wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 6260 > Engrossed Substitute
The superintendent shall develop a reimbursement schedule to pay districts for the cost of student transportation vehicles purchased after September 1, 1982. While it is the responsibility of each district to select and pay for each student transportation vehicle purchased by the district, each district shall be paid a sum based on the category of vehicle, anticipated lifetime of vehicles of this category, and state reimbursement rate for the category plus inflation as recognized by the reimbursement schedule established in this section as set by the superintendent. Categories and reimbursement rates of vehicles shall be those established under RCW 28A.160.195. The accumulated value of the payments and the potential investment return thereon shall be designed to be equal to the replacement cost of the vehicle less its salvage value at the end of its anticipated lifetime. Beginning with buses that are scheduled for depreciation payments as of September 2025 and those qualifying for payments after that date, the superintendent shall use a minimum anticipated lifetime of 120 months for category A buses and 180 months for category C and D buses. The superintendent shall revise at least annually the reimbursement payments based on the current and anticipated future cost of comparable categories of transportation equipment. Reimbursements to school districts for approved transportation equipment shall be placed in a separate transportation vehicle fund established for each school district under RCW 28A.160.130. However, educational service districts providing student transportation services pursuant to RCW 28A.310.180(4) and receiving moneys generated pursuant to this section shall establish and maintain a separate transportation vehicle account in the educational service district's general expense fund for the purposes and subject to the conditions under RCW 28A.160.130 and 28A.320.300.
To the extent possible, districts shall operate vehicles acquired under this section not less than the number of years or useful lifetime now, or hereafter, assigned to the category of vehicles by the superintendent. School districts shall properly maintain the transportation equipment acquired under the provisions of this section, in accordance with rules established by the office of the superintendent of public instruction. If a district fails to follow generally accepted standards of maintenance and operation, the superintendent of public instruction shall penalize the district by deducting from future reimbursements under this section an amount equal to the original cost of the vehicle multiplied by the fraction of the useful lifetime or miles the vehicle failed to operate.
The superintendent shall annually develop a depreciation schedule to recognize the cost of depreciation to districts contracting with private carriers for student transportation. Payments on this schedule shall be a straight line depreciation based on the original cost of the appropriate category of vehicle.
If a school district is awarded a federal grant or rebate to purchase a student transportation vehicle, the superintendent shall adjust the district's reimbursement payments generated by that purchase by reducing the quote for that category of vehicles by the amount of the grant or rebate.
Students participating in running start programs may be funded up to a combined maximum enrollment of 1.4 full-time equivalents in the 2025-26 school year and 1.2 full-time equivalents in subsequent years, including school district and institution of higher education enrollment.
In calculating the combined full-time equivalents, the office of the superintendent of public instruction:
Must adopt rules to fund the participating student's enrollment in running start courses provided by the institution of higher education during the summer academic term, up to a maximum of 10 college credits per student per summer academic term; and
May average the participating student's September through June enrollment to account for differences in the start and end dates for courses provided by the high school and the institution of higher education.
Running start programs as a service delivery model and associated funding levels beyond 1.0 full-time equivalent per student are not part of the state's statutory program of basic education under chapter 28A.150 RCW.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the state board for community and technical colleges, the participating institutions of higher education, the student achievement council, and the education data center, must annually track, and report to the fiscal committees of the legislature, the combined full-time equivalent experience of students participating in running start programs, including course load analyses and enrollments by high school and participating institutions of higher education.
The intent of the legislature is to continue and rename transitional kindergarten as the transition to kindergarten program and that the program be established in statute with the goal of assisting eligible children in need of additional preparation to be successful kindergarten students in the following school year. The transition to kindergarten program is not part of the state's statutory program of basic education under RCW 28A.150.200.
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The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall administer the transition to kindergarten program and shall adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW for the administration of, the allocation of state funding for, and minimum standards and requirements for the transition to kindergarten program in accordance with this section.
When developing rules related to the allocation of state funding, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish criteria for prioritizing transition to kindergarten programs already operating in the prior school year and areas identified in the needs assessment required by subsection (3)(d) of this section as having the greatest need because of lack of availability of other early learning providers.
School districts, charter schools , and state-tribal education compact schools operating a transition to kindergarten program shall adopt policies regarding eligibility, recruitment, and enrollment for this program that, at a minimum, meet the requirements of subsection (3) of this section.
The rules adopted under subsection (2) of this section must include, at a minimum, the following requirements for school districts, charter schools , and state-tribal education compact schools operating a transition to kindergarten program:
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(A) Have been determined to benefit from additional preparation for kindergarten; and
(B) Are at least four years old by August 31st of the school year they enroll in the transition to kindergarten program;
ii. A requirement, as practicable, for school districts, charter schools , and state-tribal education compact schools to prioritize families with the lowest incomes and children most in need for additional preparation to be successful in kindergarten when enrolling eligible children in a transition to kindergarten program;
iii. Access to the transition to kindergarten program does not constitute an individual entitlement for any particular child.
b. Except for children who have been excused from participation by their parents or legal guardians, a requirement that the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills as established by RCW 28A.655.080 be administered to all eligible children enrolled in a transition to kindergarten program at the beginning of the child's enrollment in the program and at least one more time during the school year;
c. A requirement that all eligible children enrolled in a transition to kindergarten program be assigned a statewide student identifier and that the transition to kindergarten program be considered a separate class or course for the purposes of data reporting requirements in RCW 28A.320.175;
d. A requirement that a local child care and early learning needs assessment is conducted before beginning or expanding a transition to kindergarten program that considers the existing availability and affordability of early learning providers, such as the early childhood education and assistance programs, head start programs, and licensed child care centers and family home providers in the region. Data available through the regionalized data dashboard maintained by the department of children, youth, and families or any other appropriate sources may be used to inform the needs assessment required by this subsection;
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i. A requirement that school districts, charter schools , and state-tribal education compact schools adhere to guidelines, as developed by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, related to:
(A) Best practices for site readiness of facilities that are used for the program;
(B) Developmentally appropriate curricula designed to assist in maintaining high quality programs; and
(C) Professional development opportunities;
ii. The office of the superintendent of public instruction must develop a process for conducting site visits of any school district, charter school , or state-tribal education compact school operating a transition to kindergarten program and provide feedback on elements listed in this subsection (3)(e);
f. Authorization to charge tuition or sliding scale fees for enrollment in a transition to kindergarten program, except to children with disabilities entitled to a free appropriate public education in accordance with the federal individuals with disabilities education act and chapter 28A.155 RCW; and
g. A prohibition on establishing a policy of excluding an eligible child due only to the presence of a disability.
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The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in collaboration with the department of children, youth, and families, shall develop statewide coordinated eligibility, recruitment, enrollment, and selection best practices and provide technical assistance to those implementing a transition to kindergarten program to support connections with local early learning providers.
School districts, charter schools , and state-tribal education compact schools must consider the best practices developed under this subsection (4) when adopting the policies required under subsection (2)(b) of this section.
Nothing in this section prohibits school districts, charter schools , and state-tribal education compact schools from blending or colocating a transition to kindergarten program with other early learning programs.
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Funding for the transition to kindergarten program is limited to the amounts provided in the omnibus appropriations act and must be allocated to school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools based on the prioritized criteria developed by the office of the superintendent of public instruction under subsection (2)(a)(ii) of this section.
Allocations for the transition to kindergarten program are based on the following formulas:
The distribution formula established under RCW 28A.150.260 (4)(a), (5), (6), (8), and (10)(a) and (b), calculated using the actual number of annual average full-time equivalent eligible children enrolled in the program; and
The distribution formula developed in RCW 28A.160.150 through 28A.160.192, calculated using reported ridership for eligible children enrolled in the program.
A transition to kindergarten child must be counted as a kindergarten student for purposes of the funding calculations referenced in this subsection and for purposes of calculating special education funding under RCW 28A.150.390(2)(b), but children enrolled in this program must be reported separately.
Funding provided for the transition to kindergarten program is not part of the state's statutory program of basic education under RCW 28A.150.200 and must be expended only for the support of operating a transition to kindergarten program.
This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.