Public school statutes

AN ACT Relating to repealing and reorganizing outdated statutes 1
concerning public schools; amending RCW 28A.175.145 and 28A.235.120; 2
adding a new section to chapter 28A.235 RCW; recodifying RCW 3
28A.623.030; and repealing RCW 28A.335.300, 28A.415.315, 28A.415.330, 4
28A.415.380, 28A.600.045, 28A.605.040, 28A.623.005, 28A.623.010, 5
28A.623.020, 28A.625.100, 28A.625.110, 28A.625.150, 28A.630.198, 6
28A.630.810, 28A.655.071, 28A.655.130, 28A.655.280, 28A.690.010, 7
28A.690.020, and 28A.690.030. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:9
Sec. 1. RCW 28A.175.145 and 2022 c 75 s 2 are each amended to 10
read as follows: 11
(1)(a) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose or 12
otherwise available in the account established in RCW 28A.175.155, 13
beginning in the 2011-12 school year and each year thereafter, a high 14
school that demonstrates improvement in its dropout prevention score 15
compared to the baseline school year as calculated under RCW 16
28A.175.140 may receive a PASS program award as provided under this 17
section. The legislature intends to recognize and reward continuous 18
improvement by using a baseline year for calculating eligibility for 19
PASS program awards so that a high school retains previously earned 20
S-0360.1
SENATE BILL 5235
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Wellman, Harris, Nobles, Saldaña, and C. Wilson
Read first time 01/14/25. Referred to Committee on Early Learning &
K-12 Education.
p. 1 SB 5235
award funds from one year to the next unless its performance 1
declines. 2
(b) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must 3
determine the amount of PASS program awards based on appropriated 4
funds and eligible high schools. The intent of the legislature is to 5
provide an award to each eligible high school commensurate with the 6
degree of improvement in the high school's dropout prevention score 7
and the size of the high school. The office must establish a minimum 8
award amount. If funds available for PASS program awards are not 9
sufficient to provide an award to each eligible high school, the 10
office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish 11
objective criteria to prioritize awards based on eligible high 12
schools with the greatest need for additional dropout prevention and 13
intervention services. The office of the superintendent of public 14
instruction shall encourage and may require a high school receiving a 15
PASS program award to demonstrate an amount of community matching 16
funds or an amount of in -kind community services to support dropout 17
prevention and intervention. 18
(c) Ninety percent of an award under this section must be 19
allocated to the eligible high school to be used for dropout 20
prevention activities in the school as specified in subsection (2) of 21
this section. The principal of the high school shall determine the 22
use of funds after consultation with parents and certificated and 23
classified staff of the school. 24
(d) Ten percent of an award under this section must be allocated 25
to the school district in which the eligible high school is located 26
to be used for dropout prevention activities as specified in 27
subsection (2) of this section in the high school or in other schools 28
in the district. 29
(e) The office of the superintendent of public instruction may 30
withhold distribution of award funds under this section to an 31
otherwise eligible high school or school district if the 32
superintendent of public instruction issues a finding that the school 33
or school district has willfully manipulated the dropout prevention 34
indicators under RCW 28A.175.140, for example by expelling, 35
suspending, transferring, or refusing to enroll students at risk of 36
dropping out of school or at risk of low achievement.37
(2) High schools and school districts may use PASS program award 38
funds for any programs or activities that support the development of 39
a dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement system as 40
p. 2 SB 5235
described in RCW 28A.175.074, offered directly by the school or 1
school district or under contract with education agencies or 2
community-based organizations, including but not limited to 3
educational service districts and workforce development councils. 4
Such programs or activities may include but are not limited to the 5
following: 6
(a) Strategies to close the educational opportunity and 7
achievement gaps among groups of students as disaggregated by the 8
categories and subcategories in RCW 28A.300.042 (1) and (3);9
(b) Use of graduation coaches as defined in RCW 28A.175.150;10
(c) Opportunity internship activities under RCW 28C.18.164;11
(d) Dropout reengagement programs provided by community-based 12
organizations or community and technical colleges;13
(e) ((Comprehensive guidance and planning programs as defined 14
under RCW 28A.600.045, including but not limited to the navigation 15
101 program )) Developing and updating high school and beyond plans 16
under RCW 28A.230.212; 17
(f) Reduced class sizes, extended school day, extended school 18
year, and tutoring programs for students identified as at risk of 19
dropping out of school, including instruction to assist these 20
students in meeting graduation requirements in mathematics and 21
science; 22
(g) Outreach and counseling targeted to students identified as at 23
risk of dropping out of school, or who have dropped out of school, to 24
encourage them to consider learning alternatives such as 25
preapprenticeship programs, skill centers, running start, technical 26
high schools, and other options for completing a high school diploma;27
(h) Preapprenticeship programs under RCW 49.04.190;28
(i) Mentoring programs for students; 29
(j) Development and use of dropout early warning data systems;30
(k) Counseling, resource and referral services, and intervention 31
programs to address social, behavioral, and health factors associated 32
with dropping out of school; 33
(l) Implementing programs for in-school suspension or other 34
strategies to avoid excluding middle and high school students from 35
the school whenever possible; 36
(m) Parent engagement activities such as home visits and off-37
campus parent support group meetings related to dropout prevention 38
and reengagement; and 39
(n) Early learning programs for prekindergarten students.40
p. 3 SB 5235
(3) High schools and school districts are encouraged to implement 1
dropout prevention and reengagement strategies in a comprehensive and 2
systematic manner, using strategic planning, school improvement 3
plans, evaluation and feedback, and response to intervention tools.4
Sec. 2. RCW 28A.235.120 and 2002 c 36 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
The directors of any school district may establish, equip and 7
operate meal programs in school buildings for pupils; certificated 8
and classified employees; volunteers; public agencies, political 9
subdivisions, or associations that serve public entities while using 10
school facilities; other local, state, or federal child nutrition 11
programs; and for school or employee functions: PROVIDED, That the 12
expenditures for food supplies shall not exceed the estimated 13
revenues from the sale of meals, federal aid, Indian education fund 14
lunch aid, or other anticipated revenue, including donations, to be 15
received for that purpose: ((PROVIDED FURTHER, That the directors of 16
any school district may provide for the use of kitchens and 17
lunchrooms or other facilities in school buildings to furnish meals 18
to elderly persons at cost as provided in RCW 28A.623.020:)) 19
PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the directors of any school district may 20
provide for the use of kitchens and lunchrooms or other facilities in 21
school buildings to furnish meals at cost as provided in RCW 22
28A.623.030 (as recodified by this act) to children who are 23
participating in educational or training or care programs or 24
activities conducted by private, nonprofit organizations and entities 25
and to students who are attending private elementary and secondary 26
schools. Operation for the purposes of this section shall include the 27
employment and discharge for sufficient cause of personnel necessary 28
for preparation of food or supervision of students during lunch 29
periods and fixing their compensation, payable from the district 30
general fund, or entering into agreement with a private agency for 31
the establishment, management and/or operation of a food service 32
program or any part thereof. 33
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. RCW 28A.623.030 is recodified as a section 34
in chapter 28A.235 RCW.35
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The following acts or parts of acts are 36
each repealed:37
p. 4 SB 5235
(1) RCW 28A.335.300 (Playground matting) and 2015 c 225 s 27 & 1
1991 c 297 s 18; 2
(2) RCW 28A.415.315 (Classified instructional assistants — 3
Training) and 2009 c 539 s 2 & 2008 c 65 s 2; 4
(3) RCW 28A.415.330 (Professional development institutes— Managing 5
disruptive students) and 1999 c 166 s 2; 6
(4) RCW 28A.415.380 (Mathematics and science instructional coach 7
program— Evaluation— Reports) and 2009 c 578 s 1 & 2007 c 396 s 4;8
(5) RCW 28A.600.045 (Comprehensive guidance and planning programs 9
for students) and 2008 c 170 s 303 & 2006 c 117 s 2;10
(6) RCW 28A.605.040 (Family, school, and community partnerships — 11
School building spaces) and 2010 c 235 s 701; 12
(7) RCW 28A.623.005 (Condensed compliance reports — Second-class 13
districts) and 2011 c 45 s 47; 14
(8) RCW 28A.623.010 (Nonprofit program for elderly — Purpose) and 15
1990 c 33 s 511 & 1973 c 107 s 1; 16
(9) RCW 28A.623.020 (Nonprofit program for elderly — Authorized— 17
Restrictions) and 1990 c 33 s 512 & 1973 c 107 s 3;18
(10) RCW 28A.625.100 (Board of directors of a school district may 19
establish) and 1986 c 143 s 1; 20
(11) RCW 28A.625.110 (Awards) and 1990 c 33 s 519, 1987 1st ex.s. 21
c 2 s 207, & 1986 c 143 s 2; 22
(12) RCW 28A.625.150 (Award program) and 1990 c 33 s 520, 1987 23
1st ex.s. c 2 s 210, & 1985 c 399 s 2; 24
(13) RCW 28A.630.198 (Teacher preparation programs — Report) and 25
2019 c 295 s 204; 26
(14) RCW 28A.630.810 (Rules) and 1989 c 233 s 17;27
(15) RCW 28A.655.071 (Revised essential academic learning 28
requirements— Legislative review — Implementation) and 2010 c 235 s 29
601; 30
(16) RCW 28A.655.130 (Accountability implementation funds) and 31
1999 c 388 s 402; 32
(17) RCW 28A.655.280 (Applicability of certificates of individual 33
achievement and assessments) and 2019 c 252 s 401;34
(18) RCW 28A.690.010 (Compact entered into— Terms) and 1990 c 33 s 35
545 & 1969 ex.s. c 283 s 4; 36
(19) RCW 28A.690.020 (Superintendent as "designated state 37
official," compact administrator — Professional educator standards 38
p. 5 SB 5235
board to approve text of contracts) and 2006 c 263 s 818, 1990 c 33 s 1
546, & 1969 ex.s. c 283 s 5; and 2
(20) RCW 28A.690.030 (True copies of contracts filed in office of 3
superintendent— Publication) and 1990 c 33 s 547 & 1969 ex.s. c 283 s 4
6. 5
--- END ---
p. 6 SB 5235