This bill amends Washington state law to enhance career and technical education (CTE) by expanding funding to include sixth-grade students and introducing exploratory CTE courses for grades six through twelve. It establishes a structured framework for these courses, ensuring they are part of a coherent program of study that avoids duplication between middle and high school CTE offerings. Additionally, the bill modifies the funding formula for basic education instructional allocations, requiring transparency in state funding through per-pupil allocation reports and setting minimum staffing allocations for prototypical schools, including specific provisions for CTE class sizes and necessary resources.

Moreover, the bill introduces new legal language that mandates middle school and high school CTE programs funded under a specific code to be treated as a single program for accounting purposes, streamlining the accounting process while maintaining educational quality. It also outlines that allocations for supplemental instruction for students exiting transitional bilingual programs and support for highly capable students will be based on eligible student head counts, with specific resource provisions for extra instruction hours. The bill emphasizes the importance of biennial reviews of the basic education funding distribution formula by the superintendent and governor, ensuring continuity in funding until a new formula is adopted.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 43.62.050
Substitute Bill: 43.62.050