School enroll. declaration

AN ACT Relating to requiring signed declarations of intent of 1
school enrollment or home-based instruction; amending RCW 2
28A.200.010; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.225 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.225 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
(1) A parent who does not enroll his or her child in public or 7
private school at age six must file a signed declaration of the 8
parent's plan regarding the education of that child in the school 9
year when the child turns six years of age and the school year when 10
the child turns seven years of age. The declaration should include if 11
they are or planning to, or currently receiving, home-based 12
instruction or planning to enroll in public or private school.13
(2) The compulsory attendance requirements in RCW 28A.225.010 and 14
the home-based instruction requirements in RCW 28A.200.010 are not 15
applicable until a child receiving home-based instruction is eight 16
years of age. 17
(3) The signed declaration of intent must include the name and 18
age of the child and must be written in a format prescribed by the 19
superintendent of public instruction. 20
Z-0619.1
SENATE BILL 6261
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Wellman, Nobles, and C. Wilson; by request of
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Read first time 01/21/26. Referred to Committee on Early Learning &
K-12 Education.
p. 1 SB 6261
(4) Each parent shall file the declaration of intent by September 1
15th of the school year or within two weeks of the beginning of any 2
public school quarter, trimester, or semester with the superintendent 3
of the public school district within which the parent resides.4
(5) For the purposes of this section, "parent" means a parent, 5
guardian, or person having legal custody of a child.6
Sec. 2. RCW 28A.200.010 and 2019 c 252 s 109 are each amended to 7
read as follows: 8
(1) Each parent whose child is receiving home-based instruction 9
under RCW 28A.225.010(4) shall have the duty to: 10
(a) File annually a signed declaration of intent that he or she 11
is planning to cause his or her child to receive home-based 12
instruction, including the declaration of intent required in the 13
school year the child turns six and seven years of age under section 14
1 of this act . The statement shall include the name and age of the 15
child, shall specify whether a certificated person will be 16
supervising the instruction, and shall be written in a format 17
prescribed by the superintendent of public instruction. Each parent 18
shall file the statement by September 15th of the school year or 19
within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, 20
trimester, or semester with the superintendent of the public school 21
district within which the parent resides or the district that accepts 22
the transfer, and the student shall be deemed a transfer student of 23
the nonresident district. Parents may apply for transfer under RCW 24
28A.225.220; 25
(b) Ensure that test scores or annual academic progress 26
assessments and immunization records, together with any other records 27
that are kept relating to the instructional and educational 28
activities provided, are forwarded to any other public or private 29
school to which the child transfers. At the time of a transfer to a 30
public school, the superintendent of the local school district in 31
which the child enrolls may require a standardized achievement test 32
to be administered and shall have the authority to determine the 33
appropriate grade and course level placement of the child after 34
consultation with parents and review of the child's records; and35
(c) Ensure that a standardized achievement test approved by the 36
state board of education is administered annually to the child by a 37
qualified individual or that an annual assessment of the student's 38
academic progress is written by a certificated person who is 39
p. 2 SB 6261
currently working in the field of education. The state board of 1
education shall not require these children to meet the student 2
learning goals, learn the state learning standards, or take the 3
assessments under RCW 28A.655.070. The standardized test administered 4
or the annual academic progress assessment written shall be made a 5
part of the child's permanent records. If, as a result of the annual 6
test or assessment, it is determined that the child is not making 7
reasonable progress consistent with his or her age or stage of 8
development, the parent shall make a good faith effort to remedy any 9
deficiency. 10
(2) A parent who does not enroll his or her child in public or 11
private school at age six and plans to cause his or her child to 12
receive home-based instruction by age eight must file a signed 13
declaration of the parent's plan regarding the education of that 14
child in the school year when the child turns six years of age and 15
the school year when the child turns seven years of age as required 16
by section 1 of this act.17
(3) Failure of a parent to comply with the duties in this section 18
shall be deemed a failure of such parent's child to attend school 19
without valid justification under RCW 28A.225.020. Parents who do 20
comply with the duties set forth in this section shall be presumed to 21
be providing home-based instruction as set forth in RCW 22
28A.225.010(4). 23
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p. 3 SB 6261