By the League of Education Voters Policy Team

The Washington state House and Senate have released their 2023-2025 biennial budget proposals. See how they compare with Governor Inslee’s budget proposal:

 

Governor Proposed

All amounts are per biennium unless noted

(Governor’s budget was proposed prior to the most recent revenue forecast)

House Proposed

All amounts are per biennium unless noted

Senate Proposed

All amounts are per biennium unless noted

Early Learning

Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) Rate Increases

+$107 million

To increase ECEAP reimbursement rates
(Federal & State Funding)

+$40 million

To increase ECEAP reimbursement rates

+$56 million

To increase ECEAP reimbursement rates

Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) Expansion

+$84 million

Supports an increase of 1,000 slots per year in each of the next two years for a total of 2,000 new slots by 2024-25

+$30 million

Supports an increase of 500 school day slots in each of the next two years

+$45 million

Supports an increase of 1,000 school day slots in each of the next two years

Working Connections Child Care Rate Increases – Child Care Centers

(Some of these increases represent federal and state funding)

+$142 million

To increase Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) reimbursement rates

+$205 million

To increase Working Connections Child Care reimbursement rates

+$205 million

To increase Working Connections Child Care reimbursement rates

Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) Program Expansions

No Additional Funding

+$18 million

To expand eligibility, including those in registered state apprenticeship programs who are also meeting income requirements (HB 1525), among other items

+$13 million

To expand eligibility, including child care employees, those in specialty/therapeutic courts, and those who are undocumented who are also meeting income requirements (SB 5225)

K-12: Funding and Educator Workforce

K-12 Staff Compensation

+$950 million

$600 million for additional inflationary adjustments and $350 in compensation increases for K-12 staff

+$593 million

For additional inflationary adjustments

+$264 million

For additional inflationary adjustments

 

Teacher Residency Program

(These programs provide teacher candidates with a paid residency consisting of a full academic year in the classroom)

+$16 million

To support teacher residencies for teachers who specialize in special education, dual language, or teach in high-poverty districts

+$9 million

To support teacher residencies with a focus on special education teachers and on districts that have the highest percent of teachers with limited certificates (HB 1565)

No Additional Funding

Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) Program

(Provides mentoring support to beginning educators)

+$4 million

To expand the program

+$4 million

To expand the program

No Additional Funding

Teacher Academy Programs

(Interested students begin learning about a career in education and gain work experience within the school district by supporting teachers in the classroom)

+$1 million

To expand the program

No Additional Funding

No Additional Funding

K-12: Student Supports

Addressing Isolation and Restraint Practices in Schools

Not Included

+$15 million

To eliminate the practice of isolating students and limiting the use of restraint, and provide professional development support to support the policy changes (HB 1479)

Not Included

Implementing School Mental Health Funding Increases

(Clarifies HB 1664 from 2022)

Not Included

Not Included

+$18,000

To support the rule making process to ensure funds intended to support student mental and physical health are not used to hire school resource officers (SROs) in schools (SB 5019)

Student Food Security +$60 million

To fund the provision of school meals to all students at schools serving large populations of low-income students

+$84 million

To fund the provision of school meals to all students at schools serving large populations of low-income students and expand access for schools serving grades K-4 (HB 1238)

+$60 million

To fund the provision of school meals to all students at schools serving large populations of low-income students

Inclusive Curriculum

(Ensuring Student curriculum is diverse, equitable, and inclusive of underrepresented identities and perspectives)

Not Included

Not Included

+92,000

To support the implementation of SB 5462

K-12: Special Education

Special Education Funding Formula

Approx. +$5 million

To increase funding for children aged 3-5 receiving special education services before entering kindergarten

+$75 million

To increase funding for K-12 students receiving special education services (HB 1436)

+$267 million

To increase funding for children aged 3-5 receiving special education services and students in the K-12 system (SB 5311)

Special Education Enrollment Cap

(Currently, districts can only receive state funding for up to 13.5% of their students receiving special education services)

+$74 million

To increase the enrollment cap from 13.5% to 15.0% starting in 2023-24

+$57 million

To increase the enrollment cap from 13.5% to 14.0% in 2023-24, 14.5% in 2024-25, and eventually eliminate it by 2027-28 (HB 1436)

+$93 million

To increase the enrollment cap from 13.5% to 15.0% starting in 2023-24 (SB 5311)

Special Education Evaluations During the Summer

No Additional Funding

+$4 million

To fund special education evaluations and support the development of IEPs during the summer for the next three years (HB 1109)

No Additional Funding

Extension of Transition Services

(Federal funding)

+$5 million

To enable students who will turn 21 during 2023-24 or 2024-25 school years, did not graduate with a regular diploma, and require recovery services on or after July 1, 2021 to receive access to transition services

+$7 million

To enable students who will turn 21 during 2023-24 or 2024-25 school years, did not graduate with a regular diploma, and require recovery services on or after July 1, 2021 to receive access to transition services

No Additional Funding

Special Education Safety Net

(A reimbursement program for districts to account for higher than expected costs of providing special education services)

+$16.8 million

To support the special education safety net program

+$24.6 million

To lower the eligibility threshold for applying for safety net funds

+$16.8 million

To lower the eligibility threshold for applying for safety net funds

Transportation Funding

No Additional Funding

No Additional Funding

+$101 million

To support implementation of SB 5174 to better pay for the costs to districts of transporting students experiencing homelessness, foster youth, and students who need transportation as part of their IEP starting in 2023-24

Inclusionary Practices

+$10 million

To support implementation of inclusionary practices, differentiated instruction, and individualized instruction

+$10 million

To support implementation of inclusionary practices and the work of the Inclusionary Practices Project

No Additional Funding

Accountability in Non-Public Agencies

Not Included

Not Included

+$145,000

To expand accountability and oversight districts and OSPI must exercise for non-public agencies serving students in the K-12 system (SB 5315)

K-12: Other Program Areas

Mastery-Based Learning +$10.3 million

To continue the work of the State Board of Education to administer a grant program to school districts to help expand implementation and share best practices in mastery-based learning

+$6.9 million

To continue the work of the State Board of Education to administer a grant program to school districts to help expand implementation and share best practices in mastery-based learning

+$6.9 million

To continue the work of the State Board of Education to administer a grant program to school districts to help expand implementation and share best practices in mastery-based learning

Outdoor Education

+$32 million

To expand access to outdoor education opportunities for 5th and 6th graders

No Additional Funding

No Additional Funding

Climate Science Education +$2 million

To increase professional development opportunities in science education

+$2 million

To increase professional development opportunities in science education

No Additional Funding
Nothing About us Without Us Act

(Takes steps to ensure more meaningful inclusion of impacted and underrepresented communities in the policy-making process)

Not Included

+$545,000

To support implementation of HB 1541

Not Included

Higher Education

Higher Education Funding

+$47 million

For increases in higher education operational costs

+$47 million

For increases in higher education operational costs

+$51 million

For increases in higher education operational costs

Washington Career & College Pathways Innovation Program

+$14 million

To support the expansion of the grant program

+$6 million

To support the expansion of the grant program

+$14 million

To support the expansion of the grant program

Financial Aid

Not Included

+$21.5 million

To expand eligibility and award amounts for the WA College Grant

+$12.8 million

To expand eligibility of the WA College Grant (SB 5711)

Capital Budget

School Construction Assistance Program

+$613 million

To provide matching funds to support districts in building schools

+$588 million

To provide matching funds to support districts in building schools

+$588 million

To provide matching funds to support districts in building schools

 

2023-2025 Budget Proposal Side-By-Side (PDF)

 

Love what we do? Support our work

Want to find out the latest in education news in Washington? Subscribe to our newsletter

Want to learn more about League of Education Voters? Find out here

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *