wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 6089 > Original Bill
The legislature recognizes that equitable and accessible pathways across Washington's P20W system require greater alignment and coordination among state agencies, educational institutions, and workforce partners. The legislature further acknowledges the significant role that the philanthropic community can play in advancing efforts from early learning through K-12 education, postsecondary education, and into the workforce. At each transition point in the continuum, opportunities exist to strengthen internal coordination and build upon ongoing initiatives across the sectors. The legislature also recognizes that the absence of shared metrics to assess statewide progress and accountability toward common goals limits the P20W system's ability to achieve equitable outcomes for all Washingtonians and may make it difficult for the philanthropic community to understand where their efforts could make the most impact within the entirety of the system.
The legislature therefore intends to enhance Washington's education and workforce landscape by establishing a structured partnership between the state and the philanthropic community. This partnership is intended to identify, elevate, and support the work and visions already being pursued across the P20W continuum, and to create an official venue for aligning funding priorities, coordinating efforts, and fostering collaboration. Through this partnership, the state and the philanthropic community will work together to strengthen existing initiatives and communicate shared priorities in a clear and coordinated manner to the broader public.
The legislature further intends to review and compile the ongoing and historical work of state agencies, councils, and advisory boards to identify current goals, strategies, and plans. Building upon this foundation, the state, in collaboration with the philanthropic community, will determine where targeted partnerships can advance, expand, or better support policies and programs that align with shared commitments of equity and student success. The legislature intends that this process will strengthen and update Washington's P20W system to address the state's evolving needs, support long-term implementation of these shared priorities, and increase transparency and public understanding of the system's direction.
The legislature finds that improved alignment, coordination, and transparent communication, supported through strong state-philanthropic partnerships, will enhance student preparation for an increasingly global economy and ensure Washington continues to lead in providing a robust, inclusive P20W system from early learning through K-12 education, postsecondary pathways, and the workforce.
For the purposes of this section and section 3 of this act, "P20W" means prekindergarten to grade 20 to workforce and encompasses the transitions from early learning to K-12 education to postsecondary education and career pathways to workforce. Career pathways include, but are not limited to, apprenticeships, certification, and licensure programs.
The P20W public-private partnership account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from gifts, grants, or endowments from public or private sources, federal funds, any appropriations made by the legislature, or other sources for the purposes specified in subsection (3) of this section and section 3 of this act must be deposited in the account.
Expenditures from the account may be used only for:
The office of financial management to contract with a nonprofit organization with expertise in national and Washington state comparative education policy development to identify ongoing and historical work undertaken by state agencies, councils, advisory boards, and the philanthropic community related to the P20W system. The contracted nonprofit organization shall facilitate increased coordination and alignment between the state and the philanthropic community in support of implementing the state's P20W vision; and
The office of financial management to contract with a nonprofit organization with relevant expertise related to Washington data systems to create a public-facing P20W data dashboard.
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The activities described in this section must be conducted under a contract that is in accordance with section 3 of this act, and the office of financial management and any selected nonprofit organization must negotiate specific performance expectations.
The office of financial management may contract with the same nonprofit organization for both purposes described in subsection (3) of this section but is not required to do so.
Only the director of the office of financial management or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to the allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.
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A nonprofit organization receiving funding from the P20W public-private partnership account under section 2(3)(a) of this act must convene an advisory group with stakeholders representing the P20W system. In developing its recommendations required in (b) of this subsection, the advisory committee must engage with representatives of tribes and subgroups representing the regional, racial, and cultural diversity of all children and families in Washington state, including those with specialized needs.
The advisory group must develop recommendations related to the state's P20W education vision, including:
A plan for coordinating and aligning new philanthropic contributions in a manner that best complements the state's ongoing investments across the P20W system, ensuring that such resources are used effectively to advance shared statewide goals;
Aligning systems and existing efforts within each sector of the P20W system to improve academic achievement;
Increasing postsecondary access and economic mobility opportunities;
Improving the use of existing data and measurements, including reviewing the statewide indicators of educational system health established under RCW 28A.150.550 and other relevant performance indicators within each sector of the P20W system, and determining if these indicators could be updated and more connected with the P20W system;
Increasing public transparency and identifying ways to better communicate the state's P20W education vision to students, families, and the broader community;
Fostering innovative approaches to education; and
Easing the transition from early learning to K-12 education to postsecondary education and career pathways to workforce.
By July 1, 2027, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the nonprofit organization must submit a report to the relevant committees of the legislature and the philanthropic community with the advisory group's recommendations under (b) of this subsection.
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By November 1, 2027, a nonprofit organization receiving funding from the P20W public-private partnership account under section 2(3)(b) of this act must create a public-facing P20W data dashboard for the public that connects existing data systems and makes this data more accessible for the public to see how the state is making progress on its P20W education vision.
The nonprofit organization must take into account the relevant work already under way at state agencies and any existing state data or data dashboards available.
The dashboard must include reporting on students' educational outcomes for diverse student populations, including students with disabilities, English learners, students of color, and students from low-income families. The dashboard must include multiple measures of system inputs, milestones, student well-being, early learning, and student progress toward career and college readiness, to the extent data is available. The data provided in the dashboard must be disaggregated as provided under RCW 28A.300.042(1), to the extent data is available.
(1) Money in the treasurer's trust fund may be deposited, invested, and reinvested by the state treasurer in accordance with RCW 43.84.080 in the same manner and to the same extent as if the money were in the state treasury, and may be commingled with moneys in the state treasury for cash management and cash balance purposes.
(1) Money in the treasurer's trust fund may be deposited, invested, and reinvested by the state treasurer in accordance with RCW 43.84.080 in the same manner and to the same extent as if the money were in the state treasury, and may be commingled with moneys in the state treasury for cash management and cash balance purposes.
Section 4 of this act expires July 1, 2030.
Section 5 of this act takes effect July 1, 2030.