Superintendent of Public Instruction

  Average Annual FTEs Near General Fund State Other Funds Total Funds
  (Dollars in Thousands)
Current Budget 391.5 30,675,982 3,181,655 33,857,637
2023-25 Maintenance Level 392.5 30,865,501 3,659,433 34,524,934
Difference from 2023-25 Original 1.0 189,519 477,778 667,297
% Change from 2023-25 Original 0.26% 0.62% 15.0% 2.0%

2024 Policy Other Changes

Supporting College Success 0.40 3,000 0 3,000
OSPI Customer Support Staff 1.5 596 0 596
Cannabis Revenue Distributions 0.0 0 (361) (361)
Tribal Liaison 0.60 180 0 180
Contract Bus Driver SEBB Membership 0.0 425 0 425
Community Eligibility Provision 0.0 30,190 0 30,190
Special Education Cap 0.0 17,130 0 17,130
Update Opioid Prevention Standards 0.0 125 0 125
Behavioral Health Supports 0.0 2,355 0 2,355
Special Education Teacher Residency 0.40 7,303 0 7,303
IT Academy 0.0 3,004 0 3,004
Next Generation Science Standards 0.0 4,000 0 4,000
2024 Policy Other Changes Total 2.9 68,308 (361) 67,947

2024 Policy Comp Changes

State Employee Benefits 0.0 23 10 33
Pension Rate Month of Death Bill 0.0 3,527 7 3,534
Medicare Retiree Subsidy 0.0 4,687 0 4,687
Paraeducator Compensation 0.0 64,427 0 64,427
2024 Policy Comp Changes Total 0.0 72,664 17 72,681

2024 Policy Central Services Changes

Audit Services 0.0 4 0 4
Legal Services 0.0 9 2 11
Administrative Hearings 0.0 34 0 34
CTS Central Services 0.0 42 0 42
DES Central Services 0.0 15 0 15
OFM Central Services 0.0 611 0 611
GOV Central Services 0.0 5 0 5
2024 Policy Central Services Changes Total 0.0 720 2 722
Total Policy Changes 2.9 141,692 (342) 141,350
2024 Policy Level 395.4 31,007,193 3,659,091 34,666,284
Difference from 2023-25 Original 3.9 331,211 477,436 808,647
% Change from 2023-25 Original 1.00% 1.1% 15.0% 2.4%

Policy Changes

Legal Services

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of legal services provided by the Attorney General's Office. Because legal services expenditures are based on consumption, funding provided in the central service model is not all inclusive. The methodology to estimate consumption is a two-year average and allows for analysis to incorporate unique agency circumstances. (Charter Schools Oversight Account - State, General Fund - State)

Administrative Hearings

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of hearings performed by the Office of Administrative Hearings. (General Fund - State)

DES Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for Capitol campus costs; real estate, risk management, and small agency services; the Perry Street and Capitol Campus child care centers; enterprise applications, and other items. (General Fund - State)

OFM Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of Financial Management for existing statewide applications, the One Washington program, and other central services. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - State)

Supporting College Success

Washington’s public K–12 education system is charged with preparing each and every student for postsecondary success in alignment with their goals and interests. this proposal invests in the Rally for College (RFC) initiative serving students in 28 high schools statewide while providing extra supports to student groups that face systemic barriers to postsecondary education. (General Fund - State)

OSPI Customer Support Staff

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) serves a wide customer base across the K–12 education system, from school districts to community partners, and to news media and lawmakers. To enhance OSPI's level of service, three positions will be added to focus on serving customers who come to the agency for data and fiscal expertise. (General Fund - State)

Cannabis Revenue Distributions

Appropriations from the Dedicated Cannabis Account are adjusted pursuant to Chapter 169, Laws of 2022 (E2SSB 5796) and the November 2023 revenue forecast. (Dedicated Cannabis Account - State)

State Employee Benefits

Funding is provided to increase the retiree health insurance subsidy, adjusting the cap from $183 to $193 per month and raising the base subsidy percentage from 50 percent to 60 percent. The insurance funding rates are set at $1,145 per month for fiscal year 2024 and $1,158 per month for fiscal year 2025. (General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal)

Pension Rate Month of Death Bill

Funding is provided for contribution rate impacts associated with proposed legislation that ensures the continuation of benefit payments through the end of the month in which a retiree or beneficiary dies. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State, WA Opportunity Pathways Account - State, other funds)

CTS Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from Consolidated Technology Services (CTS) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Cybersecurity, state network, enterprise and small agency IT services, enterprise architecture and data management, Microsoft 365 licenses, and other items. (General Fund - State)

GOV Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of the Governor for the Office of Equity. (General Fund - State)

Tribal Liaison

The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) and the State Board of Education (SBE) are responsible for various aspects of the state's education policy development. With the goal of fostering culturally competent educators and students, a shared tribal liaison will be funded within PESB and the SBE. (General Fund - State)

Contract Bus Driver SEBB Membership

The School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) was created in large part to provide benefits to classified school district staff such as bus drivers, custodians, and paraeducators. Because some districts contract out their student transportation services, those employees are not eligible for SEBB benefits. This funding would allow contract bus drivers and related staff to opt in to SEBB and retirement benefits as proposed in Substitute House Bill 1248. (General Fund - State)

Community Eligibility Provision

RCW 28A.235.300 requires districts to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) in all eligible schools and to group schools to the maximum extent possible. The program allows schools to provide meals at no cost to all students in the school, regardless of their income status. Since the 2023 legislative session, state costs have increased due to changes at the federal level and the addition of new CEP schools for which the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is responsible for funding. (General Fund - State)

Special Education Cap

Many schools throughout our state do not have the necessary resources to provide students with disabilities with the services to which they are legally entitled. Washington has made recent policy shifts to support the inclusion of students receiving special education services in general education settings, but the financial support needed to implement these shifts with fidelity has not kept pace. This funding will allow the Legislature to lift the 15% cap on state special education funding to 17.25%. (General Fund - State, WA Opportunity Pathways Account - State)

Update Opioid Prevention Standards

Funding is provided to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to work with educational service districts, the Health Care Authority, and the Department of Health to review and update materials for information sessions provided to students in grades 8–12. These sessions are designed to prevent the use of opioids, including fentanyl, specifically outlining the risks of death related to uneven dosages and pills that look like prescription drugs. (General Fund - State)

Behavioral Health Supports

Funds are provided to continue behavioral health regional grants to support school districts with the least access to behavioral health services. (General Fund - State)

Medicare Retiree Subsidy

This item provides a $4 per member per month rate increase associated with the Medicare explicit rate subsidy. (WA Opportunity Pathways Account - State, General Fund - State)

Special Education Teacher Residency

Washington students learn best from dedicated and prepared educators. Students receiving special education services, especially those in rural communities, are most likely to be served by out-of-endorsement teachers and emergency substitutes. Funding will support special education teacher residencies, professional development and career support opportunities for the 15,000 substitute teachers currently serving in Washington classrooms. (Workforce Education Investment Acc - State)

IT Academy

The Microsoft IT Academy provides Washington students with a unique opportunity to gain industry certification while enrolled in a public middle school or high school. Home to some of the leading technology companies in the world, students in our state have unique access to high-paying jobs in their own communities if they are given access to the pathways and skills that lead to career opportunities in technology. (Workforce Education Investment Acc - State)

Next Generation Science Standards

Funding will support programs for science teacher training, linking the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and climate science. In addition to teacher professional development, the project supports the development of instructional materials, design-related assessment and evaluation strategies, and facilitation of student events. (General Fund - State)

Paraeducator Compensation

Paraeducators are critical members of a student’s learning and instructional support team. Despite their necessity, paraeducators across Washington state are not compensated equitably, and for many of them, compensation is not a living wage. This makes it difficult for school districts to hire and retain talented individuals in these positions. Grant funding will providing school districts with an allocation equal to $3 per hour plus benefits for all paraeducators hired in the 2022–23 school year, adjusted for inflation, and the same regionalization adjustments provided for school districts under RCW 28A.150.412. These dollars are intended to be added to the current salary for paraeducators. (General Fund - State, WA Opportunity Pathways Account - State)