Bill > SB5812

This bill addresses public school funding and local property tax regulations in Washington state, with several key provisions. The legislation aims to increase the state's ability to fund K-12 education by raising the property tax levy limit from one percent to three percent, which would provide more resources for schools and local governments. The bill modifies school funding formulas to ensure more equitable funding across districts, particularly for rural and historically underinvested areas. It introduces new provisions for calculating inflation and population changes in property tax assessments, and creates a K-12 funding equity work group to analyze and explore improvements to the current funding system. The bill also makes changes to special education funding, including a new methodology for allocating and accounting for special education expenditures, with a requirement to shift 30 percent of a school district's base allocation to its special education program. Additionally, the legislation requires the superintendent of public instruction to report on potential funding formula revisions annually from 2025 to 2027, with a focus on addressing resource inequities and potentially adopting student weights to direct additional funding to students with the greatest needs.

Budget and Finance

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5812&Year=2025&Initiative=false