforce, Federal Issues, and AWB Institute
The Legislature officially completed its years-
long effort to satisfy the McCleary court ruling
by adding nearly $1 billion to the K-12 system
in 2018, as well as additional investments in
early learning and post-secondary education.
This brings the total investment in the state’s
K-12 system in the last four years to $4.6 billion
with an additional $8.4 billion investment
planned through 2021. Resolving the McCleary
ruling was a significant milestone, but AWB
remains committed to addressing education
beyond McCleary. AWB’s focus will be on how
this money is being utilized and supporting
programs that prepare the next generation of
workforce to help employers grow and attract
new business to the state.
k-12 education
E2SSB 6362
modifying basic education
provisions
Passed/AWB Supported
The Legislature dedicated almost $1 bil-
lion more to the state’s K-12 system in the
2018 supplemental budget. The budget bill,
Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill
6362, was sponsored by Sens. Lisa Well-
man, D-Mercer Island; Christine Rolfes,
D-Bainbridge Island; and Andy Billig,
D-Spokane. It was intended to comply
with the state Supreme Court’s McCleary
decision, most importantly to fully fund
increases in school employee salaries in
the 2018-19 school year — without a tax
increase. The Legislature also considered
factors in regionalization to accommo-
date the disparity in cost of living in some
school districts. Additional changes to
the 2017 funding bill included increases
in special education funding, the creation
Bill considered as part of
AWB’s voting record
AWB Government Affairs Director Amy Anderson holds a copy of the AWB 2017 Manufacturing
Week tour book as she testifies in favor of House Bill 2177, the Rural County High Employer
Demand Jobs Program, during a Jan. 29 hearing of the House Appropriations Committee.
of a transportation alternate funding grant
program, a delay in the requirement that
districts meet kindergarten through grade
3 class size ratios until the 2019-20 school
year, a statement of legislative intent to
provide funding to support schools with
paid sick leave costs, and a delay in the
implementation of the state allocation for
professional learning days by one year.
career and technical
education
SSB 6133/HB 2641
career and technical
education
SSB 6133-Passed, HB 2641-Died/AWB
Supported Both
A notable disappointment in the 2018
legislative session was the lack of action
on Ca reer a nd Tech n ica l Educat ion
(CTE). For the last 15 years, f unding
f or C T E c l a s s e s h a s b e e n r e du c e d
or redirected, making it diff icult for
school dist r ict s to prov ide st udent s
Favorable outcome for
Washington businesses
with the skills needed for success in
today’s globally competitive economy.
Despite the overall lack of action, the
2018 legislative session saw one win in the
CTE category. Substitute Senate Bill 6133,
sponsored by Sen. Hans Zeiger, R-Puyallup,
expanded statewide career and technical
education course equivalency options
in t he a rea s of science, tech nolog y,
engineering and math. The bill specifically
directs the Office of Superintendent of
Public Instruction (OSPI) to develop a
list of CTE courses that have content
in these areas that are equivalent to
academ ic st a nda rd s i n science a nd
math courses. Another bill was not as
successful. House Bill 2641, sponsored
by Reps. Bob McCa sl i n , R- Spok a ne
Valley; Mark Hargrove, R-Coving ton;
Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley; Jacquelin
Maycumber, R-Republic; David Taylor,
R-Moxee; Jef f Holy, R-Cheney; Ca r y
Condotta, R-East Wenatchee; and, Jesse
Young, R-Gig Harbor, would have required
Missed Opportunities
special edition 2018 23