[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6339648,"mediaKeyId","2260905-b2056ee5133fa9db3bf4724d4b22d4b2","parentId",2260905,"title","Staff and districts back SB 5009 to let districts include non‑bus vehicles in STARS allocation","audioSeconds",463,"startMs",364615,"endMs",827759,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2260905-b2056ee5133fa9db3bf4724d4b22d4b2&start=364&end=827","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2260905-b2056ee5133fa9db3bf4724d4b22d4b2/thumbnail_364615.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6339648/Washington/Staff-and-districts-back-SB-5009-to-let-districts-include-nonbus-vehicles-in-STARS-allocation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6339648-ce046df223822cbb9065593272964523/orig.mp4?Expires=1771102023&Signature=hTTJKJ-G8OZkdVOIjCzvKpaVXSG7rGunBeibxTnr92lImvb1uPg0EAq2ARBT-qj~Xq2z~lnE-lLfw1~bdwstOSHGtJCJaaZTOO2spGyOPihBZiG42lKv3gtPd3MwwgzsD1HOkXXil1D1-LfykkWxQ96dXoqOo1n9tLVbvUuRPjvSCoalxpeAyP8d63kQNLZME1sU-aCz2UjRG9mShuo-GkeMMMrAfXJ0yBjXmCV~2571p8YYIqg7SvVUwM1vZaptm8BIGx0eTsfKt8zTp8tjbiBs9V8ch0Hl4VqLJhKQYbx1tJfsr7ZsNI3tjD6wuhGJGLC8Wgm1cDx9hiD43UYrbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Health & Long-Term Care ","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","Committee staff briefed the Washington State Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on Substitute Senate Bill 5009, which would permit school districts to include district-owned passenger vehicles used to transport students in the STARS transportation allocation and would change reimbursement and training rules for drivers.

Kayla Hammer, staff to the committee, said the bill “requires district owned cars to be included in the overall transportation allocation rather than being subject to the private reimbursement rate,” and that it would expand the bus-purchase and reimbursement process to include other vehicles used in lieu of school buses. Hammer said the bill applies training and qualification requirements that now apply to school-bus drivers to drivers of other district-owned vehicles and also modifies the definition of school bus while excluding certain non‑school-bus drivers from commercial driver's-license requirements. She also summarized the fiscal note: a state impact of $236,000 in the 2025–27 biennium and $260,000 over the four‑year outlook, with additional indeterminate costs if the STARS allocation expands.

District officials told the committee the bill would provide operational flexibility and help address the bus-driver shortage. Robert (Bob) Maxwell, superintendent of Pullman Public Schools and president of LHSAS (as identified in testimony), said the measure “provides critical flexibility for school districts by allowing the use of smaller, safe, and cost effective vehicles inspected by Washington State Patrol to transport students.” Maxwell and Justin Polstead, director of operations for Pullman Public Schools, described routes where smaller vans or passenger vehicles reduced travel time for preschool and special‑needs students — Polstead said a trip that had taken “well over an hour” was reduced to “about 40 minutes” after the district added a transit van to the route.

Jim Kolkowski, director of the Bridal Lehi Center, called the bill “a common sense bill,” and said it would allow trained district employees to drive smaller vehicles when a CDL driver is not available. Brian Freeman, superintendent for the Enjilum School District on the Caldwell Reservation, told the committee his district purchased a vehicle last year to meet transportation needs and that “placing these ... vehicles in [a] depreciation model will create a sustainable model for meeting the transportation needs of districts.” Freeman also noted that requirements in the bill are consistent with current practice in some districts.

Supporters said the bill could reduce cancellations, lower operating costs on lightly served routes and free CDL drivers for other assignments. Hammer and witnesses noted the bill includes a fiscal note and that broader cost impacts depend on how OSPI integrates these vehicles into the STARS allocation.

Public testimony on SB 5009 concluded and the committee adjourned for the evening.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Health & Long-Term Care - 2/11/2025 10:30 AM","oneSentenceSummary","A staff report and district witnesses told the committee that Substitute Senate Bill 5009 would allow districts to include district‑owned cars and smaller vehicles in the STARS allocation, address driver shortages and change reimbursement and training rules; the fiscal note estimates a modest state cost.","taxTitle","Health & Long Term Care, Senate, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20503,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6339652,"Supporters tell committee SB 5187 should rewrite STARS formula, add ECAP to transportation study",351,10161,361890,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2260905-b2056ee5133fa9db3bf4724d4b22d4b2&start=10&end=361","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2260905-b2056ee5133fa9db3bf4724d4b22d4b2/thumbnail_10161.jpg","/articles/6339652/Washington/Supporters-tell-committee-SB-5187-should-rewrite-STARS-formula-add-ECAP-to-transportation-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6339652-878477479026a73854c812fb0e51b4e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771102023&Signature=L~ou5tGwUtx1XxGOGUMkjBV1mVfc0tVD0zqQ3LhXVpv9EkXO67lLHIpBMkz3Z8tEpju3mD1d96COD9ZFcZxvhLpiQeWMHVsZLI~R5dsse6ZSYeU1~aoGlfTaR1brZ6WaR~cYkUmtnWRziEUzmmHr0BlyY4C8vd1s9AC55YWhoW8oDRlvr6r28qVJHcSRyuBIOEPYpP9IgIUGC~zSZa6NQvSt1IhT38A21FuQ1hIQI2xccfA9HcaCEgs3a5C0OENTt8U7YerdcFeeiKMYVQ0ul4k9Di64gvWSP-A4O4NpYlR9btFizAewpHmzQHfVKIcJbp4SRKF5kGXoqQ3hLACmxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Supporters of Senate Bill 5187 told the Washington State Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education that the bill would make student transportation funding more transparent and would better identify families who need state-supported transportation.

At the committee hearing, Melissa Johnson, representing the Washington State Association of Head Start and Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP), said, “we support this bill because it identifies families most in need of transportation support,” and asked the committee to consider adding ECAP to the categories that should be studied under the bill. She told the committee ECAP families face substantial transportation barriers and that ECAP programs lack the financial capacity to reliably provide transportation for most families.

The bill would direct the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to update the STARS allocation formula used for student transportation funding. Lindsay Yocom, legislative representative for the Lake Washington School District board of directors, said the “STARS formula ... is unpredictable, insufficient, and lacks transparency,” and welcomed SB 5187’s steps to create predictability and full reimbursement for all passengers. Yocom said the bill’s immediate $66,000 in funding targeted to McKinney-Vento students was helpful while districts await a formula rewrite.

Angela Steck, president of the Washington State PTA, framed transportation as one of the “big three” funding gaps districts face and said, “Parents rely on student transportation and our school levies shouldn't be used to make up the state's shortfall.” Steck asked lawmakers to consider explicitly including students in foster care and students with disabilities whose transportation needs the current ridership formula does not capture.

Catherine Young, president of the Tacoma Special Education PTA, described schedule changes a district had used to reduce transportation costs that resulted in missed specially designed instruction for special education students: “Although this did, save money, it did cause problems.” Mary Templeton, superintendent in Lake Stevens, said the community wants a funding system that is “simple, transparent, sufficient, predictable, and equitable and fair,” and noted the scale of bus operations in her district — about 27 square miles and roughly 1,000,000 miles on district buses annually.

Witnesses provided population and service data intended to illustrate need: Johnson said roughly 15% of ECAP families were homeless during the enrollment year referenced; she reported 18% of ECAP children are on an Individualized Education Program (IEP), 8% are involved in the child-welfare system, and 4% are in foster or kinship care. She also said fewer than 20% of ECAP children are transported on school-district buses and an additional 9% have other transportation arrangements that are generally not affordable for most families.

Proponents told the committee SB 5187 would increase transparency in how STARS funds are distributed and allow better planning and reimbursement for districts. Public testimony on SB 5187 concluded and the committee moved on to consider Senate Bill 5009.

","Advocates, school leaders and PTA representatives urged the Washington State Senate committee to pass Senate Bill 5187 to revise the STARS student-transportation formula, expand eligibility and provide immediate funding boosts for highly mobile students.","actionData","errors"]

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Staff and districts back SB 5009 to let districts include non‑bus vehicles in STARS allocation

Supporters tell committee SB 5187 should rewrite STARS formula, add ECAP to transportation study