Bill > HB1775

This bill creates a new grant program to provide capital financial assistance to small school districts with demonstrated funding challenges. The key provisions are: 1. The program is available to school districts with 1,000 or fewer students, and grants can be used for comprehensive modernization or replacement of instructional buildings at least 30 years old that are in poor or unsatisfactory condition. 2. Eligible projects must address critical issues like seismic vulnerabilities, failing building systems, accessibility barriers, and deteriorated conditions, and cannot exceed 110% of the statewide average construction/modernization cost. 3. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) will prioritize grant applications based on factors like remaining debt capacity, facility condition, and district enrollment, and coordinate the grants with the existing school construction assistance program. 4. The bill also amends the existing small school district modernization grant program to allow OSPI to separately prioritize applications from financially distressed districts under the new grant program.