The bill seeks to improve special education funding in Washington State by removing the enrollment cap on students receiving special education services and lowering the threshold for accessing special education safety net funds. It increases tiered funding multipliers for school districts and emphasizes that funding should not require local contributions. The bill also mandates the superintendent of public instruction to support special education through statewide activities, including data review to prevent disproportionate identification of students and providing technical assistance to districts. A new process for distributing safety net awards for high-cost students is established, along with annual reporting on the impact of these changes.

Key amendments include a revision of the eligibility criteria for safety net awards for high-need students, effective from the 2025-26 school year. The bill specifies that a high-need student is eligible if their individualized education program costs exceed 1.5 times the average per-pupil expenditure, replacing the previous threshold of two and three-tenths times. Additionally, the bill introduces a new section stating that it will take effect on September 1, 2025, aiming to streamline the eligibility determination process for safety net funding and ensure that more high-need students receive essential financial support for their education.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 28A.150.390, 28A.150.560, 28A.150.392