School Bus Purchasing and Reimbursement. School districts are responsible for selecting, paying for, and maintaining student transportation vehicles purchased by the district. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is responsible for developing categories and competitive specifications for school bus acquisitions as well as a corresponding list of school bus dealers with the lowest purchase price quotes. School districts and educational service districts that purchase buses through this competitive quote process or through a separate lowest-price competitive bid process are eligible for certain state funds based on the category of vehicle, the anticipated lifetime of vehicles of this category, and a state reimbursement rate. The accumulated value of the state payments received by the district and the potential investment return is designed to be equal to the replacement cost of the vehicle, less its salvage value, at the end of its anticipated lifetime.

The anticipated lifetime of vehicles is determined by OSPI, and is currently eight years for vehicles in category A, and 13 years for vehicles in categories C and D.

Running Start Enrollment. The Running Start (RS) Program allows students in grades 11 and 12 to enroll in participating public institutions of higher education and to simultaneously earn both high school and college credit.  Students choosing to participate in the RS Program are responsible for applying for admission to the institution of higher education.

Students participating in RS programs may be funded up to a combined maximum enrollment of 1.4 full-time equivalents (FTEs), including high school and institution of higher education enrollment.

Transition to Kindergarten Program. In 2023, the Transition to Kindergarten (TTK) Program was established to assist eligible children in need of additional preparation to be successful kindergarten students in the following school year.

OSPI was directed to adopt rules for the administration of, the allocation of state funding for, and minimum standards and requirements for, the TTK Program. The rules must include specified minimum requirements for school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools operating a TTK Program.

 School districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools operating a TTK Program must adopt policies regarding eligibility, recruitment, and enrollment for the TTK Program that, at a minimum, meet the requirements of the OSPI rules. 

Funding for the TTK Program is calculated using the number of annual average full-time equivalent (AAFTE) eligible children enrolled in the program as specific in the omnibus appropriations act and based on portions of the prototypical school funding model. The current omnibus bill provides funding for 7266 AAFTE.

The bill as referred to committee not considered.

School Bus Purchasing and Reimbursement. Beginning with school buses that are scheduled for depreciation payments as of September 2025, and those qualifying for payments after that date, OSPI must use a minimum anticipated lifetime of 180 months—15 years.

Running Start Enrollment. After the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year, students participating in RS programs may be funded up to a combined maximum enrollment of 1.2 FTEs, rather than 1.4 FTEs.

Transition to Kindergarten Programs. Funding for the TTK Program is limited to the amount of annual AAFTE children eligible for the program, as specified in the omnibus appropriations act, that are eligible for free and reduced-price meals or have a household income at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level.

School districts may charge tuition or other fees for students that are not state-funded eligible children for enrollment in a TTK Program. School districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools operating a TTK program may supplement the state funding with local levy funds, tuition payments, or other resources to enroll additional eligible children who are not state funded.

PRO: This is a difficult bill to put forward. It saves money by being surgical about where money is coming out of the system. It is distressing but was presented in order to balance the budget. Governor Ferguson has asked about recent changes that, given the budget climate, should be scaled back. That is how Running Start was focused on for cuts. For the bus depreciation portion, the bill doesn't change the overall amount but it does spread it out for a longer period of time. Washington State Patrol will still inspect the buses and districts are still in control about what buses they buy. The high school and beyond plan is important to maintain, this just uses a set-aside mechanism based on models in the past that were similar.

CON: The Governor's proposed budget and cuts shifts costs to public schools without having difficult conversations. School districts cannot afford underfunding at a structural level and these austerity cuts. These are real cuts, not efficiencies, and education equity demands investment. Running Start is a lifeline for low-income kids across the state. Washington families are facing increasing financial strain and cutting the 1.4 FTE harms those students with the least margin instead of helping pull them out of poverty. Technical colleges will lose sufficient funding to participate in high-demand programs, which will impact students' ability to complete the pathways in their high school and beyond plans. This bill makes cuts to transportation that don't make sense from an environmental or cost-savings standpoint. It just means lower performing buses are on the road longer which doesn't help meet greenhouse gas targets and is less healthy for students. Extending the age of each fleet increases the likelihood of a breakdown. Districts need a reliable depreciation schedule. Holding back materials, supplies and operating costs (MSOC) is robbing Peter to pay Paul.

PRO: Senator Lisa Wellman, Prime Sponsor; Sheri Sawyer, Office of Financial Management.

CON: The bill will strain already stretched community and technical colleges. Running Start is the state’s most cost-efficient way to deliver college credit and serves as an access point for first-generation and low-income students. Summer Running Start can allow for the completion of an associate degree and save money on tuition for the future. Summer running start had a 400 percent increase in participation and strong participation by low-income students.  The rollback is an equity issue. Cutting education funding during a positive revenue forecast undermines public trust and ignores structural underfunding of K–12. Since summer Running Start began, dual diploma completions some colleges increased from about 110 per year to 340 per year. Reducing FTE would undermine the state’s 70 percent attainment goal. Support targeting slots toward students qualifying for free/reduced lunch but tuition-based models can raise equity concerns. Narrowing eligibility may exclude working families who earn slightly above income thresholds but cannot afford private preschool. TTK has strong data backing kindergarten readiness gains and roughly half of current TTK families in some districts will lose access. Extending bus depreciation from 8 to 15 years will disproportionately impact smaller districts. There are safety concerns about keeping older buses on the road longer as with newer buses comes updated safety technology. There are also environmental considerations for keeping diesel buses on the road longer. Extending depreciation payments reduces vehicle fund revenue.

CON: Sienna Jarrard, Former Running Start Student; Jacqui Cain, American Federation of Teachers (AFT-WA); Jim Kowalkowski, Rural Education Center; Jamie Traugott, Washington's State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; Chemene Crawford, Everett Community College; Sara Thompson Tweedy, Big Bend Community College; Tim Stokes, South Puget Sound Community College; Abdi Battal; Pedro Lopez; Jesus San German Cerritos; Harmony Adams; Denise Tracy, Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA); Tom Spellman, Lake Washington School District; Nasue Nishida, Washington Education Association; Tyler Muench, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; Charlie Brown, Puget Sound School Coalition and South Sound Superintendents; Carli Schiffner, Grays Harbor College; Rebecca Clifford, South Whidbey School District; Dawnett Wright, Washington Association for Pupil Transportation.

CON: James Everett, Meridian School District; Katy Warren, WA St. Assn of Head Start and ECEAP; Kristine Wilson, Opportunity Council Early Learning & Family Services; KENNEDY GARRISON, Cordata Elementary; Haley Rodriguez-Flores; Nimi Oladosu, C4C; Luly Mai; Alex Beliakov; Candace Harris, Valley Early Learning Center; Ruffaro Guzha, WA State Board for Community & Technical Colleges; Lisa Lowary; Elise Almeda, Communities for our Colleges; Holly Muenchow, Washington State PTA; Cassidy Miller; Nathaniel Gullett; Kimberly Ortiz Ortiz; Chevelle Bussart; Terri Holley; Colleen Frerks, Quincy School District; Bowen Mitchell, Entiat School District #127; Jaiden Greco-Peterson; Callidora Liapakis, Associated of Tacoma Community College; Chad Prewitt, Davenport School District - Superintendent.