Legislative and Policy Advocacy
We work with legislators and policy makers to ensure that legislation in Olympia affecting schools and education is crafted with the particular needs of private and independent schools in mind.WFIS Legislative and Policy Updates
Intent to Participate Federal Programs Application April 2025
Private schools in Washington must submit their Intent to Participate in Federal Programs application each year in the Education Data System (EDS) to be eligible. The application will open in April for the 2025-26 academic year. Eligibility Requirements To qualify for...
2025 Legislative Update Week #6
This is day 40 of the 2025 regular session, which has 65 days left. Nearly 1,400 bills were introduced this session. The end of today is the policy committee cutoff for bills. If bills receive no committee action and are not necessary to balance the state's budget,...
2025 Legislative Update Week #5
With 1/3 of the 2025 legislative session behind us, things will start to move faster and become more intense as bills move through committees and amendments are written. New to the list: SB 5009 is a bill that invites clarification for when schools need to hire...
Educational Choice in Washington: Beyond the Public-Private Divide
WFIS strives to provide a thoughtful perspective on Washington's School Choice debate, moving past traditional public-versus-private arguments to focus on expanding educational opportunities for all students. While some worry that School Choice could lead to mass...
Flaws with the Child Care Workforce Board bill
Policy work is a team effort. It requires reading between the lines, listening with an open mind, and playing out a complex array of potential scenarios to ensure that the greater good has a chance of coming to fruition. Senate Bill 5062 and House Bill 1128 have...
WFIS Advocacy Day 2025
WFIS leaders met in groups with WA State Senators and Representatives on January 31 in Olympia. They engaged legislators on the need to expand free college course credit access to private high school students (HB 1618), establish reasonable timelines for meeting...
School Choice Initiatives advance at Federal and State levels
As school choice gains momentum nationwide, Washington State finds itself at the crossroads of federal and state proposals that could expand educational options for families. At the federal level, the Educational Choice for Children Act has been reintroduced in...
DCYF oversight of Boarding Schools: A misaligned approach
The 2023 legislation placing Washington’s boarding schools under the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) remains problematic. While DCYF officials cite the potential for student mistreatment, there have been no documented incidents at state-approved...
SSB 5190 Extends Clean Buildings requirements for schools
The Washington Clean Buildings Act introduced Clean Buildings Performance Standards, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency. Senate Substitute Bill 5190 (SSB 5190) will allow a public, private, or school district to request an...
Dual credit access for all Washington students
House Bill 1618 (HB 1618) is a legislative proposal to expand access to the College in High School (CiHS) program to private school students. Currently, while public school students can earn college credits through CiHS without incurring costs, private school students...
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