A bill to increase flexible school calendar waivers was recently signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee.
Rep. Joel McEntire, assistant ranking member on the House Education Committee and the prime sponsor of House Bill 2381, worked with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) on the legislation during the session.
“The flexible school calendar has worked well for the school districts who are utilizing it. There is a lot of interest from other districts across the state so we want to expand the amount of waivers. Currently, all the waiver spots are filled up, so we want to provide more opportunities for schools who want to utilize this option,” said McEntire, R-Cathlamet. “The decision will still be made at the local level as districts must work with their communities. There are also accountability measures built into the legislation.”
House Bill 2381 authorizes OSPI to increase the number of waivers and reduce the minimum number of school days required in a school year to 30 or fewer school districts with student populations of fewer than 1,000 students.
The waiver applications must include an examination of the impact on employees in education support positions, including expected position and work hour reductions, reductions in the workforce, and the loss of work benefits or eligibility for work benefits.
The Legislature adjourned on March 7. The bill takes effect on June 6, 2024.