wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 1637 > Original Bill
The legislature finds that the safety and well-being of our students, educators, and school communities is not just a priority, it is a fundamental necessity. Across Washington state, the alarming statistics tell a grim story: At least 18 percent of students report feeling unsafe on school grounds and some have reported not attending school out of fear. Over 30 percent of students are not regularly attending school, and a staggering 70 percent of teachers report being afraid to go to work each day. More troubling still, 79 percent of teachers report having been subjected to physical violence, and 67 percent say that this violence has pushed them to the brink of leaving the profession. The legislature understands that it cannot continue to turn a blind eye to these realities.
To begin to confront this crisis, the legislature intends to create a school safety data dashboard that will be accessible to the public, policymakers, schools, and parents. The purpose of this dashboard is to provide data on all school safety incidents, ensuring transparency and accountability. By gathering these statistics for the first time and making them easily accessible, the legislature intends to identify school districts and public schools that are struggling, and target supports to address local safety concerns and vulnerabilities. The legislature plans to hold school districts accountable for the safety of our children and the well-being of our educators, which starts with knowing where the problems lie.
The legislature recognizes that to improve public school safety, investments in school facility security enhancements are necessary. Therefore, the legislature intends to establish school safety and security grants to help schools physically secure their buildings with a number of project types, including purchase and installation of facility key card access, remote door access, door locks, panic buttons, fencing, and more. Every public school should have the resources it needs to create a safe and secure learning environment for its students and staff.
Further, it is the intent of the legislature to provide every public school in Washington with the resources to employ a full-time school resource officer to promote a safe learning environment and to protect the safety and welfare of all students and school personnel. The presence of trained, professional security personnel is essential to creating an environment where students can focus on their education without fear and where educational staff can do their jobs without the threat of violence or disruption. School resource officers not only respond to emergencies, but also play a proactive role in building positive relationships with students, de-escalating potential conflicts, and fostering a culture of respect and responsibility within the school community. By ensuring that every school has a dedicated school resource officer, the state is taking a critical step toward safeguarding our schools and ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed in a secure environment.
However, the legislature recognizes that it is not enough to simply address physical security measures, but it must also reform student discipline policies to make schools conducive to learning and free from disruptions and violence. Teachers should be empowered to maintain order in their classrooms, and students should understand the consequences of harmful behavior. Therefore, the legislature further intends to foster better working relationships between school administrators and teachers in disciplinary decision making in order to create an environment where every student can thrive academically.
The legislature acknowledges that, in 2019, bipartisan legislation was enacted to make comprehensive school safety reforms. Therefore, the legislature intends to require an evaluation of these reforms so that stakeholders and policymakers have a clearer picture on the use and effectiveness of those policies.
Finally, the legislature finds that the crisis facing our schools is undeniable and demands immediate action. As Washington faces the growing trend of students leaving public schools, whether through increasing private school enrollment or home-based instruction, the legislature must take action. Every child deserves to learn in a safe, secure, and supportive environment. The legislature believes this act will ensure that our schools are not only places of education, but places where students, teachers, and staff feel safe, respected, and valued.
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The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish and maintain on its website a school safety dashboard. The purpose of the dashboard is to both: Enable the public to review annually updated school safety data for the state and for each public school and school district; and use the data to annually rate public schools and school districts using a state safety rating system.
In meeting the requirements of this section, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must examine and consider the practices of other states in establishing comparable dashboards.
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Annually, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall update the school safety dashboard to display the number of incidents involving public school students on public school property sorted by behavioral violation and severity level as follows:
Type six – firearm;
Type five - assault II, sexual assault, illicit drug distribution, possession of a weapon, robbery, assault of teacher, and safety II;
Type four - assault I, fighting with major injury, sexual harassment, discriminatory harassment, malicious harassment, arson, marijuana distribution, alcohol distribution, gang intimidation or activity, and safety I;
Type three - bullying, fighting without major injury, illicit drug possession or use, marijuana possession or use, alcohol possession or use, tobacco distribution, theft, or other III;
Type two - destruction of property, physical aggression, tobacco possession or use, failure to cooperate, sexually inappropriate conduct, disruptive conduct II, or other II; and
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The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish a state safety rating system. Annually, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall analyze the data submitted by the public schools as required by subsection (4) of this section and rate school districts and public schools using the state safety rating system.
Annually, following the rating under (a) of this subsection (3), the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall notify the regional school safety centers, so that resources available under RCW 28A.310.510 can be prioritized to the school districts and public schools with the most vulnerable students and staff.
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Beginning September 2025, each public school shall collect and submit any school safety incident data that the office of the superintendent of public instruction needs for the school safety dashboard through the statewide student data system.
Data must be collected and submitted in compliance with standards for school data systems developed under RCW 28A.300.505 and the data protocols and guidance of the K-12 data governance group established in RCW 28A.300.507.
For purposes of this section, "public school" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.150.010.
To the extent that state or federal funding is appropriated or otherwise allocated for school safety purposes, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall prioritize the funds to school districts and public schools rated as having the most vulnerable students and staff under section 2 of this act.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall administer a school safety capital grant program as provided for in this section and shall adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW for the administration of the program.
Project eligibility.
Grants provided pursuant to this section may only be awarded for school safety projects that make physical improvements intended to advance the safety or security of a school facility. Examples of eligible project types under this section include: (i) Design and construction of security vestibules; (ii) purchase and installation of metal detectors, facility key card access, remote door access, panic buttons, or silent alarms; (iii) fencing; (iv) lighting; and (v) crime prevention through environmental design projects.
Grantees must use grants awarded under this section to incorporate, to the extent applicable to the project type, crime prevention through environmental design principles.
Applicant eligibility. Common schools, state-tribal education compact schools, and charter schools are eligible to apply for grants under this section. For charter schools, the office of the superintendent of public instruction may award grants only from funding sources other than the common school construction fund.
Application process. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop a competitive grant application process and assist eligible applicants in matters related to applying for grants under this section.
Administration.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction may use up to three percent of amounts appropriated for the grant program under this section for costs that result from administration of the program.
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall award grants under this section on a competitive basis.
Prior to receiving funding, applicants for a grant under this section must demonstrate that the project site is under their control for a minimum of 10 years, either through ownership or a long-term lease.
In contracts for grants authorized under this section, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall include provisions that require that capital improvements be held by the grantee for a specified period of time appropriate to the amount of the grant and that facilities be used for the express purpose of the grant. If the office of the superintendent of public instruction finds the grantee to be out of compliance with provisions of the contract, the grantee shall repay the amount of the grant award to the appropriate state fund, as determined by the office of the superintendent of public instruction. If the source of grant funding was general obligation bonds, then the repayment required for grant noncompliance under this subsection must be made to the state general fund and must include the principal amount of the grant plus interest calculated at the rate of interest on state of Washington general obligation bonds issued most closely to the date of authorization of the grant.
Maximum project cost. Projects receiving a grant award under this section must have a total estimated project cost of $1,000,000 or less.
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In addition to amounts allocated under RCW 28A.150.260, the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate to school districts state funding sufficient for one school resource officer on each school campus.
The allocation for a school resource officer's annual salary under this section is $85,000, adjusted for inflation from the 2025-26 school year as provided in RCW 28A.400.205 and the classified regionalization factor of the school district in which the school campus is located. Allocations for fringe benefits and insurance benefits must be calculated using rates specified in the omnibus appropriations act for classified staff.
Amounts allocated under this section may be used only to support school resource officers or safety and security staff on school campuses. Funding provided under this section is part of the state's statutory program of basic education under RCW 28A.150.200.
For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
"Safety and security staff" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.320.124.
"School campus" means a school facility, as defined in rules of the superintendent of public instruction adopted under RCW 28A.525.020, that is used primarily for in-person instruction of students in any grade level from kindergarten through 12th grade.
"School resource officer" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.320.124.
The legislature intends that state funding for charter schools be distributed equitably with state funding provided for other public schools.
For eligible students enrolled in a charter school established and operating in accordance with this chapter, the superintendent of public instruction shall transmit to each charter school an amount calculated as provided in this section and based on the statewide average salaries set forth in RCW 28A.150.410 for certificated instructional staff adjusted by the regionalization factor that applies to the school district in which the charter school is geographically located, including any enrichment to those statutory formulae that is specified in the omnibus appropriations act. The amount must be the sum of (a) and (b) of this subsection.
The superintendent shall, for purposes of making distributions under this section, separately calculate and distribute to charter schools moneys appropriated for general apportionment under the same ratios as in RCW 28A.150.260 and school resource officers under section 5 of this act.
The superintendent also shall, for purposes of making distributions under this section, and in accordance with the applicable formulae for categorical programs specified in (b)(i) through (v) of this subsection (2) and any enrichment to those statutory formulae that is specified in the omnibus appropriations act, separately calculate and distribute moneys appropriated by the legislature to charter schools for:
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;
Programs for highly capable students under RCW 28A.185.010 through 28A.185.030; and
Pupil transportation services to and from school in accordance with RCW 28A.160.150 through 28A.160.180. Distributions for pupil transportation must be calculated on a per eligible student basis based on the allocation for the previous school year to the school district in which the charter school is located.
The superintendent of public instruction must adopt rules necessary for the distribution of funding required by this section and to comply with federal reporting requirements.
A school that is the subject of a state-tribal education compact must report student enrollment. Reporting must be done in the same manner and use the same definitions of enrolled students and annual average full-time equivalent enrollment as is required of school districts. The reporting requirements in this subsection are required for a school to receive state or federal funding that is allocated based on student characteristics.
Funding for a school that is the subject of a state-tribal education compact shall be apportioned by the superintendent of public instruction according to the schedule established under RCW 28A.510.250, including general apportionment, special education, categorical, and other nonbasic education moneys. Allocations for certificated instructional staff must be based on the statewide average salary set forth in RCW 28A.150.410 and for school resource officers must be based on section 5 of this act, adjusted by the regionalization factor that applies to the school district in which the school is located. Allocations for classified staff and certificated administrative staff must be based on the salary allocations of the school district in which the school is located as set forth in RCW 28A.150.410, adjusted by the regionalization factor that applies to the school district in which the school is located. Nothing in this section requires a school that is the subject of a state-tribal education compact to use the statewide salary allocation schedule. Such a school is eligible to apply for state grants on the same basis as a school district.
Any moneys received by a school that is the subject of a state-tribal education compact from any source that remain in the school's accounts at the end of any budget year must remain in the school's accounts for use by the school during subsequent budget years.
The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt and distribute to all school districts lawful and reasonable rules prescribing the substantive and procedural due process guarantees of pupils in the common schools. Such rules shall authorize a school district to use informal due process procedures in connection with the short-term suspension of students to the extent constitutionally permissible: PROVIDED, That the superintendent of public instruction deems the interest of students to be adequately protected. When a student suspension or expulsion is appealed, the rules shall authorize a school district to impose the suspension or expulsion temporarily after an initial hearing for no more than 10 consecutive school days or until the appeal is decided, whichever is earlier. Any days that the student is temporarily suspended or expelled before the appeal is decided shall be applied to the term of the student suspension or expulsion and shall not limit or extend the term of the student suspension or expulsion. An expulsion or suspension of a student may not be for an indefinite period of time.
Short-term suspension procedures may be used for suspensions of students up to and including, 10 consecutive school days.
Emergency removals must end or be converted to another form of corrective action within 10 school days from the date of the emergency removal from school. Notice and due process rights must be provided when an emergency removal is converted to another form of corrective action.
School districts may not impose long-term suspension or expulsion as a form of discretionary discipline.
Any imposition of discretionary and nondiscretionary discipline is subject to the bar on suspending the provision of educational services pursuant to subsection (8) of this section.
As used in this chapter, "discretionary discipline" means a disciplinary action taken by a school district for student behavior that violates rules of student conduct adopted by a school district board of directors under RCW 28A.600.010 and this section, but does not constitute action taken in response to any of the following:
A violation of RCW 28A.600.420;
An offense in RCW 13.04.155;
Two or more violations of RCW 9A.46.120, 9.41.280, 28A.600.455, 28A.635.020, or 28A.635.060 within a three-year period;
Behavior that adversely impacts the health or safety of other students or educational staff; or
Behavior that diminishes or impedes the educational opportunity of another student.
Except as provided in RCW 28A.600.420, school districts are not required to impose long-term suspension or expulsion for behavior that constitutes a violation or offense listed under subsection (6)(a) through (e) of this section and should first consider alternative actions.
School districts may not suspend the provision of educational services to a student as a disciplinary action. A student may be excluded from a particular classroom or instructional or activity area for the period of suspension or expulsion, but the school district must provide an opportunity for a student to receive educational services during a period of suspension or expulsion.
Nothing in this section creates any civil liability for school districts, or creates a new cause of action or new theory of negligence against a school district board of directors, a school district, or the state.
The rules adopted pursuant to RCW 28A.600.010 shall be interpreted to ensure that the optimum learning atmosphere of the classroom is maintained, and that the highest consideration is given to the judgment of qualified certificated educators regarding conditions necessary to maintain the optimum learning atmosphere.
Any student who creates a disruption of the educational process in violation of the building disciplinary standards while under a teacher's immediate supervision may be excluded by the teacher from his or her individual classroom and instructional or activity area until the principal or designee and teacher have conferred. Except in emergency circumstances, the teacher first must attempt one or more alternative forms of corrective action. In no event may an excluded student return to the class without the consent of the classroom teacher.
In order to preserve a beneficial learning environment for all students and to maintain good order and discipline in each classroom, every school district board of directors shall provide that written procedures are developed for administering discipline at each school within the district. Such procedures shall be developed with the participation of parents and the community, and shall provide that the teacher, principal or designee, and other authorities designated by the board of directors, make every reasonable attempt to involve the parent or guardian and the student in the resolution of student discipline problems. Such procedures shall provide that students may be excluded from their individual classes or activities for periods of time in excess of that provided in subsection (2) of this section if such students have repeatedly disrupted the learning of other students. The procedures must be consistent with the rules of the superintendent of public instruction and must provide for early involvement of parents in attempts to improve the student's behavior.
The procedures shall assure, pursuant to RCW 28A.400.110, that all staff work cooperatively toward consistent enforcement of proper student behavior throughout each school as well as within each classroom.
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A principal shall consider imposing long-term suspension or expulsion as a sanction when deciding the appropriate disciplinary action for a student who, after July 27, 1997:
Engages in two or more violations within a three-year period of RCW 9A.46.120, 28A.600.455, 28A.600.460, 28A.635.020, 28A.600.020, 28A.635.060, or 9.41.280;
Engages in one or more of the offenses listed in RCW 13.04.155; or
Repeatedly engages in behavior that diminishes or impedes the educational opportunity of another student.
The principal shall communicate the disciplinary action taken by the principal to the school personnel who referred the student to the principal for disciplinary action.
Any corrective action involving a suspension or expulsion from school for more than 10 days must have an end date of not more than the length of an academic term, as defined by the school board, from the time of corrective action. Districts shall make reasonable efforts to assist students and parents in returning to an educational setting prior to and no later than the end date of the corrective action. Where warranted based on public health or safety, a school may petition the superintendent of the school district, pursuant to policies and procedures adopted by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, for authorization to exceed the academic term limitation provided in this subsection. The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules outlining the limited circumstances in which a school may petition to exceed the academic term limitation, including safeguards to ensure that the school district has made every effort to plan for the student's return to school. School districts shall report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction the number of petitions made to the school board and the number of petitions granted on an annual basis.
Nothing in this section prevents a public school district, educational service district, the Washington center for deaf and hard of hearing youth, or the state school for the blind if it has suspended or expelled a student from the student's regular school setting from providing educational services to the student in an alternative setting or modifying the suspension or expulsion on a case-by-case basis. An alternative setting should be comparable, equitable, and appropriate to the regular education services a student would have received without the exclusionary discipline. Example alternative settings include alternative high schools, one-on-one tutoring, and online learning.
School district boards of directors shall adopt policies that restore discipline to the classroom. Such policies must provide for at least the following: Allowing each teacher to take disciplinary action to correct a student who disrupts normal classroom activities, abuses or insults a teacher as prohibited by RCW 28A.635.010, willfully disobeys a teacher, uses abusive or foul language directed at a school district employee, school volunteer, or another student, violates school rules, or who interferes with an orderly education process. Disciplinary action may include, but is not limited to: Oral or written reprimands; classroom exclusion as described in RCW 28A.600.020; written notification to parents of disruptive behavior, a copy of which must be provided to the principal.
A student committing an offense under chapter 9A.36, 9A.40, 9A.46, or 9A.48 RCW when the activity is directed toward the teacher, shall not be assigned to that teacher's classroom for the duration of the student's attendance at that school or any other school where the teacher is assigned.
A student who commits an offense under chapter 9A.36, 9A.40, 9A.46, or 9A.48 RCW, when directed toward another student, may be removed from the classroom of the victim for the duration of the student's attendance at that school or any other school where the victim is enrolled. A student who commits an offense under one of the chapters enumerated in this section against a student or another school employee, may be expelled or suspended.
Nothing in this section is intended to limit the authority of a school under existing law and rules to expel or suspend a student for misconduct or criminal behavior.
All school districts must collect data on disciplinary actions taken in each school and must record these actions using the statewide student data system, based on the data collection standards established by the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the K-12 data governance group. The information shall be made available to the public, but public release of the data shall not include personally identifiable information including, but not limited to, a student's social security number, name, or address.
In order to ensure that public schools and school districts are meeting the requirements of RCW 28A.320.125 relating to comprehensive safe school plans, RCW 28A.320.127 related to plans for recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students, and RCW 28A.320.123 relating to school-based threat assessment programs, the superintendent of public instruction shall monitor these programs no less than once every five years.
The superintendent of public instruction must consult with interested stakeholders to develop data collection and submission requirements for school districts as they relate to RCW 28A.320.125 relating to comprehensive safe school plans, RCW 28A.320.127 related to plans for recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students, and RCW 28A.320.123 relating to school-based threat assessment programs.
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The superintendent of public instruction may adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW to implement this section.
The joint committee shall conduct program audits of public schools and school districts' compliance with the requirements of: (a) RCW 28A.320.123 relating to school-based threat assessment programs; (b) RCW 28A.320.125 relating to comprehensive safe school plans; and (c) RCW 28A.320.127 related to plans for recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students. In conducting the audits, the joint committee shall identify best practices for implementing the plans and programs.
During the initial phase of the program audit, the joint committee and the office of the superintendent of public instruction must collaborate to identify any data or other information that will be needed for the program audits. Data or other information needed for the program audits must be provided by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, school districts, and public schools.
By November 1, 2030, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the joint committee shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the appropriate committees of the legislature.
This section expires August 1, 2031.
Sections 5 through 7 of this act take effect September 1, 2025.
This act may be known and cited as the securing academic facilities and enhancing learning (SAFE-Learn) act.