Beyond the fight for money: a guide to what else the Washington Legislature passed for education

In the end, it wasn’t all about money.

School districts, the powerful state teachers union and education advocacy groups in Washington worked until the final hours of this year’s legislative session to influence the state’s K-12 budget. But before lawmakers approved their 2019-21 spending plan Sunday and packed their bags to head home, they also spent the last few months working on significant policy changes to early learning programs, public schools in general and higher education.

Here’s a roundup of some notable education bills that cleared the Washington Legislature:

Early learning

Senate Bill 5089: Currently, families whose infants and toddlers have disabilities can get early support from the state and the federal Head Start program, but there’s no transition after the children turn 3. SB 5089 expands eligibility for the state’s preschool program to those 3-year-olds.

Senate Bill 5437: Similar to SB 5089, this bill expands eligibility for the state’s preschool program to children from low-income families experiencing other risk factors, including homelessness, domestic violence and incarcerated parents.

K-12 schools

House Bill 1130: Lawmakers unanimously passed this bill to help families of students with disabilities who speak a language other than English. Under HB 1130, school districts must track each family’s preferred language and whether a qualified interpreter joined special education meetings.

House Bill 1599: After years of trying, lawmakers nearly unanimously approved this legislation to eliminate a requirement that students pass high-stakes exams in order to graduate from high school. Under this law, districts have until 2021 to automatically enroll high schoolers in advanced courses depending on their performance in eighth grade.

Senate Bill 5023: In the Seattle school district, teachers have been working to create new curriculum on ethnic studies for preschool through 12th grade. SB 5023 would spread similar materials and resources for grades seven to 12 statewide, while an advisory committee studies how to expand those lessons to elementary schools.

Senate Bill 5324: With unanimous support in both the House and Senate, this bill charges every school to identify one person as responsible for identifying homeless students and connecting them with a district liaison. It also expands a grant program to encourage schools and housing authorities to work together to support homeless youth and students of color.

Senate Bill 5689: In 2016, the state adopted new rules on health education to include lessons on gender identity and expression, including ways to show respect for all people. But SB 5689 would extend anti-bullying protections for transgender students in public schools, while prohibiting discrimination, harassment or intimidation on the basis of gender identity.

Higher education

House Bill 1303: This legislation, which Gov. Jay Inslee already signed into law, makes it easier for single parents who attend college full time and study high-demand fields to access state and federal subsidies to help pay for child care. Beginning August next year, those students no longer have to meet certain work requirements before receiving the child care benefits.

House Bill 1893: While four-year universities often offer short-term loans or grants to students in an unexpected emergency, HB 1893 creates a program for community and technical colleges to help students purchase food or pay for transportation, child care and other services they need to stay in school. Students participating in a work-study program also could apply for food stamps.

Senate Bill 5800: Similar to HB 1893, this legislation would create a pilot program for colleges and universities to provide homeless students with access to short-term housing and housing assistance — especially during breaks. The program would also provide other services including laundry facilities, locker rooms, showers, cheaper meal plans, food banks and more. Students who graduated high school while in the foster care system could also receive the assistance.