Tag Archives: K-12 education

Hawkins school incentives bill approved by Senate

Senate Bill 5487 now heads to the House Education Committee for consideration.

Senate Bill 5487, a bipartisan bill introduced by 12th District Sen. Brad Hawkins, has successfully cleared another hurdle in Olympia as it was approved today by the state Senate by a vote of 40 to 9.

“I’m excited my bill has advanced this far in a short session,” said Hawkins, the ranking Republican on the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, and a former board member at the North Central Educational Service District and Eastmont School District. “It has provided my colleagues an opportunity to have a productive dialog on this idea, which is what I was hoping for. I’m grateful that they feel the idea has merit.”

Hawkins’ bill takes a creative approach to elevating the issue of small school district consolidation by offering a temporary boost in facility funding if school districts voluntarily choose to consolidate together, achieving savings for taxpayers and expanding opportunities for students.

Hawkins stated that the average cost during the 2019-2020 school year in state and local dollars was $13,879 per student. Small school districts in Hawkins’ legislative district, for example, spent as much as $22,125 (Orondo), $26,342 (Mansfield), and $28,745 (Palisades) that year per student.

Hawkins said that smaller districts tend to spend much more per student due largely to front-office administrative functions that he believes could be shared among multiple districts. He believes it would be more efficient for taxpayers – and expand opportunities for students – if some districts partnered with their nearby neighbors.

“I’ve been encouraging my legislative colleagues to think differently about how we deliver educational services,” said Hawkins. “If we were to reimagine school districts today based on what we spend on education, we wouldn’t draw up 295 different school districts in our state, especially when many of the small school districts are spending much more than the state average per student. It doesn’t make sense for the taxpayers.

“Legislators are in the ‘carrots-and-sticks’ business, and I’ve always preferred the carrots,” added Hawkins. “We can’t expect things to change unless we come up with creative options. I think a ‘voluntary, incentives-based’ consolidation bill has largely avoided the controversies of past proposals and has prompted some conversations.”

Senate Bill 5487 previously was approved by the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, Ways and Means Committee, and Rules Committee this session.

The bill now advances to the House Education Committee, a committee Hawkins served on when he was a 12th District state representative.

Hawkins proposes bipartisan school district consolidation bill

Citing the high costs per student among small school districts and the opportunity for more efficient use of state and local tax dollars, 12th District Sen. Brad Hawkins (R-East Wenatchee) announced today that he has prefiled Senate Bill 5487, a bipartisan proposal to incentivize school district consolidation.

The ranking Republican on the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee and former school board president is the proposal’s prime sponsor. Hawkins’ committee colleague, Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle), is the bill’s lead bipartisan co-sponsor.

Hawkins stated that the average cost during the 2019-2020 school year in state and local dollars was $13,879 per student. Small school districts in Hawkins’ legislative district, for example, spent as much as $22,125 (Orondo), $26,342 (Mansfield), and $28,745 (Palisades) that year per student.

Hawkins said that smaller districts tend to spend much more per student due largely to their higher central administration, building administration, and facility maintenance costs. He believes it would be more efficient for taxpayers if some of those districts partnered with nearby neighboring districts, spreading central administration and maintenance costs across more students.

“I’ve been encouraging my legislative colleagues to think differently about how we deliver educational services,” Hawkins said. “If we were to reimagine school districts today based on what we spend on education, we wouldn’t draw up 295 different school districts in our state, especially when many of the small school districts are spending much more than the state average per student. It doesn’t make sense for the taxpayers.”

Hawkins bill would provide the new districts with a 10-year boost in their School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) formula, a state capital budget program that awards matching funds to school districts whose communities approve construction bonds for school renovations. In structuring the bill this way, he said taxpayers could receive long-term benefits in school district operational efficiencies while also assisting districts with their school facility modernizations. This is something small school districts need and something provided for already in the capital budget.

“Legislators are in the ‘carrots-and-sticks’ business, and I’ve always preferred the carrots. We can’t expect things to change unless we come up with creative options. I think a ‘voluntary, incentives-based’ consolidation bill might avoid the controversy of past proposals and prompt some healthy and candid conversations,” Hawkins said.

The prefiled the bill is eligible for consideration in the 2022 legislative session, which begins on Jan. 10.

(Image caption: This bar chart shows a sample of “per student” costs in the 12th District.

Hawkins applauds school districts for exploring school calendar reform

State Sen. Brad Hawkins is pleased to learn that several Washington school districts are looking into whether taking shorter breaks throughout the year – and trimming the traditional summer break – will help prevent annual learning loss and the need for fall reteaching.

A KING-TV story reports that, according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 18 school districts and one charter school are using grant funding to explore shortening the traditional summer break to allow for what’s known as a balanced school calendar.

“We need to think big about reforming the system and to get serious about exploring better opportunities for student learning. A more ‘balanced school calendar’ that avoids that big, long break in the summer could really help students,” said Hawkins. “I certainly support a summer break for kids and their families, but I think the typical break that school districts take is too long and it’s an outdated model.”

During the 2021 legislative session, Hawkins prime-sponsored a bill to encourage school districts to explore school calendar reforms. Hawkins’ bipartisan legislation, Senate Bill 5147, included funding pilot projects for districts to apportion their 180 state-funded school days differently, including shortening their summer break to no more than six weeks.

The school-calendar reform bill was amended and passed by the Senate Ways and Means Committee but was not approved by the full Senate earlier this year. Hawkins hopes SB 5147 will either advance through the Legislature during the upcoming 2022 session or continue to gain attention within the education community to encourage districts to explore modernizations on their own.

“The fact that so many school districts across Washington are now showing interest in reforming their school calendars is a sign that prior efforts to encourage districts to ‘think differently’ are working,” said Hawkins. He added, “We should continue to emphasize how changes can be beneficial for students and taxpayers.”

Hawkins is the ranking Republican member on the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee. Hawkins served for 10 years on the Eastmont School Board and North Central Educational Service District Board before being elected to the Legislature

These links provide more information about Hawkins’ school-calendar reform bill:

Senate budget committee passes Hawkins-Wellman education bill

A bill prime-sponsored by 12th District Sen. Brad Hawkins aimed at learning recovery due to impacts of the COVID pandemic, including a pilot project to help districts voluntarily reform their school calendars, was approved today by the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

As amended and passed by the committee, Hawkins’ bipartisan legislation, Senate Bill 5147, would help assist districts with “learning stabilization, recovery, and acceleration” in response to struggling academics resulting from less than ideal remote learning and significantly reduced in-person instruction.

Hawkins, the ranking Republican member on the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, has partnered on the bill with 41st District Sen. Lisa Wellman, who chairs the committee and is the lead co-sponsor of Senate Bill 5147. Prior to the committee’s passage of the bill, Hawkins and Wellman worked together on a sweeping amendment to the measure that would:

  • Fund three additional instructional days to all districts statewide in the 2021-22 school year.
  • Direct the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to create and administer a grant program to assist school districts in facilitating a weeklong “reengagement” program prior to the start of the 2021-22 school year for students to reconnect with peers and teachers through learning, physical activity, and social interaction.
  • Direct OSPI to administer a grant program to fund up to five days of additional education opportunities in preparation for the 2021-22 school year for lower-income districts.
  • Advance a “balanced school calendar” program to allow up to 20 school districts to explore using their 180 state-funded school days differently to implement an 11-month school calendar beginning in the 2022-23 school year.

“This bill took a significant step forward by being approved by the Ways and Means Committee today,” said Hawkins. “The substitute version that Senator Wellman and I developed broadens the bill to help school districts address learning stabilization and recovery, in both the short term and the longer term.”

Hawkins, who served for 10 years on the Eastmont School Board and North Central Educational Service District Board before being elected to the Legislature, says the state should be supporting districts to address learning recovery to try to catch students up to their prepandemic academic learning trajectory.

“Now is the time – as we prepare to move past this pandemic – to assist our school districts and their students with their growing academic and social challenges resulting from loss of instruction or less than ideal remote learning. We also need to think big about reforming the system and to get serious about exploring better opportunities for student learning in the years ahead. The ‘balanced calendar’ pilot remains as a section of the bill to help incentivize districts to change,” said Hawkins.

Senate Bill 5147 now goes to the Senate Rules Committee for further consideration.

To review the committee-approved amendments, click here and here.

To review a summary of the bill, click here.

Photo caption: Sen. Brad Hawkins (left) and Sen. Lisa Wellman worked together on changes to Senate Bill 5147 before it was passed by the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Republican education leader urges school districts to consider swapping this year’s spring and summer breaks due to COVID

It has been a difficult year for students, parents, and school officials. With a limited percentage of Washington school districts offering in-person instruction and very few districts, if any, back to their usual operations, 12th District state Sen. Brad Hawkins is urging districts to think differently about how to maximize their 180 state-funded school days for the remainder of the school year.

“I am a big proponent of reimagining the school calendar in the long term, especially as our state prepares to pull out of this pandemic, but this year is unique and also presents an opportunity for us to think differently,” said Hawkins, a former school board member, father of two public school students, and the ranking Republican member on the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

Hawkins is urging the state’s 295 school districts to consider swapping their normal one-week spring break with their usual 10-12-week summer break and then resuming the remainder of their 180 school days throughout the summer, in-person, to prepare for the 2021-22 school year. By doing this, Hawkins says, school staff will be vaccinated, COVID rates will likely be down, and all districts could offer full in-person instruction. Also, the districts will have had plenty of time to prepare for the summer instruction, with the extended spring break.

Hawkins added, “The state provides districts full flexibility on how they spread their 180 instructional days. Most school districts would agree that in-person instruction is ideal. With the state taking so long for school employee vaccinations and few districts seemingly eager to resume their full operations, it makes sense to me to cut those losses, swap those breaks, and move ahead.”

Hawkins acknowledges that a mid-year school calendar change is not without its challenges, including gaining support from unions and local bargaining groups. The Legislature just approved House Bill 1368, which allocates $2.2 million in COVID relief, including over $700 million for K-12 education assistance.

“Districts can utilize some of those dollars or savings from other areas of their operations during the pandemic to negotiate a one-time fix for the summer schedule,” said Hawkins.

“We definitely can’t have the teachers’ union or some districts resisting the reopening of schools because they are so fundamental to our communities and families. We all need to work together to make sure all students receive the education they deserve. I’m proposing another option to help do this,” added Hawkins.

Hawkins concluded, “We need to figure out something. Our students and families deserve it.”

Sen. Hawkins floor speech

Hawkins asks Inslee to make COVID-19 vaccine available now to all in-person school employees wanting it

Sen. Brad Hawkins, the ranking Republican on the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, is asking Gov. Jay Inslee to make it possible for all in-person school employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccination now if they want it.

In a letter sent to the governor today, Hawkins wrote:

“I appreciate the step that you took to modify your vaccine plan to allow all school employees regardless of age to gain access in Phase 1B2, however, you significantly slowed down the process to move to that phase. As I have communicated previously, our school employees are on the front lines – many currently providing in-person instruction – and helping our state fulfill its paramount duty regarding education. They deserve to be protected.”

Later in his letter to Inslee, Hawkins wrote:

“In a recent news conference, you compared a 25-year old teacher to an 80-year old Washingtonian. To me, this greatly oversimplifies the policy argument about access to vaccines. You did not mention that under your current plan, for example, a 64-year old teacher is unable to be vaccinated yet a 65-year old retiree who can still self-isolate is eligible. I support prioritizing our older Washingtonians and vulnerable adults, but our school employees (administrators, teachers, and support staff) deserve to be prioritized alongside these older Washingtonians, especially those who are providing direct student support today. Our state will not get back to normal until our schools are successfully functioning.

“Please consider advancing our state to Phase 1B2, allow school employees providing in-person instruction today to be assigned to Phase 1B1, or authorize local health providers to utilize their discretion when administering vaccines. Additionally, please clarify publicly your support for all school employees to gain access to the vaccine – regardless of age – in the same phase per your decision on January 18, as your response at a recent news conference appears to contradict your revised guidance.”

Hawkins, a former member of the Eastmont School Board in East Wenatchee, said Inslee’s current COVID-19 vaccination phases timeline is vague and different from the governor’s original vaccination phases timeline.

Hawkins represents the 12th District, which covers much of North Central Washington.

Hawkins thanks Supt. Reykdal for bringing in expertise and planning ahead for school employee vaccinations

Sen. Brad Hawkins, the ranking Republican on the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, responded to today’s announcement of the “Get Ready Plan” partnership between the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Kaiser Permanente.

“I applaud Superintendent Reykdal for working with partners to bring in expertise and plan ahead for school employee vaccinations,” said Hawkins, who serves the 12th District and is a former Eastmont School Board member. “I’m thankful that the governor changed course on January 18th to acknowledge that all school employees, regardless of age, will be eligible to get vaccinated in the next phase. School employees across Washington – our teachers, administrators, and support staff – are helping our state fulfill its paramount duty and deserve to be protected.

“I still believe it is important for Governor Inslee and the Department of Health to allocate the vaccines to regions in proportion to their population and to allow local health providers and health districts to coordinate vaccine distribution.

“To the question about logistics, I believe the partners can get employee lists from their school districts, ask staff to present identification cards, and start getting vaccines administered as soon as they are allowed. School employees are critical workers and deserve to be protected as soon as possible.

“The reality is that our state will not get back to normal until our schools are fully functioning. The best way to make that happen is to get our school employees vaccinated now alongside our older Washingtonians because, unlike some of them, school employees will not be able to self-isolate.”

Hawkins acknowledges the challenge of coordinating vaccinations, but he believes it is often made worse by the state’s “top-down” approach and limiting flexibility at the local level.

“I’m thankful the health-care providers in my region – even prior to the governor’s designation of the Town Toyota Center as a regional distribution site – have been successful at getting vaccinations administered. However, the state should simplify things and provide more local flexibility in decision-making and vaccine distribution,” said Hawkins.

(PHOTO CAPTION: Senator Brad Hawkins of the 12th District is a former school board member and the ranking Republican member on the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.)

Sen. Hawkins

Education committee approves Hawkins’ school calendar bill

Following a challenging school year for students, parents, and schools, and anticipating significant learning loss across Washington state, the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee has taken a step forward to address “learning loss” throughout the state.

The committee today approved 12th District state Sen. Brad Hawkins’ bipartisan legislation, Senate Bill 5147, aimed at addressing learning loss by exploring alternatives to current school calendars that leave students with nearly three months each year with no school instruction.

Hawkins, the ranking Republican member on the Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, is sponsoring the bill to explore alternative school calendars. His lead co-sponsor is 41st District Sen. Lisa Wellman, who chairs the committee and works closely with Hawkins on education policy. Other prominent Senate co-sponsors include Majority Leader Andy Billig, Ways and Means Committee Vice Chair David Frockt, Democratic Caucus Chair Bob Hasegawa, and Republican Caucus Chair Ann Rivers.

As passed by the committee, the bill would create opportunities for up to 30 school districts (15 from western Washington and 15 from eastern Washington) to voluntarily participate in year-round school. The bill includes a financial incentive in the school funding formula for districts seeking to spread their existing state-funded 180 days over a full calendar year. The bill would require instructional days in at least 11 months of the school year and breaks of no longer than four weeks.

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction would select applicant districts based on the bill’s criteria to implement the program beginning in the 2022-23 school year and concluding after the 2025-26 school year and then report back to the Legislature regarding its findings. If this program works well, the Legislature could consider expansion to all schools in future years.

Hawkins, who served for 10 years on the Eastmont School Board and North Central Educational Service District Board before being elected to the Legislature, says now is the time for the state to encourage willing school districts to reform their school calendars.

“Now is the time – as we’ll pull out of this pandemic – to think big about reforming the system and to get serious about addressing student learning loss,” said Hawkins. “Long summer breaks, requiring significant reteaching in the fall, are the last thing our kids need in the years ahead. I hope for a program that encourages lawmakers and districts to consider transformational reforms to meet students’ academic needs. They deserve that,” says Hawkins.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal has listed reforms to the school calendar as one of his agency’s 10 “strategic changes.” In a Jan. 8, 2021, letter to Gov. Jay Inslee and members of the Legislature, Reykdal cited “Substantially shrink summer learning loss in the long term, and learning loss due to the pandemic in the short term, by balancing the school calendar” as a policy step for increasing learning for students in an effort “to become the highest performing public education system in the nation.”

Reykdal appreciates the bipartisan effort and positive dialogue around SB 5147, saying, “I am grateful for Senator Hawkins’ deep dive into this critical work. We have known for a very long time that our agrarian school calendars contribute to summer learning loss and a lack of supports for students who need us the most. By rebalancing calendars, we can improve student achievement and student supports, and we can sustain the teaching profession for our educators who are cramming 1,700+ work hours into a compressed calendar.”

The Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee has referred the bill to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for further consideration.

Hawkins pleased about Inslee’s decision on school employee vaccine access

Gov. Jay Inslee’s move yesterday to make all of the state’s public-school employees eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of their age, is good news, says Sen. Brad Hawkins, ranking Republican on the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

The governor’s action came Monday, one week after Hawkins and the state Legislature’s other education committee leaders urged Inslee and the state Department of Health to revise recent guidance so that all school employees wishing to get a vaccination would be eligible under Phase 1B2 of the state’s guidelines.

“I’m thankful the governor agreed with the importance of expanding access to vaccinations for school employees,” said Hawkins. “His prior guidelines put those age 50 and older on track for being vaccinated as early as February, but a huge percentage of younger employees would have been waiting until April for their first vaccine dose, meaning the second dose wouldn’t happen until the school year is nearly finished.”

Hawkins added, “The governor’s original schedule was not acceptable, and I’m thankful he recognized that and changed his plan. The people on the front lines helping to fulfill the state’s paramount duty regarding education deserve to be protected, as many will be transitioning back to in-building instruction.

“I’m pleased that the proposed change was accepted and hope that the governor and DOH will consider my call to allow local health officials across the state to partner with school districts to designate February 1 as a statewide ‘School Employee Vaccination Day.’ My district could hold our vaccination day for school employees at Wenatchee’s Town Toyota Center, as it is one of the state-designated regional vaccination sites specified in the governor’s new plan.”

Go here to view the joint letter from Hawkins and his legislative education counterparts to Inslee and DOH.

Go here to view Hawkins’ news release on designating Feb. 1 as a statewide “School Employee Vaccination Day.”