Student transportation

AN ACT Relating to providing adequate and predictable student 1
transportation; amending RCW 28A.160.170; and adding new sections to 2
chapter 28A.160 RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.160 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
(1) The legislature recognizes that many school districts do not 7
receive adequate funding for student transportation under the current 8
student transportation allocation reporting system formula. The 9
legislature further finds that the formula does not provide 10
sufficient funding to address the needs of special student 11
populations, including students receiving special education services, 12
students experiencing homelessness, students in foster care, and 13
students attending skill centers. Furthermore, the formula does not 14
address the unique transportation challenges faced by rural and high 15
population density urban districts. Therefore, the legislature 16
intends to direct the office of the superintendent of public 17
instruction to gather and disaggregate student transportation data 18
and develop a comprehensive funding model that is inclusive of the 19
diverse needs of students and school districts. 20
H-0637.1
HOUSE BILL 1579
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Nance, Parshley, Simmons, Scott, Doglio, and
Salahuddin
Read first time 01/24/25. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
p. 1 HB 1579
(2) The legislature also recognizes the increased costs of 1
transporting students experiencing homelessness due to the heavy 2
reliance on individualized transport systems to get these students to 3
and from school. To address this, the legislature intends to 4
establish a flat rate funding model that allocates per-pupil funding 5
for qualifying students. 6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.160 7
RCW to read as follows: 8
(1) By June 1, 2028, the office of the superintendent of public 9
instruction must provide an analysis of school district 10
transportation costs and allocations following the 2026-27 school 11
year to the education and fiscal committees of the legislature. This 12
analysis must include the mileage, ridership, and costs for each 13
district, disaggregated by the following student demographic 14
categories: (a) Students requiring special transportation services to 15
access special education services that are documented in a properly 16
formed and approved individualized education program; (b) students 17
requiring special transportation due to requirements of the McKinney 18
Vento homeless assistance act or other federal program; (c) students 19
requiring special transportation due to a foster care placement out 20
of their regular school district boundary; (d) students attending 21
skill centers; and (e) all other students transported to and from 22
school. 23
(2)(a) The office of the superintendent of public instruction 24
must use the analysis conducted in subsection (1) of this section to 25
develop a transparent, predictable, and comprehensive student 26
transportation funding model that addresses the diverse needs of 27
students and the unique characteristics of school districts.28
(b) The new funding model must be inclusive of student 29
transportation services for the following demographic groups: (i) 30
Students requiring special transportation services to access special 31
education services that are documented in a properly formed and 32
approved individualized education program; (ii) students requiring 33
special transportation due to requirements of the McKinney Vento 34
homeless assistance act or other federal program; (iii) students 35
requiring special transportation due to a foster care placement out 36
of their regular school district boundary; and (iv) students 37
attending skill centers. 38
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(c) The new funding model must include mechanisms to address the 1
unique transportation challenges faced by high population density 2
urban school districts and rural, geographically large districts that 3
have a relatively low number of schools in proportion to the 4
geographic size of the school district. 5
(d) This section is not intended to limit the factors, variables, 6
demographic groups, or district characteristics that may be addressed 7
by the office of the superintendent of public instruction when 8
developing a new student transportation funding model.9
Sec. 3. RCW 28A.160.170 and 2021 c 234 s 3 are each amended to 10
read as follows: 11
Each district shall submit three times each year to the 12
superintendent of public instruction during October, February, and 13
May of each year a report containing the following:14
(1)(a) The number of eligible students transported to and from 15
school as provided for in RCW 28A.160.150, along with identification 16
of stop locations and school locations((, and));17
(b) ((the)) The number of miles driven for pupil transportation 18
services as authorized in RCW 28A.160.150 the previous school year; 19
and 20
(c) The number of students requiring special transportation due 21
to requirements of the McKinney Vento homeless assistance act.22
(2) Other operational data and descriptions as required by the 23
superintendent to determine allocation requirements for each 24
district. The superintendent shall require that districts separate 25
the costs of operating the program for the transportation of eligible 26
students to and from school as defined by RCW 28A.160.160(3), non-to-27
and-from-school pupil transportation costs, and costs to provide 28
expanded services under RCW 28A.160.185(1) in the annual financial 29
statement. The cost, quantity, and type of all fuel purchased by 30
school districts for use in to-and-from-school transportation shall 31
be included in the annual financial statement. 32
Each district shall submit the information required in this 33
section on a timely basis as a condition of the continuing receipt of 34
school transportation moneys. 35
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 28A.160 36
RCW to read as follows: 37
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(1) In addition to the pupil transportation allocations provided 1
under this chapter, the superintendent of public instruction shall 2
provide additional funds to support the alternative transportation 3
costs associated with ensuring students experiencing homelessness are 4
transported to and from school. 5
(2) Funds allocated to school districts under this section must 6
be equal to $400 for each student that requires special 7
transportation due to the requirements of the McKinney Vento homeless 8
assistance act, as reported under RCW 28A.160.170, and may only be 9
used to address transportation costs associated with such students.10
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