Local effort assistance

AN ACT Relating to increasing local effort assistance to align 1
with enrichment levies; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.500.015; and 2
providing an effective date. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 28A.500.015 and 2025 c 405 s 1 and 2025 c 404 s 2 5
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows: 6
(1) Beginning in calendar year ((2020)) 2027 and each calendar 7
year thereafter, the state must provide state local effort assistance 8
funding to supplement school district enrichment levies as provided 9
in this section. 10
(2)(a) For an eligible school district ((with an actual 11
enrichment levy rate that is less than $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed 12
value in the school district, the )), annual local effort assistance 13
funding is equal to the school district's maximum local effort 14
assistance multiplied by a fraction equal to the school district's 15
actual enrichment levy rate divided by (($1.50)) $2.50 per $1,000 of 16
assessed value in the school district. 17
(b) ((For an eligible school district with an actual enrichment 18
levy rate that is equal to or greater than $1.50 per $1,000 of 19
assessed value in the school district, the annual local effort 20
H-2984.1
HOUSE BILL 2562
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Reeves, Bergquist, and Pollet
Read first time 01/19/26. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
p. 1 HB 2562
assistance funding is equal to the school district's maximum local 1
effort assistance. 2
(c))) Beginning in calendar year ((2022)) 2027, for state-tribal 3
education compact schools established under chapter 28A.715 RCW, 4
((the)) annual local effort assistance funding is equal to the actual 5
enrichment levy per student as calculated by the superintendent of 6
public instruction for the previous year for the school district in 7
which the state-tribal education compact school is located, up to ((a 8
maximum per-student amount of $1,550 as increased by inflation from 9
the 2019 calendar year )) the state local effort assistance threshold , 10
multiplied by the student enrollment of the state-tribal education 11
compact school in the prior school year. 12
(3) The state local effort assistance funding provided under this 13
section is not part of the state's program of basic education deemed 14
by the legislature to comply with the requirements of Article IX, 15
section 1 of the state Constitution. 16
(4) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this 17
section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.18
(a) "Eligible school district" means a school district ((where 19
the amount generated by a levy of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value 20
in the school district, )) whose maximum allowable enrichment levy 21
divided by the school district's total student enrollment in the 22
prior school year((,)) is less than the state local effort assistance 23
threshold. 24
(b)(i) "Inflation" means the ((implicit price deflator for the 25
previous calendar year using the official current base, compiled by 26
the bureau of economic analysis, United States department of 27
commerce)) percentage change in the seasonally adjusted consumer 28
price index for all urban consumers, Seattle area, for the most 29
recent 12-month period as of September 25th of the year before the 30
taxes are payable, using the official current base compiled by the 31
United States bureau of labor statistics.32
(ii) "Inflation enhancement" means 3.33 percentage points added 33
to inflation each year from the 2027 to 2030 calendar years.34
(c) "Maximum local effort assistance" means the difference 35
between the following: 36
(i) The school district's actual prior school year enrollment 37
multiplied by the state local effort assistance threshold; and38
p. 2 HB 2562
(ii) The ((amount generated by a levy of $1.50 per $1,000 of 1
assessed value in the school district )) school district's maximum 2
allowable enrichment levy. 3
(d) "Prior school year" means the most recent school year 4
completed prior to the year in which the state local effort 5
assistance funding is to be distributed. 6
(e) "State local effort assistance threshold" means (($1,550)):7
(i) Through the 2030 calendar year, $3,838.26 per student, 8
increased for inflation , plus inflation enhancements, beginning in 9
calendar year ((2020)) 2027. 10
(ii) Beginning with the 2031 calendar year, $5,035, increased for 11
inflation beginning in calendar year 2032.12
(f) "Student enrollment" means the average annual full-time 13
equivalent student enrollment, reduced by the alternative learning 14
experience adjustment. Alternative learning experience adjustment 15
equals (f)(i) of this subsection minus (f)(ii) of this subsection if 16
a school district's full-time equivalent student enrollment in 17
alternative learning experience courses exceeds 33 percent of average 18
annual full-time equivalent student enrollment. 19
(i) The full-time equivalent students enrolled in an alternative 20
learning experience course. 21
(ii) Average annual full-time equivalent student enrollment 22
multiplied by 33 percent. 23
(5) For districts in a high/nonhigh relationship, the enrollments 24
of the nonhigh students attending the high school shall only be 25
counted by the nonhigh school districts for purposes of funding under 26
this section. 27
(6) For school districts participating in an innovation academy 28
cooperative established under RCW 28A.340.080, enrollments of 29
students attending the academy shall be adjusted so that each 30
participant district receives its proportional share of student 31
enrollments for purposes of funding under this section.32
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act takes effect January 1, 2027.33
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p. 3 HB 2562