YOUTH ADVOCACY HUB
BACKGROUND:
For more detailed information: Special Education funded enrollment cap
What is the funded enrollment cap?
The funded enrollment cap sets a limit on how much funding a school district receives to fund special education programs and services. Currently, districts can only generate state special education funding for up to 15% of their students, even if they provide special education services to more than 15% of their students.
How does this impact districts?
If a district has identified 18% of their students as needing special education services, they will only receive state funding for up to 15% of those students. The additional 3% of students ‘over the 15% cap’ don’t generate additional state funding for a district. However, districts are still required by state and federal law to provide special education services to all students who qualify to receive special education services.
SUMMARY:
This bill would increase the funded enrollment cap from 15% to 17.25% for all districts starting in the 2024-25 school year.
POINTS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS BILL:
Historically, students with disabilities have been excluded from public education, segregated from students without disabilities, and not meaningfully included in the general education classroom. Washington has taken steps in recent years to address these historic practices, but are still in the process of creating a system that is inclusive and welcoming to all students.
Using 2021-22 data, about 30% of districts in Washington are providing special education services to more than 15% of their student population. These districts are not receiving enough funding from the state and therefore rely on other sources of funding (such as local funding generated by property taxes) to provide services, or they are struggling to support all their students equitably.
If this proposal passed, it would cost about $38.3 million per-year at full implementation.
For more information on the cap and how Washington rates of special education enrollment compare to other states, click here.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Steps to Get Started
Learn where the bill is in the legislative process.
If there is an upcoming hearing, decide how you would like to get your voice heard and take action.
If there is not an upcoming hearing, or if you want to supplement your advocacy, call or write your legislators.
Spread the word and get other people on board.
Participating in a Hearing
Sign in Pro, Con, or Other
This is when individuals, advocates, and organizations make their position on a particular bill known for the record. This is particularly powerful in large numbers. Many organizations will send out Action Alerts asking people to sign in Pro or Con on a bill.
Submit Written Testimony
Submitting written testimony is a great way not only to make your position known, to legislators but also to explain why in more detail. This is a good option if you don't want to speak in front of others. People also like to offer more nuance to their position by writing.
Testify Virtually
Since COVID, many legislators are allowing remote/virtual testimony for bill hearings, as it greatly expands access to the legislative process across the state. For this, individuals usually have between 1-2 minutes to state their opinion on a bill in front of the legislative committee on Zoom.
Testify In Person
To testify on a bill in person, you must travel to Olympia and join the real-time committee hearing on the Capitol campus. You will also get between 1-2 minutes to state your opinion. This is often a powerful way to make an impression on legislators in the room.