wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > SB 5505 > Original Bill
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique set of challenges and circumstances that have tested the K-12 education system. Due to reduced instructional time, educational inequities, and the inability to access technology and educational services, many students have suffered learning loss and a disruption to their educational experience. As a result, the legislature finds that an expanded school calendar will help students address learning loss.
In order for students to have the opportunity to develop the basic education knowledge and skills under RCW 28A.150.210, school districts must provide instruction of sufficient quantity and quality and give students the opportunity to complete graduation requirements that are intended to prepare them for postsecondary education, gainful employment, and citizenship. The program established under this section shall be the minimum instructional program of basic education offered by school districts.
Each school district shall make available to students the following minimum instructional offering each school year:
At least 1,110 instructional hours for students enrolled in grades nine through 12 and at least 1,028 instructional hours for students in grades one through eight, all of which may be calculated by a school district using a district-wide annual average of instructional hours over grades one through 12; and
For students enrolled in kindergarten, at least 1,028 instructional hours .
The instructional program of basic education provided by each school district shall include:
Instruction in the state learning standards under RCW 28A.655.070;
Instruction that provides students the opportunity to complete 24 credits for high school graduation, beginning with the graduating class of 2019 or as otherwise provided in RCW 28A.230.090. Course distribution requirements may be established by the state board of education under RCW 28A.230.090;
If the state learning standards include a requirement of languages other than English, the requirement may be met by students receiving instruction in one or more American Indian languages;
Supplemental instruction and services for students who are not meeting academic standards through the learning assistance program under RCW 28A.165.005 through 28A.165.065;
Supplemental instruction and services for eligible and enrolled students and exited students whose primary language is other than English through the transitional bilingual instruction program under RCW 28A.180.010 through 28A.180.080;
The opportunity for an appropriate education at public expense as defined by RCW 28A.155.020 for all eligible students with disabilities as defined in RCW 28A.155.020; and
Programs for highly capable students under RCW 28A.185.010 through 28A.185.030.
Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to require individual students to attend school for any particular number of hours per day or to take any particular courses.
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Each school district's kindergarten through 12th grade basic educational program shall be accessible to all students who are five years of age, as provided by RCW 28A.225.160, and less than 21 years of age and shall consist of a minimum of 185 school days per school year in such grades as are conducted by a school district.
Schools administering the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills may use up to three school days at the beginning of the school year to meet with parents and families as required in the parent involvement component of the inventory.
In the case of students who are graduating from high school, a school district may schedule the last five school days of the 185-day school year for noninstructional purposes including, but not limited to, the observance of graduation and early release from school upon the request of a student. All such students may be claimed as a full‑time equivalent student to the extent they could otherwise have been so claimed for the purposes of RCW 28A.150.250 and 28A.150.260. Any hours scheduled by a school district for noninstructional purposes during the last five school days for such students shall count toward the instructional hours requirement in subsection (2)(a) of this section.
Subject to RCW 28A.150.276, nothing in this section precludes a school district from enriching the instructional program of basic education, such as offering additional instruction or providing additional services, programs, or activities that the school district determines to be appropriate for the education of the school district's students.
The state board of education shall adopt rules to implement and ensure compliance with the program requirements imposed by this section, RCW 28A.150.250 and 28A.150.260, and such related supplemental program approval requirements as the state board may establish.
In addition to waivers authorized under RCW 28A.300.750, the superintendent of public instruction, in accordance with the criteria in subsection (2) of this section and criteria adopted by the state board of education under subsection (3) of this section, may grant waivers of the requirement for a 185-day school year under RCW 28A.150.220 to school districts that propose to operate one or more schools on a flexible calendar for purposes of economy and efficiency as provided in this section. The requirement under RCW 28A.150.220 that school districts offer minimum instructional hours may not be waived.
A school district seeking a waiver under this section must submit an application to the superintendent of public instruction that includes:
A proposed calendar for the school day and school year that demonstrates how the instructional hour requirement will be maintained;
An explanation and estimate of the economies and efficiencies to be gained from compressing the instructional hours into fewer than 185 days;
An explanation of how monetary savings from the proposal will be redirected to support student learning;
A summary of comments received at one or more public hearings on the proposal and how concerns will be addressed;
An explanation of the impact on students who rely upon free and reduced-price school child nutrition services and the impact on the ability of the child nutrition program to operate an economically independent program;
An explanation of the impact on employees in education support positions and the ability to recruit and retain employees in education support positions;
An explanation of the impact on students whose parents work during the missed school day; and
Other information that the superintendent of public instruction may request to assure that the proposed flexible calendar will not adversely affect student learning.
The state board of education shall adopt rules establishing the criteria to evaluate waiver requests under this section. A waiver may be effective for up to three years and may be renewed for subsequent periods of three or fewer years. After each school year in which a waiver has been granted under this section, the superintendent of public instruction must analyze empirical evidence to determine whether the reduction is affecting student learning. If the superintendent of public instruction determines that student learning is adversely affected, the school district must discontinue the flexible calendar as soon as possible but not later than the beginning of the next school year after the superintendent of public instruction's determination.
The superintendent of public instruction may grant waivers authorized under this section to 10 or fewer school districts with student populations of less than 500 students. Of the 10 waivers that may be granted, two must be reserved for districts with student populations of less than 150 students.
The superintendent of public instruction shall have the power and duty to make such rules and regulations as are necessary for the proper administration of this chapter and RCW 28A.160.150 through 28A.160.210, 28A.300.035, 28A.300.170, and 28A.500.010 not inconsistent with the provisions thereof, and in addition to require such reports as may be necessary to carry out his or her duties under this chapter and RCW 28A.160.150 through 28A.160.210, 28A.300.035, 28A.300.170, and 28A.500.010.
The superintendent of public instruction shall have the authority to make rules and regulations which establish the terms and conditions for allowing school districts to receive state basic education moneys as provided in RCW 28A.150.250 when said districts are unable to fulfill for one or more schools as officially scheduled the requirement of a full school year of 185 days or the annual average total instructional hour offering imposed by RCW 28A.150.220 and 28A.150.260 due to one or more of the following conditions:
An unforeseen natural event, including, but not necessarily limited to, a fire, flood, explosion, storm, earthquake, epidemic, or volcanic eruption that has the direct or indirect effect of rendering one or more school district facilities unsafe, unhealthy, inaccessible, or inoperable; and
An unforeseen mechanical failure or an unforeseen action or inaction by one or more persons, including negligence and threats, that (i) is beyond the control of both a school district board of directors and its employees and (ii) has the direct or indirect effect of rendering one or more school district facilities unsafe, unhealthy, inaccessible, or inoperable. Such actions, inactions or mechanical failures may include, but are not necessarily limited to, arson, vandalism, riots, insurrections, bomb threats, bombings, delays in the scheduled completion of construction projects, and the discontinuance or disruption of utilities such as heating, lighting and water: PROVIDED, That an unforeseen action or inaction shall not include any labor dispute between a school district board of directors and any employee of the school district.
A condition is foreseeable for the purposes of this subsection to the extent a reasonably prudent person would have anticipated prior to August first of the preceding school year that the condition probably would occur during the ensuing school year because of the occurrence of an event or a circumstance which existed during such preceding school year or a prior school year. A board of directors of a school district is deemed for the purposes of this subsection to have knowledge of events and circumstances which are a matter of common knowledge within the school district and of those events and circumstances which can be discovered upon prudent inquiry or inspection.
The superintendent of public instruction shall, upon receipt of an application from a school that is the subject of a state-tribal education compact and that is participating in the pilot project established in RCW 28A.715.800:
Grant a waiver from the requirements for a 185-day school year under RCW 28A.150.220; and
Authorize the school to consider student participation in cultural, fisheries, or agricultural programs as instructional days for the purposes of RCW 28A.150.220(5).
This section expires September 1, 2023.
Every educational service district board shall adopt written policies granting leaves to persons under contracts of employment with the district in positions requiring either certification or classified qualifications, including but not limited to leaves for attendance at official or private institutes and conferences and sabbatical leaves for employees in positions requiring certification qualification, and leaves for illness, injury, bereavement, and emergencies for both certificated and classified employees, with such compensation as the board prescribes. The board shall adopt written policies granting annual leave with compensation for illness, injury, and emergencies as follows:
For persons under contract with the district for a full fiscal year, at least 10 days;
For persons under contract with the district as part-time employees, at least that portion of 10 days as the total number of days contracted for bears to 185 days;
For certificated and classified employees, annual leave with compensation for illness, injury, and emergencies shall be granted and accrue at a rate not to exceed twelve days per fiscal year. Provisions of any contract in force on July 23, 1989, which conflict with requirements of this subsection shall continue in effect until contract expiration; after expiration, any new contract executed between the parties shall be consistent with this subsection;
Compensation for leave for illness or injury actually taken shall be the same as the compensation the person would have received had the person not taken the leave provided in this section;
Leave provided in this section not taken shall accumulate from fiscal year to fiscal year up to a maximum of 185 days for the purposes of RCW 28A.310.490, and for leave purposes up to a maximum of the number of contract days agreed to in a given contract, but not greater than one fiscal year. Such accumulated time may be taken at any time during the fiscal year, or up to 12 days per year may be used for the purpose of payments for unused sick leave; and
Accumulated leave under this section shall be transferred to educational service districts, school districts, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state school for the blind, the Washington center for deaf and hard of hearing youth, institutions of higher education, and community and technical colleges, and from any such district, school, or office to another such district, school, office, institution of higher education, or community or technical college. An intervening customary summer break in employment or the performance of employment duties shall not preclude such a transfer.
Leave accumulated by a person in a district prior to leaving the district may, under rules of the board, be granted to the person when the person returns to the employment of the district.
Leave for illness or injury accumulated before July 23, 1989, under the administrative practices of an educational service district, and such leave transferred before July 23, 1989, to or from an educational service district, school district, or the office of the superintendent of public instruction under the administrative practices of the district or office, is declared valid and shall be added to such leave for illness or injury accumulated after July 23, 1989.
Every board of directors of a school district of the first class, in addition to the general powers for directors enumerated in this title, shall have the power:
To employ for a term of not exceeding three years a superintendent of schools of the district, and for cause to dismiss him or her, and to fix his or her duties and compensation;
To employ, and for cause dismiss one or more assistant superintendents and to define their duties and fix their compensation;
To employ a business manager, attorneys, architects, inspectors of construction, superintendents of buildings and a superintendent of supplies, all of whom shall serve at the board's pleasure, and to prescribe their duties and fix their compensation;
To employ, and for cause dismiss, supervisors of instruction and to define their duties and fix their compensation;
To prescribe a course of study and a program of exercises which shall be consistent with the course of study prepared by the superintendent of public instruction for the use of the common schools of this state;
To, in addition to the minimum requirements imposed by this title establish and maintain such grades and departments, including night, high, kindergarten, vocational training and, except as otherwise provided by law, industrial schools, and schools and departments for the education and training of any class or classes of youth with disabilities, as in the judgment of the board, best shall promote the interests of education in the district;
To determine the length of time over and above 185 days that school shall be maintained, and to fix the time for annual opening and closing of schools and for the daily dismissal of pupils before the regular time for closing schools;
To maintain a shop and repair department, and to employ, and for cause dismiss, a foreman and the necessary help for the maintenance and conduct thereof;
To provide free textbooks and supplies for all children attending school;
To require of the officers or employees of the district to give a bond for the honest performance of their duties in such penal sum as may be fixed by the board with good and sufficient surety, and to cause the premium for all bonds required of all such officers or employees to be paid by the district: PROVIDED, That the board may, by written policy, allow that such bonds may include a deductible proviso not to exceed two percent of the officer's or employee's annual salary;
To prohibit all secret fraternities and sororities among the students in any of the schools of the said districts; and
To appoint a practicing physician, resident of the school district, who shall be known as the school district medical inspector, and whose duty it shall be to decide for the board of directors all questions of sanitation and health affecting the safety and welfare of the public schools of the district who shall serve at the board's pleasure: PROVIDED, That children shall not be required to submit to vaccination against the will of their parents or guardian.
Every board of directors, unless otherwise specially provided by law, shall:
Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, employ for not more than one year, and for sufficient cause discharge all certificated and classified employees;
Adopt written policies granting leaves to persons under contracts of employment with the school district(s) in positions requiring either certification or classified qualifications, including but not limited to leaves for attendance at official or private institutes and conferences and sabbatical leaves for employees in positions requiring certification qualification, and leaves for illness, injury, bereavement and, emergencies for both certificated and classified employees, and with such compensation as the board of directors prescribe. However, the board of directors shall adopt written policies granting to such persons annual leave with compensation for illness, injury and emergencies as follows:
For such persons under contract with the school district for a full year, at least 10 days;
For such persons under contract with the school district as part time employees, at least that portion of 10 days as the total number of days contracted for bears to 185 days;
For certificated and classified employees, annual leave with compensation for illness, injury, and emergencies shall be granted and accrue at a rate not to exceed 12 days per year; provisions of any contract in force on June 12, 1980, which conflict with requirements of this subsection shall continue in effect until contract expiration; after expiration, any new contract executed between the parties shall be consistent with this subsection;
Compensation for leave for illness or injury actually taken shall be the same as the compensation such person would have received had such person not taken the leave provided in this proviso;
Leave provided in this proviso not taken shall accumulate from year to year up to a maximum of 185 days for the purposes of RCW 28A.400.210 and 28A.400.220, and for leave purposes up to a maximum of the number of contract days agreed to in a given contract, but not greater than one year. Such accumulated time may be taken at any time during the school year or up to 12 days per year may be used for the purpose of payments for unused sick leave;
Sick leave heretofore accumulated under section 1, chapter 195, Laws of 1959 (former RCW 28.58.430) and sick leave accumulated under administrative practice of school districts prior to the effective date of section 1, chapter 195, Laws of 1959 (former RCW 28.58.430) is hereby declared valid, and shall be added to leave for illness or injury accumulated under this proviso;
Any leave for injury or illness accumulated up to a maximum of 45 days shall be creditable as service rendered for the purpose of determining the time at which an employee is eligible to retire, if such leave is taken it may not be compensated under the provisions of RCW 28A.400.210 and 28A.310.490;
Accumulated leave under this proviso shall be transferred to and from one district to another, the office of superintendent of public instruction, offices of educational service district superintendents and boards, the state school for the blind, the Washington center for deaf and hard of hearing youth, institutions of higher education, and community and technical colleges, to and from such districts, schools, offices, institutions of higher education, and community and technical colleges;
ix. Leave accumulated by a person in a district prior to leaving said district may, under rules of the board, be granted to such person when the person returns to the employment of the district.
When any certificated or classified employee leaves one school district within the state and commences employment with another school district within the state, the employee shall retain the same seniority, leave benefits and other benefits that the employee had in his or her previous position. However, classified employees who transfer between districts after July 28, 1985, shall not retain any seniority rights other than longevity when leaving one school district and beginning employment with another. If the school district to which the person transfers has a different system for computing seniority, leave benefits, and other benefits, then the employee shall be granted the same seniority, leave benefits and other benefits as a person in that district who has similar occupational status and total years of service.
Notwithstanding subsection (1)(a) of this section, discharges of certificated and classified employees in school districts that are dissolved due to financial insolvency shall be conducted in accordance with RCW 28A.315.229.
The school year for all matters pertaining to teacher certification or for computing experience in teaching shall consist of not fewer than 185 school days.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish a pilot project for one or more schools that are the subject of a state-tribal education compact, schools also known as "tribal compact schools," to implement modifications to requirements governing school attendance, school year length, and assessments. Tribal compact schools that apply to the office of the superintendent of public instruction to participate in the pilot project must be included in the pilot project.
The purpose of the pilot project is to grant participating schools flexibility regarding:
Accommodating cultural, fisheries, and agricultural events and practices; and
Replacing, to the maximum extent permitted by state and federal law, statewide student assessments with locally developed assessments that are culturally relevant, based on community standards, and aligned with the Washington state learning standards.
Schools participating in the pilot project may:
Request a waiver, in accordance with RCW 28A.300.109, to the requirement for a 185-day school year established in RCW 28A.150.220. The waiver requested in accordance with this subsection (3)(a) may be for allowing additional instructional days, including an allowance for year-round instruction;
Develop curricula that links student learning with engagement in cultural, fisheries, and agricultural programs, and aligns with the Washington state learning standards;
Request authorization to consider student participation in cultural, fisheries, or agricultural programs as instructional days for the purposes of RCW 28A.150.220(5);
Replace, to the maximum extent permitted by state and federal law, statewide student assessments with locally developed assessments that are culturally relevant, based on community standards, and aligned with the Washington state learning standards; and
Consider and implement, to the maximum extent permitted by state and federal law, other modifications to requirements as determined by each participating school.
The office of native education within the office of the superintendent of public instruction must collaborate with each tribal compact school participating in the pilot project, including providing technical support and assistance, and review any terms of the compact that relate to the school's implementation of the pilot project.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in establishing the pilot project required by this section, shall explore and pursue options for granting flexibility to participating schools from state and federal requirements, including requirements related to assessments, to further the purpose of the pilot project as expressed in subsection (2) of this section.
If requested by a tribal compact school participating or intending to participate in the pilot project, the superintendent of public instruction shall convene a government-to-government meeting with the tribal compact school for the purpose of revising the compact to reflect the terms of the pilot project. The superintendent of public instruction may also convene a government-to-government meeting on his or her own accord.
Nothing contained in this section is intended or may be construed to limit the amount of funding allocated to tribal compact schools participating in the pilot project.
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Each tribal compact school participating in the pilot project shall submit a report every two years to the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and senate and the office of the superintendent of public instruction, with the first report submitted no later than August 1, 2021.
Reports submitted in accordance with this subsection (8) must include:
Information about student performance on assessments required for state and federal accountability purposes and locally developed assessments under subsection (3)(d) of this section, including differences in student performance between the statewide and locally developed assessments; and
Recommendations for lessening or removing barriers that may affect either student performance on assessments, the effective administration of assessments, or both.
The final report of each participating school must include a recommendation of whether the pilot project should be modified, continued, expanded, or discontinued.
Reports submitted to the house of representatives and the senate in accordance with this subsection (8) must comply with RCW 43.01.036.
The pilot project expires August 1, 2023.
This section expires September 1, 2023.
This act takes effect August 1, 2023.