Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Legislation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District reports progress and concerns on state education bills, including MSOC and special education funding
Summary
A district legislative update covered the status of major state bills affecting schools: MSOC (materials, supplies and operating costs), a special education funding bill and student transportation proposals.
A district staff member briefed the board on the status of state education legislation, focusing on three bills the district has been tracking: material supplies and operating costs (MSOC), special education funding and student transportation.
The presenter said the legislative session was past its midpoint and that March 12 was the House-of-origin cutoff. ‘‘Bills that do not pass through the floor vote by this date are typically considered dead,’’ the presenter said.
On specifics, the update said student transportation bills ‘‘do not look like they're moving forward at all’’ and have died. Senate Bill 5263, concerning special education funding, was described as expected to reach the floor for debate. Senate Bill 5192 (referred to in the meeting as a bill concerning MSOC) is undergoing changes; the presenter said the bill would increase allocations for MSOC, require a three-year rolling average for enrollment in calculations adjusted for inflation, and eliminate categories that require districts to report disaggregated expenditures.
The presenter warned that operating costs for schools have outpaced state funding increases, leaving local levies as the primary option to backfill gaps for essentials such as insurance and utilities. The presenter said the Senate proposed operating budget included a substantial portion of OSPI’s requested funding and urged continued attention to MSOC developments.
Board members asked for clarification about the MSOC acronym and the presenter confirmed it stands for “materials supplies and operating costs.” No formal board action on the legislative items was taken during the meeting.
