Committee weighs overhaul of student transportation funding; bill would task OSPI to rewrite STARS and add $400 for homeless students

The Senate Early Learning & K‑12 Education Committee on (hearing date) considered Senate Bill 5187, which directs the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to analyze district transportation costs and develop a transparent, predictable student‑transportation funding model to replace the current STARS regression approach.

Alex Fairfortun, committee staff, explained that the STARS formula currently compares a regression‑model estimate to a district’s prior‑year allowable transportation expenditures and pays the lesser of the two. SB 5187 would require OSPI to deliver an analysis by June 1, 2028, disaggregated by mileage, ridership and costs for several groups (students requiring special transportation for special education, students who meet the federal definition of homeless, foster‑care students who require transport outside normal district boundaries, and skill‑center attendees). The bill would also add $400 per student in transportation funding for students who require special transportation due to homelessness; the additional funds may be used only for those transportation costs.

Several witnesses urged more rapid action and broader coverage. Tricia Lubach of the Washington State School Directors Association said STARS is “severely outdated” and urged a comprehensive update. Joel Ahn of the Washington Association of School Administrators backed the bill, saying a transparent, student‑centered model would let districts plan and ensure students arrive safely and ready to learn. Melissa Stone of Washington State PTA asked that the OSPI report come sooner than 2028 and requested that foster‑care students be included among priority mobile populations.

Tyler Bunch of OSPI told the committee the agency has been analyzing STARS with the Legislature for years and said OSPI is ready to move forward on a new formula if funding is available. Several superintendents and regional representatives described local shortfalls: Jeff Chamberlain of University Place said his district faces an annual transportation shortfall of about $225,000 and estimated the bill’s per‑homeless‑student funding would generate material aid for his costs; Lance Goodpaster (Franklin Pierce) and other Pierce County superintendents reported transporting hundreds of students in care or experiencing homelessness and noted districts sometimes use Title I or local levies to cover those costs.

A staff fiscal note for a similar provision from last year estimated roughly $13 million in additional costs, including approximately $12.8 million recurring and $200,000 one‑time to support OSPI’s analysis. Witnesses representing rural districts and skill centers asked the committee to explicitly include skill‑center transportation in the revised formula; a skills‑center director said students who travel from distant districts often lack reliable transportation to access career‑training programs.

Student witnesses and parents urged quicker action on safety and equity. Several students described long walks to bus stops and safety concerns; advocates said predictable funding would reduce route cuts and long rides for young children. Members asked staff and OSPI technical questions but took no formal vote. Some speakers urged moving the OSPI analysis earlier than the bill’s June 1, 2028 date.

Ending note: Committee testimony showed broad agreement that STARS needs modernization; no committee vote was recorded during the hearing and supporters asked for an expedited OSPI analysis and attention to homeless and foster‑care transportation needs.