Committee hears bill to expand enrollment protections for military families
Loading...
Summary
A public hearing on House Bill 2534 heard widespread support from school officials and military advocates for allowing children of military families to begin enrollment before arrival and extending time to establish residency; staff said the bill’s provisions sit outside the interstate military compact.
The House Education Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2534, a bill intended to promote educational stability for children of military families by clarifying residency and enrollment rules.
Megan Moragachi, counsel to the committee, told members the bill would allow a child of a military family to meet residency requirements if a parent or guardian is transferred to Washington or a bordering state or is relocating under official military orders; it would let school districts accept applications and conditionally register students before the family’s arrival and extend the time parents have to provide proof of residence in some situations. Moragachi said the bill would require districts to request permanent records and to continue services for students who transfer with an IEP or Section 504 plan without unreasonable delay.
Representative Clyde Shavers, the prime sponsor, said the bill is intended to reduce midyear transfers and enrollment limbo for military children, stressing that “a child's education should not be disrupted because their parent or a family member wears a uniform.” Supporters included Creston Barr, superintendent of Peninsula School District, who said enrollment stability drives funding and planning and noted his district’s growing military population; Jared Mason Geer of the Washington Education Association supported most of the bill but asked for language changes to avoid shortening the time available for thorough special-education evaluations. Charles Wharton of the Veterans Legislative Coalition urged a due-pass recommendation.
Several testifiers with direct experience — including Natalie Wimberly (Peninsula School District board president and military spouse) and school psychologists — said the bill would modernize practices to reflect temporary housing realities for military families and reduce unnecessary midyear transfers. Staff said the bill's provisions exist outside the interstate military compact and therefore would apply to families transferring into Washington but not to Washington families transferring out of state under compact procedures.
The chair closed the public hearing after noting sign-in totals (141 pro, 1 con, 2 other). The committee did not take final action on the bill during the hearing.
