Despite the foreseen budget cuts in public education under the new federal administration, HB 1310, SB 5307, HB 1257 and SB 5253 show that Wash. State is prioritizing support for special education.
“Our state has underfunded public education and needs to find progressive revenue streams,” said Jefferson Middle School librarian Justin Mckaughan, who is also a community member active in the civic advocacy process.
HB 1310 and its companion bill, SB 5307, aim to increase state funding for each student enrolled with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) by eliminating the special education funding cap for reimbursement.
The biggest beneficiaries of these bills would be small public school districts with a higher percentage of special students than what the current 13.5% funding cap supports. Certainly, several districts would gain from this since they currently serve special education programs largely out of funds earmarked for enrichment.
The increased financial support could directly increase wages and conditions for paraeducators and other support staff, and the Olympia School District will likely focus it more broadly towards bringing more students with IEPs to regular classrooms.
“Of course, the return is great because students with an IEP do better when included in the regular curriculum.” Olympia High School Principal Matt Grant explained. “[HB 1310 and SB 5307] would help us support hiring more personnel such as aides or nurses and pay for the actual costs of supporting a student.”
HB 1257 and companion SB 5253 would extend the age special education is provided one more year, to age 22. This would provide many students with more education; which could be more high school time, more time for real-life experiences as well as planning for graduation and additional education for successful transitions into the real world. This extended access to services would benefit many students.
“All of this could lead to more inclusion into society like getting training for a job, functioning independently and communicating with others,” Grant stated.
Overall, these bills could lead to improved support for students in special education, since they’d allow districts to use more levy money to fund what it’s established to– extracurricular activities and other supplemental programs. This could lead to students growing more individualized.
Grant explained, “Our district has had to cut many programs and people to pay for things that are essential and legally binding like special education. Our school wants to continue to improve in our ability to provide more inclusion for our students with an IEP.”
Improved funding provided by the bills would support these efforts. Other long-term benefits include freeing up district money in general and potentially reviving recently cut programs throughout the district.
“All of these bills will help all students across the board. We are all better served with an inclusive school community,” Grant expressed.
