Educational Service Districts.
Washington has nine regionally based educational service districts (ESDs) that provide cooperative informational services to local school districts and assist the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the State Board of Education (SBE) in the performance of their duties.  Among other duties, the ESDs serve as a depository and distribution center for instructional materials and assist school districts in the preparation of their budgets.  The OSPI and the SBE are authorized to delegate assigned programs, projects, and services to the ESDs, and the ESDs are obligated to comply with the rules of those agencies.
 
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
In addition to its constitutional charge of supervising all matters pertaining to public schools, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and its office has numerous and broad responsibilities prescribed in statute, including:

• making rules and regulations necessary for the administration of public education requirements;
• preparing courses of study and other materials and books for the discharge of education duties;
• fulfilling financial responsibilities, including distributing legislatively allocated funds to districts for the operation of the public school system, and awarding numerous state and federally funded grants; and
• satisfying numerous reporting and other duties assigned by the Legislature.

Subject to funding provisions, the ESDs and the OSPI are directed to jointly establish a regional apprenticeship pilot program (program).  The program must consist of two sites:  one located in and implemented by an ESD in Western Washington; and one located in and implemented by an ESD in Eastern Washington.  In selecting the Eastern Washington site, priority must be given to a location that can demonstrate the ability to effectively implement the program and that has a high percentage of small, rural school districts.  Additionally, the ESDs may seek input and recommendations from an organization representing the ESDs when selecting program sites.
 
In implementing the program, the ESDs must coordinate with:

• local stakeholders to identify industries or professions that are best suited for apprenticeship opportunities and curricula development.  These stakeholders may include community colleges, local labor unions, local apprenticeship programs, and local industry groups; and
• school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to make the apprenticeship programs available to high school students.

 
The ESDs may establish interlocal agreements with stakeholder entities, and interdistrict agreements to address enrollment reporting, pupil transportation, and other terms necessary to enroll students in apprenticeships of the program.
 
Student enrollments in the programs may be funded up to 1.2 full-time equivalents.  The OSPI must develop procedures to ensure that school districts do not report any student for more than 1.2 full-time equivalent students, combining both the student's high school enrollment and regional apprenticeship enrollment.
 
The OSPI, by December 1, 2026, and December 1, 2028, must provide reports to the appropriate committees of the Legislature on the program.  The reports must summarize the implementation of the program, include recommendations for its operation, and provide information about participating students, including graduation rates and enrollments in registered apprenticeship programs and institutions of postsecondary education.