Insights from Erica Limón-Trefielo, Deputy Director, Communities In Schools of Washington
With the House of Origin cutoff behind us, the legislative session shifts from big policy ideas to hard decisions about what can actually move forward; and, most importantly, what will be protected or funded in the state budget.
For students across Washington, that shift matters.
“The conversation now is increasingly about stability,” Erica explains. “Whether students can reliably get to school, stay enrolled, and access the wraparound supports that make learning possible.”
Student needs remain high. Youth mental health challenges persist. Housing instability continues to disrupt school continuity. Chronic Absenteeism remains elevated statewide. The most consequential decisions ahead will determine whether Washington strengthens the prevention of infrastructure or allows more students to fall into crisis.
Here is where things stand.
What’s Moving Forward & What It Means
HB 2594: Protecting Education for Students Experiencing Homelessness
HB 2594 has moved out of its House of Origin and is now scheduled in the Senate. The bill codifies McKinney-Vento protections into Washington state law, ensuring that students experiencing homelessness retain access to critical educational protections, even if federal policy shifts.
Students experiencing homelessness face systemic barriers every day:
- Frequent school changes due to eviction, doubling up, or shelter stays
- Transportation gaps that lead to chronic absenteeism
- Lack of hygiene supplies, school materials, or stable internet
- Delays in enrollment or inconsistent identification practices
- Stress and trauma that directly impact academic engagement
This legislation ensures that students maintain stability in their education.
“If this bill does not move forward,“ Erica notes, “Washington would rely entirely on maintenance of federal protections. Codifying this right in state law provides long-term security.”
CISWA also advocated for clarity in statutory language to align directly with McKinney-Vento terminology and to ensure that community-based organizations can deliver services funded through related grants. This alignment strengthens implementation and ensures students receive coordinated support.
SB 5992: Youth Development as Prevention Infrastructure
SB 5992 establishes a defined statutory framework for youth development investments – an important step towards building prevention infrastructure in Washington.
“Youth development funding is especially important right now because basic education is not enough,” Erica says. “Students cannot fully engage in learning if their basic needs go unmet.”
Community-based organizations serve as stabilizers during uncertain times. Prevention-focused interventions (mentoring, daily engagement, attendance supports, and resource coordination) reduce downstream costs tied to dropout, homelessness, justice involvement, and workforce disengagement.
This bill creates a formal pathway for youth development funding, positioning the state to direct future revenue into prevention infrastructure rather than reply on ad hoc budget decisions.
If it advances, it strengthens the case for integrated school-community partnerships and long-term investment in student stability. If it stalls, youth development funding remains piecemeal and uncertain, continuing to compete within broader budget categories without a clear fiscal home.
“Truthfully,” Erica adds, “the state’s ability to build prevention infrastructure should not depend on temporary or fragmented funding decisions.”
The Budget: Where Survival Becomes Reality
SB 5998: The Operating Budget
After the cutoff, the operating budget becomes the central battleground.
“The operating budget is where ‘what survives’ becomes reality,” Erica explains. “Line items matter just as much as top-line totals.”
CISWA is closely tracking Local Effort Assistance (LEA) Enhancement funding. The organization has advocated to maintain LEA enhancement at $250 rather than reducing it to $150, as outlined in the proposal.
If protected, LEA funding helps under-resourced districts maintain staffing and student-facing supports that are often first on the chopping block, such as attendance outreach, family engagement, and coordination of basic needs.
CISWA is also watching investments tied to youth development and prevention infrastructure. If the budget reflects youth development as a priority, partnerships and programs that keep students engaged and connected can stabilize.
If funding falls short:
- Student support services become inconsistent across districts
- Inequities widen based on zip code
- Prevention capacity shrinks
- Schools and community-based organizations shift into reactive crisis response
“We can’t keep loving prevention, knowing it’s important, and then not funding it,” Erica says. “Every time we refuse to fund prevention, we spend much more money funding the solution to a problem that could have been prevented.”
What Died & What That Means
SB 5940: Foster Care Housing Pilot
SB 5940 did not advance out of its House of Origin.
The pilot would have provided rental assistance and housing-related fees for eligible youth in foster care experiences, or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Assistance could have lasted up to 24 months, serving as a bridge between foster care and independence.
The legislature faces a significant budget deficit, forcing difficult decisions. But the need remains.
Housing instability affects nearly every dimension of a student’s academic life. Students experiencing housing disruption are more likely to:
- Miss school
- Lose academic continuity
- Struggle with postsecondary enrollment
- Lose connection to trusted adults
This pilot would have filled critical gaps during transition periods.
“There is an opportunity to revive efforts in future years,” Erica notes. “Especially as Washington takes a hard look at its revenue structure and whether it is meeting the needs of the state now and into the future.”
What Stability Really Means
When asked what “stability” means for a student experiencing homelessness or foster care, Erica pauses.
“Stability looks different for each student. But what rings true is predictability.”
Predictability can mean:
- Staying in the same school even if housing changes
- Seeing the same trusted adults each day
- Knowing how they will access food, transportation, clothing, and a shower
- Being able to plan for graduation and postsecondary pathways without fear of disruption
Behind every bill are students carrying everything they own in a backpack. Students change addresses multiple times a semester. Students are technically enrolled but deeply disengaged.
“Resilience shouldn’t be a prerequisite for access to education and support services,” Erica says. “Students shouldn’t have to overcome instability just to receive the basics.”
What Happens Next?
Bills that have advanced now move to the opposite chamber for hearing, executive session, and possible amendments. Meanwhile, budget negotiations intensify. What survives in the final operating budget will determine whether prevention infrastructure and student stability supports expand, hold steady, or shrink.
CISWA will continue serving as both a statewide policy advocate or a bridge between school buildings and the legislature, translating real experiences from 60% of Washington’s legislative districts into policy conversations that shape funding and implementation.
Policy is strongest when it reflects lived reality.
How You Can Stay Engaged
Community members can:
- Monitor bill status through the Washington Legislature website
- Watch hearings on TVW
- Communicate directly with legislators
- Sign up for CISWA advocacy updates
- Share stories on your platforms from schools that illustrate the impact of youth development and safety-net programs
As Erica reflects:
“Our legislature is taking a serious look at our tax structure and asking whether it meets the needs of Washington today and into the future. That gives me hope. There are people trying to make actionable change… both in how we generate revenue and how we invest in students.”
The decisions ahead will shape not only this budget cycle, but the stability of students across Washington.
And stability, for many students, is the difference between surviving school and succeeding in it.